Publications by authors named "Kotfis K"

Article Synopsis
  • - Multi-organ dysfunction in critically ill patients is largely driven by inflammation, which directly impacts the severity of organ damage.
  • - Managing this inflammation involves a team effort, including using antibiotics, providing respiratory and circulatory support, and correcting blood coagulation issues, but effective anti-inflammatory drugs are still debated.
  • - Xanthohumol (Xn), a natural compound from hops, shows promise as an anti-inflammatory agent due to its ability to inhibit inflammatory pathways and boost antioxidant activity, suggesting it could be beneficial in treating critically ill patients.
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Dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAAS) in sepsis is a complex and early phenomenon with a likely significant contribution to organ failure and patient outcomes. A better understanding of the pathophysiology and intricacies of the RAAS in septic shock has led to the use of exogenous angiotensin II as a new therapeutic agent. In this review, we report a multinational and multi-disciplinary expert panel discussion on the role and implications of RAAS modulation in sepsis and the use of exogenous angiotensin II.

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Background: The American Heart Association (AHA) recently defined the cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome (CKM) as a new entity to address the complex interactions between heart, kidneys, and metabolism. The aim of this study was to assess the outcome impact of CKM syndrome in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a prospective international cohort study including patients aged ≥45 years with increased cardiovascular risk undergoing noncardiac surgery.

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Background: Cardiac risk evaluation prior to noncardiac surgery is fundamental to tailor peri-operative management to patient's estimated risk. Data on the degree of adherence to guidelines in patients at cardiovascular risk in Europe and factors influencing adherence are underexplored.

Objectives: The aim of this analysis was to describe the degree of adherence to [2014 European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) guidelines] recommendations on rest echocardiography [transthoracic echocardiography (TTE)] and to stress imaging prior to noncardiac surgery in a large European sample and to assess factors potentially affecting adherence.

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The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has led to a wide range of clinical presentations, with respiratory symptoms being common. However, emerging evidence suggests that the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is also affected, with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, a key receptor for SARS-CoV-2, abundantly expressed in the ileum and colon. The virus has been detected in GI tissues and fecal samples, even in cases with negative results of the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in the respiratory tract.

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Background: Self-reported functional capacity measures have an uncertain role in the pre-operative cardiovascular risk stratification.

Aim: This substudy aimed to evaluate whether self-reported metabolic equivalent (MET) could improve the prediction of postoperative myocardial injury (MI) over other well-established cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: This is a post hoc analysis of an international multicenter prospective cohort study.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates elderly patients (over 80 years old) in Polish ICUs, aiming to understand their clinical features and outcomes.
  • Researchers collected data from 371 patients, comparing frail (CFS > 4) to non-frail patients and assessing mortality rates.
  • Findings indicate higher ICU and 30-day mortality in frail patients, with clinical frailty scale (CFS) and SOFA score being significant predictors of ICU mortality.
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During intensive care unit admission, relatives of critically ill patients can experience emotional distress. The authors hypothesized that families of patients who are diagnosed with intensive care unit (ICU) delirium experience more profound depression and anxiety disorders related to stress than do families of patients without delirium. We performed a prospective observational single-center study including families of adult patients (age above 18 years) hospitalized in a 17-bed ICU of a university hospital for at least 48 h who completed research questionnaires at day 2 after admission and day 30 after initial evaluation using dedicated questionnaires (HADS, CECS, IES, PTSD-C).

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Delirium is common in hospitalised patients, and there is currently no specific treatment. Identifying and treating underlying somatic causes of delirium is the first priority once delirium is diagnosed. Several international guidelines provide clinicians with an evidence-based approach to screening, diagnosis and symptomatic treatment.

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Article Synopsis
  • The 2022 European Society of Cardiology guidelines for preoperative evaluations aimed to improve the detection of pathological findings compared to the 2014 guidelines.
  • A study analyzed data from 15,529 patients and found that the updated recommendations changed testing protocols for many, but did not enhance the overall effectiveness of cardiac testing.
  • The use of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) for risk estimation did not improve pathological findings, and adherence to the new guidelines showed no significant link to major adverse cardiovascular events.
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Importance: Nearly 16 million surgical procedures are conducted in North America yearly, and postoperative cardiovascular events are frequent. Guidelines suggest functional capacity or B-type natriuretic peptides (BNP) to guide perioperative management. Data comparing the performance of these approaches are scarce.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study was conducted to evaluate if the tendency to limit life-sustaining treatment (LST) among elderly patients in Poland increased from 2016-2017 to 2018-2019.
  • The research involved analyzing data from two cohorts of critically ill patients aged over 80, finding that the prevalence of LST limitations rose from 16.1% to 20.5% over the years.
  • Although the increase wasn't statistically significant in basic analyses, further investigation showed a stronger inclination to limit LST in the later cohort, along with higher mortality and longer hospital stays for patients with LST limitations.
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In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that presented mainly as an acute infection of the lower respiratory tract (pneumonia), with multiple long-term consequences, including lung fibrosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of potassium canrenoate on inflammatory markers in the treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia. A randomized clinical trial (RCT) of intravenous potassium canrenoate vs.

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Article Synopsis
  • Despite advances in critical care, there’s a lack of focus on sex and gender disparities affecting ICU patient management and outcomes.
  • Sex refers to biological traits, while gender encompasses sociocultural roles; current data on these differences in the ICU is inconsistent and insufficient.
  • Addressing these disparities is essential for improving patient care, requiring future research on the mechanisms behind these differences and development of targeted interventions for better outcomes.
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Postoperative delirium (POD) remains a common, dangerous and resource-consuming adverse event but is often preventable. The whole peri-operative team can play a key role in its management. This update to the 2017 ESAIC Guideline on the prevention of POD is evidence-based and consensus-based and considers the literature between 01 April 2015, and 28 February 2022.

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Background: Preoperative fasting and surgery cause metabolic stress, insulin resistance with ketosis, and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Oral carbohydrate loading strategy (CHO) improves outcomes in labor and general surgery. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of CHO with standard fasting in patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery (CD) under spinal anesthesia.

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Background: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LV DD) is the most dominant cause of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) worldwide. This pathological condition may contribute to postcapillary pulmonary hypertension (pcPH) development. Hypoxemia, often observed in pcPH, may significantly negatively impact the course of hospitalization in patients after cardiac surgery.

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The risk of losing a transplanted organ is high, and non-invasive markers to warn of this phenomenon are still being sought. We investigated the impact of post-transplant microchimerism on the function of the transplanted kidney. The study included 100 kidney transplant recipients, mostly women.

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