Medicina
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Case Reports
Benefit of video-assisted thoracic surgery in the emergency of a complicated postpartum diaphragmatic hernia.
Diaphragmatic hernia during pregnancy or puerperium are rare entities that, in the event of a complication, represent a life-threatening emergency for both mother and the unborn child. Resolution in many cases requires a combined access through the thoracic and abdominal cavity to manage the complications of necrosis and/or perforation of an abdominal viscera. ⋯ Even more, the minimally invasive access by video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is not widely referenced in the literature despite its clear benefits of this technique in the recovery of patients, even in emergencies. We present the case of a postpartum right diaphragmatic hernia, complicated by necrosis of the colonic wall, treated by combined VATS approach and laparotomy in the emergency.
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[Sarcopenia index in hospitalized patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation].
Sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass and function) implies a worse prognosis. However, its diagnosis is complex and is not made in routine clinical care. A biomarker has been proposed as a surrogate estimator of skeletal muscle mass, the so-called sarcopenia index ([serum creatinine/cystatine C] x100) which is associated with prognostic features in various diseases including patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ⋯ In the correlation analysis, the index had statistically significant values with FEV1 (r = 0.23), PaCO2 (r = -0.30), bicarbonate (r = -0.31), dyspnoea (r = -0.25) and length of admission (r = -0.30). In patients admitted for COPD exacerbation, the sarcopenia index was related to prognostic characteristics, so that lower values were associated with longer duration of hospital admission, more dyspnoea and greater functional impairment. As this is an index associated with muscle mass, its determination may identify patients who could be the subject of a differentiated therapeutic plan.
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Observational Study
[SARS-COV-2 infection in patients with hematological malignancies and transplants].
SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with hematological malignancies and hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) can be severe and with significant mortality. We carried out a prospective and observational study to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics and outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with hematological malignancies and HSCT. Twenty adult patients were included with a median age of 58 years and a median Charlson score of 3. ⋯ Twenty percent and 15% had complications and hospital infections, respectively, and had prolonged hospitalization expressed as median days of it. The 30-day mortality was 10%. SARS-CoV-2 infection in our population had a considerable clinical and epidemiological impact.
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Case Reports
Type 1 diabetes and subcutaneous insulin resistance syndrome treated with pancreas transplantation.
We present a case of subcutaneous insulin resistance syndrome, a rare entity, consisting of subcutaneous and intramuscular insulin resistance, with normal or almost normal sensitivity to insulin when administered intravenously. Its cause is unknown and its treatment is challenging. Our patient required a pancreas transplant.
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Dyskeratosis congenita is a rare inheritable disease which causes peculiar dermatological features and bone marrow failure with an increased risk of severe infections and neoplasia. Actinomyces spp. is part of the oral cavity flora. Invasive infections are mostly seen in immunocompromised hosts. We report a case of a rare central nervous infection and an underling inheritable disease.