Effect of high low dose of dexamethasone on clinical worsening in patients hospitalised with moderate or severe COVID-19 pneumonia: an open-label, randomised clinical trial.

Background: Low-dose dexamethasone demonstrated clinical improvement in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) needing oxygen therapy; however, evidence on the efficacy of high-dose dexamethasone is limited.

Methods: We performed a randomised, open-label, controlled trial involving hospitalised patients with confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia needing oxygen therapy. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive low-dose dexamethasone (6 mg once daily for 10 days) or high-dose dexamethasone (20 mg once daily for 5 days, followed by 10 mg once daily for an additional 5 days).

Development and validation of a clinical score to estimate progression to severe or critical state in COVID-19 pneumonia hospitalized patients.

The prognosis of a patient with COVID-19 pneumonia is uncertain. Our objective was to establish a predictive model of disease progression to facilitate early decision-making. A retrospective study was performed of patients admitted with COVID-19 pneumonia, classified as severe (admission to the intensive care unit, mechanic invasive ventilation, or death) or non-severe.

Correction to: Influence of frailty on anticoagulant prescription and clinical outcomes after 1‑year follow‑up in hospitalised older patients with atrial fibrillation.

In the original publication, all the collaborator names were incorrectly tagged and published online. The correct given and family names for the collaborators names should list as follows.

Influence of frailty on anticoagulant prescription and clinical outcomes after 1-year follow-up in hospitalised older patients with atrial fibrillation.

Frailty is an important prognostic factor in older adults with cardiovascular diseases. We aim to describe the characteristics of elderly hospitalised frail patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and to assess the influence of frailty, along with other functional and health status variables on anticoagulation prescription, 1-year all-cause mortality, and the incidence of ischemic and bleeding complications. An observational, prospective multicentre study was carried out on patients with NVAF over the age of 75, who were admitted to the Internal Medicine departments in Spain.

Factors associated with discontinuing or not starting oral anticoagulant therapy in older hospitalized patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Aim: To determine the factors associated with discontinuing or not starting oral anticoagulation (OA) therapy in older patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF).

Methods: A prospective, multicenter cohort study was carried out of patients aged >75 years with NVAF hospitalized in internal medicine departments in Spain. For each patient, we recorded creatinine, hemoglobin and platelets levels, as well as CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores and the Charlson Comorbidity Index.

Satisfaction with oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Background: Although, by itself, atrial fibrillation is associated with an impairment of quality of life antithrombotic therapy may play a role.

Objective: To evaluate the satisfaction with anticoagulant treatment in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who attended internal medicine departments in Spain.

Methods: Patients from two different cross-sectional studies were combined.

Benefit of tolvaptan in the management of hyponatraemia in patients with diuretic-refractory congestive heart failure: the SEMI-SEC project.

Aims: Hyponatraemia is an electrolyte disorder that occurs in advanced congestive heart failure (HF) and worsens prognosis. We explored the usefulness of tolvaptan, which has shown promising results in the treatment of this condition.

Methods And Results: This study is based on a retrospective national registry (2011-15) of patients hospitalized with refractory HF and hyponatraemia who agreed to receive tolvaptan when standard treatment was ineffective.

Antithrombotic treatment and characteristics of elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation hospitalized at Internal Medicine departments. NONAVASC registry.

Background And Objetives: The prevalence of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) increases with the patient's age and is associated with high morbi-mortality rates. The main goal of this study was to describe the characteristics of hospitalized elderly patients with NVAF and to identify the clinical and functional factors which determine the use of different antithrombotic strategies.

Patients And Methods: Observational, prospective, multicentre study carried out on patients with NVAF over the age of 75, who had been admitted for any medical condition to Internal Medicine departments.

[Validation of satisfaction questionnaire ACTS in outpatients with atrial fibrillation treated with oral anticoagulants in Spain. ALADIN Study].

Background And Objective: To validate the satisfaction questionnaire Anti-Clot-Treatment Scale (ACTS) in outpatients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) treated with oral anticoagulants attended in Internal Medicine and Neurology departments in Spain.

Methods: In this cross-sectional and multicentrer study, 1,337 outpatients aged≥18 years, with NVAF, treated with oral anticoagulants≥3 months, attended in Internal Medicine and Neurology departments in Spain were analyzed. The patients completed ACTS, Self-Assessment of Treatment Questionnaire (SAT-Q) and EuroQol-5 dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaires.

Treatment of hyponatremia induced by the syndrome of Inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion: a multidisciplinary spanish algorithm.

Introduction: The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is the most frequent cause of hyponatremia in a hospital setting. However, detailed protocols and algorithms for its management are lacking. Our objective was to develop 2 consensus algorithms for the therapy of hyponatremia due to SIADH in hospitalized patients.

Symptoms and reason for a medical visit in lung cancer patients.

Background: Patients with lung cancer usually present with symptoms at the time of diagnosis, but it is common that neither the doctor nor the patient initially associate them with the possibility of a malignant tumour.

Objectives: The aim of our study is to analyse the symptoms of patients with lung cancer and the relationship with the personal characteristics or the oncological disease.

Material And Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on all patients diagnosed with lung cancer in the Pontevedra Health Area over a period of three years.

[The treament of hyponatremia secundary to the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion].

The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is the most frequent cause of hyponatremia in a hospital setting. However, detailed protocols and algorithms for its management are lacking. Our objective was to develop 2 consensus algorithms for the therapy of hyponatremia due to SIADH in hospitalized patients.

Diagnostic value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in pleural effusions of cardiac origin.

Introduction: The diagnosis of cardiogenic pleural effusion (PE) is often difficult to make. The objective of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in PE patients with heart failure, in pleural fluid (PF) and blood (B), and to compare the cholesterol in pleural fluid (CHOL PF) and in serum (CHOL S) with the Light criteria.

Patients And Methods: All the biomarkers were evaluated in 398 PF (26.

Procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and cell counts in the diagnosis of parapneumonic pleural effusions.

Background And Objective: Pleural effusion is relatively common in pneumonia. Because traditional methods for its diagnosis are not always effective, there is a need for new biomarkers to make its differential diagnosis easier.

Methods: A total of 233 patients with pleural effusion were admitted to our hospital between 2005 and 2008.

Usefulness of triglyceride levels in pleural fluid.

The determination of pleural fluid triglycerides (PF-TRIG) is useful in the diagnosis of chylothorax, but its diagnostic value for other causes of pleural effusions is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of PF-TRIG in the diagnosis of other pleural effusions and investigate the origin of their increase in these fluids. We studied 390 pleural effusions (75 tuberculous, 107 neoplastic, 39 parapneumonic, 30 miscellaneous, 42 idiopathic, and 97 transudates).

Diagnostic value of proinflammatory interleukins in parapneumonic effusions.

Pleural effusion appears in approximately 40% of patients with pneumonia. Given that microbiology results are often negative, its diagnosis is frequently based on clinical criteria. Our study consisted of 266 patients, divided into infectious (n = 34), tuberculous (n = 54), paraneoplastic (n = 63), miscellaneous exudates (n = 53), and transudates (n = 62).

Diagnosing tuberculous pleural effusion using clinical data and pleural fluid analysis A study of patients less than 40 years-old in an area with a high incidence of tuberculosis.

Background: Tuberculous pleural effusions (TPE) are common. The diagnosis is often problematic. As the determination of ADA is often unavailable in some countries, the aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of other data from pleural fluid analysis, in young patients from populations with high prevalence of tuberculosis (TB).

Cholesterol in pleural exudates depends mainly on increased capillary permeability.

Pleural fluid (PF) cholesterol is a useful parameter to differentiate between pleural transudates and exudates, although the pathophysiologic mechanisms for its increase in exudates are not fully understood. We aim to elucidate the cause of this increase by analyzing the levels of cholesterol-high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), apolipoprotein A (ApoA), and apolipoprotein B (ApoB)-in PF and blood as well as the number of leucocytes and red cells in the PF. We studied 259 patients with pleural effusion (57 transudates and 202 exudates).

Tuberculous pleural effusions.

Tuberculosis is the most frequent cause of death due to infectious diseases. In Europe, it is one of the most frequent types of pleural effusions in young patients. Tuberculosis is caused by the rupture of a pulmonary subpleural caseous focus, which releases mycobacterium into the pleural cavity, thereby triggering an immune response involving mainly macrophages, CD4+ T lymphocytes, and the cytokines released by these cells (especially interleukin 1, interleukin 2, and ?-interferon).