C-reactive protein and procalcitonin during course of sepsis and septic shock.

Objective: The study investigates the diagnostic and prognostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) in patients with sepsis and septic shock.

Background: Limited data regarding the prognostic value of CRP and PCT during the course of sepsis or septic shock is available.

Methods: Consecutive patients with sepsis and septic shock from 2019 to 2021 were included monocentrically.

The Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte-Ratio as Diagnostic and Prognostic Tool in Sepsis and Septic Shock.

Background: Studies investigating the diagnostic and prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in sepsis or septic shock commonly included preselected subgroups of patients or were published prior to the current sepsis-3 criteria. Therefore, this study investigates the diagnostic and prognostic impact of the NLR in patients with sepsis and septic shock.

Methods: Consecutive patients with sepsis and septic shock from 2019 to 2021 from the prospective "MARSS-registry" were included monocentrically.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Performance of Plasma Albumin and Cholinesterase in Patients with Sepsis and Septic Shock.

Objective: Despite improved risk stratification tools and identification of novel biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis in patients with sepsis, sepsis-related mortality has not significantly improved during the past years. This study investigates the diagnostic and prognostic role of the plasma albumin and cholinesterase (ChE) in patients with sepsis and septic shock.

Methods: Consecutive patients with sepsis and septic shock from 2019 to 2021 were included at one institution.

Fibrinogen reflects severity and predicts outcomes in patients with sepsis and septic shock.

The study investigates the diagnostic and prognostic value of fibrinogen and the albumin-to-fibrinogen-ratio (AFR) in patients with sepsis and septic shock. Limited data regarding the prognostic value of fibrinogen and AFR during the course of sepsis or septic shock are available. Consecutive patients with sepsis and septic shock from 2019 to 2021 were included monocentrically.

Norepinephrine dose, lactate or heart rate: what impacts prognosis in sepsis and septic shock? Results from a prospective, monocentric registry.

Objective: The study comprehensively investigates the prognostic value of norepinephrine (NE) dose, lactate and heart rate in patients with sepsis and septic shock. Limited data regarding the prognostic value of NE dose, lactate and heart rate in patients meeting the sepsis-3 criteria is available.

Methods: Consecutive patients with sepsis and septic shock from 2019 to 2021 were included.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Significance of the Prothrombin Time/International Normalized Ratio in Sepsis and Septic Shock.

Objective: The study investigates the diagnostic and prognostic significance of the prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (PT/INR) in patients with sepsis and septic shock.

Background: Sepsis may be complicated by disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). While the status of coagulopathy of septic patients is represented within the sepsis-3 definition by assessing the platelet count, less data regarding the prognostic impact of the PT/INR in patients admitted with sepsis and septic shock is available.

Diagnostic and prognostic role of platelets in patients with sepsis and septic shock.

Studies investigating the prognostic role of platelets commonly include critically ill patients, whereas data regarding the prognostic impact of platelet count in patients admitted with sepsis and septic shock is limited. Therefore, the study investigates the prognostic role of platelet count in patients with sepsis and septic shock. Consecutive patients with sepsis and septic shock from 2019 to 2021 were included monocentrically.

Cardiac Troponin I Reveals Diagnostic and Prognostic Superiority to Aminoterminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide in Sepsis and Septic Shock.

Data regarding the prognostic value of cardiac biomarkers in patients suffering from sepsis or septic shock is scarce. Studies investigating the prognostic role of cardiac biomarkers in patients with sepsis and septic shock were commonly published prior to the sepsis-3 criteria and were often not restricted to septic patients only, too. This study investigated the diagnostic and prognostic value of the aminoterminal pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide (NT-pro BNP) and cardiac troponin I (cTNI) in patients with sepsis and septic shock.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of the AST/ALT ratio in patients with sepsis and septic shock.

Objective: The study investigates the diagnostic and prognostic value of the aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio in patients with sepsis and septic shock. Limited data regarding the prognostic value of the AST/ALT ratio in patients suffering from sepsis or septic shock is available.

Methods: Consecutive patients with sepsis and septic shock from 2019 to 2021 were included monocentrically.

Cardiac disease and prognosis associated with ventricular tachyarrhythmias in young adults and adults.

Background: This study evaluates cardiac diseases and prognosis in young adults and adults presenting with ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VTA).

Methods: The present longitudinal, observational, registry-based, monocentric cohort study includes all consecutive patients 45 years old or younger presenting with VTA at admission from 2002 to 2016. Rates of coronary angiography, coronary artery disease (CAD) and need for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), cardiac diseases associated with VTA, and differences in long-term prognostic endpoints for young adults (20-34 years old) were analyzed and compared to those of adults (35-45 years old), for whom multivariable risk prediction models were developed.

Copeptin reliably reflects longitudinal right ventricular function.

Background: Data is limited evaluating novel biomarkers in right ventricular dysfunction. Normal right heart function improves the prognosis of patients with heart failure. Therefore, this study investigates the association between the novel biomarker copeptin and right heart function compared to NT-proBNP.

Lupus Antibody Mimicking Reduced Plasmatic Coagulation in a Patient With Atrial Fibrillation and Ischemic Stroke.

Lupus anticoagulant (LA) owns procoagulant properties and prolongs phospholipid-dependent clotting times . The prolonged clotting time can be misinterpreted as a bleeding disorder. In some cases, it is necessary to differentiate LA-associated changes from coagulation factor deficiency.

Differences of bleedings after percutaneous coronary intervention using femoral closure and radial compression devices.

Bleedings represent most relevant complications being correlated with significant rates of adverse clinical outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). To reduce bleeding and improve prognosis various types of vascular closure devices (VCD) are frequently applied. This study aims to compare directly one specific femoral closure (FC) to one specific radial compression (RC) device in patients after PCI focusing on overall and access-site bleedings as well as major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

Extravascular compared to Intravascular Femoral Closure is Associated with Less Bleeding and Similar MACE after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Various types of vascular closure devices (VCDs) are frequently utilized in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in order to prevent arterial access site bleeding, which represents one of the most relevant complications associated with adverse clinical outcomes. This study aims to compare directly two mechanistically different types of femoral closure (FC) devices in patients undergoing PCI. This single-center, prospective, observational study includes consecutively patients either treated by the extravascular StarClose SE® (Abbott, Illinois, U.

Pentraxin-3 Predicts Short- and Mid-term Mortality in Patients with Sepsis and Septic Shock During Intensive Care Treatment.

Background: The prognostic value of the acute phase protein Pentraxin 3 (PTX-3) is not well evaluated in patients with septic shock, which reveal an unacceptably high short- and long-term mortality. New Sepsis-3 definitions are not yet implemented in most biomarker studies. Therefore, this study assesses the prognostic value of PTX-3 for short- and mid-term mortality in patients with sepsis or septic shock, as defined by the latest definitions, treated at a medical intensive care unit (ICU).

Galectin-3 Reflects the Echocardiographic Grades of Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction.

Background: The level of Galectin-3 (Gal-3) protein purportedly reflects an ongoing cardiac fibrotic process and has been associated with ventricular remodeling, which is instrumental in the development of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential use of Gal-3 in improved characterization of the grades of diastolic dysfunction as defined by echocardiography.

Methods: Seventy HFpEF patients undergoing routine echocardiography were prospectively enrolled in the present monocentric study.

Interventional Left Atrial Appendage Closure Affects the Metabolism of Acylcarnitines.

Background: Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) represents the interventional alternative to oral anticoagulation for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF). The metabolism of acylcarnitines was shown to affect cardiovascular diseases. This study evaluates the influence of successful LAAC on the metabolism of acylcarnitines.

Impact of left atrial appendage morphology on thrombus formation after successful left atrial appendage occlusion: Assessment with cardiac-computed-tomography.

A standardized imaging algorithm by cardiac computed tomography angiography (cCTA) (LOVE-view) was used in 30 patients to evaluate the influence of different left atrial appendage (LAA) morphologies on development of thrombosis in the LAA 6 months after implantation of an occlusion device (Watchman or Amplatzer-Cardiac-Plug) in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation, CHADS-VASc-Score >1 and a contraindication for oral anticoagulation. The distribution of different LAA morphologies was 40% windsock, 17% broccoli and 43% chicken wing type. There was no significant difference in the level of thrombosis regarding LAA morphology or the type of chosen occlusion device.

Comparative analysis of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I and T for their association with coronary computed tomography-assessed calcium scoring represented by the Agatston score.

Background: This study evaluates the association between high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and T (hs-cTnT) and coronary calcium concentration (CAC) detected by coronary computed tomography (CCT) and evaluated with the Agatston score in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: Patients undergoing CCT during routine clinical care were enrolled prospectively. CCT was indicated for patients with a low to intermediate pretest probability for CAD.

Incidence and Prognostic Relevance of Cardiopulmonary Failure in Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.

Recent studies have indicated that patients with takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) have a higher mortality rate than the general population. There is a distinct possibility that TTC could be associated with adverse life-threatening complications like cardiopulmonary failure. Our institutional database constituted a collective of 114 patients diagnosed with TTC.

Galectin-3 Reflects Left Atrial Function being Assessed by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the association between galectin-3 and left atrial function (LAF) in patients undergoing cMRI.

Methods: Patients undergoing cMRI were prospectively enrolled. Right ventricular dysfunction (< 50%) was excluded.