Publications by authors named "Paola Villois"
β-Lactam pharmacodynamics in Gram-negative bloodstream infections in the critically ill.
J Antimicrob Chemother
February 2020
Objectives: To determine the β-lactam exposure associated with positive clinical outcomes for Gram-negative blood stream infection (BSI) in critically ill patients.
Patients And Methods: Pooled data of critically ill patients with mono-microbial Gram-negative BSI treated with β-lactams were collected from two databases. Free minimum concentrations (fCmin) of aztreonam, cefepime, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, piperacillin (co-administered with tazobactam) and meropenem were interpreted in relation to the measured MIC for targeted bacteria (fCmin/MIC).
Background: Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) is one of the most popular drugs for the treatment of hypertension and heart failure. Most of its side effects are harmless and predictable, but some studies report a few life-threatening reactions to this drug, one of the most dangerous being acute pulmonary oedema.
Case Report: A 73-year-old woman was admitted to the Emergency Department with acute respiratory failure due to pulmonary oedema.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the relationship between high red blood cell distribution width (RDW) values and long-term neurological outcomes in patients who survived cardiac arrest (CA).
- An analysis of data from 390 unconscious adult ICU patients revealed a significant percentage (64%) experienced poor neurological outcomes after 3 months, with many having elevated RDW levels upon admission.
- The findings suggest that high RDW, along with other factors like age and CPR effectiveness, is linked to unfavorable neurological outcomes in CA survivors, highlighting the importance of RDW as a potential indicator of prognosis.
Background: A decrease in circulating lymphocytes has been described as a marker of poor prognosis after septic shock; however, scarce data are available after cardiac arrest (CA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of lymphopaenia after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of an institutional database including all adult CA patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) between January 2007 and December 2014 who survived for at least 24 h.
Background: There are few prospective data on the prognosis of insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant normal-weight (NW) or obese individuals.
Objectives: The estimated liver fat content, incidences of hyperglycemia and cardiovascular disease, and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates were investigated in a population-based cohort of 1658 individuals who were categorized according to BMI and insulin resistance as defined by HOMA-IR values ≥2.5 and the presence of metabolic syndrome.
Objective: Observational studies suggest that some trace elements and magnesium (Mg) improve glucose metabolism, markers of inflammation, and oxidative stress, but supplementation studies have yielded inconsistent results. Our objective was to evaluate whether a lifestyle intervention trial, aimed at reducing total and saturated fat and increasing fiber intake, can affect also the intake of selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), and Mg.
Methods: Dietary intake of Se, Cr, Zn, Cu, and Mg was evaluated at baseline and at the end of a lifestyle intervention trial performed in 335 dysmetabolic adults.
Article Synopsis
- TCF7L2, specifically the rs7903146 variant, is linked to type 2 diabetes; prior studies revealed it might hinder metabolic improvement from lifestyle changes.
- In a study involving 335 nondiabetic participants, lifestyle interventions effectively improved metabolic measures initially, but benefits largely diminished after four years, especially for those with the TT genotype.
- Ultimately, the presence of the T allele was associated with impaired fasting glucose and a higher risk of diabetes at the four-year mark, even as the effectiveness of the lifestyle intervention waned.
Objective: Iron supplementation in pregnancy seems beneficial for neonatal/maternal outcomes, but it was associated with diabetes and hypertension in the general population.
Study Design: We investigated the association between iron supplementation during midpregnancy and metabolic/hypertensive abnormalities in 500 consecutive gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and 500 normoglycemic women.
Results: Iron-supplement users (n = 212/1000) showed significantly higher values of prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), actual BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose, Homeostasis-Model-Assessment-Insulin-Resistance, and lower high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol than nonusers.