Performance of Different Versions of Duke Criteria in Diagnosing Infective Endocarditis in Patients With Intracardiac Prosthetic Materials.

Background: Diagnosing infective endocarditis (IE) is a significant challenge. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of the 2015 and 2023 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the 2023 International Society for Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases (ISCVID) Duke clinical criteria in a cohort of patients with suspected IE and intracardiac prosthetic material.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at 2 Swiss University Hospitals (2014-2024).

Evaluating Blood Culture Parameters to Identify Patients at Low Risk of Infective Endocarditis Among Those With Bacteremia by Gram-positive Cocci.

Background: Identifying patients at low risk for infective endocarditis (IE) among those with bacteremia by Gram-positive cocci is critical to optimize cardiac imaging use. The aim was to assess the diagnostic performance of blood culture parameters in identifying patients at low risk for IE.

Methods: Adult patients with bacteremia due to , streptococci, or at the Lausanne University Hospital were included.

Impact of mitral regurgitation severity on thromboembolic risk in atrial fibrillation: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a heightened risk of thromboembolic events (TE). Whether severe mitral regurgitation (MR) has a protective effect against thrombus formation in AF remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the impact of MR severity on thromboembolic risk in patients with AF.

Should Microhematuria Be Incorporated into the 2023 Duke-International Society for Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases Minor Immunological Criteria?

: Microhematuria is common in patients with infective endocarditis (IE). The present study aims to assess whether the addition of microhematuria in the 2023 Duke-International Society for Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases (ISCVID) minor immunological criteria could enhance its diagnostic performance. : This retrospective study was conducted at the Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland (2014-2024).

Evaluation of Different Versions of the Duke Criteria for the Diagnosis of Infective Endocarditis Among Patients With Enterococcal Bacteremia; a Multicenter Study.

Background: Enterococci are a common cause of infective endocarditis (IE). This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of the 2015 and 2023 Duke versions of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Duke criteria, as well as the 2023 Duke International Society of Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases (ISCVID) clinical criteria, for identifying IE among patients with enterococcal bacteremia.

Methods: We included adult retrospective patients with enterococcal bacteremia from 3 independent cohorts across 2 Swiss university hospitals between 2015 and 2024.

[Mitral valve regurgitation and heart failure: a dangerous synergy?].

This article explores the relationship between mitral regurgitation and heart failure, a dangerous combination with serious consequences. It reviews the pathophysiological mechanisms and current therapeutic options, ranging from medical treatments to percutaneous approaches, surgical interventions, and advanced modalities such as ventricular assist devices or heart transplantation. Recent studies exploring strategies to break this vicious cycle and improve patient outcomes are also reviewed.

Impact of Digoxin Utilization on Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients With Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs) improve quality of life and survival in patients with advanced heart failure but are frequently complicated by gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). Reduced pulsatile flow may induce mucosal hypoxia, upregulating factors such as hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and triggering neo-angiogenesis, leading to the development of gastrointestinal angiodysplasias (GIADs), a common cause of GIB. Digoxin inhibits HIF-1α and may prevent GIAD development, although its impact on the incidence of GIB remains uncertain.

Aortic Stenosis: Time for a Sex-Based Approach?

Aortic stenosis (AS) is a progressive form of valvular heart disease most commonly associated with aging, with an exponential increase in prevalence after age 50. While men have historically been considered at higher risk, recent studies highlight a similar prevalence between men and women, with a higher prevalence in elderly women driven by longer life expectancy. Sex-related differences in clinical presentation, anatomy, and pathophysiology influence disease progression, severity assessment, and management.

Cardiac manifestations in adult patients with inherited metabolic disease: A single-center experience.

Background: Inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) can affect the heart, but data on cardiac manifestations in adults are scarce. This study examines the clinical and radiological features of cardiac complications in adults with IMDs.

Methods: This retrospective study included adult patients at our metabolic clinic with a biochemical and/or genetic diagnosis of IMD who underwent cardiac investigations.

Association between programmed electrical stimulation inducibility and arrhythmic risk in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Risk stratification for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remains challenging. Programmed electrical stimulation (PES) is not endorsed by current guidelines, and its role in risk stratification is debated. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between PES inducibility and major arrhythmic events (MAE) in patients with HCM and evaluate its predictive value.

Current Trends and Future Challenges in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Utility of Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has revolutionized the treatment of aortic stenosis. As TAVR continues to evolve, precise pre-procedural planning and imaging have become increasingly critical. While transthoracic echocardiography remains indispensable for assessing the severity of aortic stenosis, cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has emerged as the benchmark imaging modality for pre-procedural planning for TAVR.

Factors associated with persistent bacteraemia among patients with suspected infective endocarditis.

Purpose: To ascertain the predictors of persistent bacteraemia among patients with suspected infective endocarditis (IE) and those with IE.

Methods: Retrospective study.

Setting: This study conducted at a Swiss university hospital (2015-2023) included adult patients with bacteraemia and suspected IE.

A clinician's guide to cardiovascular MRI referrals: a practical guide of ESC recommendations.

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) is a noninvasive cardiac imaging modality with an increasing number of applications in cardiovascular medicine. The growth in its clinical indications is evident from the expanding recommendations by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The year 2024 marked a significant milestone for CMR, as the latest ESC guidelines incorporated several novel indications for its use.

[Some key points for understanding a transthoracic ultrasound report].

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is one of the most performed cardiac examinations in internal medicine. It enables a quantitative evaluation of the cardiac morphology and function based on diameters, volumes and/or intracardiac blood flow velocity measurements. These measurements are systematically interpreted by a cardiologist and summarized into a concise and objective description that is useful for clinical management.

Comparison of cardiac computed tomography recommendations in recent ESC vs. ACC/AHA guidelines.

Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) continues to expand with increasing applications and technological advancements. Growing evidence on the clinical utility of CCT necessitates evaluating how this knowledge is incorporated into European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines. We aimed to provide a comprehensive comparison of CCT indications between ESC and ACC/AHA guidelines to identify areas of consensus and divergence in the current landscape of CCT utilization.

Full-root aortic valve replacement using Medtronic Freestyle bioroots for infective endocarditis.

Objectives: This study aims to explore the potential efficacy of the Freestyle Medtronic bioroot in the treatment of aortic endocarditis, based on our single-centre experience.

Methods: In this retrospective study conducted between 2015 and 2023, adult patients who underwent aortic root replacement with coronary arteries reimplantation using the modified Bentall technique with a Medtronic Freestyle bioroot in our centre for infective endocarditis were included.

Results: Thirty patients, with five deaths, no cases of relapse and two cases of reinfection, were included, and prosthetic valve endocarditis represented 73.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: prevalence of disease-specific red flags.

Background And Aims: The European Society of Cardiology guidelines recommend a systematic search for diagnostic clues or 'red flags' (RFs) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) to better tailor disease management. To date, the prevalence and clinical significance of RF associated with HCM phenotypes in different clinical settings are unknown.

Methods: The study cohort comprised 818 patients with a clinical diagnosis of HCM [479 (62%) males, mean age 49 ± 21 years] referred to four European centres.

Comparison of the 2023 ISCVID and ESC Duke clinical criteria for the diagnosis of infective endocarditis among patients with positive blood cultures for new typical microorganisms.

Purpose: To evaluate the performance of the Duke clinical criteria of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC; 2015 and 2023 versions) and the 2023 International Society for Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases (ISCVID) in diagnosing infective endocarditis (IE) among patients with bacteraemia/candidaemia by pathogens introduced for the first time as typical microorganisms by ISCVID.

Methods: Retrospective study.

Setting: This study included adult patients with bacteraemia/candidaemia by such pathogens (coagulase negative staphylococci, Abiotrophia spp.

Role of the New Physical Examination Minor Criterion (New Heart Murmur) for the Diagnosis of Infective Endocarditis.

Among 3127 episodes of suspected infective endocarditis, the 2023 Duke-International Society for Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases clinical criteria showed an accuracy of 90% for infective endocarditis diagnosis. A new heart murmur was present in 690 (22%) episodes. Excluding imaging and surgical findings decreased the accuracy to 73%, while using the physical examination criterion slightly improved the accuracy to 78%.

Extreme altitude-induced central sleep apneas lasting more than 100 seconds in a healthy 23-year-old man.

Central sleep apneas (CSA) can occur de novo at high-altitude in individuals without sleep-disordered breathing at low altitude. These apneas are usually brief, lasting only 5-15 s. This report presents the first documented case of a man experiencing extreme altitude-induced CSA lasting more than 100 s in the absence of any sleep breathing disorder in normoxia.

Predictors of Persistent Fever Among Patients With Suspected Infective Endocarditis: Think Outside the box.

Background: Fever is common in infective endocarditis (IE), yet little is known about fever duration in such patients. We aim to identify predictors of persistent fever in patients with suspected IE.

Methods: This study was conducted at the Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland, from January 2014 to June 2023.

Multi-Modality Imaging to Detect Ischemic and Valvular Heart Disease in Adult Cancer Patients.

Thanks to impressive advances in the field of oncology over the last 30 years, there has been a significant rise in cancer survivors. Nowadays, cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in this patient population. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major problem due to shared risk factors, an aging population and in many cases induced and/or accelerated atherosclerosis by antitumoral treatment during and even decades after the end of cancer therapy.