European journal of internal medicine
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Apr 2024
Deferring diagnostic evaluation for suspected deep venous thrombosis using a single dose of anticoagulant: Real-world data from a regionwide care pathway.
Patients with suspected deep venous thrombosis (DVT) are typically referred to the emergency department (ED) for immediate evaluation. However, this often contributes to ED overcrowding and necessitates round-the-clock sonographic examinations. Therefore, we implemented a regionwide care pathway for deferring diagnostic workup of suspected DVT until the following day. Patients receive a single anticoagulant dose from their general practitioner (GP) to prevent progression of DVT in the interval between referral and diagnostic evaluation. The next day, patients undergo comprehensive evaluation at our outpatient DVT clinic, including venous ultrasound. This retrospective study aims to provide real-world data on the safety of this care pathway regarding the occurrence of bleeding complications and pulmonary embolism (PE). ⋯ This real-world study observed a very low incidence of bleeding complications and PE events, indicating that this care pathway of deferred DVT workup is safe and may offer a more streamlined diagnostic approach for patients with suspected DVT.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Apr 2024
Prognostic significance of the wall to lumen ratio of retinal arterioles evaluated by adaptive optics in humans.
Microvascular structural alterations may be considered an important form of hypertension-mediated organ damage. An increased media-to-lumen ratio of subcutaneous small arteries evaluated with locally invasive techniques (micromyography) predicts the development of cardiovascular (CV) events. However, it is not known whether retinal arteriole structural alterations evaluated with a noninvasive approach (Adaptive Optics) may have a prognostic significance. ⋯ Structural alterations of retinal arterioles evaluated by Adaptive Optics may predict total and CV events.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Apr 2024
Adherence to an integrated care pathway for stroke is associated with lower risk of major cardiovascular events: A report from the Athens Stroke Registry.
A recent European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Council on Stroke position paper proposed a holistic integrated care management approach for stroke patients, to improve cardiovascular outcomes. The impact of implementing the ABCstroke pathway 'concept' on clinical outcomes has never been estimated before. In order to investigate the potential effect of ABCstroke pathway adherence to cardiovascular outcomes post stroke, we performed a post-hoc analysis from the Athens Stroke Registry. ⋯ Full adherence to the ABCstroke pathway based on the current guidelines was evident in only 6.2 % of our ischaemic stroke cohort but was independently associated with lower risks of stroke recurrence, major cardiovascular events and mortality. This highlights a potential opportunity to improve clinical outcomes post-stroke with a holistic or integrated care management approach.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Apr 2024
Prognostic role of mitral regurgitation in patients with advanced heart failure.
The impact of mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients with advanced heart failure (HF) is poorly known. We aimed to evaluate the impact of MR on clinical outcomes of a real-world, contemporary, multicentre population with advanced HF. ⋯ In unselected patients with advanced HF, severe MR was common and independently associated with an increased risk of CV death and of recurrent HF hospitalizations.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Apr 2024
Intimate partner violence as a risk factor for venous thromboembolism in women on combined oral contraceptives: An international matched case-control study.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) targeting women is probably underestimated during a woman's lifetime. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a multifactorial disease associated with haemostasis-activating conditions. Minor injuries can trigger VTE. ⋯ A first VTE in women taking COCs is associated with IPV. This association can have strong human consequences but also raises significant medical issues, for instance on the haemorrhagic risk of anticoagulant treatments in abused women. Pathophysiological studies are warranted.