Extreme desert dust storms and COPD morbidity on the island of Crete.

Introduction And Objectives: Short-term extreme increases in desert-derived particulate-matter with aerodynamic diameter below 10 μm (PM) may affect emergency department (ED) visits due to COPD exacerbations.

Research Question: Our aim was to identify the effect of extreme increases in desert-derived PM on ED visits for dyspnea and COPD exacerbations and on the related hospital admissions.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of dyspnea-related ED visits and hospital admissions in Heraklion, Crete, during four consecutive storms of desert-derived PM that happened during March 2018.

Studying the expansion of small abdominal aortic aneurysms: is there a role for peak wall stress?

Aim: The aim of this paper was to study the characteristics of three distending small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), with an increase in maximal diameter from 5 to 5.5 cm or above.

Methods: Peak Wall Stress (PWS) in the presence and absence of intraluminal thrombus (ILT) was evaluated in 3 cases of small AAAs (5 cm), at initial presentation and after their expansion, at maximum diameters ≥5.