Background: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is associated with hepatic and extrahepatic complications, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). The effects of sustained virological response (SVR) and liver fibrosis on CVD risk are not well established. Aims: We aim to assess the dynamics of Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease 2013 (ASCVD) scores up to three years after direct acting antivirals (DAA) treatment and explore the time-dependent association between the two scores.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClostridioides difficile (CD) is a major nosocomial pathogen and the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. In light of the strong association between antimicrobial use and CD infections (CDI), it may be hypothesised that areas at higher prevalence of antimicrobial resistance, like the region of Campania in southern Italy, could also have a higher rate of CDI. In this multicentre, region-based, prospective study, we analysed such issues, exploiting CDI incidence data collected from local hospitals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of continuing immune suppressive therapy in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTR) with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis of data on 202 SOTR with COVID-19, published as case reports or case series. We extracted clinical, hemato-chemical, imaging, treatment, and outcome data.
The aim of this study was to assess the drivers of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infection development in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its impact on patient outcome. Retrospective analysis on data from 32 consecutive patients with COVID-19, admitted to our intensive care unit (ICU) from March to May 2020. Outcomes considered were MDR infection and ICU mortality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects lipid metabolism. We investigated the impact of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment on lipid metabolism in chronic hepatitis C (CHC), with a focus on the effects of anthropometric parameters and liver histology. We also analyzed the dynamics of metabolic indexes used to estimate cardiovascular risk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To identify a safety threshold of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) duration; to determine which protection offers the best outcome and whether a 10-min period of cold perfusion (20°C) preceding rewarming can reduce neurological events (NE).
Methods: From January 1988 to April 2009, 456 patients underwent aortic surgery using DHCA: for chronic disease in 239 and acute in 217. Cerebral protection was obtained by straight DHCA (sDHCA) in 69 cases, retrograde perfusion (RCP) in 198 and antegrade perfusion (ACP) in 189.
A 71-year-old female developed a painless neck mass three months following an aortic valve replacement, mitral commissurotomy, and coronary artery bypass. A cervical trunk angio revealed a pseudoaneurysm supplied from a branch of the thyrocervical trunk, which was successfully excised.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This study was undertaken to evaluate long-term results of bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting with saphenous vein or another arterial conduit as the third conduit.
Methods: From September 1991 to December 2002, a total of 1015 patients underwent first isolated coronary artery bypass grafting for triple-vessel disease, with bilateral internal thoracic artery plus saphenous vein in 643 cases and bilateral internal thoracic artery plus arterial conduit in 372. A nonparsimonious regression model was built to determine propensity score, then sample matching (saphenous vein vs arterial conduit) was performed to select 885 patients (590 with saphenous vein, 295 with arterial conduit).
Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of untreated moderate-or-more functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) on mid-term outcome of patients with functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) undergoing mitral valve surgery (MVS).
Methods: From January 1988 to April 2003, 165 patients having FMR underwent MVS with untreated FTR. Patients with organic mitral or tricuspid valve disease were excluded.
Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of treating or not treating moderate-or-more functional tricuspid regurgitation in patients with functional mitral regurgitation undergoing mitral valve surgery.
Methods: From January 1988 to March 2003, 110 patients with functional mitral regurgitation undergoing mitral valve surgery showed moderate-or-more functional tricuspid regurgitation, which was treated (group T) in 51 and untreated in 59 (group UT) patients. Propensity score was used to adjust midterm results.
Background: We evaluated the impact of ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) on long-term outcome of patients with an ejection fraction (EF) exceeding 0.30 undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
Methods: From November 1994 to December 2002, 4226 patients (EF > 0.
Background: Off-pump was compared with on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery to evaluate the impact of cardiopulmonary bypass on the incidence of postoperative acute renal failure (ARF).
Methods: From November 1994 to December 2001, 2,943 patients having multivessel surgical disease underwent myocardial revascularization. Ninety patients were excluded because of incompleteness of data, intraoperative death, or preoperative chronic dialysis.
Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate in elective patients the early and midterm results of partial clamping of the brachiocephalic trunk (BCT) for total ascending aorta replacement (TAAR) without circulatory arrest. Contraindications to the procedure were BCT/aortic arch calcifications and chronic aortic dissection.
Methods: The right radial artery was cannulated to monitor the systemic pressure after the BCT was partially clamped.