Bacterial Infections, Trends, and Resistance Patterns in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Romania-A Systematic Review.

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified concerns over bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance, particularly in Romania. This systematic review explores bacterial infection patterns and resistance during the pandemic to address critical gaps in knowledge. A systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, was conducted using databases such as PubMed and Scopus, focusing on studies of bacterial infections from 2020 to 2022.

Implications of Preoperative C-Reactive Protein Levels in Heart Transplant Patients-A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

: Heart transplant is the final therapeutic option for end-stage heart failure patients. It has been used with increasing success as a surgical procedure, greatly influenced by advances in diagnostic and prognostic tools. The aim of this paper was to study potential implications of C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients who underwent heart transplants.

A Severe Case of Malaria in a 44-Year-Old Caucasian Woman on Return to Western Romania from a Visit to Nigeria.

Malaria is currently the most prevalent life-threatening infectious disease in the world. In this case report, we present a 44-year-old Caucasian woman with a low level of education and no significant past medical history who presented to the emergency room of the Emergency County Hospital of Arad, Romania, with a general affected state, a fever of 38.5 °C, chills, weakness, headache, muscle pain, nausea, icterus, and watery diarrheal stool.

The Impact of Heart Failure Chronic Treatment Prior to Cardiac Transplantation on Early Outcomes.

: Cardiac transplantation represents the option for patients with end-stage heart failure (HF), providing the best survival rate. However, the postoperative complications of transplant patients remain a challenge for clinicians. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of preoperative chronic HF treatment on the occurrence of in-hospital complications.

Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate Cardioplegia Yields Different Results in Aortic Valve Surgery Depending on Patient Gender: A Pilot Study.

Background: Histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) cardioplegia induces cardiac arrest through membrane hyperpolarization. Aortic valve pathology leads to pathophysiological changes in left ventricular vascularization that may prevent adequate cardioplegic distribution. The objective of the study was to ascertain whether the use of Bretschneider cardioplegia in aortic valve surgery yields different outcomes for male and female patients.

Predicting Mortality in Sepsis: The Role of Dynamic Biomarker Changes and Clinical Scores-A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: The prognostic value of baseline inflammatory markers in sepsis remains controversial, with conflicting evidence regarding their association with mortality. The dynamic changes in these markers over time might offer additional insights into disease progression and patient outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective observational study included 138 patients with severe infections.

Cytomegalovirus in Ulcerative Colitis: An Unwanted "Guest".

The role of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in the flare-up of ulcerative colitis (UC) is not clearly understood. CMV can cause similar symptoms in different clinical contexts, which may be attributed to the natural evolution of the viral infection, the patient's immune status, or its association with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study aims to delineate the diverse manifestations of CMV-related lesions from clinical, endoscopic, and histopathological perspectives, alongside a brief narrative review of the literature.

Reclaiming behaviour settings: reviewing empirical applications of Barker's behaviour settings theory.

Behaviour settings theory is the product of Roger Barker and Herbert F. Wright's decades-long Midwest Field Station research programme. The theory followed from the demonstration that the best predictor of a person's behaviour was the setting (i.

Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion-to-Systolic Pulmonary Artery Pressure Ratio as a Prognostic Factor in Heart Transplant Patients.

: Heart transplant is currently the final step in treating patients with heart failure. The success of this procedure is strongly connected to potential complications such as postoperative heart failure, infections, graft rejection, graft vasculopathy, and kidney failure. Thus, identifying potential prognostic factors for patients' outcome is of utmost importance.

miR-155 and miR-21 as Diagnostic and Therapeutic Biomarkers for Ulcerative Colitis: There Is Still a Long Way to Go.

(1) Elucidating the role of miRNAs (miRs) in ulcerative colitis may provide new insights into disease pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring We aimed to investigate whether plasma levels of miR-21-5p and miR-155-5p may be used to differentiate between patients with organic disease such as ulcerative colitis (UC) and Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), and patients with functional disease such as irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D). (2) Serological samples were collected to quantify miR-155 and -21 expression, which was carried out through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), from 84 patients: 34 with acute UC (group 1), 17 with CDI (group 2), and 33 with IBS-D (control group). (3) In this study, we found that the expression levels of miR-155-5p were almost the same for the two conditions and the control group (UC: 4.

Associations between Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis and Other Risk Factors in Women with a History of Urinary Tract Infections.

(1) Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among otherwise healthy women represent a problem that requires additional understanding and approaches. Evidencing the link between dysbiosis and UTIs and the associated potential risk factors could lead to therapeutic approaches with increased efficiency under the conditions of reducing the risks associated with antibiotic treatments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate dysbiosis and other potential risk factors in women with a history of urinary tract infections; (2) Methods: Fecal dysbiosis tests were performed comparatively in two groups of women.

A Retrospective Analysis of Systemic Infection in Children.

Systemic infection, also known as cat-scratch disease (CSD), presents a diagnostic challenge due to the variability of clinical manifestations and the potential for serological cross-reactivity with other organisms. This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and imaging characteristics of pediatric patients diagnosed with systemic infection, to improve understanding and facilitate timely diagnosis and treatment. We conducted a 10-year retrospective study at the "Louis Turcanu" Children's Emergency Hospital and private clinics in Timisoara, Romania, reviewing records for confirmed cases of infection from January 2014 to January 2024.

Benefits of Respite Services on the Psycho-Emotional State of Families of Children Admitted to Hospice Palliative Care Unit: Preliminary Study on Parents' Perceptions.

Background: In children's palliative care, the term "respite" refers to a temporary break offered to primary caregivers of a child with a life-limiting illness. The aim of this study was to assess the perceptions of parents who have benefited from respite care services in the Lumina Association, Bacău hospice unit and the benefits it can bring in improving their psycho-emotional state.

Methods: The study consisted of quantitative research involving 34 parents/caregivers who responded to a questionnaire with 26 questions, and qualitative research which involved the organization of a focus group with 12 parents who benefited from respite services.

Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Roma Vulnerable Communities in Western Romania: Insights and Predictive Factors from a Retrospective Study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected vulnerable populations like Roma patients in Western Romania due to marginalization and limited healthcare access.

Methods: A retrospective study analyzed COVID-19 cases between March 2020 and August 2022 using data from the Directorate of Public Health in Timis county. Demographic, epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data were assessed, along with risk factors and biomarkers for ICU admission and mortality prediction.

Predictors of Breastfeeding among Women Admitted with Severe Preeclampsia before 34 Weeks.

Objective: Patients with severe preeclampsia (sPREX) face barriers to successful breastfeeding (BF), including an increased risk of maternal and newborn complications, prematurity, and low birth weight. Patients with early-onset sPREX (before 34 weeks' gestation) may be at even greater risk, yet there are little data available on factors associated with BF challenges in this population. We describe rates of BF initiation at hospital discharge and BF continuation at postpartum (PP) visit and identify factors associated with BF noninitiation and BF cessation among patients admitted with early-onset sPREX.

A Retrospective Analysis from Western Romania Comparing the Treatment and Survivability of p16-Positive versus p16-Negative Oropharyngeal Cancer.

Background: Oropharyngeal cancer is a global health concern due to its multifaceted nature. Recent molecular studies have linked p16 overexpression, associated with the human papillomavirus, to oropharyngeal cancer and its prognostic implications.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study in Western Romania examined 60 patients, categorizing them based on p16 biomarker status: 28 were p16 positive, and 32 were p16 negative.

Nalbuphine Tablets for Cough in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: There are no approved therapies for cough in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). In this small crossover trial we administered nalbuphine extended-release tablets (NAL ER) as a potential cough therapy for such patients. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial involved two 22-day treatment periods (NAL ER→placebo and placebo→NAL ER) separated by a 2-week washout period.

Transvaginal Ovarian Cyst Drainage in Third Trimester to Facilitate Vaginal Delivery.

Adnexal masses in the third trimester of pregnancy may obstruct the pelvic outlet precluding labor induction and vaginal delivery. Expectant versus surgical management of adnexal cysts in pregnancy must carefully weigh maternal-fetal benefits and risks. Simple benign appearing cysts with low likelihood of malignancy may be amenable to percutaneous drainage as a bridge to interval postpartum laparoscopic cystectomy.

The Benefits of Combining Bobath and Vojta Therapies in Infants with Motor Development Impairment-A Pilot Study.

: In infants presenting with motor development impairment, early kinesiotherapeutic interventions aim to normalise the pattern of movements and improve recovery. By applying Bobath and Vojta methods, we aimed to identify a combined approach regarding motor deficit in infants with neurological disabilities. : We designed a prospective interventional study on 108 infants with motor developmental delay and applied Bobath, Vojta, or combined Bobath and Vojta therapy in three equal groups.

Machine learning based assessment of preclinical health questionnaires.

Background: Within modern health systems, the possibility of accessing a large amount and a variety of data related to patients' health has increased significantly over the years. The source of this data could be mobile and wearable electronic systems used in everyday life, and specialized medical devices. In this study we aim to investigate the use of modern Machine Learning (ML) techniques for preclinical health assessment based on data collected from questionnaires filled out by patients.

COVID-19 and Laboratory Markers from Romanian Patients-A Narrative Review.

COVID-19 has significantly impacted the whole world, and Romania was no exception. Biomarkers play a crucial role in understanding and managing the disease. However, research regarding laboratory analyses for patients with COVID-19 is fairly limited.