Sex Differences in the Utilization and Outcomes of Cardiac Valve Replacement Surgery for Infective Endocarditis: Insights From the National Inpatient Sample

Understanding Surgical Management and Outcomes in Mitral Valve Endocarditis

Objectives: Surgical patients with mitral valve endocarditis can be treated with valve reconstruction or valve replacement. Although valve repair should be preferred, the decision between the two options is nuanced. Methods: In this single-center, retrospective cohort study, we included all patients who underwent surgery for native mitral valve endocarditis between February 2001 and June 2019. We analyzed the surgical outcomes, survival, and factors leading to valve repair versus replacement. Propensity score matching was performed to minimize treatment assignment bias and improve comparability between the two groups. Results: This study included 281 consecutive patients with mitral valve endocarditis, of whom 46 (16.4%) underwent mitral valve repair and 235 (83.6%) underwent mitral valve replacement. The mean follow-up was 5.2 ± 5.1 years. Cases with bileaflet endocarditis (p < 0.001), subvalvular apparatus involvement (p = 0.008), and abscess formation (p = 0.047) were more likely to require valve replacement. The 30-day mortality rate was 12.1% (n = 34). Patients who underwent repair had significantly better survival than those who underwent replacement (92.7% ± 4.1% vs. 59.4% ± 3.4% at 5 years; p < 0.001), even after propensity score matching (92.6% ± 5.0% vs. 62.4% ± 9.0% at 5 years; p = 0.034). Conclusions: In patients with mitral valve endocarditis, mitral valve repair had better long-term survival, even after propensity score matching, highlighting the potential benefit of valve preservation techniques.

Exploring sex differences in infective endocarditis - a prospective, observational study from Western Norway

BACKGROUND

We aimed to investigate sex-differences among patients with infective endocarditis (IE) in Western Norway, focusing on clinical presentation, treatment strategies, and outcomes.

METHODS

This prospective observational study included 131 females, and 366 males diagnosed with IE between 2016 and 2022. Clinical and microbiological characteristics were analysed using chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests, while survival data were assessed via Kaplan-Meier estimates and multiple Cox regression models.

RESULTS

The mean age was 69 years for females and 66 years for males (p = 0.317).

PRIMARY OUTCOMES

Mortality rates were significantly higher in females at 30 days (13% vs. 7%, p = 0.028), at 90 days (19% vs. 11%, p = 0.016), and overall (46% vs. 36%, p = 0.016), with a mean follow-up of 3.2 years (± 2.3 years).

SECONDARY OUTCOMES

The mitral valve was more frequently affected in females than in males (31% vs. 17%, p < 0.001), and Staphylococcus aureus more often the microbial cause (36% vs. 27%, p = 0.049). While surgical treatment rates were similar (26% of females and 34% of males, p = 0.075), females with aortic valve IE underwent surgery at a significantly lower rate (23% vs. 39%, p = 0.001) and experienced longer delays before surgery (median 25 vs. 21 days, p = 0.043). Multivariable analysis identified higher age (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.04, p = 0.014) and mitral valve infection (HR 2.88, 95% CI 1.57-5.29, p < 0.001) as independent predictors of 90-day mortality, while surgery significantly improved survival (HR 0.38, 95% CI 0.17-0.81, p = 0.013).

CONCLUSIONS

Mitral valve IE was more common in females and strongly associated with higher mortality. Females with IE had higher mortality rates, more frequent mitral valve involvement, and a greater incidence of S. aureus infections. Despite the clear survival benefit of surgery, females with aortic valve IE underwent fewer and later surgeries. These findings highlight potential sex disparities in IE management and emphasize the need for further research into sex-based differences in treatment strategies and outcomes.

Sex-specific differences in infective endocarditis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical profiles and management outcomes

Background

Infective endocarditis (IE) presents significant morbidity and mortality, with potential sex differences in clinical profile and outcomes. This is the first meta-analysis that aims to compare the clinical profile and outcomes of IE between males and females.

Methods

We conducted a meta-analysis of nine studies evaluating the clinical profile and outcomes of IE in males versus females extracted from PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases up to 1st of Jan 2024.

Results

Our meta-analysis revealed notable sex differences in the incidence and complications of IE. Males exhibited a higher incidence of aortic valve IE (RR 1.57, 95 % CI [1.31, 1.88]), surgical indications for IE (RR 1.38, [1.12, 1.70]), Streptococci infection (RR 1.36, [1.04, 1.77]), intracardiac abscess (RR 1.22, [1.05, 1.42]), and Enterococci IE (RR 1.44, [1.28, 1.61]). In contrast, females had a higher incidence of mitral valve IE (RR 0.79, [0.67, 0.94]) and a higher in-hospital mortality rate (RR 0.84, [0.74, 0.96]). No significant sex differences were found in the incidence of valve vegetations, tricuspid valve IE, embolization, and Staphylococcus IE. In-hospital stay was longer in male patients, however, with borderline significance (RR 3.15, [-0.16, 6.45], p = 0.06). In patients who underwent surgery for IE, mortality rates were significantly lower in male patients (RR: 0.67 [0.59, 0.76], p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Compared to females, males exhibit higher rates of aortic valve IE, intracardiac abscess, streptococci IE, enterococci IE and IE-related surgery indication. In contrast, females have higher rates of mitral valve IE and in-hospital mortality.

Endovascular treatment of infectious intracranial aneurysms: A single-center experience

INTRODUCTION

Infectious intracranial aneurysms (IIAs), a notable complication of infective endocarditis (IE), pose significant clinical challenges. This study delineates the outcomes, management strategies, and clinical manifestations of IIAs, drawing from a single-center's experience.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective observational analysis at our institution, focusing on patients diagnosed with IE between 2016 and 2022 who were also found to have IIAs. Data analysis was performed utilizing SAS statistical software alongside Microsoft Excel to execute descriptive statistical operations.

RESULTS

Among 862 IE patients, 25 (2.9%) were diagnosed with IIAs, totaling 41 mycotic aneurysms. Of these, 18 patients had a single aneurysm, while 7 had multiple. The cohort's median age was 45 years, with an interquartile range of 27-65 years, and a predominance of male patients (68.3%). Ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes were observed in 58.6% and 87.8% of the cases, respectively. Ruptured IIAs were noted in 58.5% of instances, with the remainder unruptured. The average diameter of ruptured IIAs was 3.3 mm, compared to 2.1 mm for unruptured aneurysms, although this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.324). The most frequent IIA locations were the distal segments of the posterior and middle cerebral arteries. Patients with ruptured IIAs experienced higher in-hospital mortality rates (29.1%) relative to those with unruptured IIAs (11.7%). Treatment was administered to 58.3% of ruptured IIAs, with no interventions for unruptured aneurysms (P = 0.001). Treatment modalities included surgical resection, n-butyl cyanoacrylate, coils, and Onyx embolization. The treated ruptured IIAs had an average size of 4.4 mm, versus 2.0 mm for untreated aneurysms. Among those treated, the majority were either discharged home (21.4%) or to other facilities (78.6%), with no in-hospital mortalities reported in this group.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that endovascular treatment is a viable and effective option for managing ruptured IIAs, with decisions tailored to individual patient comorbidities. Further multicenter studies are recommended to corroborate these findings and refine treatment strategies for IIAs associated with infective endocarditis.

Trends in complications of cardiac and vascular prosthetic devices, implants, and grafts mortality rate in the United States (1999-2020)

To analyze mortality rates due to complications of cardiac and vascular prosthetic devices, implants, and grafts in the United States, International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, codes were used on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging OnLine Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) database to retrieve death certificate data between the years 1999 and 2020 for patients aged 55 and above. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs), per 100 000 people, and annual percentage change along with their respective 95% confidence intervals were also calculated. Complications of cardiac and vascular prosthetic devices, implants, and grafts were responsible for 91 539 deaths among adults aged 55 years and older. The overall AAMR decreased from 9.2 in 1999 to 3.4 in 2020. AAMRs for men were higher than for women (overall AAMR men: 7.5; women: 4.5). Stratifying patients according to race the order of AAMRs from highest to lowest was as follows: non-Hispanic Black or African American (6.8), NH White: (5.9), NH American Indian or Alaska Native (5.7), Hispanic or Latino (4.0) and lastly NH Asian or Pacific Islander (3.2). State wise the top 90th percentile states with regard to mortality included West Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Alabama. In census regions the South had the highest AAMR (6.2) followed by the Midwest (6.0), the Northeast (5.4), and the West (5.1) with nonmetropolitan areas having higher AAMRs (7.0) than metropolitan areas (5.4). Further research and a more individualized pattern of treatment of older patients are necessary moving forward.

Outcomes in infective endocarditis among adults with CHD: a comparative national study

BACKGROUND

Given increased survival for adults with CHD, we aim to determine outcome differences of infective endocarditis compared to patients with structurally normal hearts in the general population.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study identifying infective endocarditis hospitalisations in patients 18 years and older from the National Inpatient Sample database between 2001 and 2016 using International Classification of Disease diagnosis and procedure codes. Weighting was used to create national annual estimates indexed to the United States population, and multivariable logistic regression analysis determined variable associations. Outcome variables were mortality and surgery. The primary predictor variable was the presence or absence of CHD.

RESULTS

We identified 1,096,858 estimated infective endocarditis hospitalisations, of which 17,729 (1.6%) were adults with CHD. A 125% increase in infective endocarditis hospitalisations occurred for adult CHD patients during the studied time period (p < 0.001). Adults with CHD were significantly less likely to experience mortality (5.4% vs. 9.5%, OR 0.54, CI 0.47-0.63, p < 0.001) and more likely to undergo in-hospital surgery (31.6% vs. 6.7%, OR 6.49, CI 6.03-6.98, p < 0.001) compared to the general population. CHD severity was not associated with increased mortality (p = 0.53). Microbiologic aetiology of infective endocarditis varied between groups (p < 0.001) with Streptococcus identified more commonly in adults with CHD compared to patients with structurally normal hearts (36.2% vs. 14.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Adults with CHD hospitalised for infective endocarditis are less likely to experience mortality and more likely to undergo surgery than the general population.

Outcomes of double-valve surgery for infective endocarditis are improving in the modern era

BACKGROUND

The incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) is rapidly increasing. Contemporary outcomes following high-risk double valve surgery (DVS) for IE are not well described.

METHODS

Between 2001 and 2021, 211 patients with IE underwent combined aortic and mitral valve surgery at a tertiary care referral center. Data from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons registry, including demographics, operative details, and outcomes, were collected. Risk factors for 30-day and 1-year-mortality were analyzed. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards modeling.

RESULTS

The study cohort had a male preponderance (73%), with a median age of 56 years (interquartile range [IQR], 44 to 63 years). Forty-five patients (21%) had a history of intravenous (IV) drug abuse, 50 (24%) were on preoperative dialysis, and 50 (24%) had prosthetic valve endocarditis. Thirty-day and 1-year mortality were 14% (n = 30) and 30% (n = 61), respectively. On multivariable Cox regression adjusting for age, prosthetic valve endocarditis, postoperative intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), history of dialysis (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3 to 2.9; P = .002) and IV drug abuse (aHR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.5; P = .02) were predictive of decreased survival. Undergoing surgery after 2010 was predictive of improved survival (aHR, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3 to 0.8; P = .006). These patients were more likely to undergo urgent/emergent surgery (83% vs 29%; P < .001) and less likely to have an aortic root abscess (40% vs 58%; P = .03) or to require the commando procedure (13% vs 33%; P = .002).

CONCLUSIONS

In this large series evaluating outcomes of DVS for IE in the modern era, although the mortality risk remained elevated, improving outcomes may be associated with earlier surgical intervention before significant disease progression. Multidisciplinary evaluation for complex IE may be considered to better understand the optimal timing and repair strategy.

Longitudinal Outcomes Following Mitral Valve Repair for Infective Endocarditis

Mitral valve repair is the ideal approach in managing mitral valve infective endocarditis for patients requiring surgery. However, viable repair is influenced by the extent of valve destruction and there can be technical challenges in reconstruction following debridement. Overall, data describing long-term outcomes following mitral repair of infective endocarditis are scarce. We, therefore, assessed the late outcomes of 101 consecutive patients who underwent mitral valve repair for IE at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute from 2001 to 2021. The 5- and 10-year survival rate was 80.8 ± 4.7% and 61.2 ± 9.2%, respectively. Among these 101 patients, 7 ultimately required mitral valve reoperation at a median of 5 years after their initial operation. These patients were of a mean age of 35.9 ± 7.3 years (range 22-44 years) at the time of their initial operation. The 5- and 10-year freedom from mitral valve reoperation was 93.6 ± 3.4% and 87.7 ± 5.2%, respectively. Overall, mitral valve repair can be an effective method for treating infective endocarditis with a favourable freedom from reoperation and mortality over the long term.

Similar Outcomes in Males and Females Undergoing Surgery for Infective Endocarditis

Background: Sex-based differences in mortality have been previously observed in patients with surgically treated infective endocarditis. We sought to evaluate the risk factors leading to this difference. Methods: A retrospective cohort from three centers in Israel comprising 376 surgically treated patients, comparing short- and long-term mortality rates and risk factors between female and male patients. Results: Compared to male patients, female patients had higher rates of hypertension (62% vs. 48%), higher rates of Gram-negative infections (20% vs. 11%), and more mitral valve replacement (55% vs. 42%). Diabetes and age were the most significant predictors for mortality and did not differ between female and male patients. In-hospital mortality rates did not differ between female and male patients (29% vs. 26%), and the difference in long-term mortality was not statistically significant (46% vs. 36% p = 0.088). Conclusions: No statistical difference was observed in short- and long-term mortality between female and male patients, most likely due to a lack of difference in the rates of important risk factors such as diabetes and age. Mortality rates decreased in the last 10 years, and a good prognosis is observed for patients surviving the initial 30 days after surgery.

Sex-related differences in patients with infective endocarditis requiring cardiac surgery: insights from the CAMPAIGN Study Group

OBJECTIVES

Sex-related differences play a role in cardiovascular disease-related outcomes. There is, however, a knowledge gap regarding sex-specific differences in patients with infective endocarditis (IE)-requiring surgical treatment. This study aims to analyse sex-related differences in the clinical presentation, treatment and clinical outcomes of patients with IE-requiring surgical treatment from the multicentric Germany-wide CAMPAIGN registry.

METHODS

Patients with IE who underwent cardiac surgery between 1994 and 2018 at six German centres were retrospectively analysed. Outcomes were compared based on patients' sex. Primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and mid-term survival.

RESULTS

A total of 4917 patients were included in the analysis (1364 female [27.7%] and 3553 male [72.3%]). Female patients presented with more comorbidities and higher surgical risk (EuroScore II 12.0% vs 10.0%, P < 0.001). The early postoperative course of female patients was characterized by longer ventilation times (20.0 h vs 16.0 h; P = 0.004), longer intensive care unit stay (4.0 days vs 3.0 days; P < 0.001), and more frequent new-onset dialysis (265 [20.3%] vs 549 [16.3%]; P = 0.001). The 30-day mortality was 13.8% and 15.5% in female and male patients, respectively (P = 0.06). The estimated mid-term survival was significantly higher amongst male patients (56.1% vs 45.4%; Log-rank P < 0.001). Female sex was an independent predictor of mid-term mortality (HR 1.2 [95% CI 1.0-1.4], P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Male patients more frequently undergo cardiac surgery for IE. However, female patients have a higher surgical risk profile and subsequently an increased early postoperative morbidity, but with similar 30-day mortality compared with male patients. The estimated mid-term survival is lower amongst female patients.

Aerococcus urinae endocarditis - A case report

Aerococcus urinae is a gram-positive coccus bacterium with a previously underestimated prevalence due to morphological similarities to other gram-positive cocci. Development of newer diagnostic technologies (such as matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry MALDI-TOF) led to increased recognition of Aerococcus urinae as causative organism mainly for urinary tract infections. Its antibiotic susceptibility poses some challenges, with resistance to some drugs of choice for urinary tract infection. We report a case of a 69-year-old male with infective endocarditis of the mitral valve, who initially presented with fever and shoulder pain to the emergency department. The patient reported an episode of obstructive renal infection two weeks earlier, which was treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The unusual presentation with shoulder pain and a new heart murmur led to suspicion of endocarditis. Urine and blood cultures were positive for Aerococcus urinae, echocardiography revealed vegetations on the mitral valve with severe mitral insufficiency. After two weeks of antibiotic treatment, mitral valve replacement was performed, from which the patient recovered. Reports of Aerococcus urinae endocarditis are still limited in number. On the other side, Aerococcus urinae is an emerging bacterial uropathogen with greater relevance than previously believed. We review the case reports of Aerococcus urinae endocarditis and newest literature about its presentation, course, and clinical management.

Sex differences in infective endocarditis: a Danish nationwide study

PURPOSE

Sex differences in infective endocarditis (IE) are reported, but patient characteristics are sparse and conflicting findings on the association between sex and short-term outcomes demand further research. We aimed to characterize sex differences in IE in terms of patient characteristics, frailty, microbiology, socioeconomic status, management and outcome on a nationwide scale.

METHODS

Between 2010 and 2020, we used Danish national registries to characterize patients with IE according to sex using ICD codes and microbiological lab reports. Frailty was assessed with the Hospital Frailty Risk Score. Mortality was reported with Kaplan-Meier estimates. Logistic regression and Cox regression were used for adjusted analyses.

RESULTS

We included 6259 patients with IE with 2047 (32.7%) female patients and 4212 (67.3%) male patients. Female patients were older (median age 75.0 years (64.3-82.2) vs. 71.7 (61.7-78.9)) and more frail (Intermediate frailty: 36.5% vs. 33.1%, High frailty: 11.4% vs. 9.2%). Staphylococcus aureus-IE were most common in both sexes (34.6% vs. 28.8%), but fewer female patients had Enterococcus-IE (10.5% vs. 18.1%). Female patients were less surgically treated (14.0% vs. 21.2%). Female sex was associated with increased in-hospital mortality (adj. OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.16-1.52), but no statistically significant difference in associated 1- and 5-year mortality from hospital discharge were identified (adj. HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.95-1.24 and 1.02, 95% CI 0.92-1.12, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Female sex is associated with increased in-hospital mortality, but not in long-term mortality as compared with male patients. Female patients have a lower prevalence of Enterococcus-IE and rates of surgery. Further research is needed to understand these differences.

Sex differences and outcomes in surgical infective endocarditis

BACKGROUND

Cardiac surgery for infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with significant hospital mortality, and female sex may be associated with worse outcomes. However, the impact of sex on the presenting characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients operated on for acute infective endocarditis (IE) has not been adequately studied.

OBJECTIVES

The goal of our study was to analyse differences in management and outcome of IE between women and men who undergo surgery.

METHODS

Clinical data of 717 patients undergoing cardiac surgery for IE between December 2005 and December 2019 were prospectively collected. Sex-related postoperative outcomes including in-hospital mortality were recorded. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify potential sex-related determinant of in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

In all, 532 male patients (74.2%) and 185 female patients (25.8%) underwent surgery for IE. At baseline, women had more frequent mitral regurgitation with 63 patients (34.1%) than men with 135 patients (25.4%) (P = 0.002). Female sex was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (23.2% versus 17.3%, P = 0.049). However, multivariable analysis revealed age (P < 0.01), antibiotics < 7 days before surgery (P = 0.01) and staphylococcal IE (P < 0.01) but not female sex (P = 0.99) as independent determinants of hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study of patients operated-on for IE, female sex was associated with more severe manifestations of IE and significantly higher in-hospital mortality. However, after multivariable analysis, initial presentation, but not sex, seemed to determine clinical outcomes.

Outcomes of patients with advanced liver disease undergoing cardiac surgery

Objective

Liver disease (LD) is considered a risk factor for inferior outcomes in general and cardiac surgery, yet current cardiac surgery risk estimators exclude LD, and literature on the topic remains scant. We sought to evaluate whether the presence of advanced LD is associated with inferior outcomes following cardiac surgery.

Methods

This single-center, retrospective, observational study included 285 patients diagnosed with LD who underwent cardiac surgery in 2010 to 2020. The cohort contained 3 groups, Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) class A (n = 219), CTP early-class B (n = 34), and CTP advanced-class B (n = 32). A model for end-stage liver disease score of 12.7 points (determined using a receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis on 30-day mortality) dichotomized class B into early- and advanced-groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of 30-day mortality.

Results

Patients in CTP advanced-class B had the longest length of stay (14 days), highest incidence of prolonged ventilation (46.9%), renal failure (21.9%), 30-day mortality (18.8%), and in-hospital mortality (18.8%). Incidence of ≥1 postoperative complication was higher in CTP advanced-class B (59.4%), compared with CTP class A (37.9%) and CTP early-class B (38.2%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that female sex (odds ratio, 3.01; 95% CI, 1.07-8.77; P = .037) and peripheral vascular disease (odds ratio, 4.01; 95% CI, 1.33-12.2; P = .013) were independent predictors of 30-day mortality in patients with advanced LD.

Conclusions

Severity of LD influences perioperative outcomes following cardiac surgery. Our data suggest that patients in CTP class A and selected patients in CTP class B (model for end-stage liver disease score <12.7) can undergo surgery with acceptable risk.

Transcatheter vacuum aspiration of valvular and lead related infective endocarditis

BACKGROUND

Transcatheter aspiration is utilized for removal of thrombi and vegetations in inoperable patients and high-risk surgical candidates where medical therapy alone is unlikely to achieve desired outcome. A number of case reports and series have been published since the introduction of AngioVac system (AngioDynamics Inc., Latham, NY) in 2012 where this technology was used in the treatment of endocarditis. However, there is a lack of consolidated data reporting on patient selection, safety and outcomes.

METHODS

PubMed and Google Scholar databases were queried for publications reporting cases where transcatheter aspiration was used for endocarditis vegetation debulking or removal. Data on patient characteristics, outcomes and complications from select reports were extracted and systematically reviewed.

RESULTS

Data from 11 publications with 232 patients were included in the final analyses. Of these, 124 had lead vegetation aspiration, 105 had valvular vegetation aspiration, and 3 had both lead as well as valvular vegetation aspiration. Among the 105 valvular endocarditis cases, 102 (97 %) patients had right sided vegetation removal. Patients with valvular endocarditis were younger (mean age 35 years) vs. patients with lead vegetations (mean age 66 years). Among the valvular endocarditis cases, there was a 50-85 % reduction in vegetation size, 14 % had worsening valvular regurgitation, 8 % had persistent bacteremia and 37 % required blood transfusion. Surgical valve repair or replacement was subsequently performed in 3 % and in-hospital mortality was 11 %. Among patients with lead infection, procedural success rate was reported at 86 %, 2 % had vascular complications and in-hospital mortality was 6 %. Persistent bacteremia, renal failure requiring hemodialysis, and clinically significant pulmonary embolism occurred in about 1 % each.

CONCLUSIONS

Transcatheter aspiration of vegetations in infective endocarditis has acceptable success rates in vegetation debulking as well as rates of morbidity or mortality. Large prospective multi-center studies are warranted to determine predictors of complications, thus helping identify suitable patients.

Sex Differences in Infective Endocarditis: A Systematic Review

Despite the advancement in medicine, there is still a lack of understanding of the sex disparities in disease onset, progression, treatment, and outcome. In some life-threatening acute conditions, despite most patients with these illnesses being males, females have a significantly higher chance of mortality. This can be due to the differences in disease progression or healthcare disparities in managing the illness between the sexes. Treatment of illnesses tends to be more conservative for women without an explanation, but this disparity is due to the healthcare provider. Infective endocarditis (IE) is an acute life-threatening condition where bacteria latch onto and seed damaged endocardium, with some preliminary information reporting differences between the sexes. This paper aims to evaluate the sex disparities in the incidence, age, comorbidities, etiology, risk factors, manifestations, treatment, and outcomes of IE. From 2003-2023, 21584 articles were found that focused on the sex differences in IE and, through PRISMA guidelines, were narrowed down to 34 publications. There are significant differences between the sexes in IE, such as a significantly higher incidence of IE in males, who also tend to be older and have their native aortic valves involved, compared to younger females who have their mitral valve involved. Comorbidities also vary between the sexes; females tend to have atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, psychiatric disorders, and taking immunosuppressants compared to males who suffer from chronic liver disease, underlying valve disease, and peripheral artery disease, contributing to the ease of developing IE. While the most common microorganism leading to IE is Staphylococcus aureus, females were more likely to have culture-negative IE, and men were more likely to be infected with Streptococcus viridans. Major manifestations in IE are fever and vegetation along the closure of the valves in the heart, where females were more likely to have vegetation on the mitral and aortic valves. At the same time, males were more likely to have it on the tricuspid valve. On par with sex disparities in health, females usually took longer to seek medical help than males despite the advancement of symptoms and deterioration. Females were also treated conservatively through antibiotic management, whereas males were more likely to advance to surgical treatment, leading to a longer hospital stay. While there was no true difference in the in-hospital mortality rate, the 30-day and 1-year mortality were significantly increased in females. These differences provide a range of starting points for various research to further educate physicians on sex disparities, such as why males have a higher incidence of infective endocarditis and determining whether it's hormones and basic metabolites, possibly limiting those who develop the infection. Another important point is treating females with IE; the antibiotic doses are standard, but whether they advance to surgical treatment is mostly up to the provider. Some providers deny surgical treatment despite all indications, but it could also be females denying surgery as they tend to leave against medical advice. This review is crucial in developing the next steps to sex disparity in IE, which may lead to better outcomes for males and females.

Gender, Age, and Regional Disparities in the Incidence and Mortality Trends of Infective Endocarditis in the United States Between 1990 and 2019

The incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) has increased globally in the past decades, including in the United States. However, little is known about the differences in trends across states, gender, and age groups within the United States. Using the Global Burden of Disease database, we analyzed the incidence and mortality trends of IE in the United States between 1990 and 2019 using Joinpoint regression analyses, and compared between states, gender, and age groups. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of IE in the United States increased from 10.2/100,000 population in 1990 to 14.4 in 2019. The increase in ASIR was greater among men than women (45.8% vs 34.1%). The incidence increase was driven by 55+ year-olds (112.7% increase), with rapid increases in the 1990s and early 2000s, followed by a plateau around the mid-2000s. In contrast, the incidence among 5-to-19-year-olds decreased by -36.6% over the 30-year period. The incidence increased among all age groups in the last 5 years of observation (2015 to 2019), with the largest increase in 5-to-19-year-olds (3.3% yearly). The 30-year increase in ASIR was greatest in Utah (66.2%) and smallest in California (30.2%). The overall age-standardized mortality attributable to IE increased in the United States by 126% between 1990 and 2019 versus 19.6% globally. In conclusion, although the overall incidence and mortality of IE increased over the past 30 years in the United States, there are significant differences between regions, gender, and age groups. These findings indicate unevenly distributed disease burden of IE across the nation.

Sex Differences in the Outcomes of Degenerative Mitral Valve Repair

PURPOSE

This study explored the sex differences in the outcomes of degenerative mitral valve repair (MVr).

METHODS

From 2010 to 2019, 1069 patients who underwent MVr due to degenerative mitral disease at Beijing Anzhen Hospital were analyzed. The average patient follow-up was 5.1 years (interquartile range: 5-7 years). The primary endpoint was overall survival. Secondary endpoints were freedom from reoperation and recurrent mitral regurgitation. A propensity-matched analysis was used to compare the outcomes of males and females.

RESULTS

Females were older, had a higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation and moderate-to-severe tricuspid regurgitation, and had smaller left atrial, left ventricular end-diastolic, and left ventricular end-systolic diameters. Males were more likely to undergo concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting and had longer cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp times. The in-hospital mortality was <1% (10/1,069). After propensity score matching of 331 pairs of patients, most variables were well balanced. Before and after propensity score matching, the long-term survival and freedom from reoperation rates were similar. Males had higher durability after surgery compared with females.

CONCLUSIONS

Females were referred to surgery later and had more complications than males. Long-term survival and freedom from reoperation rates were not significantly different between the sexes.

Assessing the Precision of Surgery Duration Estimation: A Retrospective Study

Background and Objectives

The operating room (OR) is considered the highest source of cost and earnings. Therefore, measuring OR efficiency, which means how time and resources are allocated precisely for their intended purposes in the operating room is crucial. Both overestimation and underestimation negatively impact OR efficiency Therefore, hospitals defined metrics to Measuring OR Effeciency. Many studies have discussed OR efficiency and how surgery scheduling accuracy plays a vital role in increasing OR efficiency. This study aims to evaluate OR efficiency using surgery duration accuracy.

Methods

This retrospective, quantitative study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City. We extracted data on 97,397 surgeries from 2017 to 2021 from the OR database. The accuracy of surgery duration was identified by calculating the duration of each surgery in minutes by subtracting the time of leaving the OR from the time of entering the OR. Based on the scheduled duration, the calculated durations were categorized as either underestimation or overestimation. Descriptive and bivariate analyses (Chi-square test) were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software.

Results

Sixty percent out of the 97,397 surgeries performed were overestimated compared to the time scheduled by the surgeons. Patient characteristics, surgical division, and anesthesia type showed statistically significant differences (p <0.05) in their OR estimation.

Conclusion

Significant proportion of procedures have overestimated. This finding provides insight into the need for improvement.

Recommendations

It is recommended to enhance the surgical scheduling method using machine learning (ML) models to include patient characteristics, department, anesthesia type, and even the performing surgeon increases the accuracy of duration estimation. Then, evaluate the performance of an ML model in future studies.

The prognostic impacts of frailty on clinical and patient-reported outcomes in patients undergoing coronary artery or valvular surgeries/procedures: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Frailty is emerging as an important prognostic indicator for patients undergoing cardiac surgeries/procedures. We sought to evaluate the prognostic and differential impacts of frailty on patients undergoing coronary artery or valvular surgical procedures of different levels of invasiveness, and to explore the differential predictability of various frailty measurement models.

METHODS

Eight databases were searched for prospective cohort studies that have adopted validated measure(s) of frailty and reported clinical, healthcare service utilization, or patient-reported outcomes in patients undergoing coronary artery or valvular surgeries/procedures.

RESULTS

Sixty-two articles were included (N = 16,679). Frailty significantly predicted mortality (short-term [≤ 30 days]: odds ratio [OR]: 2.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28-4.26; midterm [6 months to 1 year]: OR: 3.93, 95%CI: 2.65-5.83; long-term [>1 year]: HR: 2.23, 95%CI: 1.60-3.11), postoperative complications (ORs: 2.54-3.57), discharge to care facilities (OR: 5.52, 95%CI: 3.84-7.94), hospital readmission (OR: 2.00, 95%CI: 1.15-3.50), and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL; standardized mean difference: -0.74, 95%CI: -1.30 to -0.18). Subgroup analyses showed that frailty exerted a greater impact on short-term mortality in patients undergoing open-heart surgeries than those receiving transcatheter procedures. Multidimensional and physical-aspect-focused frailty measurements performed equally in predicting mortality, but multidimensional measurements were more predictive of hospital readmission than physical-aspect-focused measurements.

CONCLUSION

Frailty was predictive of postoperative mortality, complications, increased healthcare service utilization, and reduced HRQoL. The impact of frailty on short-term mortality was more prominent in patients undergoing open-heart surgeries than those receiving transcatheter procedures. Multidimensional measures of frailty enhanced prognostic risk estimation, especially for hospital readmission.

Differences in Sex and the Incidence and In-Hospital Mortality among People Admitted for Infective Endocarditis in Spain, 2016-2020

(1) Background: A description of the trends and outcomes during hospitalization for infective endocarditis (IE) according to sex. (2) Methods: Using Spanish national hospital discharge data (2016−2020), we built Poisson regression models to compare the age-adjusted time trends for the incidence rate. We used propensity score matching (PSM) to compare the clinical characteristics and the in-hospital mortality (IHM) between men and women hospitalized with IE. (3) Results: We identified 10,459 hospitalizations for IE (33.26% women). The incidence of IE remained stable during this five-year period. The age-adjusted incidence of IE was two-fold higher among men vs. women (IRR = 2.08; 95%CI 2.0−2.17). Before PSM, women with IE were significantly older than men (70.25 vs. 66.24 years; p < 0.001) and had lower comorbidity according to the Charlson comorbidity index (mean 1.38 vs. 1.43; p = 0.019). After PSM, the IHM among women admitted for IE remained >3 points higher than that among men (19.52% vs. 15.98%; p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: The incidence of IE was two-fold higher among men than among women. IHM was significantly higher among women after accounting for the potential confounders.

Sex Differences in Infective Endocarditis After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

BACKGROUND

Outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and infectious diseases may vary according to sex.

METHODS

This multicenter study aimed to determine the sex differences in clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes of infective endocarditis (IE) after TAVR. A total of 579 patients (217 women, 37.5%) were included retrospectively from the Infectious Endocarditis after TAVR International Registry who had the diagnosis of definite IE following TAVR.

RESULTS

Women were older (80±8 vs. 78±8 years, p=0.001) and exhibited a lower comorbidity burden. Clinical characteristics and microbiological profile were similar between men and women, but culture-negative IE was more frequent in women (9.9% vs. 4.3%, p=0.009). A high proportion of patients had a clinical indication for surgery (54.4% in both groups, p=0.99), but a surgical intervention was performed in a minority of patients (women: 15.2%, men: 20.3%, p=0.13). The mortality rate at index IE hospitalization was similar in both groups (women: 35.4%, men: 31.7%, p=0.373), but women exhibited a higher mortality rate at 2-year follow-up (63% vs. 52.1%, p=0.021). Female sex remained an independent risk factor for cumulative mortality in the multivariable analysis (HR_adj: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.02-1.62, p=0.035). After adjustment for in-hospital events, surgery was not associated with better outcomes in women.

CONCLUSIONS

There were no significant sex-related differences in the clinical characteristics and management of IE after TAVR. However, female sex was associated with increased two-years mortality risk.

Staphylococcus aureus adaptive evolution: Recent insights on how immune evasion, immunometabolic subversion and host genetics impact vaccine development

Despite meritorious attempts, a S. aureus vaccine that prevents infection or mitigates severity has not yet achieved efficacy endpoints in prospective, randomized clinical trials. This experience underscores the complexity of host-S. aureus interactions, which appear to be greater than many other bacterial pathogens against which successful vaccines have been developed. It is increasingly evident that S. aureus employs strategic countermeasures to evade or exploit human immune responses. From entering host cells to persist in stealthy intracellular reservoirs, to sensing the environmental milieu and leveraging bacterial or host metabolic products to reprogram host immune responses, S. aureus poses considerable challenges for the development of effective vaccines. The fact that this pathogen causes distinct types of infections and can undergo transient genetic, transcriptional or metabolic adaptations in vivo that do not occur in vitro compounds challenges in vaccine development. Notably, the metabolic versatility of both bacterial and host immune cells as they compete for available substrates within specific tissues inevitably impacts the variable repertoire of gene products that may or may not be vaccine antigens. In this respect, S. aureus has chameleon phenotypes that have alluded vaccine strategies thus far. Nonetheless, a number of recent studies have also revealed important new insights into pathogenesis vulnerabilities of S. aureus. A more detailed understanding of host protective immune defenses versus S. aureus adaptive immune evasion mechanisms may offer breakthroughs in the development of effective vaccines, but at present this goal remains a very high bar. Coupled with the recent advances in human genetics and epigenetics, newer vaccine technologies may enable such a goal. If so, future vaccines that protect against or mitigate the severity of S. aureus infections are likely to emerge at the intersection of precision and personalized medicine. For now, the development of S. aureus vaccines or alternative therapies that reduce mortality and morbidity must continue to be pursued.