Usefulness of mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin for stratifying risk in emergency department patients with solid tumors attended for febrile neutropenia secondary to chemotherapy.

Objective: To analyze the usefulness of mean mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) level to stratify risk in emergency department patients with solid tumors attended for febrile neutropenia after chemotherapy. To compare risk prediction with MR-proADM to that of conventional biomarkers and scores on the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) score.

Methods: Prospective observational cohort study enrolling patients with solid tumors who developed febrile neutropenia after chemotherapy.

EFLM Task Force Preparation of Labs for Emergencies (TF-PLE) recommendations for reinforcing cyber-security and managing cyber-attacks in medical laboratories.

The healthcare systems are a prime target for cyber-attacks due to the sensitive nature of the information combined with the essential need for continuity of care. Medical laboratories are particularly vulnerable to cyber-attacks for a number of reasons, including the high level of information technology (IT), computerization and digitization. Based on reliable and widespread evidence that medical laboratories may be inadequately prepared for cyber-terrorism, a panel of experts of the Task Force Preparation of Labs for Emergencies (TF-PLE) of the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) has recognized the need to provide some general guidance that could help medical laboratories to be less vulnerable and better prepared for the dramatic circumstance of a disruptive cyber-attack, issuing a number of consensus recommendations, which are summarized and described in this opinion paper.

Mortality prediction model from combined serial lactate, procalcitonin and calprotectin levels in critically ill patients with sepsis: A retrospective study according to Sepsis-3 definition.

Objective: 1) To evaluate the ability of baseline and on 24 h serum calprotectin, in comparison to canonical biomarkers (lactate and procalcitonin), for prognosis of 28-day mortality in critically ill septic patients; and 2) To develop a predictive model combining the three biomarkers.

Design: A single-center, retrospective study.

Setting: Intensive Care Unit of a university hospital.

Reliability of a point of care testing blood gas analyzer for measurement of lactate levels in cerebrospinal fluid.

Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), including lactate, is key for diagnosis of acute meningitis. Since blood gas analyzers (BGA) enable rapid and safe blood-lactate measurements, we evaluated the reliability of RAPIDPoint 500 BGA to provide a fast and accurate measure of CSF lactate. In this study, CSF lactate levels were measured by a reference assay and on RAPIDPoint 500 BGA.

Usefulness of extended inflammatory parameters related to neutrophil activation reported by Sysmex XN-1000 hematology analyzer for predicting complicated acute appendicitis. Comparison with canonical inflammatory laboratory tests.

Aim: Accurate diagnosis of complicated appendicitis is of importance to ensure that patients receive early and effective treatment, minimizing the risk of postoperative complications to promote successful recovery. Biochemical markers are a promising tool to identify complicated appendicitis. We aimed to evaluate the potential role of novel parameters related with neutrophil activation, known as "Extended Inflammation Parameters" (EIP), included in blood cell count reported by Sysmex XN-Series analyzers, compared to other canonical biomarkers in identifying complicated appendicitis.

Models to predict bacteremia in the emergency department: a systematic review.

Objectives: Blood cultures are ordered in emergency departments for 15% of patients with suspected infection. The diagnostic yield varies from 2% to 20%. Thirty-day mortality in patients with bacteremia is high, doubling or tripling the rate in patients with the same infection but without bacteremia.

Discriminative performance of pancreatic stone protein in predicting ICU mortality and infection severity in adult patients with infection: a systematic review and individual patient level meta-analysis.

Background: Several studies suggested pancreatic stone protein (PSP) as a promising biomarker to predict mortality among patients with severe infection. The objective of the study was to evaluate the performance of PSP in predicting intensive care unit (ICU) mortality and infection severity among critically ill adults admitted to the hospital for infection.

Methods: A systematic search across Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and MEDLINE databases (1966 to February 2022) for studies on PSP published in English using 'pancreatic stone protein', 'PSP', 'regenerative protein', 'lithostatin' combined with 'infection' and 'sepsis' found 46 records.

Effects of Etomidate on Postintubation Hypotension, Inflammatory Markers, and Mortality in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19: An International, Multicenter, Retrospective Study.

Objective: To evaluate the association of etomidate with postintubation hypotension, inflammation, and mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Design: International, multicenter, retrospective study.

Participants: Critically ill patients hospitalized specifically for COVID-19 from three major academic institutions in the US and Europe.

Identification of COVID-19 patients at risk of hospital admission and mortality: a European multicentre retrospective analysis of mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin.

Background: Mid-Regional pro-Adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) is an inflammatory biomarker that improves the prognostic assessment of patients with sepsis, septic shock and organ failure. Previous studies of MR-proADM have primarily focussed on bacterial infections. A limited number of small and monocentric studies have examined MR-proADM as a prognostic factor in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, however there is need for multicenter validation.

Circulating suPAR associates with severity and in-hospital progression of COVID-19.

Background: COVID-19 disease progression is characterized by hyperinflammation and risk stratification may aid in early aggressive treatment and advanced planning. The aim of this study was to assess whether suPAR and other markers measured at hospital admission can predict the severity of COVID-19.

Methods: The primary outcome measure in this international, multi-centre, prospective, observational study with adult patients hospitalized primarily for COVID-19 was the association of WHO Clinical Progression Scale (WHO-CPS) with suPAR, ferritin, CRP, albumin, LDH, eGFR, age, procalcitonin, and interleukin-6.

Dabigatran in patients with atrial fibrillation after COVID-19 hospitalization: an update of the ANIBAL protocol.

COVID-19 increases the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) and thrombotic complications, particularly in severe cases, leading to higher mortality rates. Anticoagulation is the cornerstone to reduce thromboembolic risk in patients with AF. Considering the risk of hepatotoxicity in patients with severe COVID-19 as well as the risk of drug-drug interactions, drug-induced hepatotoxicity and bleeding, the ANIBAL protocol was developed to facilitate the anticoagulation approach at discharge after COVID-19 hospitalization.

The importance of being external. methodological insights for the external validation of machine learning models in medicine.

Unlabelled: Background and Objective Medical machine learning (ML) models tend to perform better on data from the same cohort than on new data, often due to overfitting, or co-variate shifts. For these reasons, external validation (EV) is a necessary practice in the evaluation of medical ML. However, there is still a gap in the literature on how to interpret EV results and hence assess the robustness of ML models.

Harmonized D-dimer levels upon admission for prognosis of COVID-19 severity: Results from a Spanish multicenter registry (BIOCOVID-Spain study).

Coagulopathy is a key feature of COVID-19 and D-dimer has been reported as a predictor of severity. However, because D-dimer test results vary considerably among assays, resolving harmonization issues is fundamental to translate findings into clinical practice. In this retrospective multicenter study (BIOCOVID study), we aimed to analyze the value of harmonized D-dimer levels upon admission for the prediction of in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients.

Role of Pancreatic Stone Protein as an Early Biomarker for Risk Stratification of Acute Pancreatitis.

Background: Early risk stratification of acute pancreatitis is crucial to improve clinical outcomes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of pancreatic stone protein (PSP) to predict acute pancreatitis severity and to compare it with the biomarkers and severity scores currently used for that purpose.

Patients And Methods: Prospective single-center observational study enrolling 268 adult patients with acute pancreatitis.

Sinus bradycardia is associated with poor outcome in critically ill patients with COVID-19 due to the B.1.1.7 Lineage.

The progress of COVID-19 from moderate to severe may be precipitous, while the characteristics of the disease are heterogenous. The aim of this study was to describe the development of sinus bradycardia in critically ill patients with COVID-19 and its association with outcome in outbreak due to the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.

Accuracy of pancreatic stone protein for the diagnosis of infection in hospitalized adults: a systematic review and individual patient level meta-analysis.

Background: Accurate biomarkers to diagnose infection are lacking. Studies reported good performance of pancreatic stone protein (PSP) to detect infection. The objective of the study was to determine the performance of PSP in diagnosing infection across hospitalized patients and calculate a threshold value for that purpose.

Urine biomarkers for the prediction of mortality in COVID-19 hospitalized patients.

Risk factors associated with severity and mortality attributable to COVID-19 have been reported in different cohorts, highlighting the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in 25% of them. Among other, SARS-CoV-2 targets renal tubular cells and can cause acute renal damage. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of urinary parameters in predicting intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mortality and development of AKI in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Automated cell count in body fluids: a review.

Body fluid cell counting provides valuable information for the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of conditions. Chamber cell count and cellularity analysis by optical microscopy are considered the gold-standard method for cell counting. However, this method has a long turnaround time and limited reproducibility, and requires highly-trained personnel.