Survival in acute heart failure in intensive cardiac care unit: a prospective study.

The aim of this study is to identify the best predictors of mortality among clinical, biochemical and advanced echocardiographic parameters in acute heart failure (AHF) patients admitted to coronary care unit (CCU). AHF is a clinical condition characterized by high mortality and morbidity. Several studies have investigated the potential prognostic factors that could help the risk assessment of cardiovascular events in HF patients, but at the moment it has not been found a complete prognostic score (including clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic parameters), univocally used for AHF patients.

[Coagulopathy in COVID-19: pathophysiology].

On March 11, 2020, just after 2 months from the first cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China, the Director-General of the World Health Organization stated that COVID-19 has to be considered as a pandemic. Italian doctors were the first protagonists, after the Chinese ones, in the management of this disease. Clinical observations showed that, in addition to the respiratory infection, a systemic inflammatory response occurs, which leads to coagulation disorders and consequent venous thromboembolism as well as other thrombotic complications.

Effects of levosimendan in heart failure: The role of echocardiography.

Heart failure (HF) represents a deadly epidemic that nowadays affects more than 2% of the general population, representing a major public health concern that implies a high economic burden for the health system. Levosimendan in HF patients is usually used for its inotropic and vasodilator effects that act without myocardial oxygen consumption, differently from other inotropic drugs. The symptoms and hemodynamic profile improve together with the myocardial function, and this can be demonstrated by an echocardiographic examination.

Speckle tracking echocardiography in cardiac amyloidosis.

Speckle tracking echocardiography is an imaging method, based on analysis of 2D echocardiographic images, that is useful in providing information on tissue deformation in different cardiac diseases. Cardiac amyloidosis is a complex pathological entity that can be confused with other causes responsible for cardiac hypertrophy, and for this reason, it can be misdiagnosed, especially in the early stages. Cardiac magnetic resonance and endomyocardial biopsy are reference methods for specific diagnosis, but their use is limited by a number of factors, both of a logistical and technical nature.

The prognostic role of different renal function phenotypes in patients with acute heart failure.

Objective: Worsening renal function (WRF) is common in patients treated for acute heart failure (AHF) and might be associated with a significant increase in blood nitrogen urea (BUN). Although many patients develop WRF during hospitalisation, its prognostic role is still unclear. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic relevance of WRF according to BUN changes during hospitalization.