Publications by authors named "Laura Diaconu"

Sepsis is a complex and multifaceted condition that remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) scores are widely used to predict sepsis outcomes, but their utility varies depending on the clinical setting. This narrative review compares the predictive validity, sensitivity and specificity of SOFA and qSOFA, as well as other markers such as serum lactate and SIRS, across different healthcare environments.

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  • Sarcopenia and frailty are common problems in patients with advanced liver disease that can negatively affect health outcomes, making their assessment and management crucial.
  • A study conducted in Romania from 2021 to 2023 analyzed 128 patients using various physical assessments to determine the prevalence of these conditions, revealing that younger patients were often affected.
  • The findings showed that patients with both sarcopenia and frailty had poorer survival rates and higher complications, emphasizing the need for early intervention in this population.
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Background And Aims: Pan-genotypic ribavirin-free oral direct-acting antivirals, including the glecaprevir/pibrentasvir combination, are recommended for the treatment of most patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. In Romania, the HCV-infected patient population receiving glecaprevir/pibrentasvir is not well characterized and data on treatment effectiveness is lacking. The ODYSSEY study aimed to provide insights into the characteristics and treatment outcomes of HCV-infected Romanian patients receiving 8-week therapy with glecaprevir/pibrentasvir.

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: The management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes, besides the control of symptoms, the prevention of organ damage and the improvement of the overall disability. : A single-centered, cross-sectional, non-interventional and population-based study was conducted between October 2023 and August 2024 in the Department of Internal Medicine 2 and Gastroenterology of Bucharest Emergency University Hospital to assess the disease disability and quality of life impact using IBD-disk and correlation with different parameters. : We included 112 patients; their mean age was 52.

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  • The study investigates the long-term disability effects of severe COVID-19 three years after post-acute rehabilitation using the WHODAS 2.0 questionnaire.
  • Out of 69 identified patients, only 27 participated, highlighting the impact of emotional distress on patient response rates; most patients were older, with comorbidities like diabetes and high blood pressure prevalent.
  • Results showed a mean disability score of 35.09%, largely influenced by diabetes and central neurological deficits, suggesting a need for targeted rehabilitation and ongoing care to enhance recovery outcomes.
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(1) Background: The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) is a tool designed to measure disability in accordance with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

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Background: Sarcopenia is a syndrome characteristic in elderly patients and is also associated with a significant proportion of chronic disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this case, it can lead to a worse prognosis of the disease and a decreased quality of life.

Study Aim: This study aims to identify the best ways to diagnose sarcopenia in patients with IBD, establish its impact on the course of the disease, and find preventive methods to counteract the effects of sarcopenia in the outcome of patients with IBD and, therefore, minimize disabilities and increase the health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

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  • Anxiety disorders are prevalent in people with diabetes mellitus and negatively affect their ability to manage their condition, necessitating effective assessment tools.
  • This research involved translating and culturally adapting two assessment instruments, the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ) and the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), for Romanian diabetes patients.
  • Results showed that SPIN is a valid and reliable tool for assessing social phobia in diabetes patients, while DSMQ needs more validation data for conclusive effectiveness.
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Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease and heart failure (HF), both with preserved and reduced ejection fraction of the left ventricle. Previous research demonstrated that dapagliflozin treatment is associated with the remission of type 1 diastolic dysfunction (DD1) in patients with T2DM. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the possible baseline predictors associated with the remission of DD1 in patients with T2D after one year of dapagliflozin treatment.

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Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the dynamics of epicardiac adipose tissue (EAT) thickness and total volume as well as that of systolic and diastolic dysfunction in a group of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) after initiation of sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT 2) inhibitors therapy.

Patients And Methods: This prospective, observational study included 53 patients with T2D who received SGLT-2 inhibitors for 24 weeks. In all patients, echocardiographic screening for EAT, systolic and diastolic dysfunction and non-contrast computed tomography scans were performed, both before and after 24 weeks of SGLT-2 inhibition.

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Population aging is unprecedented, without parallel in the history of humanity. As type 2 diabetes mellitus is predominantly more prevalent in aging populations, this creates a major public health burden. Older adults with diabetes have the highest rates of major lower-extremity amputation, myocardial infarction, visual impairment, and end-stage renal disease of any age group.

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