European journal of internal medicine
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Acute aortic syndromes (AASs) are severe conditions defined by dissection, hemorrhage, ulceration or rupture of the thoracic aorta. AASs share etiological and pathophysiological features, including long-term aortic tissue degeneration and mechanisms of acute aortic damage. ⋯ The natural history of AASs is dominated by engagement of ischemic, coagulative and inflammatory pathways at large, causing multiorgan damage. Medical treatment, multiorgan monitoring and outcome prognostication are therefore paramount, with internal medicine playing a key role in non-surgical management of AASs.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Dec 2022
Functional and metabolic frailty predicts mortality in patients undergoing TAVI: Insights from the OBSERVANT II study.
Despite the prognostic role of frailty among elderly patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is known, its assessment still represents a challenge due to the multitude of scales proposed in literature. The aim of this study was to define the prognostic impact of a simple combined frailty model including both functional and metabolic parameters in a large cohort of patients undergoing TAVI with new generation devices. ⋯ In a large real-world cohort of patients undergoing TAVI with new generation devices, combined functional and metabolic frailty had a significant and incremental impact on 1-year mortality.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Dec 2022
ReviewPOCUS in dyspnea, nontraumatic hypotension, and shock; a systematic review of existing evidence.
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has been adopted as a powerful tool in acute medicine. This systematic review aims to critically appraise the existing literature on point-of-care ultrasound in respiratory or circulatory deterioration. ⋯ We conclude that POCUS contributes to a higher diagnostic accuracy in dyspnea, nontraumatic hypotension, and shock. It aides in narrowing the differential diagnoses and shortening the time to correct diagnosis and effective treatment.