➡️ Complimenti a Dr. med. Tardu Özkartal e al team che con cui ha collaborato - Istituto Cardiocentro Ticino - EOC Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale #icct #cardiocentro
🔬✨ The Role of PET-CT in Diagnosing Infections in Cardiac Devices and Prosthetic Valves ✨🔬 We’re excited to share a new preprint by Tardu Özkartal and a dedicated team from the Istituto Cardiocentro Ticino - EOC Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale and the USI Università della Svizzera italiana Published in Heart Rhythm, this study investigates the potential of 18F-FDG PET/CT to enhance diagnostic accuracy in patients with bloodstream infections (BSI) and cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) or prosthetic heart valves. 🫀📊 🔹 Study Insights and Methodology: Cohort: This study included 27 patients with BSI who underwent PET-CT, divided into two groups: patients with CIEDs only and those with CIEDs + prosthetic valves. Challenges in Diagnosis: Differentiating between device infections and valve endocarditis is critical for determining appropriate treatment strategies. PET-CT Evaluation: PET-CT was performed after a median of 16 days post-BSI diagnosis to identify infection sources, complemented by other diagnostic tools like echocardiography. 🔹 Key Findings: Device vs. Valve Infections: In patients with prosthetic valves, BSIs were more often associated with valve endocarditis (77%) than with CIED infection. Conversely, in CIED-only patients, device infections were significantly more common (57%). Non-Cardiac Infections: PET-CT identified non-cardiac infections in 10 cases, mostly in the CIED-only group. Clinical Implications: PET-CT helped avoid unnecessary device extractions in many cases and guided antibiotic-only treatments successfully in 70% of valve endocarditis cases. 🔹 Future Directions: This study underscores the value of PET-CT in guiding personalized care for complex cases of bloodstream infections. The authors highlight the need for larger, prospective studies to refine clinical recommendations further. 👏 Congratulations to Dr. Özkartal, Dr. Ceriani, and the team for advancing the diagnostic capabilities of nuclear imaging in cardiology! 🔗 Read the preprint: https://lnkd.in/e6_Tfys2 #NuclearMedicine #Cardiology #PETCT #MedicalImaging #InfectionManagement #ProstheticValves #PersonalizedMedicine