The association of coronary heart disease (CHD) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been well recognized for many years. The etiology of the increased prevalence of CHD in HIV-infected populations is the result of complex interactions among the viral infection, host factors, traditional risk factors, and therapies for HIV. As the HIV population is living longer, largely attributable to combination antiretroviral therapy, there is concern about the effect of the rising prevalence of CHD on morbidity and mortality, as well its effect on health systems around the world. This review will highlight the epidemiological evidence linking HIV infection and CHD. It will also focus on our current understanding of the pathogenesis and factors associated with HIV infection and CHD. In addition, the review will highlight modes of presentation and management strategies for mitigating risk and treatment of HIV-positive patients presenting with CHD.

BackgroundPericardial effusions can be caused by a variety of disorders. The frequency of the underlying diseases varies with patient population; therefore, previously reported series are not necessarily representative of other populations. Our purpose was to examine the etiology of pericardial effusions and the survival of patients requiring pericardiocentesis at a tertiary center.Methods and ResultsWe performed a retrospective observational study of 269 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous pericardiocentesis at our university hospital between 2006 and 2016 and had prospective follow‐up for up to 10 years. The most frequent etiologies were idiopathic (26%), malignancy (25%), and iatrogenicity (20%), whereas bacterial causes were very rare. The most frequent malignancies originated from the lung (53%) or breast (18%). A new cancer was diagnosed with malignant pericardial effusion as the presenting complaint for 9% of patients, whereas the pericardium was the first metastatic site of a known malignancy in 4% of patients. Survival was significantly poorer in malignancy‐related versus non–malignancy‐related effusions (P<0.001) and in cytology‐positive versus cytology‐negative effusions in the overall cohort (P<0.001). Among cancer‐only patients, however, there was no significant difference in long‐term survival between cytology‐positive and ‐negative effusions.ConclusionsIn this contemporary tertiary‐center cohort, pericardial effusions often represent the primary instance of a new malignancy, underscoring the importance of cytological analyses of noniatrogenic effusions in patients without known cancer, as survival is significantly worse. In cancer patients, however, the presence of pericardial malignant cytology does not appear to affect outcome significantly.

Raising the head of bed to 30 degrees or higher on a intensive care unit bed increases the peak interface pressure between the skin at the sacral area and support surface in healthy volunteers. At 45 degrees head of bed elevation or higher, the affected area attributed to a skin-intensive care unit bed interface pressure >or=32 mm Hg increased as well. Further study is needed to determine whether the increased peak interface pressures and affected areas that result from raising the head of bed actually increase the incidence of pressure ulcer formation.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated heart disease encompasses a broad spectrum of diseases. HIV infection may involve the pericardium, myocardium, coronary arteries, pulmonary vasculature, and valves, as well as the systemic vasculature. Access to combination antiretroviral therapy, as well as health resources, has had a significant influence on the prevalence and severity of the effects on each cardiac structure. Investigations over the recent past have improved our understanding of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of HIV-associated cardiovascular disease. This review will focus on our current understanding of pathogenesis and risk factors associated with HIV infection and heart disease, and it will discuss relevant advances in diagnosis and management of these conditions.

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We report a case of early in-stent restenosis due to collapse of a Magmaris resorbable magnesium scaffold.

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Background: Interventional cardiologists are occupationally exposed to high doses of ionizing radiation. The MAVIG X-ray protective drape (MXPD) is a commercially available light weight, lead-free shield placed over the pelvic area of patients to minimize operator radiation dose. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of the MXPD during routine cardiac catheterization, including percutaneous coronary interventions. Methods: We performed a prospective, randomized controlled study comparing operator radiation dose during cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention (n=632) with or without pelvic MXPD. We measured operator radiation dose at 4 sites: left eye, chest, left ring finger, and right ring finger. The primary outcomes were the difference in first operator radiation dose (µSv) and relative dose of the first operator (radiation dose normalized for dose area product) at the level of the chest in the 2 groups. Results: The use of the MXPD was associated with a 50% reduction in operator radiation dose (median dose 30.5 [interquartile range, 23.0–39.7] µSv in no drape group versus 15.3 [interquartile range, 11.1–20.0] µSv in the drape group; P <0.001) and a 57% reduction in relative operator dose ( P <0.001). The largest absolute reduction in dose was observed at the left finger (median left finger dose for the no drape group was 104.9 [75.7–137.4] µSv versus 41.9 [32.6–70.6] µSv in the drape group; P <0.001). Conclusions: The pelvic MXPD significantly reduces first operator radiation dose during routine cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT04285944.