89 research outputs found

    The second Euro Heart Survey on acute coronary syndromes: characteristics, treatment, and outcome of patients with ACS in Europe and the Mediterranean Basin in 2004

    Get PDF
    Aims Our study aimed to examine the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in Europe and the Mediterranean basin, and to compare adherence to guidelines with that reported in the first Euro Heart Survey on ACS (EHS-ACS-I), 4 years earlier. Methods and results In a prospective survey conducted in 2004 (EHS-ACS-II), data describing the characteristics, treatment, and outcome of 6385 patients diagnosed with ACS in 190 medical centres in 32 countries were collected. ACS with ST-elevation was the initial diagnosis in 47% of patients, no ST-elevation in 48%, and undetermined electrocardiographic pattern in 5% of patients. Comparison of data collected in 2000 and 2004 showed similar baseline characteristics, but greater use of recommended medications and coronary interventions in EHS-ACS-II. Among patients with ST-elevation, the use of primary reperfusion increased slightly (from 56 to 64%), with a significant shift from fibrinolytic therapy to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). The use of PPCI rose from 37 to 59% among those undergoing primary reperfusion therapy. Analysis of data in 34 centres that participated in both surveys showed even greater improvement with respect to the use of recommended medical therapy, interventions, and outcome. Conclusion Data from EHS-ACS-II suggest an increase in adherence to guidelines for treatment of ACS in comparison with EHS-ACS-I

    Flow cytometry application in the evaluation of antisperm antibodies in sera samples of infertile people and prepubertal boys with gonadal disorders

    Get PDF
    Abstract Objectives: The aim of the following study was to assess antisperm antibodies in sera samples of infertile men and women, as well as from prepubertal boys by means of flow cytometry. Material and methods: We tested sera samples of infertile and fertile adult populations, prepubertal boys with gonadal disorders and healthy prepubertal boys. The indirect immunobead test and flow cytometry were used to detect antisperm antibodies. Results: The comparison of antisperm antibody levels in sera samples of adult infertile versus healthy controls (men and women) evaluated by means of flow cytometry did not reveal statistically significant differences. The only significant correlation found were results obtained by IDIBT and FCM for IgG antisperm antibodies for infertile adult group (r=0.507, p=0.012). The comparison of antisperm antibody levels in sera samples from prepubertal boys revealed statistically significant differences for all tested antibody isotypes. Diagnostic values compared for both assays showed markedly better discriminatory ability of flow cytometry for analyzed groups of prepubertal boys than for adult populations. Conclusions: Flow cytometry test may be used to verify antisperm antibody levels in prepubertal boys with testicular failures

    Does the lipid-lowering peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors ligand bezafibrate prevent colon cancer in patients with coronary artery disease?

    Get PDF
    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Epidemiologic studies have suggested that hypertriglyceridemia and insulin resistance are related to the development of colon cancer. Nuclear peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR), which play a central role in lipid and glucose metabolism, had been hypothesized as being involved in colon cancerogenesis. In animal studies the lipid-lowering PPAR ligand bezafibrate suppressed colonic tumors. However, the effect of bezafibrate on colon cancer development in humans is unknown. Therefore, we proposed to investigate a possible preventive effect of bezafibrate on the development of colon cancer in patients with coronary artery disease during a 6-year follow-up.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Our population included 3011 patients without any cancer diagnosis who were enrolled in the randomized, double blind Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention (BIP) Study. The patients received either 400 mg of bezafibrate retard (1506 patients) or placebo (1505 patients) once a day. Cancer incidence data were obtained by matching a subject's identification numbers with the National Cancer Registry. Each matched record was checked for correct identification.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Development of new cancer (all types) was recorded in 177 patients: in 79 (5.25%) patients from the bezafibrate group vs. 98 (6.51%) from the placebo group. Development of colon cancer was recorded in 25 patients: in 8 (0.53%) patients from the bezafibrate group vs. 17 (1.13%) from the placebo group, (Fisher's exact test: one side p = 0.05; two side p = 0.07).</p> <p>A difference in the incidence of cancer was only detectable after a 4 year lag and progressively increased with continued follow-up. On multivariable analysis the colon cancer risk in patients who received bezafibrate tended to be lower with a hazard ratio of 0.47 and 95% confidence interval 0.2–1.1.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data, derived from patients with coronary artery disease, support the hypothesis regarding a possible preventive effect of bezafibrate on the development of colon cancer.</p

    Calcium antagonists and mortality in patients with coronary artery disease: A Cohort study of 11,575 patients

    Get PDF
    AbstractObjectives. This study sought to establish the risk ratio for mortality associated with calcium antagonists in a large population of patients with chronic coronary artery disease.Background. Recent reports have suggested that the use of short-acting nifedipine may cause an increase in overall mortality in patients with coronary artery disease and that a similar effect may be produced by other calcium antagonists, in particular those of the dihydropyridine type.Methods. Mortality data were obtained for 11,575 patients screened for the Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention study (5,843 with and 5,732 without calcium antagonists) after a mean follow-up period of 3.2 years.Results. There were 495 deaths (8.5%) in the calcium antagonist group compared with 410 in the control group (7.2%). The age-adjusted risk ratio for mortality was 1.08 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.95 to 1.24). After adjustment for the differences between the groups in age and gender and the prevalence of previous myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, hypertension, New York Heart Association functional class, peripheral vascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and current smoking, the adjusted risk ratio declined to 0.97 (95% CI 0.84 to 1.11). After further adjustment for concomintant medication, the risk ratio was estimated at 0.94 (95% CI 0.82 to 1.08).Conclusions. The current analysis does not support the claim that calcium antagonist therapy in patients with chronic coronary artery disease, whether myocardial infarction survivors or others, harbors an increased risk of mortality

    Diaqua­bis­(pyridine-2-carboxyl­ato-κ2 N,O)manganese(II) dimethyl­formamide hemisolvate

    Get PDF
    There are two crystallographically independent complex mol­ecules with very similar geometries in the unit cell of the title compound, [Mn(C6H4NO2)2(H2O)2]·0.5C3H7NO. The central ion is situated in a distorted octa­hedral environment of two N- and four O-donor atoms from two pyridine-2-carboxyl­ate ligands and two cis-disposed water mol­ecules. The carboxyl­ate ligands are coordinated in a chelate fashion with the formation of two five-membered rings. In the crystal, the complex mol­ecules are connected by O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the coordinated water mol­ecules and the uncoordinated carboxyl­ate O atoms, thus forming hydrogen-bonded walls disposed perpendicularly to the bc plane

    Studierea sensibilităţii la antibiotice a speciilor de Salmonella, izolate din materiale biologice și produse alimentare

    Get PDF
    Ukrainian Laboratory of Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of UkraineIntroduction. Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health problem that the world is facing today. Material and methods. Isolation and identification of Salmonella spp. were performed according to DSTU EN 12824: 2004; DSTU ISO 18593: 2006 standards; Nutrient media were manufactured in accordance with DSTU EN ISO 11133: 2014 standard. The antibiotic susceptibility of cultures was determined by the disk diffusion method. The research findings were both studied and interpreted in accordance with EUCAST recommendations. Results. Out of 10 samples (material was obtained from animals, humans and foods), 10 cultures of Salmonella spp. were isolated and analyzed. The cultures were mainly susceptible to semisynthetic and inhibitor-protected penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems and more often to tetracyclines, macrolides, lincosamides. Most Salmonella spp. strains were intermediate susceptibility to aminoglycosides, 30% of Salmonella spp. strains were susceptible to pefloxacin (II) and only 10% were susceptible to ciprofloxacin (II). Conclusions. The obtained data indicate the screening feasibility of antibiotic susceptibility of Salmonella spp. including a wide range of tested drugs, which may be important in determining the antibiotic therapy.Introducere. Actualmente, rezistența antimicrobiană este o problemă globală de sănătate publică. Material şi metode. Izolarea și identificarea Salmonella spp a fost efectuată conform standardelor DSTU EN 12824:2004; DSTU ISO 18593:2006; mediile nutritive fiind preparate în conformitate cu standardul DSTU EN ISO 11133:2014. Sensibilitatea tulpinilor la antibiotice a fost determinată prin metoda disc-difuzimetrică, iar studiul și interpretarea rezultatelor au fost realizate în conformitate cu recomandările EUCAST. Rezultate. Din 10 probe (material prelevat de la animale, oameni și din alimente) au fost izolate și studiate 10 tulpini de Salmonella spp. Preponderent, tulpinile sunt sensibile la penicilinele de semisintetice şi cele protejate de inhibitori, cefalosporine, carbapeneme; mai frecvent prezentând rezistență la tetracicline, macrolide și lincosamide. Pentru aminoglicozide însă majoritatea tulpinilor Salmonella spp. au prezentat sensibilitate intermediară, astfel, din 30% tulpini Salmonella spp. sensibile la pefloxacină (II), doar 10% au fost sensibile la ciprofloxacină (II). Concluzii. Datele obținute indică fezabilitatea screening-ului sensibilității Salmonella spp. la antibioticele din cea mai largă listă posibilă de preparate testate, impunându-se drept acțiune oportună în determinarea antibioticoterapiei

    Correction to: Two years later: Is the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still having an impact on emergency surgery? An international cross-sectional survey among WSES members

    Get PDF
    Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is still ongoing and a major challenge for health care services worldwide. In the first WSES COVID-19 emergency surgery survey, a strong negative impact on emergency surgery (ES) had been described already early in the pandemic situation. However, the knowledge is limited about current effects of the pandemic on patient flow through emergency rooms, daily routine and decision making in ES as well as their changes over time during the last two pandemic years. This second WSES COVID-19 emergency surgery survey investigates the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on ES during the course of the pandemic. Methods: A web survey had been distributed to medical specialists in ES during a four-week period from January 2022, investigating the impact of the pandemic on patients and septic diseases both requiring ES, structural problems due to the pandemic and time-to-intervention in ES routine. Results: 367 collaborators from 59 countries responded to the survey. The majority indicated that the pandemic still significantly impacts on treatment and outcome of surgical emergency patients (83.1% and 78.5%, respectively). As reasons, the collaborators reported decreased case load in ES (44.7%), but patients presenting with more prolonged and severe diseases, especially concerning perforated appendicitis (62.1%) and diverticulitis (57.5%). Otherwise, approximately 50% of the participants still observe a delay in time-to-intervention in ES compared with the situation before the pandemic. Relevant causes leading to enlarged time-to-intervention in ES during the pandemic are persistent problems with in-hospital logistics, lacks in medical staff as well as operating room and intensive care capacities during the pandemic. This leads not only to the need for triage or transferring of ES patients to other hospitals, reported by 64.0% and 48.8% of the collaborators, respectively, but also to paradigm shifts in treatment modalities to non-operative approaches reported by 67.3% of the participants, especially in uncomplicated appendicitis, cholecystitis and multiple-recurrent diverticulitis. Conclusions: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still significantly impacts on care and outcome of patients in ES. Well-known problems with in-hospital logistics are not sufficiently resolved by now; however, medical staff shortages and reduced capacities have been dramatically aggravated over last two pandemic years

    Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

    Get PDF
    A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

    Dissecting the Shared Genetic Architecture of Suicide Attempt, Psychiatric Disorders, and Known Risk Factors

    Get PDF
    Background Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide, and nonfatal suicide attempts, which occur far more frequently, are a major source of disability and social and economic burden. Both have substantial genetic etiology, which is partially shared and partially distinct from that of related psychiatric disorders. Methods We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 29,782 suicide attempt (SA) cases and 519,961 controls in the International Suicide Genetics Consortium (ISGC). The GWAS of SA was conditioned on psychiatric disorders using GWAS summary statistics via multitrait-based conditional and joint analysis, to remove genetic effects on SA mediated by psychiatric disorders. We investigated the shared and divergent genetic architectures of SA, psychiatric disorders, and other known risk factors. Results Two loci reached genome-wide significance for SA: the major histocompatibility complex and an intergenic locus on chromosome 7, the latter of which remained associated with SA after conditioning on psychiatric disorders and replicated in an independent cohort from the Million Veteran Program. This locus has been implicated in risk-taking behavior, smoking, and insomnia. SA showed strong genetic correlation with psychiatric disorders, particularly major depression, and also with smoking, pain, risk-taking behavior, sleep disturbances, lower educational attainment, reproductive traits, lower socioeconomic status, and poorer general health. After conditioning on psychiatric disorders, the genetic correlations between SA and psychiatric disorders decreased, whereas those with nonpsychiatric traits remained largely unchanged. Conclusions Our results identify a risk locus that contributes more strongly to SA than other phenotypes and suggest a shared underlying biology between SA and known risk factors that is not mediated by psychiatric disorders.Peer reviewe
    corecore