Plos One
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Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with acute coronary syndromes accounting for most of the cases. While the benefit of early revascularization has been clearly demonstrated in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), diagnostic pathways remain unclear in the absence of STEMI. We aimed to characterize OHCA patients presenting to 2 tertiary cardiology centers and identify predicting factors associated with survival. ⋯ In our study, immediate CAG, ROSC at admission, witnessed arrest and former smoking were independent predictors of survival in cardiac arrest survivors. Improvement in prehospital management including bystander CPR and best practice post-resuscitation care with optimized triage of patients to an early invasive strategy may help ameliorate overall outcome of this critically-ill patient population.
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The vascular buds in the vertebral endplate (VEP) are the structural foundation of nutrient exchange in the intervertebral disc (IVD). VEGF is closely related to angiogenesis in the endplate and intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). ⋯ Constant compression caused degeneration of the VEP as well as a decreased number of vascular buds, thereby accelerating disc degeneration. VEGFA is involved in this process. We anticipate that regulating the expression of VEGFA may improve the condition of the lesions to the vascular buds in the endplates, thus enhancing the nutritional supply function in IVD and providing new therapeutic targets and strategies for the effective prevention and treatment of IDD.
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Novel-coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is currently a pandemic and public health emergency of international concern, as avowed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Ethiopia has become one of the affected countries as of March 15, 2020. ⋯ The status of knowledge and desirable practices were not sufficient enough to combat this rapidly spreading virus. COVID-19 risk communication and public education efforts should focus on building an appropriate level of knowledge while enhancing the adoption of recommended self-care practices with special emphasis on high-risk audience segments.
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Acute respiratory failure (ARF) is a life-threatening complication in onco-hematology patients. Optimal ventilation strategy in immunocompromised patients has been highly controversial over the last decade. Data are lacking on patients presenting with ARF associating isolated cardiac dysfunction or in combination with another etiology. The aim of this study was to assess prognostic impact of initial ventilation strategy in onco-hematology patients presenting ARF with associated cardiac dysfunction. ⋯ In onco-hematology patients admitted for ARF with associated cardiac dysfunction, severity at ICU admission, invasive fungal infections and initial ventilation strategy were independently associated with ICU mortality. NIV was a protective factor on ICU mortality.
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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239512.].