Echocardiographic abnormalities in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) were determined, and pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) was estimated. Clinical data and echocardiograms of 38 adult hospitalized patients with SCD at two tertiary care hospitals were reviewed. Fisher's exact test was performed to determine correlation between pulmonary hypertension and various clinical variables. Pulmonary hypertension was the most common abnormality identified in 22 (58%) patients. The estimated mean PASP was 37.5¯± 10.9 mmHg. Older age and prior history of acute chest syndrome were significantly correlated with an increased prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (P < 0.05). Patients with hemoglobin levels <8 g/dL had PASP 43.2¯± 0.5 compared to a mean PASP of 33.3¯± 6.0 in patients with hemoglobin ‡8 g/dL (P = 0.01). Eight (21%) patients had evidence of a hyperdynamic left ventricle. Left heart abnormalities included dilated atrium in 14 (37%), dilated ventricle in 5 (13%), ventricle hypertrophy in 5 (13%), and ventricle dysfunction in 3 (9%) patients. Right heart abnormalities included dilated atrium in 9 (24%), dilated ventricle in 6 (16%), and ventricle dysfunction in 3 (9%) patients. Despite an increased incidence of abnormal flow across the valves on Doppler analysis, no patient had structurally abnormal valves. A majority of patients with SCD had evidence of pulmonary hypertension, which correlated with older age and history of acute chest syndrome. Other structural and functional echocardiographic abnormalities were less common. Am.

Background: Cardiac manifestations in COVID-19 are multifactorial and are associated with increased mortality. The clinical utility and prognostic value of echocardiography in COVID-19 inpatients is not clearly defined. We aim to identify echocardiographic parameters that are associated with 30-day clinical outcomes secondary to COVID-19 hospitalization. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in a large tertiary hospital in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. It included 214 adult inpatients with a laboratory confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 on nasopharyngeal swab and had a transthoracic echocardiogram performed during the index hospitalization. Primary outcome was 30-day all-cause inpatient mortality. Secondary outcomes were 30-day utilization of mechanical ventilator support, vasopressors, or renal replacement therapy. Results: Mild right ventricular systolic dysfunction [OR:3.51, 95% CI:1.63–7.57, p=0.001], moderate to severe right ventricular systolic dysfunction [OR:7.30, 95% CI:2.20–24.25, p=0.001], pulmonary hypertension [OR:5.39, 95% CI:1.96–14.86, p=0.001], and moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation [OR:3.92, 95% CI:1.71–9.03, p=0.001] were each associated with increased odds of 30-day all-cause inpatient mortality. Pulmonary hypertension and moderate to severe right ventricular dysfunction were each associated with increased odds of 30-day utilization of mechanical ventilator support and vasopressors. Conclusions: Right ventricular dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension, and moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation were associated with increased odds for 30-day inpatient mortality. This study highlights the importance of echocardiography and its clinical utility and prognostic value for evaluating hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Intracardiac blood cysts are thin-walled cysts, lined by flattened, cobblestone-shaped epithelium, and filled with nonorganized blood. During autopsy, they are found on cardiac valves in approximately 50% of infants below the age of 2 months and are rarely found after the age of 2 years. We report a rare case of blood cyst attached to the mitral valve and a possible cause of an embolic stroke.

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Highlights Choledochal cyst is a rare malformation of the common bile duct causing jaundice in the pediatric group. Diagnosis can easily be made using abdominal ultrasonography, hence a high degree of suspicion is needed among clinicians. Surgery, open or laparoscopic, remains the core management depending upon the availability of the resources and expertise.

Introduction. Heart failure (HF) is characterized by frequent episodes of decompensation, leading to a high hospitalization burden. More than 50% of index hospitalizations for HF patients return within 6 months of discharge. Once the patient is readmitted, the risk of further disease progression and the mortality rate are increased. A lot of patients are readmitted due to factors such as poor medication adherence, infections, or worsening comorbidities. The aim of our study was to identify the inpatient burden of HF readmission and to identify the factors associated with early readmission. Methods. A hospital-based cross-sectional analytical study was conducted from November 2018 to April 2019 within the medical wards at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), which is a teaching and referral hospital in north-eastern Tanzania. The study population included all patients with HF admitted within the medical ward. Data were collected using questionnaires and blood and radiological investigations, and analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25. Chi-square test was used to compare proportions of categorical variables. Logistic regression was used to determine the likelihood for readmission, and p-value of <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results. A total of 353 patients were identified with HF, of whom 136 (38.5%) had a previous admission. Of the 136 patients analysed, the mean age was 62.8 years (SD 17.1), and 86 (63.2%) were females. Within 30 days after discharge, 34 (25.0%) of the patients were readmissions. Factors for early readmission were unemployment (OR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.02–5.54, p=0.043), poor medication adherence (OR = 3.87, 95% CI = 1.67–8.97, p=0.002), absence of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) (OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.09–5.31, p=0.030), and pleural effusion (OR 3.25, 95% CI = 1.44–7.32, p=0.004). Conclusion. Heart failure is a burden due to a large number of admissions and readmissions. Factors such as poor medication adherence and absence of adequate HF therapy, especially the absence of regimes containing ACEI or ARB, need to be targeted to reduce the number of readmissions. This will help reduce the risk of further decompensations, disease progression, and mortality rate.