Israel Medical Association Journal

Background: During an influenza pandemic, clinicians need easily available clinical and laboratory criteria to distinguish influenza from similar respiratory illnesses. We compared A/H1N1/2009-polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive and matched PCR-negative hospitalized patients with suspected H1N1 influenza to identify factors that could assist physicians at patient admission.

Objectives: To identify factors significantly associated with A/H1N1/2009 infection.

Methods: A group of 145 patients with PCR-confirmed A/H1N1 2009 influenza admitted between 27 May 2009 and 3 December 2009 was matched with 145 PCR-negative patients by age, epidemiological week and pregnancy status. Epidemiological and clinical parameters and radiological findings on initial chest X-ray were compared between the two groups.

Results: Asthma (PCR+ 26%, PCR- 12%, P = 0.006) and military service (PCR+ 13%, PCR- 4%, P = 0.15) were associated with PCR-positive status in non-pregnant patients. At presentation, fever, cough, myalgia and fulfilling the pandemic influenza case definition were significantly more frequent in non-pregnant PCR+ patients (62/90/43/59% in PCR+ versus 38/69/30/35% in PCR-). In pregnant patients, fever and fulfilling the case definition were significantly associated with PCR-positive status. Mean leukocyte and absolute lymphocyte counts were significantly lower in both pregnant and non-pregnant PCR-positive patients. Significantly more PCR-negative non-pregnant patients (43% vs. 22% PCR+, P = 0.004) had abnormal chest X-ray (CXR) findings on presentation. In PCR-positive patients, patchy consolidation and interstitial infiltrates were the most common abnormalities.

Conclusions: Under the conditions generated by the A/H1N1/2009 pandemic, radiological findings did not distinguish reliably between influenza and other febrile respiratory illnesses. Asthma, military service, the pandemic case definition (particularly fever, cough and myalgia) and lymphopenia were associated with confirmed H1N1 infection.
 

Background: Since clinical signs of meningeal irritation in infants may be absent or misleading, the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1996 recommended that a lumbar puncture be performed in young children following a febrile seizure. Recent evidence supports a conservative approach in children who do not look ill at the time of the physician's assessment. Moreover, seizures as the presenting or sole symptom of bacterial meningitis are very rare.

Objectives: To assess physicians’ compliance with the Academy’s recommendations and to determine the incidence of meningitis among febrile seizure patients, including those who did not undergo the puncture.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the number of punctures obtained in febrile seizure patients aged 6–24 months, focusing on the clinician's indications for performing the procedure and on the clinical course of children who did not undergo the puncture.

Results: Among 278 patients (84% simple febrile seizure), 52 (18.7%) underwent the procedure. It was performed in 38% of 45 complex febrile seizure cases and in 48% of 91 infants younger than 12 months of age. Aseptic meningitis occurred in two infants, both with post-ictal apathy. Bacterial meningitis was not found and in none of the patients who did not undergo the puncture was meningitis later diagnosed.

Conclusions: Compliance with the Academy’s recommendations was low, as emergency room physicians based their decision whether to obtain a lumbar puncture solely on clinical grounds. No case of bacterial meningitis was detected among 278 young children with a febrile seizure, including those who did not undergo the puncture.
 

Background: Defibrillation threshold (DFT) testing at the time of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) insertion is performed routinely. Recently this practice is being reconsidered due to doubts about its ability to improve ICD efficacy and evidence that survival may not be affected by the test.

Objectives: To compare the outcome of ICD recipients who underwent DFT testing and those in whom no testing was performed.

Methods: A total of 213 eligible patients were implanted with an ICD between 2004 and 2009. DFT testing was performed in 80. We compared total mortality, appropriate and inappropriate ICD shocks, and anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) events between DFT and non-DFT patients during a follow-up of 2 years.

Results: On comparing the DFT and non-DFT groups, we found a 2 year mortality rate of 7.5% versus 8.3%, respectively (P = 0.8). Furthermore, 20.7% of patients in the DFT group and 12.4% in the non-DFT group had at least one episode of ICD shock (P = 0.15). With regard to ICD treatment (ICD shocks or ATP events), 57.7% in the DFT group and 64.2% in the non-DFT group received appropriate treatments (P = 0.78).

Conclusions: No significant differences in the incidence of 2 year mortality or percentage of ICD treatment emerged between the DFT and non-DFT groups.
 

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in adults and is associated with increased mortality and morbidity.

Objectives: To characterize patients diagnosed with AF in primary care clinics in southern Israel.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 14 primary care clinics of the largest health insurance fund in Israel, reviewing the electronic medical records of adults aged ≥ 25 years diagnosed with AF. The prevalence, evaluation, antithrombotic treatment and treatments for rate control/rhythm control were analyzed.

Results: We retrieved the records of 995 patients with a diagnosis of AF; the prevalence of AF was 1.5% (2.5% aged ≥ 45 years). The patients’ mean age was 73.5 ± 1.4 years and 55.3% were female. Vitamin K antagonist (VKA) was prescribed for 591 patients (59%), of whom 8.5% had no international normalized ratio follow-up tests for at least 3 months before our review. Among patients in the VKA treatment group the risk for thromboembolic events was considered to be high, moderate and low in 22% (n=131), 66% (n=391) and 12% (n=69), respectively. Patients with a low Congestive Hypertension Age Diabetes Stroke (CHADS2) score (odds ratio = 0.555, 95% confidence interval 0.357–0.862) and patients who did not receive VKA (OR[1] = 0.601, 95% CI[2] 0.459–0.787) received significantly less rate-control treatment. Of the patients with a low CHADS2 score (< 1) 52.7% received VKA treatment, and 39.4% with a high CHADS2 score (≥ 3) did not receive VKA. A positive correlation between anticoagulation and rate or rhythm control was found.

Conclusions: The prevalence and age distribution of AF in southern Israel are similar to findings in the western world. Many of the patients did not receive appropriate antithrombotic prophylaxis.

Background: As the lowest natural site on earth (-415 meters), the Dead Sea is unique for its high pressure and oxygen tension in addition to the unparalleled combination of natural resources. Furthermore, its balneotherapeutic resorts have been reported to be beneficial for patients with various chronic diseases.

Objectives: To evaluate the safety, quality of life (QoL), exercise capacity, heart failure, and arrhythmia parameters in patients with systolic congestive heart failure (SCHF) and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) following descent and stay at the Dead Sea.

Methods: The study group comprised patients with SCHF, New York Heart Association functional class II-III after ICD implantation. The following parameters were tested at sea level one week prior to the descent, during a 4 day stay at the Dead Sea, and one week after return: blood pressure, O₂ saturation, ejection fraction (echocardiography), weight, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), arrhythmias, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and QoL assessed by the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire.

Results: We evaluated 19 patients, age 65.3 ± 9.6 years, of whom 16 (84%) were males and 18 (95%) had ICD-cardiac resynchronization therapy. The trip to and from and the stay at the Dead Sea were uneventful and well tolerated. The QoL score improved by 11 points, and the 6 minute walk increased by 63 meters (P < 0.001). BNP levels slightly increased with no statistical significance. The HRV decreased (P = 0.018). There were no significant changes in blood pressure, weight, O₂ saturation or ejection fraction.

Conclusions: Descent to, ascent from, and stay at the Dead Sea resort are safe and might be beneficial in some aspects for patients with sCHF and an ICD.
 

Background: Familial dysautonomia is a hereditary disease characterized by dysfunction of the sensory and autonomic nervous systems. Studies in patients with familial dysautonomia have shown that abnormal cardiac autonomic denervation might influence repolarization. Autonomic tone also affects atrial conduction parameters and P-wave dispersion, which are predictive of atrial fibrillation.

Objectives: To examine the possible association of familial dysautonomia with abnormal atrial conduction and P-wave dispersion.

Methods: The study population included 12 patients with familial dysautonomia and age and sex-matched control subjects. All participants underwent a 12-lead electrocardiogram under strict conditions. P-wave lengths and P-wave dispersion were computed from a randomly selected beat and an averaged beat using designated computer software.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in minimal, maximal, and average P-wave duration or P-wave dispersion for a randomly selected beat. P-wave dispersion for an averaged beat was also similar. During 6 months follow-up, no supraventricular arrhythmias were documented in either group.

Conclusions: We found that patients with familial dysautonomia had P-wave dispersion parameters not significantly different from those of controls. Further research is required to clarify the effects of dysautonomia on atrial conduction in familial dysautonomia.