February 27th, 2014
Tooth Extraction Prior to Cardiac Surgery May Not Be a Good Idea
Larry Husten, PHD
People with an infected or abscessed tooth are at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease. They are at particular risk for developing a serious infection during surgery, including endocarditis. Because of this risk, in order to reduce the risk of infection many patients undergo dental extraction prior to having a planned cardiac surgery. Now, however, a […]
July 15th, 2013
No Mortality Benefit for Surgery in Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis
Larry Husten, PHD
In the first five years after valve replacement approximately 3-6% of patients will develop prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). These patients are much more likely to die. Now a large observational study — the first of its type — has found that surgery is no better than medical therapy in reducing mortality in these patients. The report from the ICE-PCD […]
NEJM Journal Watch — Recent Cardiology Articles- Sex-Based Disparity in CABG Outcomes: Are We Moving Toward Parity?
- Can Genetic and Social Risk Scores Improve Cardiac Risk Prediction?
- Extensive Ablation vs. Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
- Can a Novel Stent Design Improve Long-Term Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention?
- Are Angiographically-Derived Coronary Physiology Measurements Ready for Use in the Cath Lab?