Departments of Surgery/Anesthesiology, Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of South Florida, FGTBA and TEAMHealth, Tampa, FL 33606, USA.
Published: January 2020
AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
Inflammation is considered a risk factor for venous thromboembolism. The association between inflammatory markers and the severity of acute pulmonary embolism (APE) has not been explored. We studied the association between two crude markers of inflammation, serum albumin, and red cell distribution width (RDW) and massive versus non-massive APE. Among 552 consecutive cases of CT-angiogram-confirmed APE, a total of 46 cases (8.3%) had massive APE. Despite similar demographics and comorbidities, patients with massive APE had higher frequency of acute kidney injury ( = 0.005), higher lactic acid ( = 0.011), higher troponin (P = 0.001), higher BNP ( < 0.001), higher frequency of RV dilation ( = 0.017) and hypokinesis ( = 0.003), and higher in-hospital mortality (15.2% vs. 2%, < 0.001). Patients with massive APE had significantly lower albumin level (median (IQR): 2.8 (2.2, 3.0) vs. 3.2 (2.8, 3.6) gm/dL, < 0.001) and higher RDW (median (IQR): 14.7 (13.8, 17.1) vs. 14.2 (13.3, 15.6), = 0.006) compared with non-massive APE. ROC curves showed that albumin and RDW had an AUC of 0.750 ( < 0.001) and 0.621 ( = 0.006) in predicting a massive APE, respectively. The optimal cutoff values for albumin and RDW that had the highest combined sensitivity and specificity for predicting APE was ≤3 gm/dL and >14, for albumin and RDW, respectively. Restricted cubic splines showed a significant association between albumin ( = 0.0002) and RDW ( = 0.0446) and the occurrence of massive APE. After adjustment for patients' age, body mass index, white blood cell count, the requirement of antibiotics during hospitalization, diabetes, RDW, and peak creatinine, serum albumin was independently associated with massive APE (OR 0.234, 95% CI 0.129-0.4242, < 0.001). low serum albumin is associated with massive APE. This association is likely a proxy for higher inflammatory state in massive compared with non-massive APE.
Many of us in the modern world find ourselves implicated in massive, structural harms and injustices. We emit greenhouse gases, which-along with everyone else's emissions-are warming the planet. We buy products that result from bad labor practices.
The development of effective antivirals is of great importance due to the threat associated with the rapid spread of viral infections. The accumulation of data in scientific publications and in databases of biologically active compounds provides an opportunity to extract specific information about interactions between chemicals and their viral and host targets. This information can be used for elucidation of knowledge about potential antiviral activity of chemical compounds, their side effects and toxicities.
Aim: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of massive hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing in point of care on the street using quick tests, determine the characteristics of the population included, and the prevalence of HCV infection in this population.
Methods: Cross-sectional community-based study including adult men who have sex with men (MSM) who attended the three most important LGTB+ events in Sitges (Catalonia, Spain) in 2022. Points of care were set up on tents on the street and attendees were offered voluntary anti-HCV antibody self-testing.
Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, No. 82, Cuyingmen, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
Background: Due to the complex and abstract anatomy of the nervous system, neurology has become a difficult subject for students of clinical disciplines. It is imperative to develop new teaching methods to improve students' enthusiasm for learning this course. Small private online courses (SPOC) combined with problem based learning (PBL) blended teaching models based on massive open online course (MOOC) provides a new direction for future neurology teaching reform.
Tricuspid regurgitation can be due to different causes and mechanisms. Among these, cardiac involvement in carcinoid disease is a rare cause of tricuspid valve disease with a peculiar echocardiographic aspect. We report the case of a 59-year-old woman, with no past medical history, who was recently found to have a heart murmur and signs of right heart failure.
