Internal and emergency medicine
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To determine the risk factors for flare after glucocorticoids (GC) withdrawal in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with undergoing conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs). ⋯ Flare following GC withdrawal is not common in RA patients with undergoing csDMARDs therapy. Established RA, higher cumulative GC dose and dissatisfied RA control before GC discontinuation are important factors associated with flare after GC withdrawal.
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Multicenter Study
Association between cooling temperature and outcomes of patients with heat stroke.
This study explored the relationship between body temperature and adverse outcomes in patients with heat stroke to identify the optimal target body temperature within the first 24 h. This retrospective, multicentre study enrolled 143 patients admitted to the emergency department and diagnosed with heat stroke. The primary outcome was the in-hospital mortality rate, while secondary outcomes included the presence and number of damaged organs and neurological sequelae at discharge. ⋯ When the body temperature at 0.5 h was 38.5-40.0 °C, the number of damaged organs was at its lowest. In patients with heat stroke, both hyperthermia and hypothermia were associated with adverse outcomes. Hence, an accurate body temperature management is required during the early stages of care.
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Multicenter Study
Derivation and validation of a blood biomarker score for 2-day mortality prediction from prehospital care: a multicenter, cohort, EMS-based study.
Identifying potentially life-threatening diseases is a key challenge for emergency medical services. This study aims at examining the role of different prehospital biomarkers from point-of-care testing to derive and validate a score to detect 2-day in-hospital mortality. We conducted a prospective, observational, prehospital, ongoing, and derivation-validation study in three Spanish provinces, in adults evacuated by ambulance and admitted to the emergency department. ⋯ The following risk levels for 2-day mortality were identified from the score: low risk (score < 1), where only 8.2% of non-survivors were assigned to; medium risk (1 ≤ score < 4); and high risk (score ≥ 4), where the 2-day mortality rate was 57.6%. The novel blood biomarker score provides an excellent association with 2-day in-hospital mortality, as well as real-time feedback on the metabolic-respiratory patient status. Thus, this score can help in the decision-making process at critical moments in life-threatening situations.