Congenital aortic stenosis due to unicuspid unicommissural aortic valve: a case report

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked FilesBACKGROUND: Unicuspid unicommissural aortic valve is an extremely rare congenital anomaly that usually presents in adulthood but can rarely present in infancy. We report a 17-year-old patient with congenital aortic stenosis secondary to unicuspid unicommissural aortic valve that was successfully treated with aortic valve replacement. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was diagnosed with aortic stenosis after a murmur was heard in the newborn nursery and subsequently underwent aortic balloon valvuloplasty 6 weeks after birth. He had been regularly followed up since and underwent numerous cardiac catheterizations, including another aortic balloon valvuloplasty at age 13. During follow-up at age 17, the patient presented with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis and mild left ventricular hypertrophy. Aortic valve replacement was planned since the patient was nearly adult-sized and to reduce the risk of cardiac decompensation. During the operation an unicuspid unicommissural aortic valve was revealed. The patient recovered well post-operatively. He was discharged 5 days after the surgery in good condition and was completely symptom-free at follow-up 6 weeks later. CONCLUSIONS: Unicuspid aortic valve is a rare congenital anomaly that can cause congenital aortic stenosis. It is seldom diagnosed pre-operatively but should be suspected in infants presenting with aortic stenosis

Giant gastric lipoma successfully removed by endoscopic submucosal dissection: case report and systematic review.

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink belowGastric lipomas are rare adipose tumors that constitute less than 1% of gastric tumors. While lipomas generally do not need removal unless symptomatic, endoscopic resection has been proposed as safe for gastric lipomas smaller than 2 cm. Yet, there is no consensus on the optimal treatment method for larger lipomas. We report a case of a giant 7-cm gastric lipoma successfully removed by endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and systematically review the literature for gastric lipomas removed by ESD. Systematic review was conducted by searching PubMed and Scopus databases, up to 15 February 2018, using combinations of relevant terms. We report a 55-year-old male with known gastroesophageal reflux disease and asthma, who sought medical attention due to chronic heartburn and asthma exacerbations. These symptoms were attributed to a large 7 cm × 3 cm gastric lipoma that caused gastric outlet obstruction. The lipoma was safely removed by ESD, allowing quick recovery and alleviation of symptoms. In our review, we identified 20 gastric lipomas treated with ESD, with 15 (75%) being 2 cm or larger. The average size of the lipomas was 4 cm (range: 1.2-9 cm). All lipomas were limited to the submucosa, with 80% of the tumors located in the antrum. Three lipomas were removed by submucosal tunneling. All tumors were successfully removed en bloc and no major complications were reported. Our findings support the conclusion that ESD may be a safe alternative to conventional surgery for removal of large symptomatic gastric lipomas

The Incidence of New Persistent Opioid Use Following Cardiac Surgery via Sternotomy.

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink belowBackground: In recent years, increased attention has turned toward the risk of chronic opioid use after surgery. In this nationwide cohort study, we examined the rate of new persistent opioid use after cardiac surgery by sternotomy. Methods: All opioid-naive patients undergoing heart surgery by sternotomy from 2005 to 2018 in Iceland were included in the study. Naivety was defined as not filling an opioid prescription within 6 months before surgery. Persistent opioid use was defined as filling at least 1 opioid prescription during the first 90 days after surgery and another 90 to 180 days after the operation. In addition to estimating the incidence of new persistent opioid use, differences in patient characteristics, survival, and readmission rates were compared between the group with and without new persistent opioid use. Results: Of 1227 patients who underwent cardiac surgery by sternotomy during the study period, 925 were included in the study. Of those, 4.6% developed new persistent opioid use. When only patients who filled an opioid prescription after surgery were included, 10.1% developed new persistent opioid use. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, preoperative use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gabapentinoids, and nitrates were associated with increased risk for new persistent opioid use. Patients with new persistent opioid use did not have higher rates of readmission nor all-cause mortality. Conclusions: The rate of new persistent opioid use after cardiac surgery was 4.6%. Future steps should identify strategies to minimize the development of new persistent opioid use.University of Iceland Science Fund Landspitali University Science Fun

Causes of gastrointestinal bleeding in oral anticoagulant users compared to non-users in a population-based study.

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink belowBackground/aims: Causes of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) in patients on oral anticoagulants (OACs) are not well established. The aims of the study were to compare the causes of GIB in patients on OACs and those not on OAC therapy. Methods: A nationwide study of all GIB events in patients on OACs in Iceland from 2014-2019 was conducted. Bleeding events were obtained through ICD-10 codes and review of endoscopy databases, confirmed by review of medical records. For comparison, patients not on OACs from previous Icelandic population-based studies were used. Results: Among 752 GIB events in 12,005 patients on OACs, 273 (1.9%) had verified upper and 391 (2.7%) had verified lower GIB. For lower GIB, multivariate analysis showed that OAC users were more likely to have colonic polyps (OR 6.6, 95% CI: 2.4 - 17.8, p < .001) or colorectal cancer (OR 3.7, 95% CI: 2.0 - 7.0, p < .001) but less likely to have ischemic colitis (OR 0.11, 95% CI: 0.04 - 0.26, p < .001). For upper GIB, bleeding from mucosal erosions (OR 4.0 95% CI: 2.5 - 7.9, p < .001) and angiodysplasia (OR 3.6, 95%CI: 1.5 - 8.6, p = .003) were more common in OAC users. Conclusions: A high proportion of GIB caused by colonic polyps and colorectal cancer among OAC patients indicates that OACs treatment may facilitate cancer diagnosis. The low proportion of ischemic colitis among those on OACs suggests that OACs provide a protective effect against ischemic colitis. OACs seem to increase the bleeding from angiodysplasia and mucosal erosive disease. Keywords: Gastrointestinal bleeding; anticoagulation; colon cancer; ischemic colitis.Eimskipasjodur University of Iceland Scientific grant of Landspital

No transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to 23 healthcare professionals involved in advanced life support of COVID-19 patient - association with low viral RNA in respiratory specimens.

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Rivaroxaban Is Associated With Higher Rates of Gastrointestinal Bleeding Than Other Direct Oral Anticoagulants : A Nationwide Propensity Score-Weighted Study.

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink belowBackground: Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) rates for direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and warfarin have been extensively compared. However, population-based studies comparing GIB rates among different DOACs are limited. Objective: To compare rates of GIB among apixaban, dabigatran, and rivaroxaban. Design: Nationwide population-based cohort study. Setting: Landspítali-The National University Hospital of Iceland and the 4 regional hospitals in Iceland. Patients: New users of apixaban, dabigatran, and rivaroxaban from 2014 to 2019. Measurements: Rates of GIB were compared using inverse probability weighting, Kaplan-Meier survival estimates, and Cox regression. Results: In total, 2157 patients receiving apixaban, 494 patients receiving dabigatran, and 3217 patients receiving rivaroxaban were compared. For all patients, rivaroxaban had higher overall rates of GIB (3.2 vs. 2.5 events per 100 person-years; hazard ratio [HR], 1.42 [95% CI, 1.04 to 1.93]) and major GIB (1.9 vs. 1.4 events per 100 person-years; HR, 1.50 [CI, 1.00 to 2.24]) compared with apixaban. Rivaroxaban also had higher GIB rates than dabigatran, with similar point estimates, although the CIs were wider and included the possibility of a null effect. When only patients with atrial fibrillation were included, rivaroxaban was associated with higher rates of overall GIB than apixaban (HR, 1.40 [CI, 1.01 to 1.94]) or dabigatran (HR, 2.04 [CI, 1.17 to 3.55]). Dabigatran was associated with lower rates of upper GIB than rivaroxaban in both analyses. Limitations: Unmeasured confounding and small subgroup analyses. Conclusion: Rivaroxaban was associated with higher GIB rates than apixaban and dabigatran regardless of treatment indication.Icelandic Centre for Research Landspitali University Hospital Research Fun