Internal and emergency medicine
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Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a valid tool for the assessment of heart failure (HF) through the quantification of the B-lines. This study in HF patients aims to evaluate if LUS: (1) can accelerate the discharge time; (2) can efficiently drive diuretic therapy dosage; and (3) may have better performance compared to the amino-terminal portion of B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in monitoring HF recovery. A consecutive sample of 120 HF patients was admitted from the Emergency Department (ED) to the Internal Medicine Department (Verona University Hospital). ⋯ The B-lines numbers were significantly higher on admission in patients with more severe HF, and the ICVCI was inversely associated with B-lines number (p < 0.001). The potential of LUS in tailoring diuretic therapy and accelerating the discharge time in HF patients is confirmed. Until the technique comes into common use in different departments, it is plausible that LUS will evolve with different facets.
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Delirium is a severe neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by inattention and global cognitive dysfunction in the setting of an acute medical illness, medical complication, drug intoxication, or drug withdrawal. The most important risk factors are advanced age and dementia, whereas pain, dehydration, infections, stroke, metabolic disturbances, and surgery are the most common triggering factors. ⋯ There exists a clear need for improved understanding to overcome cultural stereotypes, and for the development and dissemination of a comprehensive model of implementation of general good practice points. A network of Italian national scientific societies was thus convened (1) to develop a collaborative multidisciplinary initiative report on delirium in elderly hospitalized patients, (2) to focus the attention of health care personnel on prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of patients suffering from delirium, and (3) to make the health services research community and policy-makers more aware of the potential risks of this condition providing a reference for training activities and data collection.
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In a group of septic patients, we assess the short-term prognostic value of LV systolic performance, evaluated through conventional left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV GLS). One hundred forty-seven patients with sepsis were recruited; LVEF by planimetry and peak GLS by 2D speckle tracking could be assessed within 24 h. The study population was stratified according to SOFA tertiles assessed at the time of the echocardiogram (G1: SOFA score <5; G2: SOFA score 5-7; G3: SOFA score >7). ⋯ Analyses through ROC curves focusing on day-7 mortality show that the SOFA score fairly correlates with events (AUC 0.635, p = 0.037), while low LVEF (AUC 0.35, p = 0.022) and less negative GLS (AUC 0.73, p = 0.001) do so. In multivariate analyses, mortality by day-7 follow-up is more likely per higher GLS (i.e., indicative of worst systolic dysfunction, HR 1.22/%, p = 0.005) and per increasing SOFA score (HR 1.22/unit, p = 0.010), whereas LVEF, adjusted for age and SOFA score, does not enter the prognostic model. In the very short term in patients with severe sepsis, LV systolic function assessment by means of GLS predicts the short-term prognosis, independent of SOFA.
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Accidental hypothermia has a low incidence, but is associated with a high mortality rate. Knowledge about concomitant factors, complications, and length of hospital stay is limited. A retrospective cohort study on patients with accidental hypothermia admitted to Oulu University Hospital in Finland, over a 5-year period. ⋯ Thirty-six patients (54 %) had at least one complication, and this prolonged median hospital treatment for 2.5 days (p < 0.001). Alcohol is the most common concomitant factor and every fourth patient spends more than 7 days in hospital. Long-term hospitalization is related to a lower core temperature, lower consciousness, more severe lactic acidosis, lower platelet level and infections, rhabdomyolysis, and renal failure.
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Subjects undergoing major orthopedic surgery and acutely ill hospitalized medical patients represent a population at medium-high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). They are treated with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and direct oral anticoagulants [DOACs] for VTE prevention. We conducted a meta-analysis of phase III randomized clinical trials evaluating LMWH enoxaparin versus DOACs for prophylaxis of VTE by combining studies including patients undergoing elective total hip and knee replacement surgery, and acutely ill hospitalized medical subjects. ⋯ Subgroup analysis shows an incidence of MB (RD = 0.181%, 95% CI 0.029-0.332%, p = 0.0033) and CRNMB (RD = 0.546%, 95% CI 0.009-1.082%, p = 0.0462) in patients treated with 40 mg OD enoxaparin compared to DOACs. In major orthopedic surgery and acutely ill hospitalized medical patients, DOACs do not offer clear advantages in terms of clinical efficacy compared to enoxaparin. The advantage of the latter in terms of major and CRNMB, when used at a dose of 40 mg, is statistically significant, but small in terms of clinical relevance.