Maharshi Raval

Background and Objectives: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) has the sixth-highest malignancy-related mortality in the United States (US). However, inequalities exist in access to advanced care in specific patient populations. We aim to study the racial disparities in major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) in NHL patients. Materials and Methods: Using ICD-10 codes, patients with NHL were identified from the US National Inpatient Sample 2016–2019 database. Baseline characteristics, comorbidities, and MACCE outcomes were studied, and results were stratified based on the patient’s race. Results: Of the 777,740 patients with a diagnosis of NHL, 74.22% (577,215) were White, 9.15% (71,180) were Black, 9.39% (73,000) were Hispanic, 3.33% (25,935) were Asian/Pacific Islander, 0.36% (2855) were Native American, and 3.54% (27,555) belonged to other races. When compared to White patients, all-cause mortality (ACM) was significantly higher in Black patients (aOR 1.27, 95% CI 1.17–1.38, p < 0.001) and in Asian/Pacific Islander patients (aOR 1.27, 95% CI 1.12–1.45, p < 0.001). Sudden cardiac death was found to have a higher aOR in all racial sub-groups as compared to White patients; however, it was statistically significant in Black patients only (aOR 1.81, 95% CI 1.52–2.16, p < 0.001). Atrial fibrillation (AF) risk was significantly lower in patients who were Black, Hispanic, and of other races compared to White patients. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was noted to have a statistically significantly lower aOR in Black patients (0.70, 95% CI 0.60–0.81, p < 0.001), Hispanic patients (0.69, 95% CI 0.59–0.80, p < 0.001), and patients of other races (0.57, 95% CI 0.43–0.75, p < 0.001) as compared to White patients. Conclusions: Racial disparities are found in MACCEs among NHL patients, which is likely multifactorial, highlighting the need for healthcare strategies stratified by race to mitigate the increased risk of MACCEs. Further research involving possible epigenomic influences and social determinants of health contributing to poorer outcomes in Black and Asian/Pacific Islander patients with NHL is imperative.

Background: Amyloidosis is a disease of increasing interest, primarily due to its high prevalence and advances in diagnostic and therapeutic options. It is known to be coexistent with a significant number of aortic stenosis patients (AS). Various studies have been done to evaluate its role in the clinical outcomes of AS. However, there is a lack of similar data on coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional cohort study using the nationwide inpatient sample (NIS) 2018–19. We included 305,675 adult inpatients with CAD and further divided by the presence of a co-diagnosis of amyloidosis. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate the odds ratio (OR) of the association between in-hospital mortality in CAD inpatients with and without amyloidosis and other comorbidities. Results: The prevalence of amyloidosis in the total inpatient population with CAD was 7.3%, with the majority of the patients being in the older age group (mean age: 66.88 years), males (64.2%), and white (70.9%). Interestingly, the amyloidosis cohort had a higher prevalence of hypertension (89.3% vs. 85.1%). CAD inpatients with amyloidosis were noted to have higher in-hospital mortality (1.6% vs. 0.9%) with an OR of 1.87 (95% CI 1.66–2.11, p <0.001). These patients also had a higher length of stay (6.66 days vs. 4.68 days), total charges ($156,149.76 vs. $119,442.71), and major loss of function (56.5% vs. 30.5%). Amongst patients with CAD and amyloidosis, household income below the 50th percentile was a risk factor for in-hospital mortality (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.39–1.63, p <0.001). Conclusions: Results from our study show that CAD inpatients who have comorbid amyloidosis have worse outcomes compared to those who do not. Further studies are needed to determine the etiology behind these outcomes and thus guide the management of stable CAD in amyloidosis patients.

Prediabetes is a risk factor for ischemic stroke in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, yet, its impact on recurrent stroke in AF patients remains understudied. Using the 2018 National Inpatient Sample, we investigated the link between Prediabetes and recurrent stroke in AF patients with prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Among 18,905 non-diabetic AF patients, 480 (2.5%) had prediabetes. The prediabetic group, with a median age of 78, exhibited a two-fold higher risk of recurrent stroke compared to the non-prediabetic cohort (median age 82), as evidenced by both unadjusted (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.72–2.66) and adjusted (adjusted for socio-demographics/comorbidities, OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.65–2.64, p < 0.001). The prediabetes cohort, comprising more male and Black patients, demonstrated associations with higher Medicaid enrollment, admissions from certain regions, and higher rates of hyperlipidemia, smoking, peripheral vascular disease, obesity, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (all p < 0.05). Despite higher rates of home health care and increased hospital costs in the prediabetes group, the adjusted odds of all-cause mortality were not statistically significant (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.19–1.56, p = 0.260). The findings of this study suggest that clinicians should be vigilant in managing prediabetes in AF patients, and strategies to prevent recurrent stroke in this high-risk population should be considered.

Cardiac catheterization is a standard procedure performed approximately 1 million times per year. Transient cortical blindness is a rare complication of this procedure. Herein we report a case of complete bilateral vision loss after cardiac catheterization through right radial access, which, to our knowledge, has only been reported once before. Prompt identification of this complication is crucial for patient care. This report provides insight into the diagnostic difficulties, differential diagnosis, imaging findings, and management of transient cortical blindness.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension can be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality for influenza pneumonia (IP) patients. We performed analysis from the multicentric National Inpatient Sample (NIS) datasets to study the influence of disorders of pulmonary hypertension on the outcomes in IP patients. Methods: We used NIS 2016–2019 to identify IP hospitalizations (between 22–90 years of age) and divided them into with and without pulmonary hypertension (herein PHDPC). We analyzed for differences in demographics, primary (all-cause mortality) and other secondary outcomes. Results: Of 353,460 IP hospitalizations, 6.5% had PHDPC. The PHDPC cohort had more elderly, females, African Americans, and Medicare enrollees predominantly with more hospitalizations to large bed sizes and urban teaching hospitals, and higher cardiovascular comorbidities than non-PHDPC cohort. PHDPC had higher primary outcomes for in-hospital mortality (8.9% vs. 5.8%, adjusted OR 1.4, 95% CI: 1.21–1.61). PHDPC also had higher secondary outcomes for sepsis, septic shock, cardiogenic shock and need for mechanical ventilation, prolonged ventilation, hospital resource utilization for longer mean length of stay, mean hospitalization cost, transfer to other facilities or need for home health care, and high risk for 30-day readmission than the non-PHDPC cohort. Conclusions: With our study, we provide contemporary data for the outcomes of IP inpatients with pulmonary hypertension and depict worse outcomes for mortality, complications, and hospital resource utilization. Although our study does not include stratification for vaccination status for the outcome, primary care physicians, cardiologists, and pulmonologists should pro-actively educate patients on preventive strategies during the flu season.

Background: Interest in amyloidosis is increasing, primarily due to its high prevalence and recent advances in diagnostic and treatment modalities. The role of amyloidosis in aortic stenosis is established, and in coronary artery disease (CAD) outcomes are being reported. We aim to study the impact of amyloidosis on the outcomes of inpatient percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) recipients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional cohort study using the nationwide inpatient sample (NIS) 2018-19. We included 457,730 adult inpatients with CAD managed with PCI and further divided by the presence of a co-diagnosis of amyloidosis. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate the odds ratio (OR) of the association between amyloidosis and various outcomes in PCI recipients. Results: Out of the total of 457,730 patients included, 30,905 (6.75%) had amyloidosis. Mean age (66.3 vs. 65.9), female sex (35.6% vs. 32.1%), and African American race (11.6% vs. 9.4%) were higher in the amyloidosis cohort (all P<0.001). The amyloidosis cohort also had a higher incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) (29.9% vs. 15.5%), complications of surgical care (1.7% vs. 0.7%), complications of cardiovascular implant (9.5% vs. 8.5%), major loss of function (54.7% vs. 27.8%), length of stay (LOS) in days (6.3 vs. 3.8), total charges in $ (166,001 vs. 121,718), and in-hospital mortality (4.7% vs. 2.6%) compared to non-amyloidosis cohort (all P<0.001). Amyloidosis was associated with higher odds of in-hospital mortality (OR 1.3, 95CI 1.23-1.39, p<0.001), AKI (OR 1.89, 95CI 1.83-1.94, p<0.001), and complications of surgical care (OR 2.05, 95CI 1.87-2.26, p<0.001) but not with complications of cardiovascular implant (OR 1.01, 95CI 0.97-1.05, p=0.703). Conclusions: Amyloidosis is associated with worse outcomes in inpatient recipients of PCI. Further studies are needed to assess the implications, safety, and outcomes of elective PCI in patients with amyloidosis.

Background: Improved survival outcomes in breast cancer has brought attention to major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular adverse events (MACCE). Racial disparities in these events among breast cancer survivors are understudied. Methods: Using National Inpatient Sample datasets (October 2015-December 2017, ICD-10-CM), we investigated racial disparities in the hospitalized breast cancer survivors for MACCE. They were further sub-categorized on the basis of prior chemotherapy or radiation therapy (CT/RT). Results: Of 1,301,320 breast cancer survivor women, 75.8% were White, 11.3% were Black, and 16.1% had prior CT/RT. All-cause in-hospital mortality was highest in Asian or Pacific Islanders (3.2%) in the whole breast cancer survivor population; and in Native Americans (4.7%) in CT/RT subgroup. Native Americans (4.1%) had the highest incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the overall population, whereas White patients (2.9%) predominated in CT/RT subgroup. White patients (29.6%) had the highest prevalence of arrhythmia, regardless of the prior CT/RT. For strokes, Asian or Pacific Islanders (3.9%) and Black patients (3.8%) had a higher prevalence. All-cause mortality, AMI, arrhythmia, and stroke had the highest adjusted odds in Asian or Pacific Islanders (1.19), Native Americans (1.31), White patients (1), and Black patients (1.12) respectively. Black patients had the lowest quartile income and a longer median stay. White patients had the highest transfer to nursing facilities, whereas Asian or Pacific Islanders had the highest mean hospital expenditures. Conclusions: Racial disparities exist in MACCE among breast cancer survivors. Further research, especially pooling and analyzing real-world data is needed on the prevalence of MACCE in breast cancer survivors, particularly in subgroups with different cancer-related treatments.

Background: Traditionally, mechanical thrombectomy performed for pulmonary embolism (PE) necessitates the utilization of iodinated contrast. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has been used as a diagnostic and therapeutic modality in the management of acute high and intermediate-risk PE. Recently, with the shortage of contrast supplies and the considerable incidence of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI), other safer and more feasible IVUS methods have become desirable. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the importance of IVUS in patients with PE undergoing thrombectomy. Methods: Medline/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for review studies, case reports, and case series. Clinical characteristics, outcomes and the usage of IVUS-guided mechanical thrombectomy during the treatment of acute high and intermediate-risk PE were examined in a descriptive analysis. Results: In this systematic review, we included one prospective study, two case series, and two case reports from July 2019 to May 2023. A total of 39 patients were evaluated; most were female (53.8%). The main presenting symptoms were dyspnea and chest pain (79.5%); three patients (7.9%) presented with syncope, one with shock and one with cardiac arrest. Biomarkers (troponin and BNP) were elevated in 94.6% of patients. Most patients (87.2%) had intermediate-risk PE, and 12.8% had high-risk PE. All patients presented with right-heart strain (RV/LV ratio ≥ 0.9, n = 39). Most patients (56.4%) had bilateral PE. Mechanical thrombectomy was performed using IVUS without contrast utilization in 39.4% of the patients. After the initial learning curve, contrast usage decreased gradually over time. There was a significant decrease in the composite mean arterial pressure immediately following IVUS-guided thrombectomy from 35.1 ± 7.2 to 25.2 ± 8.3 mmHg (p < 0.001). Post-procedure, there was no reported (0%) CI-AKI, no all-cause mortality, no major bleeding, or other adverse events. There was a significant improvement in symptoms and RV function at the mean follow-up. Conclusions: New evidence suggests that IVUS-guided mechanical thrombectomy is safe, with visualization of the thrombus for optimal intervention, and reduces contrast exposure.