Minerva medica
-
Long-lasting heavy alcohol intake has been progressively recognized as a leading cause of nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, involving 10% of all people who use alcohol. It is of huge importance to identify the earliest markers of this dysfunction and it is known that the newest echocardiographic techniques such as speckle tracking may allow to do it. In this study we investigated if standard basal echocardiogram features allow to obtain predictors of asymptomatic cardiac dysfunction in alcoholics. ⋯ This study has demonstrated that standard echocardiography may allow to predict cardiac dysfunction in asymptomatic alcoholics, and sex-related differences may be identified in this regard. These data need to be confirmed by further studies involving larger population.
-
Observational Study
Pneumomediastinum associated with severe pneumonia related to COVID-19: diagnosis and management.
Pneumomediastinum (PNM) can develop as a severe complication of severe COVID-19 and may be correlated with greater morbidity and mortality. PNM is a rarely reported complication in COVID-19 patients and usually associated with endotracheal intubation. ⋯ PNM is a serious and not extremely rare complication of severe forms of pulmonary involvement of COVID-19. The clinician should consider this rare complication; moreover, we suggest being careful when clinicians start mechanical ventilation.