A combined model based on spleen stiffness measurement and Baveno VI criteria to rule out high-risk varices in advanced chronic liver disease

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Recently, Baveno VI guidelines suggested that esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) can be avoided in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) who have a liver stiffness measurement (LSM) 150,000/mm3. We aimed to: assess the performance of spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) in ruling out patients with high-risk varices (HRV); validate Baveno VI criteria in a large population and assess how the sequential use of Baveno VI criteria and SSM could safely avoid the need for endoscopy. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 498 patients with cACLD who had undergone LSM/SSM by transient elastography (TE) (FibroScan®), platelet count and EGDs from 2012 to 2016 referred to our tertiary centre. The new combined model was validated internally by a split-validation method, and externally in a prospective multicentre cohort of 115 patients. RESULTS: SSM, LSM, platelet count and Child-Pugh-B were independent predictors of HRV. Applying the newly identified SSM cut-off (≤46 kPa) or Baveno VI criteria, 35.8% and 21.7% of patients in the internal validation cohort could have avoided EGD, with only 2% of HRVs being missed with either model. The combination of SSM with Baveno VI criteria would have avoided an additional 22.5% of EGDs, reaching a final value of 43.8% spared EGDs, with <5% missed HRVs. Results were confirmed in the prospective external validation cohort, as the combined Baveno VI/SSM ≤46 model would have safely spared (0 HRV missed) 37.4% of EGDs, compared to 16.5% when using the Baveno VI criteria alone. CONCLUSIONS: A non-invasive prediction model combining SSM with Baveno VI criteria may be useful to rule out HRV and could make it possible to avoid a significantly larger number of unnecessary EGDs compared to Baveno VI criteria only. LAY SUMMARY: Spleen stiffness measurement assessed by transient elastography, the most widely used elastography technique, is a non-invasive technique that can help the physician to better stratify the degree of portal hypertension and the risk of esophageal varices in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease. Performing spleen stiffness measurement together with liver stiffness measurement during the same examination is simple and fast and this sequential model can identify a greater number of patients that can safely avoid endoscopy, which is an invasive and expensive examination

Size and location of spontaneous portosystemic shunts predict the risk of decompensation in cirrhotic patients

Background: The prognostic role of spontaneous portosystemic shunts (SPSS) has been poorly investigated. / Aims: To evaluate the impact of the presence of SPSS, as well as their characteristics, on the risk of decompensation. / Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of 235 advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD) patients with available imaging examination, transient elastography, and upper endoscopy. ACLD was defined as liver stiffness measurement (LSM) >10 kPa. Competitive risk analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with the main outcome. / Results: SPSS were reported in 141 (60%) of the patients. Non-viral etiology was independently associated with SPSS presence [Odds-Ratio (OR): 2.743;95%-Interval-of-Confidence (IC):1.129–6.664]. During a follow-up of 37 (20–63) months, SPSS were found predictors of any decompensation type [Subhazard Ratio (SHR):2.264; 95%-IC:1.259–4.071], independently from a history of decompensation or high-risk-varices presence. The risk of complications was higher in patients with large (SHR: 3.775; 95%-IC: 2.016–7.070) and multiple (SHR:3.832; 95%-IC: 2.004–7.330) shunts, and in those with gastrorenal shunts (SHR:2.636; 95%-IC:1.521–4.569). / Conclusions: The presence, size, and number of SPSS predict not only the risk of hepatic encephalopathy but that of any type of decompensation across all stages of cirrhosis. Future studies should explore the possibility of treating shunts to prevent decompensation

The Role of Non-Invasive Mechanical Ventilation in the Management of Patients with Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) represents a major health concern, that causes a significant morbidity, a high risk of death and important health-care costs. The real dimension of this chronic disease is probably understimated both in its early and advanced stages and its prevalence is progressively rising in the general populations, because of both increase of elderly subjects and raised rates of smoke. To date it was estimated that COPD-related deaths represent the sixth leading cause of mortality worldwide. Acute exacerbations (AE) represent major events in the clinical course of COPD and negatively affect its outcomes, leading to lung function decrease, quality life worsening, high risks of hospital readmission, disability and death. Severe exacerbations of COPD are associated with acute respiratory failure (ARF), impairment of hypoxemia, various degree of carbon dioxide retention and acidosis. The ARF in COPD may occur as acute, chronic or acute-on-chronic failure. This condition worsens significantly the prognosis of these patients and may require an intensive treatment with ventilatory assistance combined with routine medical management. This therapeutic approach may be performed by means of invasive (IMV) or noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV). The latter form is defined as the delivery of mechanical ventilation that avoids airway invasion. Two types of NIMV have been studied and applied to clinical practice in the last decades, they are represented by both external negative pressure and positive pressure ventilation modalities. In the last years noninvasive mechanical ventilation with positive pressure (NPPV) has been increasingly used as adjunctive therapeutic approach in these subjects. In addition several controlled trials and meta-analysis showed that this form of assisted ventilation is effective in the treatment of different diseases, including: COPD exacerbations, acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema, weaning from ventilator in COPD patients. The use of noninvasive mechanical ventilation in patients with COPD exacerbated and hypercapnic ARF is associated, in some instances, with a decreased need of endotracheal intubation, with lower incidence of adverse outcomes, as well as with reduced in hospital-mortality, length of hospitalisation and overall costs. This therapeutic approach is generally feasible, well-tolerated and may be successfully performed in different healthcare settings including: Emergency Departments, Intensive Care Units (ICUs), but also in Intermediate Respiratory Care Units (IRCUs) and, in selected cases, in non intensive units, such as General Wards. This report is a comprehensive review of the available studies, concerning the use of NIMV in the management of COPD patients with AE and respiratory failure and it describes its indications, limitations, proper locations and cost

Effect of a triage course on quality of rating triage codes in a group of university nursing students:a before-after observational study.

BACKGROUND: Most current triage tools have been tested among hospital nurses groups but there are not similar studies in university setting. In this study we analyzed if a course on a new fourlevel triage model, triage emergency method (TEM), could improve the quality of rating in a group of nursing students. METHODS: This observational study was conducted with paper scenarios at the University of Parma, Italy. Fifty students were assigned a triage level to 105 paper scenarios before and after a course on triage and TEM. We used weighted kappa statistics to measure the inter-rater reliability of TEM and assessed its validity by comparing the students' predictions with the triage code rating of a reference standard (a panel of fi ve experts in the new triage method). RESULTS: Inter-rater reliability was K=0.42 (95%CI: 0.37–0.46) before the course on TEM, and K=0.61 (95%CI: 0.56–0.67) after. The accuracy of students' triage rating for the reference standard triage code was good: 81% (95%CI: 71–90). After the TEM course, the proportion of cases assigned to each acuity triage level was similar for the student group and the panel of experts. CONCLUSION: Among the group of nursing students, a brief course on triage and on a new inhospital triage method seems to improve the quality of rating codes. The new triage method shows good inter-rater reliability for rating triage acuity and good accuracy in predicting the triage code rating of the reference standard

HBV- and HCV-related infections and risk of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic carcinoma is one of the most lethal cancers in humans. The poor prognosis of this malignancy depends on several factors, such as: lack of early symptoms, advanced stage at detection, early metastatic spread and no effective systemic treatment. To date, only few risk factors for this malignancy are known; therefore, considerable efforts are required to identify additional causative agents involved in the process of pancreatic carcinogenesis. In the last years, a large series of epidemiological investigations have suggested that both bacteria and viruses may play a important role in the initiation and progression of several animal and human cancers. In particular, some studies have showed that hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) viruses, two hepatotropic pathogens with well-known oncogenic properties for liver, may be detected also in extra-hepatic tissues, such as pancreas. The aim of this paper is to briefly report the results of available studies, assessing the possible association between HBV/HCV and pancreatic cancer development as well as to discuss the limiting factors of these researches

The distance walked daily as a post-operative measure after pulmonary endarterectomy

Background: Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) is recognized as the best surgical choice for treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension caused by pulmonary vascular occlusion in eligible patients. This study aims to describe correlations between the daily walk (DW), and the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients undergoing pulmonary endarterectomy. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using data from 32 consecutive patients who had undergone PEA operations and were admitted to the cardiac ward to complete their post-operative rehabilitation. Results: Those with a body mass index of 6525 walked a greater distance during the post-operative rehabilitation phase after PEA compared with those with body mass index <25. We also found differences in daily walk distances between women and men: by day 3, the men had already walked a median distance of 240 metres, while women had walked a median distance of 15 metres. Conclusions: The authors found that estimation of the DW was a simple, inexpensive, and reliable measure that can help professionals to evaluate patients' post-operative course after PE

Current era survival of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with congenital heart disease: a comparison between clinical subgroups.

Abstract AimsThis study compared the clinical, functional, and haemodynamic characteristics and current era survival of subgroups of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with congenital heart disease (PAH-CHD): Eisenmenger syndrome (ES); PAH-CHD associated with systemic-to-pulmonary shunts (SPs); PAH with small defects (SDs); and PAH after defect correction (CDs).Methods and resultsData from consecutive PAH-CHD patients referred to our centre from 1 January 1998 to 31 May 2011 were collected. A contemporary group of idiopathic PAH patients was utilized for comparison. Treatment was per PAH guidelines, including combination therapy, with approved PAH-specific drugs. Survival was assessed with Kaplan-Meier analysis from the first invasive haemodynamic confirmation of PAH and compared across subgroups by log-rank test. Of 192 patients (mean age 41 \ub1 17 years; 61% female), 90 had ES (aged 41 \ub1 16 years); 48 SP (aged 47 \ub1 18 years); 10 SD (aged 25 \ub1 21 years); and 44 CD (aged 36 \ub1 17 years). Patients with ES had the highest baseline pulmonary vascular resistance and the lowest exercise capacity. Seventy-eight per cent were treated with approved PAH-specific drugs, and 44% were treated with combination therapy. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates (95% confidence interval) at 20 years for ES, SP, and CD were 87% (77-93%), 86% (60-96%), and 36% (12-72%, P = 0.0001 vs. ES; P = 0.004 vs. SP), respectively, and at 15 years for SD was 66% (16-91%, P = 0.015 vs. ES; P = 0.016 vs. SP). The survival of the 278 patients with idiopathic PAH appeared to be worse when compared with the PAH-CHD subgroups.ConclusionRelevant clinical, functional, haemodynamic, and survival differences were observed among subgroups. In particular, patients with CD and SD had the worst survival. These findings should be considered when planning medical or interventional treatment strategies in PAH-CHD patients

Factors affecting the number of lymph nodes retrieved after colo-rectal cancer surgery: A prospective single-centre study

Background: The number of harvested lymph nodes (LNs) in colorectal cancer surgery relates to oncologic radicality and accuracy of staging. In addition, it affects the choice of adjuvant therapy, as well as prognosis. The American Joint Committee on Cancer defines at least 12 LNs harvested as adequate in colorectal cancer resections. Despite the importance of the topic, even in high-volume colorectal centres the rate of adequacy never reaches 100%. The aim of this study was to identify factors that affect the number of harvested LNs in oncologic colorectal surgery. Materials and methods: We prospectively collected all consecutive patients who underwent colorectal cancer resection from January 1st 2013 to December 31st 2017 at Emergency Surgery Unit St Orsola University Hospital of Bologna. Results: Six hundred and forty-three consecutive patients (382 elective, 261 emergency) met the study inclusion criteria. Emergency surgery and laparoscopic approach did not have a significant influence on the number of harvested LNs. The adequacy of lymphadenectomy was negatively affected by age >80 (OR 3.47, p 80 and ASA score 653 and Hartmann's procedure or rectal resection showed to be risk factors related to inadequate lymphadenectomy in colorectal cancer surgery