Internal and emergency medicine
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The efficacy of venous-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) in supporting cardio-pulmonary resuscitation for cardiac arrest is still debated. This study aimed to evaluate the outcome of patients treated with VA-ECMO positioned according to different clinical indications. The method is retrospective data analysis from patients admitted to a tertiary referral center for VA-ECMO in 6 years. ⋯ Furthermore, the Cerebral Performance Category at 12 months differed between groups with good outcomes in 4.1% of patients in CA, 50.0% in CS-ROSC, and 31.2% in CS groups (p < 0.001). In the studied population, emergency VA-ECMO had negligible efficacy in refractory cardiac arrest, while it was correlated with a good outcome in cardiogenic shock after cardiac arrest, such as in cardiogenic shock alone. Patients with ROSC appear to benefit from VA-ECMO in the setting of persistent shock at rates comparable to cardiogenic shock patients who never sustained cardiac arrest.
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To evaluate the significance of severe hyponatraemia presented at the emergency department (ED). ⋯ Patients with severe hyponatraemia in the ED presented with non-specific complaints. The aetiology of hyponatraemia was often multifactorial and varied by age. The need for intensive care was poorly predicted by NEWS. The one-year mortality rate was 18% and the incidence of ODS 1.4% after an episode of severe hyponatraemia.
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Biosimilars offer cost-effective and safe treatment options both for patients and healthcare systems. CT-P10 is the first biosimilar of rituximab approved in Europe for use in all indications of originator rituximab (oRTX). This study aimed to provide real-life data on treatment changes and adverse events in patients who received oRTX or CT-P10. ⋯ Comparable rates of infections (p > 0.05) and the rate of hypogammaglobulinemia (p > 0.05) were found in both groups with no significant difference. CT-P10 provides a safe treatment alternative in patients who require rituximab therapy. The rational use of biosimilars can be supported by evolving evidence on interchangeability and switching in real-life settings, which will help clinicians in decision-making.