Acute Idiopathic Pericarditis Research Articles

Acute idiopathic pericarditis during a national lockdown to prevent transmission of SARS-COVID-19

BackgroundIdiopathic acute pericarditis is often presumed to have a viral cause. We hypothesized that if acute viral infection was the cause, the incidence of acute ‘idiopathic’ pericarditis would decrease during a public health lockdown introduced to prevent the spread of SARS-COVID-19 in New Zealand when acute viral infections decreased by 75% to 99%. MethodsHospitalization for acute ‘idiopathic’ pericarditis during 5 months of the national public health lockdown were compared to 54 months before the COVID-19 pandemic from administrative data. ResultsThe hospitalization rate for acute pericarditis was similar before (n = 1364, 24.8 cases/30 days) compared to during the public health lockdown (n = 132, 25.8 cases/30 days), +4% 95 % confidence interval −25 % to +30 % (P = 0.67). ConclusionThese observations do not support the hypothesis that acute viral infection is the cause for most cases of acute idiopathic pericarditis.

A clinical case of a 21-year-old patient with idiopathic acute exudative pericarditis

A clinical case of a 21-year-old patient with idiopathic acute exudative pericarditis

Relapsing pericarditis: Peripheral blood neutrophilia, lymphopenia and high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio herald acute attacks, high-grade inflammation, multiserosal involvement, and predict multiple recurrences.

To identify peripheral blood cellular correlates of active pericarditis and to verify whether peripheral blood neutrophils, lymphocytes and the neutrophil to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are associated with disease phenotype or prognosis. Observational prospective study on a cohort of 63 patients with idiopathic pericarditis followed for 12 months after each pericarditis recurrence. Two distinct analyses were performed: the "index attack" analysis focused on the first pericarditis episode in each patient, while the "all attacks" analysis included all episodes occurring during the study. Absolute and relative neutrophilia and lymphopenia, together with high NLR, were observed during active pericarditis, as compared with disease remission, at both analyses. Neutrophils showed a positive correlation with plasma C-reactive protein levels, while lymphocyte count showed a negative correlation. Relative neutrophil count was higher, and lymphocyte count lower in patients with pleural effusion; a higher NLR and lower absolute lymphocyte count were observed in those with peritoneal involvement. No correlations were found between peripheral blood neutrophil or lymphocyte counts and size of pericardial effusion, or with the presence of myocardial involvement. Peripheral neutrophilia, lymphopenia and NLR during acute attacks predicted the number of recurrences in the following 12 months. Peripheral blood neutrophilia and lymphopenia are typical of acute idiopathic pericarditis. Acute attacks of pericarditis are associated with neutrophilia and lymphopenia, as compared with disease remission. During acute attacks, neutrophilia and lymphopenia reflect the extent of serosal inflammation and could help to customize therapeutic management after remission has been achieved.

Bilateral pleural effusion: etiology, diagnostics

The problem of etiologic diagnosis of bilateral pleural effusions is important because of the relatively large number and variety of diseases accompanied by this syndrome, the complexity of diagnosis verification, and the frequent diagnostic errors. The aim of this review is to describe the spectrum of diseases causing bilateral pleural effusion and to consider a set of diagnostic measures to clarify the etiology of the process. Analysis of 60 literature sources showed that the most common causes of bilateral transudative pleural effusions are cardiac, hepatic, and renal insufficiency. Exudative bilateral pleural effusions are found in inflammatory processes in the pleura, including tuberculosis, and develop when inflammation is transmitted by contact or lymphohematogenous routes from the lungs or other organs. Bilateral localization of pleural effusion in tumor processes is observed in 5.7% of cases. Bilateral pleural effusion is seen in pulmonary embolism, diffuse connective tissue diseases, acute idiopathic pericarditis, postinfarction Dressler syndrome, after pericardotomy, and after pacemaker placement. It may be observed in such rare diseases as sarcoidosis, yellow nail syndrome, and Meigs syndrome, and may be induced by some drugs. Conclusion. The choice of therapeutic measures for bilateral pleural effusion is determined by an accurate etiological diagnosis of the underlying disease. The diagnosis should be based on the patient's clinical data and cytologic, microbiologic, and biochemical analysis of pleural fluid obtained by pleural puncture. In some cases, additional examination methods such as pleural biopsy, bronchoscopy, ultrasound, computed, magnetic resonance imaging of the chest and abdomen, and positron emission tomography are required.

Acute idiopathic pericarditis: the importance of guideline-based treatment to avoid recurrence

Abstract Background Acute pericarditis (AP) usually resolves with first-line treatment, but it may recur. Recurrences are attributed to a deranged immunity, but it is unclear if they may also be related to inappropriate treatment. Purpose The aim of our study was to clarify the potential role of inappropriate treatment on relapse episodes in AP. Methods Consecutive patients prospectively followed-up over 20 years at Padua University Cardio-immunology outpatient clinic were included. Clinical and instrumental findings were recorded at diagnosis and at each follow-up. Spectrum, appropriateness, efficacy and side effects of therapies received by patients before and after referral to our centre were considered. The distribution of recurrence-free survival probability was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method; impact of the covariates of interest on the outcome was assessed using Cox univariate analysis models. Results The study included 144 patients (57% male, mean age 50 years, 143 Caucasian and 1 African). 139 patients had AP, which was recurrent in 63; 5 had constrictive pericarditis. Etiology was idiopathic/presumed-viral in 112 patients, bacterial in 1, secondary to pericardial injury in 26, to Dressler syndrome in 2, and to a systemic immune-mediated disease in 3. At diagnosis, 68% were in NYHA class I; 9% developed cardiac tamponade; 84% received non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), 54% colchicine and 19% corticosteroids. Treatment was not in line with ESC guidelines in 31% of patients for NSAIDs, in 12% for steroids and in 28% for colchicine, requiring readjustment. All patients with constrictive pericarditis underwent uncomplicated pericardiectomy. No patient was dead at last follow-up. Estimated recurrence-free-survival probability was 86% at 1st year, 58% at 5th, 52% at 10th. Variables which tended to be associated with a higher risk of recurrence were: cardiac tamponade at diagnosis, left heart failure, concomitant immune-mediated diseases, history of recurrence, inappropriate treatment with colchicine, inappropriate treatment with NSAIDs, III or IV NYHA class at diagnosis. Treatment of acute/recurrent forms before referral did not appear in line with the international recommendations in terms of daily dosage or duration, or both, in 43 patients for NSAIDs, in 17 for corticosteroids and in 39 for colchicine, which was omitted despite the absence of contraindications (Table 1). Following treatment adjustment to international guidelines, 107 patients with relapsing pericarditis obtained complete remission; only 13 (9%) of our AP patients showed a truly treatment-refractory form that required a second-line therapy. Conclusion When treated according to international guidelines, pericarditis has usually a favorable course, even in its most adverse presentations. Treatment inaccuracies seems to account, at least in part, to disease recurrences. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Current pharmacotherapy management of children and adults with pericarditis: Prospectus for improved outcomes.

Pericarditis is the most common inflammatory pericardial disease in both children and adults. Since the 2015 European Society of Cardiology Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pericardial disease were published, there have been significant updates to management. Pharmacotherapy has been historically reserved for idiopathic pericarditis (IP). However, there has been increasing use of pharmacotherapies, such as anti-inflammatory therapies, colchicine, and immunotherapies for other causes of pericarditis, such as post-cardiac injury syndromes (PCIS). Nevertheless, the quality of data varies depending on PCIS or idiopathic etiologies, as well as the adult and pediatric population. High-dose anti-inflammatory therapies should be used to manage symptoms associated with either etiology of pericarditis in both adults and children, but do not ameliorate the inflammatory disease process. Choice of anti-inflammatory should be guided by drug-drug/disease interactions, cost, tolerability, patient age, and should be tapered accordingly over several weeks to months. Colchicine should be added as adjuvant therapy to anti-inflammatory therapies in adults and children with IP, as it has been shown to lower the risk of recurrence, reduce pericarditis symptoms, and improve morbidity. Colchicine is also reasonable to add to adults and children with pericarditis secondary to PCIS. Systemic glucocorticoids increase risk of recurrence in adults and children with IP and are reserved for second-line treatment in acute and recurrent IP; they are generally avoided in PCIS. Immunotherapies are regarded as third-line for recurrent IP in adults and children. Limited evidence exists to support their use in patients with pericarditis from PCIS. Pharmacovigilance strategies, such as C-reactive protein and adverse drug event monitoring, are also important toward balancing efficacy and safety of the various strategies used to manage pericarditis in adults and children.

Pericarditi acute e ricorrenti in Pediatria

Chest pain in children and adolescents is rarely associated with an underlying heart disease. How-ever, when it does occur, pericarditis is the most common cause. Most cases are of unknown origin (idiopathic) and mild. Up to 15-35% of paediatric patients with idiopathic pericarditis experience a recurrence during their lives and clinical management in these cases may be challenging. NSAIDs are the first-choice drugs for the treatment of acute idiopathic pericarditis. Corticosteroids should be reserved for refractory pericarditis and autoimmune or autoinflammatory disorders with peri-cardial involvement. Colchicine plays a central role for the management of recurrent forms while anakinra has recently emerged as a remedy for colchicine-resistant and corticosteroid-dependent recurrent pericarditis.

Clinical and economic outcomes associated with hospitalizations for acute idiopathic pericarditis in the United States

BackgroundOutcomes-based data regarding the management of hospitalized U.S. patients with acute idiopathic pericarditis (AIP) are lacking. ObjectivesThis study sought to elucidate the clinical and economic outcomes associated with the inpatient care of AIP. MethodsCohort study of adults with AIP; multivariable analyses of clinical and economic outcomes (inpatient mortality, surgical or medical complications, length of stay, and medical charges). ResultsSurgical or medical complications, pericardiocentesis, and pericardiotomy were each independently associated with a significantly higher odds of inpatient mortality (p<0.05). Pericardiocentesis, pericardiotomy, and pericardiectomy were also independently associated with significantly higher odds for complications (p<0.001) and, overall, surgical or medical complications were associated with longer lengths of stay and higher charges (p < 0.001). A higher odds of inpatient mortality was associated with micropolitan or rural patient residence, Medicaid payor, and African American race (p<0.05). ConclusionsU.S. inpatient cases of AIP are associated with significant use of healthcare resources, disparities, morbidity, and mortality.

Usefulness of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio for predicting acute pericarditis outcomes

Background In daily practice, C-reactive protein (CRP) may be used to predict recurrence and treatment response in patients with acute pericarditis; however, the predictive role of CRP might be insufficient for clinical prediction in some patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the composite endpoint of pericarditis recurrence and/or tamponade within 1 year in patients with acute pericarditis. Methods A total of 104 patients diagnosed with acute idiopathic pericarditis (mean age 42.8 ± 15.2 years, 55.8% male) were included in the study. Physical examination findings of these patients, electrocardiography, echocardiography, chest X-ray and laboratory findings were evaluated and analysed. During the 1-year follow-up, the composite of cardiac tamponade and/or pericarditis recurrence was investigated as the primary endpoint of the study. Results Compared to the group without the composite outcome, the group with the composite outcome had significantly higher rates of moderate and severe pericardial effusion (p < 0.01) and higher white blood cell (WBC) count (p:0.001), platelet count (p = 0.003), NLR (2.14 (1.49–3.02) vs 6.60 (5.50–8.68); p < 0.001) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (8.01 (5.1–24.5 vs 69.5 (40.8–128); p:0.001). Higher hs-CRP (p < 0.001), WBC (p:0.001), NLR (p < 0.001) and platelets (p:0.02) were associated with pericarditis recurrence. NLR and hs-CRP were independently associated with the composite endpoint (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion NLR and hs-CRP were found to be independent predictors for the composite endpoint of tamponade and/or recurrence in acute pericarditis patients during the 1-year follow-up. Similar to hs-CRP, NLR may also be used for risk assessment in patients with idiopathic pericarditis.

Clinical significance of myocardial involvement in acute idiopathic pericarditis

Acute idiopathic pericarditis (AIP) is frequently accompanied by myocardial involvement (AIPM). Although in acute myocarditis, the myocardial inflammation can lead to life-threatening complications, the outcome of patients with AIPM has been described as good. It remains unclear if a good prognosis of patients with AIPM reflects mild myocardial involvement or good medical management. A retrospective analysis of life-threatening complications and life-saving interventions in a cohort of 248 consecutive patients admitted to a single medical center between 2006 and 2017 with AIP (n = 169) or AIPM (n = 79). Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) included cardiac tamponade, cardiogenic shock, ventricular tachycardia, pericardiocentesis, pericardiectomy, large pericardial effusion and death. Patients with AIPM were younger than patients with AIP (p < 0.001), and more often had left ventricular dysfunction (31.6% vs. 1.2%, p < 0.001) and less often had large pericardial effusion (1.3% vs. 13.6%, p = 0.002), and MACE (5.1% vs. 14.8%, p = 0.014). Cardiac tamponade occurred in 5.3% of the patients with AIP as opposed to 1.3% of the patients with AIPM (p = 0.176). Severe left ventricular dysfunction with cardiogenic shock occurred exclusively among patients with AIPM but the rate was low (2.5%). Life-saving interventions were used in both groups at comparable rates (2.5% vs. 5.3%, p = 0.510). There were no in-hospital deaths. Myocardial involvement in acute pericarditis is associated with a low rate of severe left ventricular dysfunction and cardiogenic shock and a reduced rate of large pericardial effusion, resulting in a lower rate of MACE. Life-saving interventions were used at comparable rates in patients with and without myocardial involvement having excellent survival rates.

Abstract 307: Real-world Clinical Characteristics and Recurrence Burden of Patients Diagnosed With Recurrent Pericarditis in The United States

Introduction: Real-world data describing acute pericarditis (AP) etiology in the US are limited. Data on the characteristics of recurrent pericarditis (RP) patients (pts) are also sparse. To fill this gap, our study assesses longitudinal data from a nationwide privately-insured population. Methods: OptumHealth Reporting and Insights employer claims data (1/2007-3/2017) were used. AP pts were identified and categorized as idiopathic or non-idiopathic etiology based on presence or absence of attributable conditions. Among idiopathic AP pts, a subgroup of RP pts was identified. Recurrence was defined as ≥2 AP events separated by &gt;4 weeks. First recurrence date marked the index date. Pts aged ≥18 years with ≥12 months of continuous enrollment pre-index (baseline) were included. Results: Of 17,168 AP pts, 4,175 (24.3%) had non-idiopathic and 12,993 (75.7%) had idiopathic etiology (Table 1). Application of inclusion criteria left 8,822 idiopathic AP pts, of whom 1,604 (18.2%) had ≥1 recurrence during a mean observation period of 29 months. On average, idiopathic RP pts were aged 50.7 years, 51.6% female, and 42.3% had baseline history of hypertension, 23.8% of coronary artery disease, 11.7% of hypercholesterolemia, and 7.3% of myocardial infarction. Mean (±SD) time from initial AP diagnosis to first recurrence was 8.7 (±12.1) months and mean (±SD) number of recurrences was 1.7 (±1.3) per pt. In idiopathic RP pts with ≥4 years of follow-up after the initial AP diagnosis (N=512), 35.9% had ≥2, 18.2% had ≥3, and 9.8% had ≥4 recurrences within 4 years. Conclusions: The etiologic distribution and proportion of pts with RP are consistent with previous reports. About 36% of RP pts experience ≥2 recurrences after AP diagnosis over 4 years. RP represents a significant clinical burden for affected pts.

A Floating Heart: Large Pericardial Effusion with Extensive Lung Atelectasis

In extraordinary circumstances, large pericardial effusions cause pulmonary atelectasis (Amin et al., Cureus 11:e5287, 2019; Manhas and Gokhale, Indian J Crit Care Med 22: 191–194, 2018). Fluid builds up slowly and enlarges the pericardial sac, which can then compress the lung with minimal hemodynamic consequences. However, these patients are at risk of life-threatening tamponade. A morbidly obese 57-year-old man presented for mild chest pain and shortness of breath developed within several days. His medical history included an episode of idiopathic acute pericarditis, recurrent atrial fibrillation-flutter, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. There were no definite signs of cardiac tamponade. At first, the chest radiograph suggested a large effusion, which the computed tomography (CT) scans revealed to be the heart ‘floating’ within a large pericardial sac, together with extensive atelectasis. Considering the hazard of puncturing the heart, an intercostal catheter was inserted under Visiport optical guidance. An ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis completed the procedure, draining 1.6 l of blood-stained fluid in total. The floating heart, coupled with extensive atelectasis, poses a therapeutic challenge. This case shows that an optical trocar allows for controlled drainage, thus reversing both the effusion and the atelectasis.

Management of Acute Idiopathic (Viral) Pericarditis in the Emergency Department: A Review for the Nursing Professional.

Acute pericarditis is an inflammatory disorder that contributes to chest pain admissions in the emergency department (ED). Nursing professionals can play a vital role in the differential, triage and management of acute pericarditis in the ED. First-line pharmacotherapy to specifically treat acute pericarditis of viral or idiopathic origin is paramount in improving patients' quality of life and reducing the risk of further recurrences of pericarditis and consists of combination therapy with aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid [ASA]) or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), in combination with colchicine. Corticosteroids should not be initiated as first-line therapy in idiopathic (viral) pericarditis, as they increase the risk of recurrences. Nursing professionals are also pivotal in monitoring pharmacotherapy with respect to safety and efficacy. Overall, the nursing professional can facilitate timely administration and monitoring of medications, provide patient education, promote adherence, and assist in transitions of care for patients diagnosed with acute idiopathic (viral) pericarditis in the ED.

Management of Acute Idiopathic (Viral) Pericarditis in the Emergency Department: A Review for the Nursing Professional.

Management of Acute Idiopathic (Viral) Pericarditis in the Emergency Department: A Review for the Nursing Professional.

Corticosteroids for Acute and Recurrent Idiopathic Pericarditis: Unexpected Evidences.

Pericarditis is a common disease, often postviral or “idiopathic,” diagnosed in about 5% of emergency room visits for non-ischemic chest pain. Although pericarditis often occurs as a benign and self-limiting disease, it may present recurrences. The first-line therapy includes aspirin/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ASA/NSAIDs) plus colchicine. Steroids especially at high-dose have been associated with a higher recurrence rate. In this retrospective study, we evaluated efficacy and safety of ASA/NSAIDs and prednisone in the treatment of acute or recurrent idiopathic pericarditis (colchicine was off-label in the period of the study). The cohort included 276 patients diagnosed with acute idiopathic pericarditis. Mean age was 45.4 ± 12.7 years, and males were significantly higher in number and younger than females. Sixty-one patients (22.1%) were treated with prednisone and 215 with ASA/NSAIDs (77.9%). 171 patients experienced at least one recurrence (62%). No difference in recurrence rate was observed (p=0.257) between the groups treated with prednisone (55.7%) vs. ASA/NSAIDs (63.7%). The recurrences were treated with steroids at low doses and very gradual tapering, and the dose reduction was slower as the number of relapses was higher. Steroids alone were administered to about 80% of patients, while in the remaining 20% of cases, they were associated with ASA/NSDAIDs or colchicine. Approximately 90% of patients had a very favorable course, that is no more than 2 relapses and no patients presented serious side effects. Steroids at low dose, did not act, surprisingly, as an independent risk factor for recurrences and therefore may be considered a successful and safe treatment for acute and recurrent idiopathic pericarditis.

Pharmacists’ Role in the Management of Acute and Recurrent Pericarditis: Inpatient and Outpatient Perspectives

Pharmacists are qualified to provide valued care to patients inflicted with cardiovascular-related disorders. Although the role of pharmacists regarding the care of patients with cardiovascular disease has been previously described, there is currently no literature describing the role of pharmacists in the management of patients with pericarditis, specifically in patients with viral or idiopathic etiologies of pericarditis. Much of the management of idiopathic pericarditis, whether acute or recurrent, is a combination of pharmacotherapy, consisting of aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory therapies, colchicine, corticosteroids, and/or immunotherapies. Therefore, pharmacists in any practice setting (ie, inpatient or outpatient) have the opportunity to provide an integral role in ensuring adherence to guideline-based care related to the management of acute or recurrent idiopathic pericarditis, optimizing patients’ use of pharmacotherapy, preventing adverse drug events such as drug–drug and drug–disease interactions, resolving managed care-related issues, providing care transitions activities that emphasize medication reconciliation and patient education, and evaluating the cost-effectiveness of the pharmacotherapies used to treat acute and recurrent idiopathic pericarditis. This review describes the role of pharmacists in the management of acute and recurrent idiopathic pericarditis within the inpatient and outpatient practice settings, with an emphasis on specialty practice areas, such as the emergency department, intensive care and medicine units within the hospital, ambulatory care–based practices, community pharmacy, and managed care pharmacy.

Colchicina administrada en el primer episodio de pericarditis aguda idiopática: estudio multicéntrico abierto y aleatorizado

Introduction and objectivesThere is a paucity of information about the real benefit of colchicine administration in the first episode of acute idiopathic pericarditis (AIP). The main objective of the present study was to assess the real efficacy of colchicine in patients with AIP who did not receive corticosteroids. MethodsRandomized multicenter open-label study. Patients with a first episode of AIP (not secondary to cardiac injury or connective tissue disease) were randomized into 2 groups: group A received conventional anti-inflammatory treatment plus colchicine for 3 months, and group B received conventional anti-inflammatory treatment only. None of the patients received corticosteroids. The primary endpoint was the appearance of recurrent episodes of pericarditis. The secondary endpoint was the time to first recurrence. Follow-up was extended to 24 months. ResultsA total of 110 patients (83.6% men, age 44±18.3 years) were randomized to group A (n=59) and group B (n=51). No differences were found in baseline demographics or in the clinical features of the index episode or in the type of anti-inflammatory treatment administered in both groups. The follow-up was completed by 102 patients (92.7%). No differences were found in the rate of recurrent pericarditis between groups (12 patients [10.9%]; group A vs group B, 13.5% vs 7.8%; P=.34). The time to first recurrence (group A vs group B, 9.6±9.0 vs 8.3±10.5 months; P=.80) did not differ between groups. ConclusionsAmong patients with a first episode of AIP who had not received corticosteroids, the addition of colchicine to conventional anti-inflammatory treatment does not seem to reduce the recurrence rate. Clinical trial registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu. Identifier: EudraCT 2009-011258-16.Full English text available from:www.revespcardiol.org/en

Idiopathic Pericarditis-an Autoinflammatory Disease?

Idiopathic acute and recurrent pericarditis are rare diseases of unknown origin. Here, we review trigger factors, pathomechanism, and treatment options for acute and recurrent pericarditis. Acute pericarditis can be triggered by viral infections, myocardial ischemia, heart catheter interventions, cardiac surgery or seem to occur without any trigger. Earlier reports about viral nucleic acids in the effusion or myocardial autoantibodies in serum were detected only in a minority of patients. The current pathomechanistic concept focuses on the innate immune system. Clinical trials revealed that colchicine and anti-IL1β-targeted medication were effective to control acute and recurrent attacks. Activation of the innate immune system in pericarditis suggests that autoinflammation contributes to acute and recurrent pericarditis. The efficacy of colchicine and anti-IL1β-targeted medication in clinical trials indicates that acute and recurrent pericarditis should be regarded as an autoinflammatory disease. Therefore, idiopathic pericarditis should be considered as an autoinflammatory disease.

Colchicine Administered in the First Episode of Acute Idiopathic Pericarditis: A Randomized Multicenter Open-label Study.

There is a paucity of information about the real benefit of colchicine administration in the first episode of acute idiopathic pericarditis (AIP). The main objective of the present study was to assess the real efficacy of colchicine in patients with AIP who did not receive corticosteroids. Randomized multicenter open-label study. Patients with a first episode of AIP (not secondary to cardiac injury or connective tissue disease) were randomized into 2 groups: group A received conventional anti-inflammatory treatment plus colchicine for 3 months, and groupB received conventional anti-inflammatory treatment only. None of the patients received corticosteroids. The primary endpoint was the appearance of recurrent episodes of pericarditis. The secondary endpoint was the time to first recurrence. Follow-up was extended to 24 months. A total of 110 patients (83.6%men, age 44±18.3years) were randomized to groupA (n=59) and groupB (n=51). No differences were found in baseline demographics or in the clinical features of the index episode or in the type of anti-inflammatory treatment administered in both groups. The follow-up was completed by 102patients (92.7%). No differences were found in the rate of recurrent pericarditis between groups (12 patients [10.9%]; groupA vs group B, 13.5% vs 7.8%; P=.34). The time to first recurrence (groupA vs group B, 9.6±9.0 vs 8.3±10.5months; P=.80) did not differ between groups. Among patients with a first episode of AIP who had not received corticosteroids, the addition of colchicine to conventional anti-inflammatory treatment does not seem to reduce the recurrence rate. URL: https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu. Identifier: EudraCT 2009-011258-16.

Cardiovascular infections in Colombia, characterization and estimation of their incidence, 2009-2016

Background: Although not studied widely, cardiovascular infections (CVI) can cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The burden of them in terms of morbidity in certain countries is not well understood. Studies estimating its population-based incidence lack in Latin America and Colombia. Methods & Materials: Observational, retrospective study in which the incidence of CVI (ICD-10 codes I0.0-I0.2,I30.0-I30.1,I30.8-I30.9,I32.0-I32.1,I32.8,I33.0-I33.9,I38.X,I40.0,I41.0-I41.2) corresponding to rheumatic fever, pericarditis, endocarditis and myocarditis, in Colombia, 2009-2016, was estimated based on data extracted from the personal health records system (Registro Individual de Prestación de Servicios, RIPS). Using official population estimates of National Statistics (DANE), crude and adjusted incidence rates were estimated (cases/1,000,000pop). Results: During the period, 35,285 cases were reported (decreasing from 5,509 cases [2009] to 3,624 [2016], r2 = 0.5954;p < 0.05), for period-cumulated crude national rate of 75.3 cases/100,000pop. Cases were reported in all the departments of the country plus Bogota DC. Of the total, 14.2% corresponded to age group of 0-9 y-old, followed by 10-19 y-old (13.9%) and 20-29 y-old (12.4%); 54.3% of cases were males and 45.7% females. From the diagnoses, 48.1% corresponded to acute rheumatic fever (36.2 cases/100,000pop), followed by acute pericarditis (unspecified) 16.6%, acute nonspecific idiopathic pericarditis 9.0%, acute endocarditis (unspecified)(6.0%), valve endocarditis (unspecified) 5.6%, acute and subacute infective endocarditis 4.2% and 2.4% to infective myocarditis, among other diagnoses. Conclusion: Regard the epidemiology of CVI, particularly infective endocarditis, certain studies suggest that these have changed dramatically over the past 20 years with increasing health care contact, ageing and device related infections. However, globally speaking, for Colombia, the trend is to decrease. Despite such fall in incidence over time, acute rheumatic fever incidence rates remain relatively high being the first commonest CVI in this study. Most recent studies have been performed at tertiary referral centres rather than population-based centres, then, these as other few published, provide nation-wide information about its epidemiological trend and features.