Risk factors for early onset disease (EOD) caused by Group B streptococci (GBS) that are the foundation of prevention guidelines were identified in studies conducted in a few hospital centers. We ...investigated cases of EOD identified through laboratory-based active surveillance during 1991 and 1992 in a multistate population of 17 million. Ninety-nine cases were compared with 253 controls matched for hospital, date of birth and birth weight. Prematurity (<37 weeks of gestation) was present in 28% of cases; 53% of case mothers had rupture of membranes >12 hours; and 48% reported intrapartum fever. The incidence of EOD in each surveillance area was higher among blacks. By multivariate analysis, case mothers were more likely than controls to have rupture of membranes before labor onset (adjusted odds ratio 8.7, P < 0.001), intrapartum fever (adjusted odds ratio 11.9, P < 0.001), and history of urinary infection during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio 4.3, P < 0.05). Young maternal age was also associated with risk of disease. Three-fourths of case mothers had intrapartum fever, <37 weeks of gestation and/or prolonged rupture of membranes, indicators previously used to select high risk women for intrapartum chemoprophylaxis. Our findings extend data from single hospitals and suggest prenatal screening and selective intrapartum chemoprophylaxis of high-risk mothers could potentially prevent the majority of EOD in the United States.
A transpulmonary saphenous vein graft was used to repair an anomalous origin of the Left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA). Postoperative cardiac catheterization revealed correction ...of the previous systemic arterial to venous shunt and a patent intrapulmonary artery conduit. The patient has experienced substantial symptomatic and functional improvement from the operation operation despite development of mild pulmonary outflow obstruction. Saphenous vein transpulmonary artery correction for ALCAPA offers an alternative surgical approach and may be the procedure of choice when anatomy or prior surgery preclude the more standard modes of revascularization.
Most cardiology training program directors are acutely aware of the strong and growing demand for cardiologists because they receive inquiries from practitioner cardiologists and recruiting firms ...regularly. ...the ACC Cardiology Workforce Study 2002 (hereafter the ACC workforce survey) demonstrated that cardiology training program directors perceived a dramatic increase in demand for their graduating fellows since 1997. According to the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) Medicare spent $6.8 billion for GME in 1997, the year that Congress passed the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997.
Accelerated coronary atherosclerosis is a major cause of heart graft failure two years and more after heart transplantation, yet its etiology remains undetermined. We conducted this study to ...determine the prevalence of coronary risk-associated lipid abnormalities, and the relationship between lipid levels and exposure to corticosteroids and cyclosporine, in heart transplant recipients.
The records of 92 consecutive heart transplant recipients from three different transplantation centers were reviewed. Patients from the three centers varied in age, in corticosteroid regimens, and in the proportion undergoing transplantation for ischemic cardiomyopathy. Although 11 patients were not receiving corticosteroids at the time of the study, all patients had received them immediately after transplantation. In addition to information pertaining to demographics, pretransplant medical history, rejection episodes, drug doses, renal function, and blood glucose levels, data on dietary intake and body weight were collected and plasma lipid levels were measured at the time of record review.
A significant number, 48 (52 percent), of heart transplant recipients were above the sex- and age-adjusted 75th percentile, and 35 (38 percent) were above the 90th percentile for total cholesterol in comparison with a general reference population. Similar elevations were found in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Bivariate analysis demonstrated cumulative prednisone exposure (r = 0.40, p = 0.0001) and cumulative cyclosporine exposure (r = 0.22, p = 0.04) but not diet or etiology of pretransplant heart disease to be significantly associated with age- or sex-adjusted total cholesterol percentiles. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol percentiles were also correlated with cumulative prednisone (r = 0.37, p = 0.001) and cumulative cyclosporine exposure (r = 0.24, p = 0.02). Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, however, demonstrated cumulative prednisone exposure to be the strongest predictor of both total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and percentiles (p = 0.0001), independent of cumulative cyclosporine exposure and other clinical variables.
These data suggest that long-term corticosteroid exposure may result in an increased prevalence of unfavorable lipid profiles in heart transplant recipients.
A fibronectin substrate will significantly enhance the strength of endothelial cell attachment on grafts constructed of polyester elastomer (PE) and polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE). This experiment ...was undertaken to determine the short-term in vivo stability of endothelium on these fibronectin coated surfaces. Eight mongrel dogs underwent bilateral carotid artery replacement with both graft materials. All grafts were inoculated with 2,000 cells/mm2 using cultured autogenous venous endothelium labelled with Indium-111-oxine. The Indium-111 label in the grafts was measured immediately prior to implantation, after 1 hour of in vivo perfusion, and at explantation after 24 hours. The percentage of inoculated cells attached to the grafts before perfusion was similar for both materials, 93.3 +/- 3.0% versus 92.2 +/- 7.2%, for PE and e-PTFE respectively. All grafts were patent at one hour after implantation. PE grafts were found to have 93.8 +/- 3.9% of the attached cells present at one hour while e-PTFE grafts had only 54.5 +/- 10.8% remaining, p less than .001. After 24 hours, 5/8 (62.5%) e-PTFE grafts and 2/8 (25.0%) PE grafts remained patent, p = .13. Of the patent grafts however, endothelial cell retention was still superior on the PE grafts with 78.0 +/- 0.6% of the attached cells remaining compared to only 24.5 +/- 6.1% on e-PTFE, p less than .001. Occluded PE grafts had fewer cells remaining at 24 hours than patent ones, 78.0 +/- 0.6% versus 31.1 +/- 32.8%, respectively, p = .13. Histologically, patent PE grafts demonstrated nearly confluent endothelial monolayers while e-PTFE had patches of endothelial cells surrounded by a platelet-fibrin carpet.
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