Diagnosing Pulmonary Embolism When the Clinical Picture Is Not Clear - The Role of the Point-of-care Ultrasound.

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become a reliable and powerful tool working as a complement to the traditional physical examination. It has proven to be a reliable and reproducible method to a quicker and safer diagnosis, sometimes surpassing the diagnostic accuracy of more traditional techniques. We present two cases of pulmonary embolism (PE) with clinical presentations that suggested other diagnoses, prior to the performance of POCUS: a 60-year-old patient with nausea and vomiting and a 66-year-old female with a week-long progressive increase of shortness of breath and increased peripheral edema.

Burden of primary influenza and respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia in hospitalised adults: insights from a 2-year multi-centre cohort study (2017-2018).

Background: Viral community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a potentially serious illness, particularly in adult patients with underlying chronic conditions. In addition to the most recent SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are considered the most relevant causes of viral CAP.

Aims: To describe the clinical features of hospitalised adults admitted for influenza-A/B and RSV pneumonia and analyse, according to aetiology, factors associated with non-invasive ventilation (NIV) failure and in-hospital death (IHD).

The diagnostic challenge of acute Q fever endocarditis.

A 79-year-old man was admitted to our ward with symptomatic heart failure 2 months after aortic valve replacement due to severe aortic stenosis. On the third day following admission, he became febrile (>38°C) while manifesting an increase in inflammatory markers. Endocarditis was suspected despite negative blood cultures.

Severity of RSV infection in Southern European elderly patients during two consecutive winter seasons (2017-2018).

In Europe, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) surveillance system is very heterogeneous and there is growing evidence of the importance of RSV infections resulting in hospitalization of elderly patients. The aim of this study was to assess the severity of RSV infection in the elderly living in the aged Southern European countries. We conducted a retrospective study of elderly patients ( ≥65-year old) admitted for laboratory-confirmed RSV infection in three tertiary hospitals in Portugal, Italy, and Cyprus over two consecutive winter seasons (2017-2018).

Comparative virulence of seasonal viruses responsible for lower respiratory tract infections: a southern European multi-centre cohort study of hospital admissions.

Objectives: Our study aimed to compare the clinical severity of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI's) caused by Influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of LRTI admissions with positive PCR results for Influenza or RSV from 2017 to 2019 in three teaching hospitals in southern Europe. Data on clinical characteristics, viral agents and disease outcome were collected.

Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus infections in the oldest-old continent.

SARS-CoV-2 dramatically revealed the sudden impact of respiratory viruses in our lives. Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections are associated with high rates of morbidity, mortality, and an important burden on healthcare systems worldwide, especially in elderly patients. The aim of this study was to identify severity predictors in the oldest-old admitted with influenza and/or RSV infections.

Dysautonomia secondary to third ventriculostomy successfully managed with midodrine.

Hypothalamic lesions can compromise its essential regulatory roles resulting in critical disruption of temperature and blood pressure homoeostasis. We present the case of a 55-year-old woman who had been previously submitted to several neurosurgical procedures aimed at treating idiopathic hydrocephalus. She presented to our department with recurring episodes of hypothermia and wide blood pressure variations, which had been worsening over the last few years.

Weil's disease in a young homeless man living in Lisbon.

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease of worldwide distribution caused by infection with genus bacteria, a pathogenic spirochaete. We present the case of a 29-year-old man admitted to our hospital with fever and multiorgan failure. He provided poor information about his symptoms.

Recurrent Infection Causing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI)-Related Endocarditis.

Unlabelled: The authors report the case of an 86-year-old woman presenting with recurrent bacteraemia. She had severe aortic stenosis submitted to a recent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Initially, bacteraemia from a urinary source was diagnosed.