Medicina clinica
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The role of clinical ultrasound or Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in patients with urgent pathology has expanded exponentially in recent years. With clinical ultrasound, physicians can make a quick assessment and decide how to act in time critical situations. ⋯ The technique is widely available, easy to perform, and can provide information even when fundoscopy is impossible. In this review, we describe the bases of clinical ocular ultrasound, focusing on the management of the main non-traumatic urgent ophthalmological pathologies that the physician may face in their clinical practice.
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To assess the changes induced by the COVID-19 lockdown on cardiac biometric variables recorded using an implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) in a patient population monitored for syncope work-up, as well to assess whether there has been an effect on arrhythmic events among the patients. ⋯ The establishment of mandatory lockdown has led to a marked drop in daily physical activity in this population which probably explains changes observed in other cardiac biometric variables. Although, in the short term, we have not documented an increased risk of arrhythmia, we cannot rule out an effect in the medium to long term or in other populations of at-risk patients.
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There is growing evidence regarding the imaging findings of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in chest X-rays and computed tomography scans; however, their availability during this pandemic outbreak might be compromised. Currently, the role of point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) has yet to be explored. ⋯ POCUS parameters have the potential to impact the diagnosis, management, and prognosis of patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.
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Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most frequent cause of heart transplantation. The prevalence of familial disease can reach 50%. Our objective was to describe the genetic basis of DCM in a cohort with a high proportion of transplanted patients. ⋯ The yield of genetic testing in our DCM cohort was high, reaching 69% in familial cases. Mutational spectrum was heterogeneous and the identification of the specific aetiology of the disease often provided prognostic information.