[Acute infectious endocarditis].
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C Piper.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
UNLABELLED: A 47-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital with acute anterior myocardial infarction. Immediate coronary angiography was carried out, which showed proximal occlusion of the left anterior descending artery (LAD). After mechanical recanalization, a reduction in vessel caliber at the site of occlusion was visible, and balloon angioplasty with consecutive stent implantation because of vessel wall dissection was performed. After the procedure, diameter reduction of the entire vessel segment distal to the stent and muscular bridging with subtotal systolic obliteration of the LAD and one diagonal branch were demonstrated. Diastolic coronary flow did not appear to be limited (TIMI 3). Dipyridamole-thallium cardiac imaging revealed an incomplete perfusion defect of the anteroseptal region and a reversible perfusion reduction of the anterolateral region. For definitive treatment, we decided to implant a 3.0 mm-stent at the site of muscular bridging. Although balloon sizing was adapted to the diameter of the proximal reference segment, measured by quantitative coronary angiography, coronary perforation into the right ventricular outflow tract due to balloon oversizing in the distal dilation segment occurred. The patient remained asymptomatic at rest as well as under exercise testing, and hemodynamics remained stable. Coronary re-angiography after 1 week demonstrated a persistent fistula with complete opacification of the LAD and normal coronary flow (TIMI 3). Within the following 3 months, the coronary fistula closed spontaneously. CONCLUSIONS: Muscular bridging is a rare cause of acute myocardial infarction. Balloon angioplasty and stent implantation in the bridged segment may be complicated by coronary artery perforation due to balloon oversizing. Risks and benefits of this therapeutic option, therefore, have to be critically evaluated, and careful selection of balloon size using measurements of proximal and distal reference diameter assessed by intravascular ultrasound is recommended. Coronary artery perforation into the myocardium with subsequent development of a fistula may be treated conservatively as long as the patient remains asymptomatic. The frequency of spontaneous closure of the fistula is high.
This report is on a severe case fo a HELLP-syndrome (H haemolysis, EL elevated liver enzymes, and LP low platelets). A 32-year old gravida developed severe preeclampsia with epigastric pain at 33 weeks' gestation. During a few hours post partum she showed disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and required intensive care. The severe HELLP-syndrome was combined with a fast increasing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and acute oligo-anuric renal failure. She was treated in the intensive-care unit for several days with artificial respiration, 10 acute haemodialyses, 4 plasma exchanges with fresh-frozen plasma and many blood and platelet transfusions. An early Caesarean section and treatment in the intensive care unit managed to turn the otherwise complicated progression of the disease. It is pointed out that plasma exchange with fresh-frozen plasma is a rarely employed treatment.
Prosthetic valve endocarditis remains an extremely serious complication, with a low but increasing incidence. 'Late' endocarditis, occurring more than 60 days after surgery, is relatively infrequently associated with staphylococci, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi so characteristic of the endocarditis that occurs earlier. A probable source of infection can be found in 25%-80% of patients, the most frequent causes being dental procedures, urological infections and interventions, and indwelling catheters. The most common organisms are S. epidermidis, S. aureus, viridans streptococci and enterococci. The general principles of antibiotic treatment are similar to those for native valve endocarditis, but antibiotic treatment needs to be more prolonged and dosages should be used which result in maximal, nontoxic concentrations. Oral anticoagulants should be stopped and replaced by intravenous heparins. Surgical reintervention is called for if there are large highly mobile vegetations in the mitral position or within 72 h if there are cerebral thrombo-embolic episodes.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
As a result of hypoxia following right-to-left shunts, cerebral bacterial spreading and an altered blood-brain-barrier permeability, brain abscesses (BA) are typical complications in patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease. In 483 prospectively followed patients the incidence of BA was 0.45%/year. It was higher (0.57%/year) for patients with tetralogy of Fallot where the cumulative risk within the first two decades of life was 12.1 +/- 1.7%. The risk of BA complicating cyanotic heart disease is inconstant and continuously increasing up to approximately age 12 (instantaneous risk at that time: 1.75 +/- 0.12%), decreasing thereafter. With respect to etiology, infectious endocarditis, infections per continuitatem, bacterial meningitis, bacterial lung diseases with intrapulmonary shunts, and thromboembolic complications of systemic infections have to be differentiated. The stepwise diagnosis includes CCT to demonstrate the typical contrast enhancement and a lumbar puncture which shows granulocytic pleocytosis. If the cerebral spinal fluid fails to demonstrate the typical findings, cerebral angiography may be necessary to exclude a malignant vascularized neoplasma. In cases of doubt, stereotactic cerebral biopsy should be performed. Optimal antibiotic therapy after determining the minimal bactericidal concentration and combination of antibiotics is of utmost prognostic significance. Cranial computed tomography should be repeated after 6, 14, and 24 days. Infections resistant to antibiotics may necessitate local instillation of antibiotics.
Forty-two consecutive patients received emergency treatment for acute mitral insufficiency causing pulmonary edema between 1984 and 1992. The underlying diagnoses were acute myocardial infarction (n = 21), acute bacterial endocarditis on the native mitral valve (n = 9), prosthetic endocarditis in the mitral position (n = 4), acute failure of a replacement valve (n = 5), blunt chest trauma (n = 1) and chordal rupture in Marfan's syndrome (n = 2). Dysfunction of the subvalvular apparatus was present in 24 patients, verified by transthoracic echocardiography in 18 (75%) and by transoesophageal echocardiography in all patients in whom this technique was used. There were four cases of outflow strut fracture of a Björk-Shiley mitral prosthesis; a reliable diagnosis was made by fluoroscopy in all patients. Bedside hemodynamic monitoring was found to be unreliable both for differential diagnosis and for the quantitative assessment of the degree of mitral insufficiency. The right ventricular filling pressure was normal in 32/39 patients (82%), and the pulmonary artery and pulmonary capillary pressures elevated in 37/39 (95%). Diagnostically important, high pulmonary capillary v-waves were documented in 13 patients (33%). The left ventricular impedance could be influenced with sodium nitroprussid combined in some cases with dobutamin, and the resultant decrease of the peripheral vascular resistance from 1480 +/- 222 to 702 +/- 86 dyn x sec x cm-5 was followed by a proportionate reduction in the transmitral regurgitant fraction. Three patients died prior to the intended emergency surgical intervention. Emergency surgery was completed in 21 patients with an early mortality of 23.8% (n = 5). Ten patients underwent elective surgery within, and another three later than one year from the onset of the acute symptoms with an early mortality of 7.7% (n = 1). Four patients are alive and clinically well with medical treatment alone.
Haematogenous primary pyomyositis predominantly caused by staphylococcus aureus is a well-known entity in tropical regions. It is sporadicly observed in non-tropical areas. Lack of clinical familiarity not seldom contributes to delayed recognition of pyomyositis in the suppurative or complicated state. Initially, healing usually can be achieved by antibiotic treatment adjusted by antibiotic treatment adjusted to pyogenic staphylococci. Late stages require concomitant surgical or transcutaneous drainages of pus. In addition, treatment for osteomyelitis or bacterial carditis as typical complications may be necessary. The review of pyomyositis is illustrated by three case-reports from Germany.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A 75-year-old woman developed fever, exanthema and nonoliguric renal failure 16 days after the beginning of Piperacillin treatment. Renal biopsy revealed lympho-plasma-cellular acute interstitial nephritis (AIN). A lymphocyte-transformation-test showed significant stimulation of patient's lymphocytes by Piperacillin. Corticosteroid-therapy correlated to clinical and renal improvement. Nevertheless the patient died of foudroyant septicemia caused by E. coli. Our report describes the first immunologically documented case of AIN following Piperacillin treatment.
Eight instructive clinical case reports on younger women demonstrate the actual problem of severe adverse reactions (ADR) associated with oral contraceptives. Complications consisted of cerebral arterial thrombosis, peripheral arterial thrombosis, cerebral embolism, pelvic vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, thrombosis of the sinus sagittalis, recurrent pancreatitis and focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver. Contraindications of hormonal contraception (i.e. heavy smoking) were not always taken seriously by the prescribing physician. The data bank of the Medicines Commission of the German Medical Association contributed 648 cases to draw an ADR frequency profile, according to age, doses, duration of prescription and deaths. 25 deaths in close connection to oral contraception intake were reported, mostly caused by arterial or venous thromboembolism. Deaths predominantly were reported in women less than or equal to 30 years old, mostly following exposition to low-dose-preparations and after relatively short duration of intake (less than or equal to 3 years). These non-representative observations call for strict consideration of contraindications and use of low-dose-preparations, even in younger women.
1. Ten healthy volunteers and 26 hospital in-patients with endogenous creatinine clearances of 98 to 4 ml min-1 received an oral dose of 800 mg sulotroban (BM 13.177). The plasma and urine concentrations of sulotroban were measured by gas-chromatography over 72 h and the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated. 2. The AUC rose from 28.5 mg l-1 h in healthy volunteers to 631.4 mg l-1 h in preterminal renal failure (medians). The CLR decreased from 317.0 ml min-1 to 6.5 ml min-1 at the lowest renal capacity. 3. According to the AUC values, reduction of the dose is not necessary at CLCr greater than 50 ml min-1, a dose of 20-40% of normal is appropriate at CLCr of 20-50 ml min-1 At CLCr less than or equal to 20 ml min-1 the normal dose should be reduced to less than 20% of normal. 4. Vaginal spotting was noted in three female patients and a gastro-intestinal haemorrhage that did not require transfusion in one male patient. These may be associated with the action of sulotroban.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A 45-years-old Greek patient developed septicaemia in his 10th year of hemodialysis treatment. Clinical investigation was directed first on bacterial infection of the arteriovenous shunt, on urosepsis or bronchopulmonary infection. Then, serologically (Widal's reaction and ELISA-test) and in different blood-cultures Brucella melitensis was detected as causative agent for Malta fever (Febris undulans). The focus of infection is suspected in unpasteurized sheep-milk cheese of mediterranean origine, wherein Brucella species can survive for months. The patient was treated effectively by a combination of amoxycilline and clavulanic acid.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Tuberculosis of the gallbladder is a rare disease, which mostly is diagnosed by histological examination after cholecystectomy. Less than 60 cases are published. Four different manifestations are described by Weitz: The gallbladder infection by miliary tuberculosis in children or in adults, the disseminated abdominal tuberculosis including the biliary tract or the isolated infection of the gallbladder. Our case report outlines the progress of an isolated tuberculosis of the gallbladder wall in a patient with chronic renal failure. The uremic immunological anergy may have favoured the infection.