A 48-yr-old female on immunosuppressive therapy for fibrosing alveolitis and polymyositis developed a septic arthritis of the left middle finger proximal interphalangeal joint, tenosynovitis of the left palm and osteomyelitis of the right hindfoot due to infection with Mycobacterium marinum. Such widespread and severe bone and joint involvement has not been described previously with this organism.

Mycobacterium marinum infection causing septic arthritis and osteomyelitis.

British Journal of Rheumatology

Cardiogenic shock is a complex syndrome defined by systemic hypoperfusion and inadequate cardiac output arising from a wide array of underlying causes. Although the understanding of cardiogenic shock epidemiology, specific subphenotypes, haemodynamics, and cardiogenic shock severity staging has evolved, few therapeutic interventions have shown survival benefit. Results from seminal randomised controlled trials support early revascularisation of the culprit vessel in infarct-related cardiogenic shock and provide evidence of improved survival with the use of temporary circulatory support in selected patients. However, numerous questions remain unanswered, including optimal pharmacotherapy regimens, the role of mechanical circulatory support devices, management of secondary organ dysfunction, and best supportive care. This Review summarises current definitions, pathophysiological principles, and management approaches in cardiogenic shock, and highlights key knowledge gaps to advance individualised shock therapy and the evidence-based ethical use of modern technology and resources in cardiogenic shock.

Cardiogenic shock.

Lancet

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating chronic pain condition that, although exceedingly rare, carries a significant burden for the affected patient population. The complex and ambiguous pathophysiology of this condition further complicates clinical management and therapeutic interventions. Furthermore, being a diagnosis of exclusion requires a diligent workup to ensure an accurate diagnosis and subsequent targeted management. The development of the Budapest diagnostic criteria helped to consolidate existing definitions of CRPS but extensive work remains in identifying the underlying pathways. Currently, two distinct types are identified by the presence (CRPS type 1) or absence (CRPS type 2) of neuronal injury. Current management directed at this disease is broad and growing, ranging from non-invasive modalities such as physical and psychological therapy to more invasive techniques such as dorsal root ganglion stimulation and potentially amputation. Ideal therapeutic interventions are multimodal in nature to address the likely multifactorial pathological development of CRPS. Regardless, a significant need remains for continued studies to elucidate the pathways involved in developing CRPS as well as more robust clinical trials for various treatment modalities.

A brief review of complex regional pain syndrome and current management.

Annals of Medicine

Kawasaki disease (KD), an acute self-limited febrile illness that primarily affects children &lt;5 years old, is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in developed countries, with the potential of leading to coronary artery dilation and coronary artery aneurysms in 25% of untreated patients. This update summarizes relevant clinical data published since the 2017 American Heart Association scientific statement on KD related to diagnosis, cardiac imaging in acute KD treatment, and long-term management. Criteria defining North American patients at high risk for developing coronary artery aneurysms who may benefit from more intensive initial treatment have been published. Advances in cardiovascular imaging have improved the ability to identify coronary artery stenosis in patients with KD, yet knowledge gaps remain regarding optimal frequency of serial imaging and the best imaging modality to identify those at risk for inducible myocardial ischemia. Recent data have advanced the understanding of safety and dosing for several anti-inflammatory therapies in KD. New anticoagulation medication, myocardial infarction management, transition of health care for patients with KD, and future directions in research are discussed.

Update on Diagnosis and Management of Kawasaki Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Circulation

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have a reliable hypoglycaemic and weight-loss effect that can intervene in obesity, which is the basis of type 2 diabetes pathology. GLP-1RA therapy has shown potential benefits in reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and improving kidney outcomes in patients with diabetes at high risk for cardiovascular disease. More recent evidence is expanding their benefits to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and clinically important renal outcomes in patients with and without diabetes. Some sub-analyses of large clinical trials suggest that GLP-1RA and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor combination therapy may provide more significant reductions in heart failure hospitalization and renal composite events than each alone. Moreover, the addition of finerenone to this combination therapy could potentially provide stronger cardiorenal protective benefits. Further studies are needed to assess the potential cardiovascular and renal benefits of combination therapy and to determine suitable patient population for the therapy.

Updated evidence on cardiovascular and renal effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists and combination therapy with SGLT2 inhibitors and finerenone: a narrative review and perspectives.

Cardiovascular Diabetology

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF) represents a frequent form of PH related to left ventricular dysfunction. The pathophysiology of PH-HFpEF is intricate, and varied and includes vascular, cardiac, and pulmonary factors that contribute synergistically to developing this clinical syndrome. Improved knowledge of the pathophysiology of PH-HFpEF has paved the way for the use of new drugs such as angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors (ARNIs), non-steroidal mineral corticoid receptor antagonist (nsMRA), sodium-glucose cotransporter inhibitors (SGLT2is), levosimendan, and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists. ARNIs are a widely used drug for the treatment of PH associated with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. They have also recently been used in PH-HFpEF patients with hemodynamic benefits that need to be confirmed in future research. Finerenone is an innovative non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that exhibits notable cardioprotective and renoprotective properties in individuals suffering from chronic diabetic kidney disease. It also enhances outcomes for patients with heart failure, whether they have mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction. Moreover, in experimental studies, finerenone has been found to lower pulmonary artery pressure, reduce muscularization, and decrease the wall thickness of pulmonary arteries. SGLT2i have revolutionized the treatment of patients with heart failure irrespective of left ventricular ejection fraction, and their treatment is also associated with an improvement in the hemodynamics profile in patients with PH-HFpEF. Levosimendan is a widely used inodilator in the treatment of acute and advanced heart failure. In addition, its use in patients with PH-HFpEF (supported by the positive effects on pulmonary hemodynamics that levosimendan exerts) has recently demonstrated hemodynamic benefit in a small phase 2 study that paved the way for phase 3 studies and the creation of an oral formulation of levosimendan. Finally, GLP1 agonists are a class of drugs that, in preliminary evidence, have shown a positive effect on cardiac hemodynamics, mainly by facilitating left ventricular unloading. These effects, along with the reduction in insulin resistance and weight loss, likely lead to beneficial outcomes for PH-HFpEF patients, especially those with obesity as a comorbidity.

Mycobacterium marinum infection causing septic arthritis and osteomyelitis.

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