Time course of risk factors associated with mortality of 1260 critically ill patients with COVID-19 admitted to 24 Italian intensive care units

Purpose: To evaluate the daily values and trends over time of relevant clinical, ventilatory and laboratory parameters during the intensive care unit (ICU) stay and their association with outcome in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). Methods: In this retrospective–prospective multicentric study, we enrolled COVID-19 patients admitted to Italian ICUs from February 22 to May 31, 2020. Clinical data were daily recorded. The time course of 18 clinical parameters was evaluated by a polynomial maximum likelihood multilevel linear regression model, while a full joint modeling was fit to study the association with ICU outcome. Results: 1260 consecutive critically ill patients with COVID-19 admitted in 24 ICUs were enrolled. 78% were male with a median age of 63 [55–69] years. At ICU admission, the median ratio of arterial oxygen partial pressure to fractional inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) was 122 [89–175] mmHg. 79% of patients underwent invasive mechanical ventilation. The overall mortality was 34%. Both the daily values and trends of respiratory system compliance, PaO2/FiO2, driving pressure, arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure, creatinine, C-reactive protein, ferritin, neutrophil, neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio, and platelets were associated with survival, while for lactate, pH, bilirubin, lymphocyte, and urea only the daily values were associated with survival. The trends of PaO2/FiO2, respiratory system compliance, driving pressure, creatinine, ferritin, and C-reactive protein showed a higher association with survival compared to the daily values. Conclusion: Daily values or trends over time of parameters associated with acute organ dysfunction, acid–base derangement, coagulation impairment, or systemic inflammation were associated with patient survival

Impact of safety-related dose reductions or discontinuations on sustained virologic response in HCV-infected patients: Results from the GUARD-C Cohort

BACKGROUND: Despite the introduction of direct-acting antiviral agents for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, peginterferon alfa/ribavirin remains relevant in many resource-constrained settings. The non-randomized GUARD-C cohort investigated baseline predictors of safety-related dose reductions or discontinuations (sr-RD) and their impact on sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients receiving peginterferon alfa/ribavirin in routine practice. METHODS: A total of 3181 HCV-mono-infected treatment-naive patients were assigned to 24 or 48 weeks of peginterferon alfa/ribavirin by their physician. Patients were categorized by time-to-first sr-RD (Week 4/12). Detailed analyses of the impact of sr-RD on SVR24 (HCV RNA <50 IU/mL) were conducted in 951 Caucasian, noncirrhotic genotype (G)1 patients assigned to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin for 48 weeks. The probability of SVR24 was identified by a baseline scoring system (range: 0-9 points) on which scores of 5 to 9 and <5 represent high and low probability of SVR24, respectively. RESULTS: SVR24 rates were 46.1% (754/1634), 77.1% (279/362), 68.0% (514/756), and 51.3% (203/396), respectively, in G1, 2, 3, and 4 patients. Overall, 16.9% and 21.8% patients experienced 651 sr-RD for peginterferon alfa and ribavirin, respectively. Among Caucasian noncirrhotic G1 patients: female sex, lower body mass index, pre-existing cardiovascular/pulmonary disease, and low hematological indices were prognostic factors of sr-RD; SVR24 was lower in patients with 651 vs. no sr-RD by Week 4 (37.9% vs. 54.4%; P = 0.0046) and Week 12 (41.7% vs. 55.3%; P = 0.0016); sr-RD by Week 4/12 significantly reduced SVR24 in patients with scores <5 but not 655. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, sr-RD to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin significantly impacts on SVR24 rates in treatment-naive G1 noncirrhotic Caucasian patients. Baseline characteristics can help select patients with a high probability of SVR24 and a low probability of sr-RD with peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin

Oltre il Segno/OltreMare

La realizzazione di un volume contenente le incisioni scelte all’interno della Scuola di Grafica d’Arte dell’Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo, coordinata dai Proff. Giovanni D’Alessandro e Riccardo Mazzarino rappresenta motivo di orgoglio e di soddisfazione per la nostra Istituzione che costruisce i percorsi didattici dei propri corsi a partire dall’esperienza laboratoriale. L’incisione grafica è tra le tecniche artistiche più antiche ma nel contempo più contemporanee. La gestualità intrinseca al segno, che si manifesta nella carta, svela universi della visione inaspettati.(Mario Zito - Direttore dell’Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo) Il segno è il risultato di un gesto a volte deciso, a volte contorto, a volte leggero, i cui risultati spesso sono inattesi e sorprendenti. Il volume contiene esemplari di incisioni fortemente caratterizzanti della scuola di Grafica d’Arte che vanta all’interno del proprio corso di studi docenti-artisti che consapevoli della ricchezza del loro bagaglio esperienziale offrono agli studenti gli strumenti necessari per far sì che l’arte del saper fare artigianale, si trasformi in mera poetica artistica

La microlitiasi testicolare: una caratteristica inedita della sindrome di McCune-Albright maschile

Obiettivo: Accertare l’incidenza della microlitiasi testicolare (MT) nei maschi con sindrome di McCune-Albright (SMA). Disegno dello studio: La popolazione studiata consiste in 8 maschi con SMA la cui anamnesi patologica remota è stata valutata con particolare attenzione. Tutti i ragazzi sono stati sottoposti ad una valutazione clinica e ultrasonografica (US) della regione inguino-scrotale. I reperti US dei ragazzi con SMA sono stati confrontati con quelli ottenuti in due popolazioni di controllo rappresentate da 20 soggetti sani e 12 ragazzi con pubertà precoce centrale (PPC) idiopatica e non trattata. Risultati: La valutazione clinica non ha evidenziato alterazioni urologiche in nessun paziente, mentre gli US hanno messo in evidenza un tipico quadro di MT in 5 ragazzi su 8. In nessuno dei soggetti appartenenti alle popolazioni di controllo è stata osservata la presenza di MT (X2 =15. 2 e 11.3 rispettivmente; P<O. 001). Conclusioni: In un gruppo di 8 ragazzi con SMA abbiamo evidenziato un’alta prevalenza (62%) di MT non associata a patologie benigne o maligne. È improbabile che questi risultati possano essere solo occasionali, considerando la prevalenza molto bassa di MT riportata finora in bambini e giovani adulti sani e nelle nostre popolazioni di controllo. La MT potrebbe essere un altro marker per SMA

Transthoracic ultrasound for pleural effusion: traps and tricks

Pleural effusion is excess fluid that accumulates between the two pleural layers. Excessive amounts of such fluid can impair breathing by limiting the expansion of the lungs during ventilation. Pleural effusion is still usually diagnosed on the basis of medical history and physical examination, and confirmed by chest x-ray. It is observed in many pulmonary and extra-pulmonary disease; its cause can be relatively benign or definitely malign (cancer), and may require drainage for treatment or for achieving a diagnosis which is available at the bedside by physical examination and Thoracic Ultrasound (TUS). Pleural effusion is detected by TUS even when its volume is very little: it is possible to perform and repeat at bedside, by sufficiently trained physicians. Diagnostic intervention procedures are safer if performed using US probes specifically designed for this use, i.e. with a central hole which allows the co-axial passage of the disposable tools for drainage or Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB). Over-trusting in US criteria not evidence-based and, more important, which are demonstrated to be unreliable when critically re-appraised must be discouraged; reversal of such scarcely validated but recommended practices, which could be harmful for patients, is actively in progress also in this field of medicine. No special trick is needed and no actual trap is present when the assessment of pleural effusion is performed by a sufficiently skilled MD and with a reliable and well set echo machine. Echo-assisted thoracentesis is an excellent procedure when appropriately performed in all its phases, which are: choice of the site of insertion, visualization in real-time during the drainage and serial control during lung re-expansion (so as to avoid pneumothorax)

Assistive products and childhood neurodisability: a retrospective study on factors associated with aids/orthoses prescription

Children affected by pathologies causing neurodisability go through motor, cognitive, sensory and other limitations. The selection of assistive products can influence their level of independence and quality of life