Internal and emergency medicine
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Observational Study
Lacunar stroke syndromes as predictors of lacunar and non-lacunar infarcts on neuroimaging: a hospital-based study.
Lacunar syndromes are usually caused by small ischemic lesions called lacunar infarcts. However, non-lacunar infarcts account for about 20% of lacunar syndromes. The aim of this study was to identify clinical predictors of lacunar syndromes led by non-lacunar infarcts. ⋯ On multivariate analysis, atrial fibrillation (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.09-2.31; p = 0.002) and higher NIHSS (OR 1.12 for each point increase, 95% CI 1.09-1.15; p < 0.001) were predictors of non-lacunar infarcts in all stroke cases, while lacunar syndromes were inversely associated with non-lacunar infarcts (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.11-0.20; p < 0.001). Atrial fibrillation was the only predictor of non-lacunar infarcts in patients with lacunar syndromes (OR 2.62, 95% CI 1.33-5.18; p = 0.005). 21% of patients with lacunar syndromes had non-lacunar infarctions. Atrial fibrillation turned out to be a predictor of lacunar syndrome due to non-lacunar infarct.
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Observational Study
Electrocardiographic T wave alterations and prediction of hyperkalemia in patients with acute kidney injury.
Electrocardiographic (ECG) alterations are common in hyperkalemic patients. While the presence of peaked T waves is the most frequent ECG alteration, reported findings on ECG sensitivity in detecting hyperkalemia are conflicting. Moreover, no studies have been conducted specifically in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). ⋯ Nonetheless, the model accuracy was poor in both full and test sample [root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.96 mEq/L and adjR2 = 0.08 and RMSE = 0.97 mEq/L, adjR2 = 0.06, respectively]. T wave amplitude and the use of loop diuretics had also poor accuracy in predicting hyperkalemia in both full and test sample [area-under-curve (AUC) at receiver-operator curve (ROC) analysis 0.74 and AUC 0.72, respectively]. Our findings show that, in patients with AKI, electrocardiographic changes in T waves are poor predictors of serum potassium levels and of the presence of hyperkalemia.
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Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication in patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF). There is a paucity of research on the incidence and consequences of AKI among patients hospitalized with HF who do not have evidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The National Inpatient Sample database was used to identify index hospitalizations for acute HF from January 2012 through September 2015. ⋯ Similarly, length of stay and cost of care for the HFwAKI group were significantly higher as well. New-onset AKI among hospitalizations for HF poses a significant health problem, especially considering the increasing prevalence of HF. Further research into the causes of AKI among HF hospitalizations is, therefore, important as it will enable the development of treatment strategies to prevent AKI in HF hospitalizations and, consequently, benefit both the patients and health care system of the United States.
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The novel direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) have been shown to be at least as effective as and safer than conventional anticoagulants for the initial and long-term treatment of venous thromboembolic disorders. However, the rate of post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) in patients with deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) treated with the DOACs is unknown. With the adoption of the Villalta scale, we assessed the rate of PTS at the end of the follow-up period in a consecutive series of 309 outpatients with acute proximal DVT who had received at least 3 months of treatment with a DOAC and had been followed-up for up to 3 years. ⋯ PTS developed in 87 patients (28.2%) treated with the DOACs (severe in 12), and in 443 patients (42.8%) treated with VKAs (severe in 61). After adjusting for estimated propensity score, age, gender, concomitant symptoms of pulmonary embolism, duration of anticoagulation and development of residual vein thrombosis, the risk of PTS in the DOAC-treated patients was reduced by 54% in comparison to patients treated with conventional anticoagulation (odds ratio 0.46; 95% CI 0.33 to 0.63). We conclude that in comparison to VKAs, the use of the direct oral anticoagulants has the potential to offer a more favorable prognosis in terms of PTS development.
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Individuals may have conflicts of interest (CoI) when they choose between the duties of their jobs and their own private interests. In medicine, CoI are potentially ubiquitous and their disclosure has now become the most frequent strategy to address them in professional lives. In the medical literature, CoI are classified into two different types-financial and non-financial. ⋯ Since health cannot be considered a 'consumer good', the economic paradigm of 'free market' does not fit for healthcare products. To conclude, even though transparency on financial CoI cannot itself deter the risk of bias, rejecting it would be an even bigger mistake. At variance, mandatory disclosure of non-financial CoI risks to be confusing and questionable in many cases, paradoxically distracting attention from the potential bias created by financial CoI.