Clinical and Personal Predictors of Helmet-CPAP Use and Failure in Patients Firstly Admitted to Regular Medical Wards with COVID-19-Related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (hCPAP-f Study).

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) caused by COVID-19 is substantially different from ARDS caused by other diseases and its treatment is dissimilar and challenging. As many studies showed conflicting results regarding the use of Non-invasive ventilation in COVID-19-associated ARDS, no unquestionable indications by operational guidelines were reported. The aim of this study was to estimate the use and success rate of Helmet (h) Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) in COVID-19-associated ARDS in medical regular wards patients and describe the predictive risk factors for its use and failure.

Early reduction of estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) predicts poor outcome in acutely ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients firstly admitted to medical regular wards (eGFR-COV19 study).

Background: Analysis of autopsy tissues obtained from patients who died from COVID-19 showed kidney tropism for SARS-COV-2, with COVID-19-related renal dysfunction representing an overlooked problem even in patients lacking previous history of chronic kidney disease. This study aimed to corroborate in a substantial sample of consecutive acutely ill COVID-19 hospitalized patients the efficacy of estimated GFR (eGFR), assessed at hospital admission, to identify acute renal function derangement and the predictive role of its association with in-hospital death and need for mechanical ventilation and admission to intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed charts of 764 patients firstly admitted to regular medical wards (Division of Internal Medicine) for symptomatic COVID-19 between March 6th and May 30th, 2020 and between October 1st, 2020 and March 15th, 2021.

Prognostic role of Interleukin-6/lymphocytes ratio in SARS-CoV2 related pneumonia.

Introduction And Aim: Interleukin-6 to lymphocyte (IL-6/Lym) ratio has been identified as a potential prognostic tool in patients with SARS-CoV2 related pneumonia. The aim of our study was to compare the prognostic power of IL-6/Lym ratio with other biomarkers in patients initially admitted in a non intensive unit and suffering for respiratory failure associated with SARS-CoV2 related pneumonia.

Materials And Methods: IL-6/Lym ratio, IL-6, D-Dimer, D-Dimer/fibrinogen ratio, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein (CRP), lymphocytes count and neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratio collected at hospital admission were tested as prognosticators of negative outcome, defined as combined endpoint in-hospital mortality and/or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission requiring oro-tracheal intubation (OTI).

The home management of Artificial Nutrition: a survey among doctors and nurses.

Background And Aim Of The Work: The management of Artificial Nutrition (NA), especially in the home environment (HAN) requires specific skills in order to ensure the correct therapeutic education, prevention of complications and the provision of appropriate treatment to the person. The aim of this survey was to identify the perceptions of nurses and doctors, as well as comparing to their perceived competence in NA and the gap between their perceived versus actual knowledge and management methods.

Methods: This observational study was conducted in a Tuscan health region of Italy, involving 50 Home Care Services nurses and 50 general practitioners.

Complete resolution of primary sclerosing peritonitis ("abdominal cocoon") following long term therapy for Tropheryma whipplei: a case report and review of literature.

A 53-year-old man was admitted to our internal medicine unit with intestinal obstruction and signs of systemic inflammatory disease. Clinical history was unremarkable until a few months earlier, when he began suffering from Achilles tendonitis. Diagnostic procedures, including laparotomy, revealed diffuse thickening of the peritoneum resembling sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis.