European journal of internal medicine
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Dec 2021
Observational StudyPredictors of long-term mortality in left-sided infective endocarditis: an historical cohort study in 414 patients.
Very limited data are available on the long-term outcome of infective endocarditis (IE) and its determinants. The aim of this study was to identify the predictors of long-term mortality in patients affected by left sided IE (LSIE). ⋯ Cardiovascular and metabolic risk signals, specifically peripheral arterial disease and hyperglicemia, affect long-term mortality of LSIE. An active and long-term follow up seems warranted in IE survivors showing these conditions at outset.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Dec 2021
Clinical presentation of secondary infectious complications in COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit treated with tocilizumab or standard of care.
The hypothesis of this study is that tocilizumab should affect common signs of infection due to its immunosuppressive properties. Primary aim of the study was to investigate whether the administration of tocilizumab to critically ill patients with COVID-19, led to a different clinical presentation of infectious complications compared to patients who did not receive tocilizumab. Secondary aim was investigating differences in laboratory parameters between groups. ⋯ The clinical features of infectious complications in critically ill patients with COVID-19 admitted to ICU were not affected by tocilizumab.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Dec 2021
ReviewShould we continue surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma and gastroesophageal varices in patients with cirrhosis and cured HCV infection?
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and variceal bleeding are among the most common causes of liver-related mortality in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced cirrhosis. Current guidelines recommend HCC and gastroesophageal varices (GEV) surveillance in patients with HCV infection and cirrhosis. However, since the recent introduction of direct-acting antivirals, most patients with cirrhosis are now cured of their chronic HCV infection. As virological cure is considered to substantially reduce the risk of cirrhosis-related complications, this review discusses the current literature concerning the surveillance of HCC and GEV in patients with HCV-induced cirrhosis with a focus on the setting following sustained virological response.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Dec 2021
Meta AnalysisThe high-risk bleeding category of different scores in patients with venous thromboembolism: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
In patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE), bleeding risk should be carefully assessed but none of the available risk scores is currently recommended. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the performance of bleeding scores in patients with VTE focusing on high-risk patients. ⋯ Overall, the majority of the risk scores showed a moderate ability to forecast major bleeding events, with the VTE-BLEED as the most sensitive in patients treated with DOACs.