Search

Alexandr Ceasovschih,1,2,* Victorița Șorodoc,1,2 Serghei Covantsev,3,* Anastasia Balta,1,2,* Jamol Uzokov,4,* Sergio E Kaiser,5 Abdallah Almaghraby,6 Cătălina Lionte,1,2 Cristian Stătescu,1,7 Radu A Sascău,1,7 Viviana Onofrei,1,8 Raluca Ecaterina Haliga,1,2,* Alexandra Stoica,1,2,* Cristina Bologa,1,2 Ștefan Ailoaei,7 Yusuf Ziya Şener,9 Nicholas G Kounis,10 Laurențiu Șorodoc1,2 1Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania; 2 2nd Internal Medicine Department, “Sf. Spiridon” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Iasi, Romania; 3Department of Research and Clinical Development, Botkin Hospital, Moscow, Russia; 4Department of Cardiology, Republican Specialized Scientific Practical Medical Center of Therapy and Medical Rehabilitation, Tashkent, Uzbekistan; 5Discipline of Clinical and Experimental Pathophysiology, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 6Department of Cardiology, Ibrahim Bin Hamad Obaidallah Hospital, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates; 7Department of Cardiology, “Prof. Dr. George I.M. Georgescu” Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, Iasi, Romania; 8Department of Cardiology, “Sf. Spiridon” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Iasi, Romania; 9Department of Internal Medicine, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkiye; 10Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Victorița Șorodoc, 2nd Internal Medicine Department, “Sf. Spiridon” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Independentei 1 Street, Iasi, 700106, Romania, Tel +40232 240 822, Email vivisorodoc@yahoo.com Viviana Onofrei, Cardiology Department, “Sf. Spiridon” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Independentei 1 Street, Iasi, 700106, Romania, Email onofreiviviana@gmail.comAbstract: Despite the noteworthy advancements and the introduction of new technologies in diagnostic tools for cardiovascular disorders, the electrocardiogram (ECG) remains a reliable, easily accessible, and affordable tool to use. In addition to its crucial role in cardiac emergencies, ECG can be considered a very useful ancillary tool for the diagnosis of many non-cardiac diseases as well. In this narrative review, we aimed to explore the potential contributions of ECG for the diagnosis of non-cardiac diseases such as stroke, migraine, pancreatitis, Kounis syndrome, hypothermia, esophageal disorders, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary diseases, electrolyte disturbances, anemia, coronavirus disease 2019, different intoxications and pregnancy.Keywords: electrocardiography, electrocardiogram, features, non-cardiac diseases, ECG

Alexandr Ceasovschih,1,2,* Victorita Sorodoc,1,2 Annabelle Shor,1,* Raluca Ecaterina Haliga,1,2,* Lynn Roth,3 Catalina Lionte,1,2 Viviana Onofrei Aursulesei,4,* Oana Sirbu,1,2,* Nicolae Culis,5 Albina Shapieva,6 Mohammed AR Tahir Khokhar,1 Cristian Statescu,7 Radu A Sascau,7 Adorata Elena Coman,1 Alexandra Stoica,1,2 Elena-Daniela Grigorescu,1 Maciej Banach,8 Costas Thomopoulos,9 Laurentiu Sorodoc1,2 1Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, 700115, Romania; 2 2nd Internal Medicine Department, Sf. Spiridon Clinical Emergency Hospital, Iasi, 700111, Romania; 3Laboratory of Physiopharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium; 4Department of Cardiology, Clinical Emergency Hospital “Sfantul Spiridon”, Iasi, 700106, Romania; 5Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Queen’s Medical Center, Nottingham, NG72UH, UK; 6Cardiac Electrophysiology Department, Petrovsky National Research Center of Surgery, Moscow, 119991, Russia; 7Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Diseases Institute “Prof. Dr. George I.M. Georgescu”, Iasi, 700503, Romania; 8Department of Preventive Cardiology and Lipidology, Medical University of Lodz (MUL), Lodz, 93338, Poland; 9Department of Cardiology, Elena Venizelou General Hospital, Athens, GR-11522, Greece*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Victorita Sorodoc, 2nd Internal Medicine Department, Sf. Spiridon Clinical Emergency Hospital, Independentei 1 Street, Iasi, 700111, Romania, Tel +40232 240 822, Email vivisorodoc@yahoo.com Lynn Roth, Laboratory of Physiopharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium, Email lynn.roth@uantwerpen.beAbstract: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was declared in early 2020 after several unexplained pneumonia cases were first reported in Wuhan, China, and subsequently in other parts of the world. Commonly, the disease comprises several clinical features, including high temperature, dry cough, shortness of breath, and hypoxia, associated with findings of interstitial pneumonia on chest X-ray and computer tomography. Nevertheless, severe forms of acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are not limited to the respiratory tract but also may be extended to other systems, including the cardiovascular system. The bi-directional relationship between atherosclerosis and COVID-19 is accompanied by poor prognosis. The immune response hyperactivation due to SARS-CoV-2 infection causes an increased secretion of cytokines, endothelial dysfunction, and arterial stiffness, which promotes the development of atherosclerosis. Also, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, access to healthcare amenities was reduced, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality in patients at risk. Furthermore, as lockdown measures were largely adopted worldwide, the sedentary lifestyle and the increased consumption of processed nutrients or unhealthy food increased, and in the consequence, we might observe even 70% of overweight and obese population. Altogether, with the relatively low ratio of vaccinated people in many countries, and important health debt appeared, which is now and will be for next decade a large healthcare challenge. However, the experience gained in the COVID-19 pandemic and the new methods of patients’ approaching have helped the medical system to overcome this crisis and will hopefully help in the case of new possible epidemics.Keywords: vascular diseases, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis, arterial stiffness, vaccines

Organophosphate pesticide (OP) poisoning is quite common and can cause cardiovascular complications and even direct myocardial injury. However, no guideline has included an acute poisoning as a potential cause for a type 2 myocardial infarction (MI) so far. Here we present a case of a 61-year-old woman brought by ambulance to emergency department one hour after accidental ingestion of an unknown quantity of a solution she used against flea infestation. The patient presented with dizziness, myosis, excessive sweating, hypersalivation, sphincteric incontinence, muscle fasciculation, tremor of the extremities, pale skin, alcoholic and pesticide breath odour. Even though we had no guidelines to fall back on, we successfully treated the patient with low-molecular-weight heparin, antiplatelets, statin, diltiazem, antidote therapy, and supportive care. Physicians should be aware that OP poisoning can induce type 2 MI as a complication within a few hours since exposure, and emergency management should always include close cardiac monitoring.

Acute exposure to systemic poisons represents an important challenge in clinical toxicology. We aimed to analyze the potential role of cardiac biomarkers, routine laboratory tests, and clinical scores as morbidity and in-hospital mortality predictors in patients intoxicated with various systemic poisons. We conducted a prospective study on adults acutely exposed to systemic poisons. We determined the PSS, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and we performed electrocardiogram, laboratory tests, lactate and cardiac biomarkers (which were reassessed 4 h, respectively 6 h later). Of 120 patients included, 45% developed complications, 19.2% had a poor outcome, and 5% died. Multivariate logistic regression sustained lactate (odds ratio (OR) 1.58; confidence interval (CI) 95%: 0.97–2.59; p 0.066), MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (6h-CKMB; OR 1.08; CI 95%: 1.02–1.16; p 0.018) as predictors for a poor outcome. A GCS < 10 (OR 0.113; CI 95%: 0.019–0.658; p 0.015) and 4h-lactate (OR 4.87; CI 95%: 0.79–29.82; p 0.087) predicted mortality after systemic poisons exposure. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that brain natriuretic peptide (area under the curve (AUC), 0.96; CI 95%: 0.92–0.99; p < 0.001), lactate (AUC, 0.91; CI 95%: 0.85–0.97; p < 0.001), and 6h-CKMB have good discriminatory capacity for predicting a poor outcome. In conclusion, these biomarkers, lactate, and GCS can be used to predict morbidity and mortality after systemic poisons exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. In the community, hypoglycemic coma is commonly caused by therapies for diabetes mellitus, or excessive alcohol consumption. Little information is available on the causes and outcome of hypoglycemic coma in non-diabetic patients. Patients and Methods. We retrospectively surveyed adult patients admitted to a regional emergency hospital with hypoglycemic coma in a 18-years period, identifying 80 admissions of 79 patients. 72 cases (91.14%) presented hypoglycemic coma induced by anti-diabetic medications in attempted suicide. The others had hypoglycemic coma induced by deliberate selfpoisoning with other drugs influencing glucose metabolism, sometimes associated with excessive consumption of alcohol. Results. A history of psychiatric illness was present in 15 patients (19%), and 2 cases (2.53%) had chronic alcoholism. Neurological manifestations of hypoglycemia were the principal reason for admission, observed in all patients, and 15 patients (19%) had precipitated convulsions. Although some patients received treatment for hypoglycemia before admission, hypoglycemia recurred in 12 cases (15.19%) in hospital. Morbidity included ventricular arrhythmias (8.86%), non-cardiogenic acute pulmonary edema (1.26%), and transient neurological disturbances, in 2 elderly patients. Two cases died following admission, but death was not the direct result of hypoglycemia. Therapeutic measures consisted in antidote therapy, toxin removal, and supportive therapy. Conclusion. Though drug-induced hypoglycemic coma is rarely encountered in medical practice (2.44% in our study), management of these patients represents a challenging task in every practitioner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Alcohol ingestion can induce either a hypoglycemia or a hyperglycemia, in patients with acute and chronic ethanol poisoning, unknown with diabetes mellitus. Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether 5 hours prolonged oral glucose tolerance test (5h-OGTT) is useful in evaluating the abnormalities of glucose metabolism in acute and chronic ethanol poisoning, in comparison with standard methods (fasting blood glucose - FBG, and/or 2h-OGTT). Methods. 497 consecutive patients were enrolled in a 34 months cross sectional study. In all cases, glucose tolerance was assessed by a 75-g oral glucose tolerance, OGTT 2 hours, prolonged to 5 hours. The relationship between clinical and biochemical variables of ethanol poisoning (liver status, lipid profile, metabolic syndrome) and glucose tolerance was investigated. Risk factors for hypoglycemia in ethanol poisoning were identified. Results. 349 subjects presented acute ethanol poisoning, and 148 subjects had chronic ethanol poisoning. 254 patients (51.10%) had documented alcoholic liver disease (ALD - clinical, biochemical and imagistic criteria). Glucose metabolism abnormalities were recorded in 143 subjects with chronic ethanol poisoning and ALD (96.63%), and in 207 cases with acute alcohol poisoning (59.31%). 371 patients (74.65%) showed normal FBG, diabetes mellitus (DM) was diagnosed in 54 subjects (10.86%), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in 43 subjects (8.65%), delayed hypoglycemia in 172 subjects (34.60%) and normal glucose tolerance (NGT) in 147 subjects (29.57%) using OGTT and ADA diagnosis criteria. Hypoglycemia was recorded in more than two thirds of acutely poisoned patients, when alcohol level was 0.5-1.5 g/L. Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) were recorded in half of patients with blood ethanol levels > 2.5 g/L. Conclusions. OGTT 2 hours and OGTT 5 hours revealed the same number of patients with diabetes mellitus. Frequent co morbidities in patients with ethanol poisoning influence the prolonged OGTT and revealed .especially delayed hypoglycemia, and IGT, as an indicator of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case of respiratory failure in a domestic fire victim presenting with 1-3-degree skin burns on 10% of the total body surface, is reported. Forty-eight hours after admission to hospital, the patient developed severe respiratory failure that did not respond to mechanical ventilation. Severe obstruction of the airway had resulted from secretions and deposits of soot forming bronchial casts. The patient required repeated bronchoscopies to separate and remove the bronchial secretions and soot deposits. An emergency bronchial endoscopic exam was crucial in the patient’s survival and management. The patient was discharged from the hospital after twenty-four days.

The case of an 84 years old woman with uncharacteristic neurologic and cognitive symptoms, suspected of ischemic stroke is presented. Following an extensive assessment in the departments of neurology and internal medicine, the unusual aetiology of stroke was identified as meningovascular neurosyphilis. The patient fully recovered after antibiotic therapy. To our knowledge, this the eldest patient with tertiary neurosyphilis reported in the literature.

In order to obtain new compounds with antitumoural action the N-(metaacylaminobenzoyl)-α-acylaminobenzoyl)-α-aminoacids 4-9 were prepared. Thesecompounds were subsequently converted into the corresponding δ2-oxazolin-5-ones 10-15,which in turn were submitted to a ring opening reaction with di-(β-chloroethyl)amine toafford the peptide supported N-mustards 16-21, which showed low toxicity and cytostaticactivity similar to that of sarcolisine against the Ehrlich ascite and Walker 253carcinosarcoma.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the pattern and outcome of acute cholinesterase inhibitors substances (CIS) poisoning cases, in a cohort from a regional tertiary care hospital. Methods: cases admitted in the Toxicology Clinic of “Sf. Spiridon” Emergency Clinic Hospital Iasi, Romania between 1983 and 2013 were studied. Results: a total number of 606 patients were included. The reason for exposures was intentional in 70% of cases and the commonest route of poisoning was oral in 92.2%. The highest percent of cases was females (56.4), the age group 20-29 (25.4%) and the majority (66.7%) coming from rural areas, 28.2% being agricultural workers. 36.6% of cases were severe clinical forms. Overall mortality rates were 3.8%, more than half of the death patients (65.2%) had concomitant alcohol intake. It was a significant statistical association between decrease level of serum cholinesterase on admittance and severe forms (p 0.000) and between survival and deaths groups (p 0.000). The pattern of poisoning described by our retrospective study suggests that CIS poisoning are mainly preventable. The main effective goals for prevention are restriction in free accessibility to toxic pesticides, together with sustained efforts in education concerning the life-threatening danger of pesticide poisoning.

The conditions in which the obtaining reactions of some N-[p-(R)-Benzoyl]-L-Glutamine derivatives are made with the highest yield were established in this paper. Due to their antitumoral effects, the action of glutamine derivatives on the digestive enzymes has been evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amiodarone, a bi-iodinated benzofuran derivative, is among the most commonly used antiarrhythmic drugs due to its high level of effectiveness. Though initially categorized as a class III agent, amiodarone exhibits antiarrhythmic properties across all four classes of antiarrhythmic drugs. Amiodarone is highly effective in maintaining sinus rhythm in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation while also playing a crucial role in preventing a range of ventricular arrhythmias. Amiodarone has a complex pharmacokinetic profile, characterized by a large volume of distribution and a long half-life, which can range from several weeks to months, resulting in prolonged effects even after discontinuation. Side effects may include thyroid dysfunction, pulmonary fibrosis, and hepatic injury, necessitating regular follow-ups. Additionally, amiodarone interacts with several drugs, including anticoagulants, which must be managed to prevent adverse effects. Therefore, a deep understanding of both oral and intravenous formulations, as well as proper dosage adjustments, is essential. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and updated review on amiodarone's indications, contraindications, recommended dosages, drug interactions, side effects, and monitoring protocols.

The link between venous thromboembolism (VTE) and cancer is well known. VTE could be the initial sign of an occult malignancy. There are more diagnoses of cancer after an unprovoked VTE compared to a provoked VTE, with a reported prevalence between 4.5% and 5.6% over 12 months, within the first 6 months of VTE diagnosis. There are no recommended guidelines and scores yet adopted in clinical practice, but many studies support occult cancer screening in unprovoked VTE patients. We report the case of a patient with a history of unprovoked pulmonary embolism (PE) diagnosed with bronchopulmonary neoplasm in an advanced stage one year after the thromboembolic event. When the cancer was first diagnosed, the patient's condition was already serious, being too late for the adoption of measures meant to decrease the risk of mortality and increase the duration of survival. We wanted to emphasize the importance of occult cancer screening in patients with unprovoked VTE and the fact that early cancer diagnosis reduces the risk of cancer progression, decreasing mortality and morbidity related to it., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is a controversial immunological neuropsychiatric disease, with a poorly understood pathogenesis. It is characterized by symptoms of acute or subacute encephalopathy which usually occur in the presence of elevated levels of antithyroid antibodies. Even though it is also known as steroid responsive encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis (SREAT), some cases appear to be steroid-resistant. This review examined whether treatment of Hashimoto's encephalopathy with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is associated with better clinical outcomes than the standard therapy. Additionally, we presented a case of a 59-year-old man who presented with severe neurological manifestations and was successfully treated with intravenous immunoglobulin., Methods: The online databases PubMed and EMBASE were searched., Results: A total of 1,365 articles were identified. After the deletion of 112 duplicates, 1,253 studies were screened by evaluating the title and abstract, focusing on Hashimoto's encephalopathy cases where IVIG were used. 846 studies were excluded because they were not relevant to the topic or included pediatric population. Therefore, 407 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. The final analysis included 14 eligible articles after 393 were excluded (irrelevant texts, not written in English, full-text not available). In the majority of the selected case-reports, IVIG was associated with a good outcome, sometimes even with dramatic improvements in patient's status., Conclusion: In last years, intravenous immunoglobulin therapy proved its utility in Hashimoto's encephalopathy's treatment, being a well tolerated therapy associated with remarkable improvement in patient's status. Further research is still needed in order to define the optimal treatment protocol for Hashimoto's encephalopathy and to establish if intravenous immunoglobulin can also be used as a first-line therapy, alone or in combination with steroids., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Şorodoc, Constantin, Asaftei, Lionte, Ceasovschih, Sîrbu, Haliga and Şorodoc.)

Background: Upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a life-threatening condition with high mortality rates., Aim: To compare the performance of pre-endoscopic risk scores in predicting the following primary outcomes: In-hospital mortality, intervention (endoscopic or surgical) and length of admission (≥ 7 d)., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 363 patients presenting with upper GI bleeding from December 2020 to January 2021. We calculated and compared the area under the receiver operating characteristics curves (AUROCs) of Glasgow-Blatchford score (GBS), pre-endoscopic Rockall score (PERS), albumin, international normalized ratio, altered mental status, systolic blood pressure, age older than 65 (AIMS65) and age, blood tests and comorbidities (ABC), including their optimal cut-off in variceal and non-variceal upper GI bleeding cohorts. We subsequently analyzed through a logistic binary regression model, if addition of lactate increased the score performance., Results: All scores had discriminative ability in predicting in-hospital mortality irrespective of study group. AIMS65 score had the best performance in the variceal bleeding group (AUROC = 0.772; P < 0.001), and ABC score (AUROC = 0.775; P < 0.001) in the non-variceal bleeding group. However, ABC score, at a cut-off value of 5.5, was the best predictor (AUROC = 0.770, P = 0.001) of in-hospital mortality in both populations. PERS score was a good predictor for endoscopic treatment (AUC = 0.604; P = 0.046) in the variceal population, while GBS score, (AUROC = 0.722; P = 0.024), outperformed the other scores in predicting surgical intervention. Addition of lactate to AIMS65 score, increases by 5-fold the probability of in-hospital mortality ( P < 0.05) and by 12-fold if added to GBS score ( P < 0.003). No score proved to be a good predictor for length of admission., Conclusion: ABC score is the most accurate in predicting in-hospital mortality in both mixed and non-variceal bleeding population. PERS and GBS should be used to determine need for endoscopic and surgical intervention, respectively. Lactate can be used as an additional tool to risk scores for predicting in-hospital mortality., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Despite being one of the most debilitating conditions encountered in the field of toxicology, there is a lack of neutralization measures for the toxins involved in acute corrosive poisoning, and this promotes progressive contact injury of deep tissues after poisoning has occurred. Multiple controversies still surround management strategies during the acute phase of poisoning and the long-term follow-up of the patient. Here, we report a severe case of intentional poisoning with nitric acid complicated by extensive injury of the upper digestive tract, multiple stricture formation, and complete dysphagia. Serial endoscopic dilation and insertion of a jejunostomy feeding tube were necessary, and underlying psychiatric illness negatively affected the outcome of the patient. We conclude that an interdisciplinary approach is necessary to properly reduce the extent of lesions and sequelae induced by corrosion. Early endoscopic mapping of injuries is of major importance to better predict the evolution and possible complications of poisoning. Interventional and reconstructive surgical procedures may significantly improve the life expectancy and quality of life of patients following intoxication with corrosive substances.

Myocardial ischemia is a pathophysiological state characterized by inadequate perfusion of the myocardium, resulting in an imbalance between myocardial oxygen demand and supply. It is most commonly caused by coronary artery disease, in which atherosclerotic plaques lead to luminal narrowing and reduced blood flow to the heart. Myocardial ischemia can manifest as angina pectoris or silent myocardial ischemia and can progress to myocardial infarction or heart failure if left untreated. Diagnosis of myocardial ischemia typically involves a combination of clinical evaluation, electrocardiography and imaging studies. Electrocardiographic parameters, as assessed by 24 h Holter ECG monitoring, can predict the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with myocardial ischemia, independent of other risk factors. The T-waves in patients with myocardial ischemia have prognostic value for predicting major adverse cardiovascular events, and their electrophysiological heterogeneity can be visualized using various techniques. Combining the electrocardiographic findings with the assessment of myocardial substrate may offer a better picture of the factors that can contribute to cardiovascular death.

Infective endocarditis is a severe infective heart disease, commonly involving native or prosthetic valves. It frequently presents with univalvular involvement and simultaneous double valve or multivalvular involvement is rarely described. The third leading cause of infective endocarditis worldwide is Enterococcus faecalis , which is associated with high mortality rates despite important advances in antimicrobial therapy. It develops secondary to enterococcal bacteremia, with its origin from the gastrointestinal or genitourinary tract and predominantly affecting the elderly population with multiple comorbidities. Clinical presentation is usually less typical, and the treatment is challenging. It can be marked by antibiotic resistance, side effects, and subsequent complications. Surgical treatment can be considered if deemed appropriate. To the best of our knowledge, we present the first case-based narrative review of Enterococcus faecalis double valve endocarditis involving both the aortic native and prosthetic mitral valve, highlighting the clinical characteristics, treatment, and complications of this condition.

Magnesium is the fourth most common mineral in the human body and the second richest intracellular cation. This element is necessary for many physiological reactions, especially in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. The majority of people who become ill as a result of COVID-19 have mild-to-moderate symptoms and recover without specific treatment. Moreover, there are people who develop severe forms of COVID-19, which require highly specialized medical assistance. Magnesium deficiency may play a role in the pathophysiology of infection with SARS-CoV-2. The primary manifestation of COVID-19 remains respiratory, but the virus can spread to other organs and tissues, complicating the clinical picture and culminating in multiorgan failure. The key mechanisms involved in the disease include direct viral cytotoxicity, endothelial dysfunction, and exaggerated release of inflammatory cytokines. The aim of this review was to summarize the available data regarding the role of magnesium in COVID-19 patients and its particularities in different clinical settings.

Nontrombotic pulmonary embolism represents the embolization of different types of materials (cells, organisms, gas, foreign material) into pulmonary circulation. The disease is uncommon, and clinical presentation together with laboratory findings are nonspecific. Its pathology is usually misdiagnosed based on imaging findings as pulmonary thromboembolism, but the correct diagnosis is essential because different therapeutic approaches are required. In this context, knowledge of the risk factors associated with nontrombotic pulmonary embolism and specific clinical symptoms is fundamental. Our objective was to discuss the specific features of the most common etiologies of nontrombotic pulmonary embolism, gas, fat, amniotic fluid, sepsis and tumors, to provide assistance for a rapid and correct diagnosis. Because the most common etiologies are iatrogenic, knowledge of the risk factors could be an important tool for prevention or rapid treatment if the disease develops during different procedures. The diagnosis of nontrombotic pulmonary embolisms represent a laborious challenge, and endeavors should be made to prevent development and increase awareness of this disease., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

In recent years, direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) have accumulated evidence of efficacy and safety in various clinical scenarios and are approved for a wide spectrum of indications. Still, they are currently used off-label for left ventricular thrombus owing to a paucity of evidence. For the same reason, there is a lack of guideline indication as well. Our work is based on an exhaustive analysis of the available literature and provides a structured and detailed update on the use of DOACs in patients with left ventricle thrombus. The safety and efficacy of DOACs were analyzed in particular clinical scenarios. As far as we know, this is the first paper that analyzes DOACs in this approach.

Hyponatremia is commonly encountered in the setting of heart failure, especially in decompensated, fluid-overloaded patients. The pathophysiology of hyponatremia in patients with heart failure is complex, including numerous mechanisms: increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, high levels of arginine vasopressin and diuretic use. Symptoms are usually mild but hyponatremic encephalopathy can occur if there is an acute decrease in serum sodium levels. It is crucial to differentiate between dilutional hyponatremia, where free water excretion should be promoted, and depletional hyponatremia, where administration of saline is needed. An inappropriate correction of hyponatremia may lead to osmotic demyelination syndrome which can cause severe neurological symptoms. Treatment options for hyponatremia in heart failure, such as water restriction or the use of hypertonic saline with loop diuretics, have limited efficacy. The aim of this review is to summarize the principal mechanisms involved in the occurrence of hyponatremia, to present the main guidelines for the treatment of hyponatremia, and to collect and analyze data from studies which target new treatment options, such as vaptans.

Serotonin syndrome (SS) is a clinical toxidrome with high variability in clinical practice. It develops due to increased serotonin levels in the central nervous system. With an underestimated frequency, SS can develop following an overdose, a therapeutic dose increase, or drug to drug interaction of at least one serotonergic agent. It can present with autonomic signs, neuromuscular changes and an altered mental status. However, history and clinical examination are key features to formulate the diagnosis. Treatment options consist of supportive measures, discontinuation of the offending agent and certain therapeutic agents previously reported to improve outcomes. Physicians have limited experience with SS, partially due to the lack of its identification in clinical practice. Therefore, we have integrated, in a narrative review, the case of a young male with SS following an atypical antipsychotic overdose superimposed on chronic treatment with agents previously known to produce SS.

Background: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has put a constant strain on hospital resources, so there is a dire need for investigation methods that are widely available and that can predict mortality and the need for critical care. Hematological indices, which can be easily calculated from a complete blood count (CBC), are useful in determining a patient’s inflammatory response to infectious diseases. Aim: This was a prospective cohort study that aimed to assess the prognostic value of scores based on CBCs in hospitalized patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 and medical comorbidities regarding the need for intensive care unit (ICU) therapy and short-term mortality. Methods: We included 607 patients with confirmed COVID-19, followed up for the need for ICU admission (15.5%) and 30 day mortality post-discharge (21.7%). CBC-derived scores were tested upon emergency department (ED) admission and after a median of 8 days. Results: In a multivariate model, elevated followed-up neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) predicted increased odds for ICU admission (OR: 1.14 [95%CI: 1.06−1.22], p < 0.001) and short-term mortality (OR: 1.30 [95%CI: 1.09−1.57], p = 0.005). Monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) predicted 2.5-fold increased odds for ICU admission and 2.2-fold increased odds for mortality. Conclusion: NLR and MLR followed up 8 days post-admission are predictive for adverse outcomes in mild or moderate COVID-19 patients.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) still remains a very useful diagnostic method in modern cardiology. Its broad availability, noninvasiveness and good sensitivity explain why it plays a capital role in the very beginning of the process of diagnosis for every patient, with or without cardiac-related complaints. For the practitioner, good training in ECG interpretation is mandatory. Sometimes, the ECG trace reveals particular aspects that may cause confusion and complicate decision-making. In this article, we present several less common situations underlying the general context and ECG features. The syndromes studied have a high pathological significance and may range from acute emergencies that call for a rapid therapeutical response to chronic syndromes that require prolonged observation, monitoring and risk stratification.

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that can lead to ankylosis by secondary ossification of inflammatory lesions, with progressive disability and a significant impact on quality of life. It is also a risk factor for the occurrence of comorbidities, especially cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), mood disorders, osteoporosis, and malignancies. Early diagnosis and treatment are needed to prevent or decrease functional decline and to improve the patient's prognosis. In respect of axSpA, there is an unmet need for biomarkers that can help to diagnose the disease, define disease activity and prognosis, and establish personalized treatment approaches. The aim of this review was to summarize the available information regarding the most promising biomarkers for axSpA. We classified and identified six core categories of biomarkers: (i) systemic markers of inflammation; (ii) molecules involved in bone homeostasis; (iii) HLA-B27 and newer genetic biomarkers; (iv) antibody-based biomarkers; (v) microbiome biomarkers; and (vi) miscellaneous biomarkers. Unfortunately, despite efforts to validate new biomarkers, few of them are used in clinical practice; however, we believe that these studies provide useful data that could aid in better disease management.

Background: Data regarding the combined prognostic role of biomarkers and risk scores in relation with the history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in COVID-19 patients are lacking., Methods: The aim of this observational cohort study was to evaluate the combined prognostic value of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP), troponin and risk scores in relation with ASCVD history in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The primary composite endpoint was Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission and death., Results: From April 2020 to June 2022, 1066 consecutive COVID-19 patients with available biomarkers upon admission were included. During a median follow-up period of 12 days, 176 patients (16.5%) died. Independent predictors of ICU admission and death in patients with ASCVD were NT-pro BNP (HR 2.63; 95% CI, 1.65-4.18) and troponin (HR 1.51; 95% CI, 1.13-2.03). In patients without ASCVD, only NT-pro BNP was predictive for the primary endpoint (HR 1.66; 95% CI, 1.10-2.53). This remained significant after adjustment for other relevant covariates (HR 3.54; 95% CI, 1.98-6.33) in patients with ASCVD and in patients without ASCVD (HR 1.82; 95% CI, 1.02-3.26)., Conclusions: These data showed the combined prognostic accuracy of NT-pro BNP and troponin in relation with ASCVD history for ICU admission and death in COVID-19 patients.

In cancer survivors, cardiac dysfunction is the main cause of mortality. Cardiotoxicity represents a decline in cardiac function associated with cancer therapy, and the risk factors include smoking, dyslipidemia, an age of over 60 years, obesity, and a history of coronary artery disease, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, or heart failure. Troponin is a biomarker that is widely used in the detection of acute coronary syndromes. It has a high specificity, although it is not exclusively associated with myocardial ischemia. The aim of this paper is to summarize published studies and to establish the role of troponin assays in the diagnosis of cardiotoxicity associated with various chemotherapeutic agents. Troponin has been shown to be a significant biomarker in the diagnosis of the cardiac dysfunction associated with several types of chemotherapeutic drugs: anthracyclines, anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 treatment, and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy. Based on the data available at this moment, troponin is useful for baseline risk assessment, the diagnosis of cardiotoxicity, and as a guide for the initiation of cardioprotective treatment. There are currently clear regulations regarding the timing of troponin surveillance depending on the patient's risk of cardiotoxicity and the type of medication administered, but data on the cut-off values of this biomarker are still under investigation.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a spectrum of clinical and paraclinical disorders arising from an imbalance of oxygen demand and supply to the myocardium. The most common cause is atherosclerosis; however, other rare causes such as carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning should be considered. Through tissue hypoxia and direct cell injury, CO poisoning can lead to a broad spectrum of cardiac disorders, especially ACS. Materials and Methods. We have conducted a retrospective study in the Toxicology Department of Saint Spiridon Emergency University Hospital, including all patients admitted through the emergency department with CO poisoning. We divided the cohort into event group (myocardial injury) and non-event group (patients without myocardial injury) and performed a subset analysis of the former. Results. A total of 65 patients were included, 22 in the event and 43 in the non-event group. The severity of poisoning did not correlate with myocardial injury; however, 50% of the event group had severe poisoning with carboxyhaemoglobin ≥ 20%. Cardiac enzyme markers (troponin and creatin-kinase MB) had a statistically significant increase in the event group compared to the non-event group (p < 0.05). Most of the patients in the STEMI (50%) and NSTEMI (66.7%) groups had severe CO intoxication. The STEMI group had a mean age of 27.7 years old and no comorbidities. Conclusions. Myocardial injury can develop in CO poisoning irrespective of the severity of poisoning, and it can be transient, reversible, or permanent. Our study introduces new information on adverse cardiac events in patients with CO poisoning, focusing on the ACS. We found that the severity of CO poisoning plays an important role in developing myocardial injury, as 50% of patients in the event group were severely intoxicated. While in-hospital mortality in our study was low, further prospective studies should investigate the long-term mortality in these patients.

Background: Biomarkers were correlated with mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. No prediction tools exist for noncritically ill COVID-19 patients. We aimed to compare the independent prognostic value of inflammation and cardiac biomarkers for post-acute COVID-19 patients and the 30-day mortality rate in noncritically ill COVID-19 patients, as well as the relation with the virus variant involved., Methods: This observational cohort study was conducted at an emergency clinical hospital between 1 October 2020 and 31 December 2021. We included consecutive patients with biomarkers determined within 24 h of presentation, followed up at least 30 days postdischarge., Results: Post-acute COVID-19 was diagnosed in 20.3% of the cases and the all-cause 30-day mortality rate was 35.1% among 978 patients infected with variants of concern. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (1.06 [95%CI, 1.01-1.11], p = 0.015) and NT-pro BNP were correlated with 30-daymortality, while the monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (2.77 [95%CI, 1.10-6.94], p = 0.03) and NT-pro BNP (1.68 [95%CI, 1.00-2.84], p = 0.05) were correlated with post-acute COVID-19. High-sensitivity to troponin was associated with 30-day mortality (1.55 [95%CI, 1.00-2.42], p = 0.05). A Cox proportional-hazards model confirmed that NT-pro BNP was independently associated with mortality. NT-pro BNP remained independently associated with 30-day mortality during follow-up (1.29 [95%CI, 1.07-1.56], p = 0.007) after adjustment for confounders., Conclusion: Inflammation and cardiac biomarkers, determined upon admission and predischarge, in a cohort of hospitalized noncritically ill COVID-19 patients throughout successive pandemic waves, showed a predictive value for post-acute COVID-19 and 30-day mortality.

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic multisystem autoimmune condition defined by a complex pathobiology, comprising excessive fibrosis of skin and internal organs, peripheral vasculopathy with endothelial cell dysfunction, inadequate vascular repair and neovascularization, and aberrant immunity. Vitamin D is a steroid hormone with pleiotropic effects beyond its traditional role in calcium and bone homeostasis. Since vitamin D has immunomodulatory, cardioprotective, and antifibrotic properties, it could potentially interfere with SSc pathogenesis. Suboptimal vitamin D levels are classically recognized in scleroderma, irrespective of clinical and serological phenotype., Aim: This systematic review is aimed at investigating and clarifying the role of vitamin D in SSc and emphasizing the association of vitamin D status with different clinical settings., Methods and Results: A systematic online search was performed, using PubMed databases to collect articles on the topic of vitamin D in SSc. The final analysis included 40 eligible articles., Conclusions: Hypovitaminosis D is common in SSc patients and could be associated with clinical and serologic patterns of the disease. Intervention for low serum vitamin D levels in SSc pathogenesis remains controversial, as well as the significance of vitamin D supplementation in such patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Alexandra-Diana Diaconu et al.)

Patients poisoned with drugs and nonpharmaceutical substances are frequently admitted from the emergency department (ED) to a medical or ICU department. We hypothesized that biomarkers of inflammation and inflammation-related indexes based on the complete blood cell (CBC) count can identify acutely poisoned patients at increased risk for ICU hospitalization and death. We performed a 6-year prospective cohort study on 1548 adult patients. The demographic data, the levels of hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), CBC, and inflammation-related indexes based on CBC counts were collected upon admission and compared between survivors and nonsurvivors, based on the poison involved. Both a multivariate logistic regression model with only significant univariate predictors and a model including univariate predictors plus each log-transformed inflammation-related indexes for mortality were constructed. The importance of the variables for mortality was graphically represented using the nomogram. hs-CRP (odds ratio (OR), 1.38; 95% CI, 1.16-1.65, p < 0.001 for log-transformed hs-CRP), red cell distribution width (RDW), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were significantly associated with the risk of ICU hospitalization, after multivariable adjustment. Only RDW, NLR, and monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) were significantly associated with mortality. The predictive accuracy for mortality of the models which included either NLR (AUC 0.917, 95% CI 0.886-0.948) or MLR (AUC 0.916, 95% CI 0.884-0.948) showed a high ability for prognostic detection. The use of hs-CRP, RDW, NLR, and MLR upon ED admission are promising screening tools for predicting the outcomes of patients acutely intoxicated with undifferentiated poisons., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Catalina Lionte et al.)