The SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure: a multinational randomized trial.

The sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor empagliflozin reduces the risk of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization in patients with chronic heart failure, but whether empagliflozin also improves clinical outcomes when initiated in patients who are hospitalized for acute heart failure is unknown. In this double-blind trial (EMPULSE; NCT04157751 ), 530 patients with a primary diagnosis of acute de novo or decompensated chronic heart failure regardless of left ventricular ejection fraction were randomly assigned to receive empagliflozin 10 mg once daily or placebo. Patients were randomized in-hospital when clinically stable (median time from hospital admission to randomization, 3 days) and were treated for up to 90 days.

Inflammatory Cutaneous Lesions in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treated With Vedolizumab or Ustekinumab: An ECCO CONFER Multicentre Case Series.

This was a multicentre case series supported by the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation [ECCO] and performed as part of the Collaborative Network of Exceptionally Rare case reports [CONFER] project. The aim was to report on whether cutaneous lesions associated with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] and refractory to standard medical therapy including anti-tumour necrosis factors [anti-TNFs], would respond to the newer biologic agents ustekinumab [UST] or vedolizumab [VDZ]. This report includes 28 patients with cutaneous lesions from 14 centres, all of whom had failed immunomodulator and anti-TNF therapy.

Autologous Hematopoetic Stem Cell Transplantation for Refractory Crohn Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Case reports and series suggest hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) may benefit some patients with Crohn disease.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of autologous HSCT on refractory Crohn disease.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Parallel-group randomized clinical trial conducted in 11 European transplant units from July 2007 to September 2011, with follow-up through March 2013.

Physiological responses during downhill walking: A new exercise modality for subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

Skeletal muscle quadriceps low-frequency fatigue (LFF) during exercise promotes improvements in exercise capacity with exercise training. In healthy subjects, eccentric muscle work induced by downhill walking (DW) generates higher muscular stress, whilst metabolic cost is lower compared to level walking (LW). We investigated quadriceps LFF and metabolic cost of DW in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Quantitative validation of a computer-aided maxillofacial planning system, focusing on soft tissue deformations.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of 3D soft tissue predictions generated by a computer-aided maxillofacial planning system in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery.

Methods And Materials: Twenty patients with dentofacial dysmorphosis were treated with orthognathic surgery after a preoperative orthodontic treatment. Fourteen patients had an Angle Class II malocclusion; three patients had an Angle class III malocclusion, and three patients had an Angle Class I malocclusion.

Prognostic impact of sex-ambulatory blood pressure interactions in 10 cohorts of 17 312 patients diagnosed with hypertension: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Whether ambulatory blood pressure (BP) among hypertensive patients better predicts cardiovascular events (CVEs) in women relative to men is unclear.

Methods: We searched PUBMED and OVID databases. Cohorts were required to have hypertension, 1+ years of follow-up, with stroke and coronary artery disease as outcomes.

Impact of aphasia on consciousness assessment: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Previous findings suggest that language disorders may occur in severely brain-injured patients and could interfere with behavioral assessments of consciousness. However, no study investigated to what extent language impairment could affect patients' behavioral responses. Objective.

Surgical management of congenital intrahepatic bile duct dilatation, Caroli's disease and syndrome: long-term results of the French Association of Surgery Multicenter Study.

Objective: To assess clinical presentation and long-term results of surgical management of congenital intrahepatic bile duct dilatation (IHBDD) (Caroli disease and syndrome) in a multicenter setting.

Background: Congenital IHBDD predisposes to biliary stasis, resulting in intrahepatic lithiasis, septic complications, and cholangiocarcinoma. Although liver resection (LR) is considered to be the treatment of choice for unilobar disease extent into the liver, the management of bilobar disease and/or associated congenital hepatic fibrosis remains challenging.

Outcome after right middle lobe syndrome.

The long-term pulmonary consequences of right middle lobe syndrome (RMLS) in childhood are not known. Therefore, outcome was evaluated in 17 children with RMLS diagnosed in early childhood (mean age, 3.3 years; SD, 1.