June 2021
28 ArticlesNo Section
Midregional proadrenomedullin safely reduces hospitalization in a low severity cohort with infections in the ED: a randomized controlled multi-centre interventional pilot study
Patients with suspected infections presenting to the emergency department (ED) can potentially develop life-threatening conditions [1]. An early assessment of disease severity and the risk of disease... more
A case of suprapubic pain
A 71-year-old male with a past medical history of prostate cancer s/p radiation treatment seven years ago. He presented to the emergency department with acute onset pain in the suprapubic region. He... more
Weight-adjusted versus fixed dose heparin thromboprophylaxis in hospitalized obese patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a multi-factorial disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. As it has been reported to occur in about 100–200 cases/100,000 inhabitants per year [1], VTE... more
Safety of treatment with chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine: A ten-year systematic review and meta-analysis
Previously known as SN7618, chloroquine has been used since the early 1940s for the treatment of malaria [1]. In 1946 Loeb F. et al., in a statement approved by the board for coordination of malarial... more
Mid-term Prognostic Implication of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with Prior Heart Failure diagnosis
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that was diagnosed in late 2019 in Wuhan (China)[1]. It has spread... more
Commentary
What is the role of growth-differentiation factor-15 in biomarker-based prediction of mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation?
Physicians often use risk prediction models to help guide diagnosis and inform patient management. Notable examples include the Framingham Risk Score, used to estimate the 10-year risk of coronary... more
Patients with Atrial Fibrillation receiving NOACs: The boundary between appropriate and inappropriate dose
Since their introduction in 2010, non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) changed the landscape of stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Because of their favorable benefit-... more
The Times They Are A-Changin´: Antithrombotic strategies in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing coronary stenting who have concomitant atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a highly prevalent condition associated with an increased risk of cardioembolic strokes. Consequently, oral anticoagulation therapy has been established as a cornerstone... more
Internal Medicine Flashcard
Atypical cause of dysphagia
A 27-years-old male presented with progressively worsening dysphagia for four years. The dysphagia was worse for solids, and for the past three months, the patient had restricted his diet to liquids... more
Letter to the Editor
Intermediate dose thromboprophylaxis in SARS-CoV-2 related venous thrombo embolism
SARS-CoV-2 illness is associated with both pulmonary and extra pulmonary complications with hypoxemia being a marker of severity [1]. Evidence has shown an increase in venous thromboembolism (VTE)... more
Pneumothorax/pneumomediastinum in non-intubated COVID-19 patients: Differences between first and second Italian pandemic wave
Pneumothorax (PNX) and pneumomediastinum (PMD) have been frequently observed in mechanically ventilated patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (... more
Pre-admission atrial fibrillation in COVID-19 patients: Prevalence and clinical impact
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly pathogenic human coronavirus recently recognized as the cause of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Italy is one of the... more
Loneliness that destroys and upsets: A lesson from and beyond COVID-19
“I've often come up against the bad part about living”. A famous poem by the great poet Eugenio Montale represents well the situation of elderly patients admitted to our hospitals in recent months.
Hellenic Postprandial Lipemia Study (HPLS): Results from the Pre-treatment Postprandial Lipemia
Although fasting triglyceride (TG) levels are routinely measured in clinical practice, studies indicate that postprandial hypertriglyceridemia may be also related to atherosclerosis [1]. Currently,... more
Usefulness of step down units to manage survivors of critical Covid-19 patients
The Coronavirus 2 (Covid-19) associated severe acute respiratory failure (ARF) has led to a huge number of admissions to intensive care units (ICU) with high fatality rates and shortage of beds. We... more
Is the “beach position” of value during the “eyeball” assessment of patients?
The rapid identification at low cost of patients at risk is particularly important in emergency departments in low- and middle-income countries, which may lack experienced emergency healthcare... more
DNA genotyping of the ABO gene showed a significant association of the A-group (A1/A2 variants) with severe COVID-19.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the new beta-coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The virus has spread worldwide causing a pandemic with millions of infected. The adverse outcome is... more
Effectiveness and safety of high and low dose NOACs in patients with atrial fibrillation
Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) were marketed in 2011 as alternatives to Vitamin K Antagonists (VKA) for treatment of thromboembolic risk in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients.... more
Original Article
Clinical outcomes of biliary drainage of malignant biliary obstruction due to colorectal cancer metastases: A systematic review
Malignant biliary obstruction is an ominous complication of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and is associated with a poor prognosis.[1–3] It has been reported to occur in 10% of patients with... more
Adrenomedullin as a potential biomarker involved in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia
Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) or Rendu–Osler–Weber syndrome (ORPHA774) is a rare autosomal dominant vascular disease characterized by telangiectases and larger vascular malformations (... more
Efficacy and safety of steroid-sparing treatments in giant cell arteritis according to the glucocorticoids tapering regimen: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common systemic vasculitis in Western countries, with an annual incidence of 10 to 20 per 100,000 adults older than 50 years and increasing with age [1]. Its... more
Post-discharge antithrombotic management and clinical outcomes of patients with new-onset or pre-existing atrial fibrillation and acute coronary syndromes undergoing coronary stenting: Follow-up data of the MATADOR-PCI study
. Patients with concomitant atrial fibrillation (AF) and acute coronary syndromes (ACS) do not seem to receive proper antithrombotic therapies and present high rates of adverse clinical events.
Sex-specific differences in the presentation, clinical course, and quality of life of patients with acute venous thromboembolism according to baseline risk factors. Insights from the PREFER in VTE
The presentation and prognosis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) are known to be characterized by considerable sex differences. While men and women have a similar overall risk of developing a first... more
Lessons from pathophysiology: Use of individualized combination treatments with immune interventional agents to tackle severe respiratory failure in patients with COVID-19
Aims Infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) may lead to the development of severe respiratory failure. In hospitalized-patients, prompt interruption of the virus-... more
Growth differentiation factor-15 predicts major adverse cardiac events and all-cause mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is associated with high morbidity and mortality, largely attributable to an increased risk of stroke and systemic embolism.... more
Review Article
The use of β-blockers in patients with heart failure and comorbidities: Doubts, certainties and unsolved issues
β-blockers represent a mainstay in the pharmacological approach to patients affected by heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, underuse of this class of drugs is still... more
SARS-CoV-2 vaccines: Lights and shadows
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) rapidly spread across the world and killed more than 2.9 million individuals globally, with 137 million cases being confirmed by... more
Rabies in Europe: An epidemiological and clinical update
Rabies is a vaccine preventable zoonosis with a significant mortality burden worldwide, causing about 60,000 deaths each year [1]. Nevertheless, rabies is still a neglected disease [2]. Rabies is... more