COmplexity of CARE and Discharge barriers: the 'modern internal medicine patient'. Results from the CO-CARED Study.

The ongoing demographic, epidemiological and social changes are dramatically raising the clinical and care complexity of patients admitted to internal medicine (IM) departments. Collecting evidence for a better characterization of patients is crucial to tailor future interventions based on patient's real needs. The aim of this prospective multicenter study was to describe the complexity of care of patients hospitalized in IM by calculating the complexity of care (ICC) score, through the combination of clinical instability (NEWS score) and care dependency scales (mICD).

Extensive myocardial calcifications: a systematic literature review of a rare pathological phenomenon.

Introduction: Myocardial calcifications (MC) represent a relatively rare pathological process, which may accompany different cardiovascular conditions and can be broadly categorized as dystrophic or metastatic. Myocardial infarction (MI) has been traditionally regarded as the main cause of MC overall; however, no updated comprehensive data on the relative incidence of different forms of MC is available. The purpose of this systematic review of the literature is to analyze the currently available evidence on MC in terms of pathophysiology, diagnosis, and clinical presentation.

Adverse events during intravenous fosfomycin therapy in a real-life scenario. Risk factors and the potential role of therapeutic drug monitoring.

Background: Intravenous fosfomycin (IVFOF) is gaining interest in severe infections. Its use may be limited by adverse events (AEs). Little experience exists on IVFOF therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in real-life setting.

Effects of a medical admission unit on in-hospital patient flow and clinical outcomes.

Background: the burden of acute complex patients, increasingly older and poli-pathological, accessing to Emergency Departments (ED) leads up hospital overcrowding and the outlying phenomenon. These issues highlight the need for new adequate patients' management strategies. The aim of this study is to analyse the effects on in-hospital patient flow and clinical outcomes of a high-technology and time-limited Medical Admission Unit (MAU) run by internists.

Prognostic Significance of NLR and PLR in COVID-19: A Multi-Cohort Validation Study.

Introduction: Recent studies have highlighted the prognostic value of easily accessible inflammatory markers, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) for predicting severe outcomes in patients affected by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our study validates NLR and PLR cut-off values from a prior cohort at IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo (OSM) of Pavia, Italy, across two new cohorts from different hospitals. This aims to enhance the generalizability of these prognostic indicators.

The role of immune suppression in COVID-19 hospitalization: clinical and epidemiological trends over three years of SARS-CoV-2 epidemic.

Specific immune suppression types have been associated with a greater risk of severe COVID-19 disease and death. We analyzed data from patients >17 years that were hospitalized for COVID-19 at the "Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico" in Milan (Lombardy, Northern Italy). The study included 1727 SARS-CoV-2-positive patients (1,131 males, median age of 65 years) hospitalized between February 2020 and November 2022.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure Due to SARS-CoV-2 Interstitial Pneumonia Treated with CPAP in a Medical Intermediate Care Setting: A Retrospective Observational Study on Comparison of Four Waves.

Background: In COVID-19 patients non-invasive-positive-pressure-ventilation (NIPPV) has held a challenging role to reduce mortality and the need for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics of patients admitted to a Medical Intermediate Care Unit for acute respiratory failure due to SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia throughout four pandemic waves.

Methods: The clinical data of 300 COVID-19 patients treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) were retrospectively analysed, from March-2020 to April-2022.

Markers of blood-brain barrier disruption increase early and persistently in COVID-19 patients with neurological manifestations.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with disorders affecting the peripheral and the central nervous system. A high number of patients develop post-COVID-19 syndrome with the persistence of a large spectrum of symptoms, including neurological, beyond 4 weeks after infection. Several potential mechanisms in the acute phase have been hypothesized, including damage of the blood-brain-barrier (BBB).

Remdesivir-induced bradycardia in patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV2 infection: a possible vagally-mediated mechanism.

Recently, case series studies on patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection reported an association between remdesivir (RDV) administration and incidental bradycardia. However, the phenomenon has not yet been described in detail. We conducted a retrospective case-control study to evaluate the occurrence of RDV-related bradycardia in patients hospitalized for SARS-CoV2 pneumoniae.

Comparison between the first and second COVID-19 waves in Internal Medicine wards in Milan, Italy: a retrospective observational study.

COVID-19 spread in two pandemic waves in Italy between 2020 and 2021. The aim of this study is to compare the first with the second COVID-19 wave, analyzing modifiable and non-modifiable factors and how these factors affected mortality in patients hospitalized in Internal Medicine wards. Consecutive patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and dyspnea requiring O supplementation were included.

Use of high flow nasal cannula in patients with acute respiratory failure in general wards under intensivists supervision: a single center observational study.

Background: Few data exist on high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) use in patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) admitted to general wards.

Rationale And Objectives: To retrospectively evaluate feasibility and safety of HFNC in general wards under the intensivist-supervision and after specific training.

Methods: Patients with ARF (dyspnea, respiratory rate-RR > 25/min, 150 < PaO/FiO < 300 mmHg during oxygen therapy) admitted to nine wards of an academic hospital were included.

External validation of risk scores to predict in-hospital mortality in patients hospitalized due to coronavirus disease 2019.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents an urgent threat to global health. Prediction models that accurately estimate mortality risk in hospitalized patients could assist medical staff in treatment and allocating limited resources.

Aims: To externally validate two promising previously published risk scores that predict in-hospital mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Extensive intra-myocardial calcifications: Value of multimodality imaging.

Background: Massive myocardial calcification is a very rare finding.

Introduction: Accurate identification and characteriation may help the clinicians to determine the etiology and clinical significance.

Results: In this case, the diagnostic pathway excluded previous myocardial infarction, myocarditis, and calcium-phosphate disorders.

Long pentraxin 3 as a marker of COVID-19 severity: evidences and perspectives.

Introduction: Several laboratory tests are characteristically altered in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), but are not totally accurate in predicting the disease outcome. The long pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is quickly released directly at inflammation sites by many immune cell types. Previous studies have shown that PTX3 correlated with disease severity in various inflammatory conditions.

Patient-Reported Symptoms and Sequelae 12 Months After COVID-19 in Hospitalized Adults: A Multicenter Long-Term Follow-Up Study.

Objective: Our knowledge on the long-term consequences of COVID-19 is still scarce despite the clinical relevance of persisting syndrome. The aim of this study was to analyze patient-reported outcomes, including assessment by specific questionnaires of health impairment and symptoms.

Methods: This is a prospective, observational and multicenter cohort study coordinated by Fondazione IRCSS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano and Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS including eight hospitals located in North and Central Italy.

Distinct Metabolic Profile Associated with a Fatal Outcome in COVID-19 Patients during the Early Epidemic in Italy.

In one year of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many studies have described the different metabolic changes occurring in COVID-19 patients, linking these alterations to the disease severity. However, a complete metabolic signature of the most severe cases, especially those with a fatal outcome, is still missing. Our study retrospectively analyzes the metabolome profiles of 75 COVID-19 patients with moderate and severe symptoms admitted to Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico (Lombardy Region, Italy) following SARS-CoV-2 infection between March and April 2020.