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Purpose: Cancer and the associated treatments are important causes of pericardial effusion. However, the natural history of malignant pericardial effusion is largely unknown, especially in the context of newer cancer treatments. We investigated the causes of pericardial effusions in a tertiary oncology center, with particular focus on the prognosis of malignant effusions in the era of contemporary oncological therapies. Method: We obtained data from electronic medical records. Survival analyses were performed utilizing the Kaplan–Meier method. We performed Cox regression to explore the potential clinical factors associated with survival. Results: Forty‐four patients had pericardial effusion treated with pericardiocentesis during the study period. The mean age was 62‐years, and 55% were female. Sixty‐eight percent of these patients also had cancer, with approximately half (47%) receiving prior chemotherapy, and a quarter (27%) having had chest radiotherapy. Seventy percent of the patients with active cancer had malignant cells on cytology of pericardial fluid. The median survival of the cohort was 227 days, with malignant effusions having a median survival of 62‐days compared to nonmalignant effusions with 1408 days (Logrank statistic 7.4, p‐value.007). Malignant cytology was significantly associated with mortality on univariable analysis (HR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2–5.3). Complication rates were low, with no deaths as a direct complication of pericardiocentesis. Conclusion: Malignancy is the most common cause of pericardial effusion in this tertiary medical and oncological center. Abnormal cytology with malignant cells has a poor median survival, despite advances in oncological treatment over the last decade. Pericardiocentesis is a safe procedure for these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus myocarditis is a rare diagnosis with a high mortality rate, usually seen in people who are immunocompromised. Here, we report a case of a 44-year-old man on methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis who presented in septic shock and was diagnosed with staphylococcus aureus myocarditis. The myocarditis was associated with a left ventricular apical thrombus, with normal systolic function. The myocarditis and associated thrombus were characterised on transthoracic echocardiogram and subsequently on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging showed oedema in the endomyocardium, consistent with acute myocarditis, associated with an apical mural thrombus. Repeat CMR 3 weeks following discharge from hospital showed marked improvement in endomyocardial oedema and complete resolution of the apical mural thrombus. He was treated with a 12-week course of antibiotics and anticoagulated with apixaban. The patient was successfully managed with intravenous antibiotics and anticoagulation with complete recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the cognitive resources involved in processing speech with gesture compared to the same speech without gesture across four studies using a dual-task paradigm. Participants viewed videos of a woman describing spatial arrays either with gesture or without. They then attempted to choose the target array from among four choices. Participants' cognitive load was measured as they completed this comprehension task by measuring how well they could remember the location and identity of digits in a secondary task. We found that addressees experience additional visuospatial load when processing gestures compared to speech alone, and that the load primarily comes when addressees attempt to use their memory of the descriptions with gesture to choose the target array. However, this cost only occurs when gestures about horizontal spatial relations (i.e., left and right) are produced from the speaker's egocentric perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A young woman presented with fulminant heart failure. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed severe left ventricular dysfunction with a mass adjacent to the basal anterior wall, near the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT). The cause of the acute heart failure and mass was unclear. Transesophageal echocardiography, with contrast, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings were consistent with thrombus near the LVOT. Cardiac biopsy suggested giant cell myocarditis. The patient was treated with anticoagulation, steroids, and heart failure medications with resolution of the thrombus. This case was remarkable for the location of thrombus at the base of the ventricle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to identify the baseline prevalence of cardiac dysfunction in patients commencing clozapine, assess adherence with echocardiographic monitoring recommendations, and evaluate the utility and cost of echocardiographic monitoring for the development of clozapine-associated myocarditis and cardiomyopathy. Methods: A retrospective longitudinal cohort study was undertaken of 159 consecutive patients from a major tertiary centre commencing clozapine in the period January 2002 to July 2009. Results: Some 73% of patients had a baseline study, and 11% had a six-month follow-up study. Nine patients had abnormal left ventricular function at baseline. Myocarditis was identified in three patients, with all cases occurring within the first month of treatment and suspected on clinical grounds before an echocardiogram was performed. One case of possible cardiomyopathy was identified. The cost of echocardiographic screening in the first year of treatment was estimated at $AUD 209,356 per case of cardiomyopathy detected. Conclusion: The prevalence of cardiac dysfunction in patients commencing clozapine is high, and there are challenges in adhering with the recommended protocol for monitoring. Routine echocardiography is not useful in the detection of clozapine-associated myocarditis. Although cardiomyopathy may be identified, it is rare and associated with significant cost. Recommendations for routine echocardiographic monitoring should be re-examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to identify the baseline prevalence of cardiac dysfunction in patients commencing clozapine, assess adherence with echocardiographic monitoring recommendations, and evaluate the utility and cost of echocardiographic monitoring for the development of clozapine-associated myocarditis and cardiomyopathy. Methods: A retrospective longitudinal cohort study was undertaken of 159 consecutive patients from a major tertiary centre commencing clozapine in the period January 2002 to July 2009. Results: Some 73% of patients had a baseline study, and 11% had a six-month follow-up study. Nine patients had abnormal left ventricular function at baseline. Myocarditis was identified in three patients, with all cases occurring within the first month of treatment and suspected on clinical grounds before an echocardiogram was performed. One case of possible cardiomyopathy was identified. The cost of echocardiographic screening in the first year of treatment was estimated at $AUD 209,356 per case of cardiomyopathy detected. Conclusion: The prevalence of cardiac dysfunction in patients commencing clozapine is high, and there are challenges in adhering with the recommended protocol for monitoring. Routine echocardiography is not useful in the detection of clozapine-associated myocarditis. Although cardiomyopathy may be identified, it is rare and associated with significant cost. Recommendations for routine echocardiographic monitoring should be re-examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop a simple clinical decision rule that could increase the yield of serum and urine protein electrophoresis (SPE/UPE) without loss of sensitivity.Design: A cross-sectional study of inpatients with a SPE/UPE performed over a 5-year period (2001-2006) with complete data on electrolytes, globulins, full blood count, creatinine, age, and gender.Setting: A tertiary-care general teaching hospital serving the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, with a referral population of over 1 million.Participants: A total of 14,374 adult patients admitted between January 2001-November 2006.Main Outcome Measures: Paraprotein on serum and/or urine protein electrophoresis (SPE/UPE).Results: Five points were assigned for globulin > 41 g/l, 3 points for age > or = 60, 2 points for each of hemoglobin < 121 and male gender, and 1 point for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60. Total scores of 0-5, 6-10, and > or = 11 corresponded to positive likelihood ratios of an abnormal SPE/UPE of 1, 2.5, and 6.6, respectively. The predictive ability of this model was strong, with an area under the curve of approximately 0.8. Results in the validation set were almost identical.Conclusion: A clinical decision rule using simple clinical variables has the potential to improve the yield of SPE/UPE. This rule however needs to be verified prospectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]