Neither ACEIs nor ARBs are associated with respiratory distress or mortality in COVID-19 results of a prospective study on a hospital-based cohort.

Considerable concern has emerged for the potential harm in the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor inhibitors (ARBs) in COVID-19 patients, given that ACEIs and ARBs may increase the expression of ACE2 receptors that represent the way for coronavirus 2 to entry into the cell and cause severe acute respiratory syndrome. Assess the effect of ACEI/ARBs on outcome in COVID-19 patients. Hospital-based prospective study.

Opacification patterns of cardiac masses using low-mechanical index contrast echocardiography: comparison with histopathological findings.

Background: Two-dimensional echocardiography is the main noninvasive imaging tool to identify cardiac masses but is unable to provide detailed tissue characterization.

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the ability of low mechanical index (MI) contrast echocardiography to detect presence and amount of tissue vascularization as validated by histopathology study of cardiac masses.

Methods And Results: Twelve consecutive patients (5 females and 7 males, age range 51-82 years) underwent conventional and contrast two-dimensional echocardiography with low MI.

Protein Chips for Detection of Salmonella spp. from Enrichment Culture.

Food pathogens are the cause of foodborne epidemics, therefore there is a need to detect the pathogens in food productions rapidly. A pre-enrichment culture followed by selective agar plating are standard detection methods. Molecular methods such as qPCR have provided a first rapid protocol for detection of pathogens within 24 h of enrichment culture.

Urgent Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Testing in Emergency Medicine: A Useful Tool?

Background: Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) has recently been introduced among the tests available to the Emergency Department (ED) of our hospital.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of TSH-level-dependent thyroid dysfunction and to assess the usefulness of urgent TSH testing in a series of emergency patients.

Methods: We planned a single-center observational cross-sectional clinical study.

Detection of mycobacterial DNA by a specific and simple lateral flow assay incorporating cadmium selenide quantum dots.

Cadmium selenide quantum dots have been incorporated to a lateral flow assay for the specific and very simple detection of different mycobacterial DNA targets within only a few minutes, bypassing the complexity of conventional DNA hybridization assays. The method extends our previous work on protein detection using an identical procedure.

Guidance for diagnosis and treatment of acute angioedema in the emergency department: consensus statement by a panel of Italian experts.

Angioedema attacks, characterized by the transient swelling of the skin and mucosae, are a frequent cause of visits to the emergency department. Swellings of the oral cavity, tongue, or larynx can result in life-threatening airway obstruction, while abdominal attacks can cause severe pain and often lead to unnecessary surgery. The underlying pathophysiologic process resulting in increased vascular permeability and plasma extravasation is mediated by vasoactive molecules, most commonly histamine and bradykinin.