Internal and emergency medicine
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Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) is a growing health care problem. Elderly patients with multiple comorbidities and repeated hospitalization are at high risk for developing the disease. Few data are available on epidemiology of CDAD in Italy and no studies have focused on CDAD burden in internal medicine wards. ⋯ A high proportion of CDAD patients had several comorbidities and had been treated with more than one antibiotic. The incidence is among the highest previously reported, this may be due to the characteristics of patients admitted to internal medicine wards and to the wards per se. We conclude that efforts are needed to reduce CDAD's burden in this setting, paying attention to logistics, patients care and antibiotic use.
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Mastocytosis is characterised by clonal proliferation of mast cells in the skin and in various internal organs, and by symptoms related to an acute release of mast cell-derived mediators. In 20-30 % of patients, mastocytosis occurs without the typical skin lesions of urticaria pigmentosa that are usually the first clinical sign of the disease. In these patients, anaphylaxis is often the presenting sign of the disease. ⋯ An eliciting factor was identified in one case (a wasp sting), but one was found in the other two. Elevation of the serum tryptase suggested a mastocytosis, which was confirmed by bone marrow biopsy. This case series demonstrates that cardiovascular emergencies may be presenting signs of mastocytosis, and that elevation of serum tryptase after an acute cardiac event, if confirmed under basal conditions, may be useful for diagnosing this disease.