The Effect of Mechanical Thrombectomy on the Incidence of Poststroke Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review of Inhomogeneous Literature

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) on the incidence of poststroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) in anterior circulation stroke. Methods: Literature research was performed on PubMed/OVID/Cochrane CENTRAL for studies published in 2015-2022. A review of the references of the included papers was performed for further eligible articles. Clinical characteristics, NIHSS, dementia tests, and outcomes were recorded. The exclusion criteria were nonhuman and non-English. Studies qualities were assessed with MINORS/RoB2 and GRADE. A meta-analysis was performed using the standardized mean difference (Cohen's d) to measure effect size. Results: Four studies were included in the systematic review after screening 749 articles. No significant differences were found for age and gender (years: 66.70 +/- 11.14 vs. 67.59 +/- 10.11, p = 0.37; male 53.8% vs. 56.4%, p = 0.57). MT patients had a more severe stroke than that of the control group (NIHSS: 14.70 +/- 4.31 vs. 11.17 +/- 4.12; p < 0.0001). The control group consisted of medical therapy-alone patients in all studies. I-2 was 76.95%, and Q was 43.4%. MT patients have better performance in overall cognition (d = 0.33 [0.074-0.58]) and in several cognitive domains than in the control group (TMT-A, d = 0.37 [0.04-0.70]; TMT-B, d = 0.35 [0.12-0.58]; digit span test [backward], d = 0.61 [0.18-1.06]; colored progressive matrices, d = 0.48 [0.05-0.91]; Stroop test [word reading], d = 0.60 [0.17-1.03]; color naming, d = 0.51 [0.08-0.94]; Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure [immediate recall], d = 0.79 [0.35-1.23]; Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test [immediate recall], d = 0.79 [0.36-1.23]; delayed recall, d = 0.46 [0.035-0.89]; and MOCA, d = 0.46 [-0.04 to 0.96]). Medical therapy patients had a higher score in coping strategy than MT patients (COPE-28 acceptance, d = -1.00 [-1.53 to -0.48]). Conclusions: The incidence of PSCI is lower in MT patients than in the control group. (c) 2023 S. Karger AG, Base

Problemi aperti e criteri di applicabilità in una visione globale di agricoltura sostenibile

Le pratiche agricole sono rilette in senso critico in un'ottica di sostenibilità, di impatto ambientale e di obiettivi agroambientali partendo dai risultati di alcune ricerche sui sietmi colturali. E' richiamato anche il concetto di multifunzionalità, sottolineando come il carattere multifunzionale degli agro-ecosistemi inglobi teoricamente i tre pilastri della sostenibilità (ambientale, economica e sociale) determinando limiti e relazioni tra la nozione di sostenibilità e quella di multifunzionalità

Primi risultati relativi alla risposta di diverse varietà di frumento tenero all’intensificazione colturale.

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The endovascular management of open aortic surgery complications with emergency stent-graft repair in high-risk patients

The aim of the study was to demonstrate the utility of endovascular stent-graft repair for emergency management of aorto-iliac surgery complications. Between 1997 and 2004, in our institute, 201 patients underwent transluminal endovascular graft placement. In 3 patients (1.4%), previously submitted to conventional aortic surgery, endovascular treatment was carried out due to the occurrence of late complications: 1 secondary aortocaval fistula, 1 impending rupture of aortic pseudoaneurysm and 1 secondary aorto-enteric fistula. All candidates were high surgical risk patients (ASA III-IV) suitable for endoprosthesis positioning by endovascular stent-graft implantation presenting with severe worsening conditions in an emergency situation. The patients were treated under local anesthesia and mild sedation. After treatment there was complete resolution of the clinical presentation and an improvement of general conditions in all 3 patients. In the 1(st) patient legs edema disappeared and in the 2(nd) patient mesogastric pain is absent, respectively at 30 and 8 months. The 3(rd) patient, with secondary aorto-enteric fistula, was submitted 2 months later to aortic graft removal and axillo-bifemoral bypass because of infection development. For the treatment of abdominal aortic surgery complications in high risk patients, particularly in emergency situations, endovascular approach is a feasible and safe alternative to conventional open repair. Further evaluation of this technique and longer follow-up will determine its exact role in the management of these life-threatening complications

Graft infection: Conservative treatment [Infezione protesica: Trattamento conservativo]

Aim. Indications for the conservative treatment of graft infections. Methods. Nine patients who underwent surgery of the aortoiliac tract and later developed graft infection were treated using a conservative approach: 2 patients underwent surgical drainage and focused antibiotic therapy, whereas CT-guided percutaneous drainage of the perigraft fluid collection was associated with specific antibiotic therapy in 7 patients. Each patient was controlled both clinically and using ultrasonographic and CT scan once every 6 months. Results. The 2 patients treated surgically remained asymptomatic for 2 and 3 years respectively and died from non graft-related reasons. Among the 7 patients treated percutaneously, 4 recovered (mean follow-up=30.7 months), and in the other 3 cases an aortoduodenal fistula was reported in 2 cases, at the 75th and 77th postoperative month, leading to patient death. In the 3rd case, 4 months after drainage, the patient underwent surgical extra-anatomic revascularisation and died 3 months later from acute myocardial infarction. Conclusion. In the presence of a prosthetic infection, the treatment of choice should be graft excision coupled with extra-anatomic revascularisation or íin situî reconstruction. Percutaneous drainage represents a good option for non-complicated cases in which more aggressive treatment would increase the surgical risk. This diagnostic method can provide either useful confirmation of the microbiological diagnosis and, when diagnosis is prompt, as a first-line procedure, giving the chance of a complete recovery or permitting amelioration of the retroperitoneal environment in preparation for a surgical approach

Emergency endograft placement for recurrent aortocaval fistula after conventional AAA repair

To report a novel case in which a stent-graft was used to emergently treat an aortocaval fistula that recurred after conventional abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair

Switch Strategy from Direct Aspiration First Pass Technique to Solumbra Improves Technical Outcome in Endovascularly Treated Stroke

Background: The major endovascular mechanic thrombectomy (MT) techniques are: Stent-Retriever (SR), aspiration first pass technique (ADAPT) and Solumbra (Aspiration + SR), which are interchangeable (defined as switching strategy (SS)). The purpose of this study is to report the added value of switching from ADAPT to Solumbra in unsuccessful revascularization stroke patients. Methods: This is a retrospective, single center, pragmatic, cohort study. From December 2017 to November 2019, 935 consecutive patients were admitted to the Stroke Unit and 176/935 (18.8%) were eligible for MT. In 135/176 (76.7%) patients, ADAPT was used as the first-line strategy. SS was defined as the difference between first technique adopted and the final technique. Revascularization was evaluated with modified Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction (TICI) with success defined as mTICI ≥ 2b. Procedural time (PT) and time to reperfusion (TTR) were recorded. Results: Stroke involved: Anterior circulation in 121/135 (89.6%) patients and posterior circulation in 14/135 (10.4%) patients. ADAPT was the most common first-line technique vs. both SR and Solumbra (135/176 (76.7%) vs. 10/176 (5.7%) vs. 31/176 (17.6%), respectively). In 28/135 (20.7%) patients, the mTICI was ≤ 2a requiring switch to Solumbra. The vessel’s diameter positively predicted SS result (odd ratio (OR) 1.12, confidence of interval (CI) 95% 1.03–1.22; p = 0.006). The mean number of passes before SS was 2.0 ± 1.2. ADAPT to Solumbra improved successful revascularization by 13.3% (107/135 (79.3%) vs. 125/135 (92.6%)). PT was superior for SS comparing with ADAPT (71.1 min (CI 95% 53.2–109.0) vs. 40.0 min (CI 95% 35.0–45.2); p = 0.0004), although, TTR was similar (324.1 min (CI 95% 311.4–387.0) vs. 311.4 min (CI 95% 285.5–338.7); p = 0.23). Conclusion: Successful revascularization was improved by 13.3% after switching form ADAPT to Solumbra (final mTICI ≥ 2b was 92.6%). Vessel’s diameter positively predicted recourse to SS