It is time to define an organizational model for the prevention and management of infections along the surgical pathway: a worldwide cross-sectional survey.

Background: The objectives of the study were to investigate the organizational characteristics of acute care facilities worldwide in preventing and managing infections in surgery; assess participants' perception regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, antibiotic prescribing practices, and source control; describe awareness about the global burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and IPC measures; and determine the role of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic on said awareness.

Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted contacting 1432 health care workers (HCWs) belonging to a mailing list provided by the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery. The self-administered questionnaire was developed by a multidisciplinary team.

Hemostasis factors and aging.

With advancing age, an increasing number of healthy individuals have laboratory signs of heightened coagulation enzyme activity. Such biochemical hypercoagulability might be the basis of either the increased thrombotic tendency occurring with age or a harmless manifestation of this process. Centenarians had striking signs of heightened coagulation enzyme activity, accompanied by signs of enhanced formation of fibrin and secondary hyperfibrinolysis.

Activation of the tissue factor pathway of blood coagulation in patients with chronic urticaria.

Background: In patients with chronic urticaria (CU), plasma shows signs of thrombin generation and autologous plasma skin tests score positive in as many as 95% of cases.

Objective: To evaluate the initiators of blood coagulation that lead to thrombin generation and fibrinolysis in CU.

Methods: Activated factor VII, activated factor XII, fragment F(1+2), and D-dimer plasma levels were measured in 37 patients with CU and 37 controls.

Haemostatic and inflammatory biomarkers in advanced chronic heart failure: role of oral anticoagulants and successful heart transplantation.

Advanced chronic heart failure (CHF) is associated with abnormal haemostasis and inflammation, but it is not known how these abnormalities are related, whether they are modified by oral anticoagulants (OAT), or if they persist after successful heart transplantation. We studied 25 patients with CHF (New York Heart Association class IV, 10 of whom underwent heart transplantation) and 25 age- and sex-matched healthy controls by measuring their plasma levels of prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (F1 + 2), thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) complexes, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), D-dimer, factor VII (FVII), fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor (VWF), tumour necrosis factor (TNF), soluble TNF receptor II (sTNFRII), interleukin 6 (IL-6), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), endothelial-selectin (E-selectin) and thrombomodulin. CHF patients had higher plasma levels of TAT, D-dimer, t-PA, fibrinogen, VWF, TNF, IL-6, sTNFRII, sVCAM-1 (P = 0.

Von Willebrand factor in Italian centenarians.

Background And Objectives: Subjects with blood type O have lower concentration of von Willebrand factor (VWF) than those with type A, B or AB. Since we recently observed that laboratory signs of marked hypercoagulability are compatible with health and longevity in Italian centenarians, we determined VWF and blood groups in healthy centenarians to see whether levels of this marker of endothelial perturbation were altered and whether its correlation with blood groups was similar to that among the general population.

Design And Methods: In 74 centenarians and in 110 controls (55<45 years old; 55>45 years old), we studied VWF antigen (VWF:Ag), ristocetin co-factor activity (VWF:Rco), multimeric pattern of VWF and cleaving protease (VWF:CP), and plasmin-antiplasmin complexes (PAP).