Transcatheter aortic valve replacement in the management of aortic insufficiency secondary to left ventricular assist device implantation: a case report.

Background: Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is considered either a destination therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure or heart transplantation bridging. LVAD implantation often causes aortic insufficiency (AI), which requires aortic valve repair. However, severe acute AI does not respond well to medication, and re-operation means higher risk to the patients; the most effective therapeutic strategies for LVAD-induced AI still need further exploration.

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Positivity on Delivery Outcomes for Pregnant Women between 2020 and 2021: A Single-Center Population-Based Analysis.

Despite the existing body of evidence, there is still limited knowledge about the impact of SARS-CoV-2 positivity on delivery outcomes. We aimed to assess the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in women who gave birth at the University Hospital "Federico II" of Naples, Italy, between 2020 and 2021. We conducted a retrospective single-center population-based observational study to assess the differences in the caesarean section and preterm labor rates and the length of stay between women who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and those who tested negative at the time of labor.

Timing of surgery and elective perioperative management of patients with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection: a SIAARTI expert consensus statement.

Background: The appropriate timing of surgery and perioperative management of patients with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection are open issues. The purpose of this document is to support the clinical decision-making process regarding the patient with previous Sars-CoV-2 infection to undergo elective surgery. The recipients of this document are physicians, nurses, healthcare personnel, and other professionals involved in the patient's surgical process.

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Distinguishing between Malignant and Benign Peripheral Pulmonary Consolidations: The Debated Utility of the Contrast Enhancement Arrival Time.

Limited studies and observations conducted on a too small number of patients prevent determining the actual clinical utility of pulmonary contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). The aim of the present study was to examine the efficacy of contrast enhancement (CE) arrival time (AT) and other dynamic CEUS findings for differentiating between malignant and benign peripheral lung lesions. 317 inpatients and outpatients (215 men, 102 women; mean age: 52 years) with peripheral pulmonary lesions were included in the study and underwent pulmonary CEUS.

Spontaneous Pneumo-Mediastinum in a Post-COVID-19 Patient with Systemic Sclerosis.

Pulmonary involvement is the most common cause of death among patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is particularly problematic to manage in SSc patients since they may experience a more severe evolution of COVID-19 due to the pre-existent interstitial lung disease (ILD) and the administration of immunosuppressive treatments. In addition, the remarkable radiological similarities between SSc-ILD and COVID-19 complicate the differential diagnosis between these two entities.

Usefulness of the MAGGIC Score in Predicting the Competing Risk of Non-Sudden Death in Heart Failure Patients Receiving an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator: A Sub-Analysis of the OBSERVO-ICD Registry.

The role of prognostic risk scores in predicting the competing risk of non-sudden death in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) receiving an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is unclear. To this goal, we evaluated the accuracy and usefulness of the Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC) score. The present analysis included 1089 HFrEF ICD recipients enrolled in the OBSERVO-ICD registry (NCT02735811).

Italian survey on non-intubated thoracic surgery: results from INFINITY group.

Background: Non-Intubated Thoracic Surgery (NITS) is becoming increasingly adopted all over the world. Although it is mainly used for pleural operations,, non-intubated parenchymal lung surgery has been less frequently reported. Recently, NITS utilization seems to be increased also in Italy, albeit there are no multi-center studies confirming this finding.

Transthoracic Ultrasound in Infectious Organizing Pneumonia: A Useful Guide for Percutaneous Needle Biopsy.

In patients presenting with classical features of CAP (i.e., new peripheral pulmonary consolidations and symptoms including fever, cough, and dyspnea), a clinical response to the appropriate therapy occurs in few days.

Lung Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of COVID-19 Pneumonia: Not Always and Not Only What Is COVID-19 "Glitters".

In the current coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, lung ultrasound (LUS) has been extensively employed to evaluate lung involvement and proposed as a useful screening tool for early diagnosis in the emergency department (ED), prehospitalization triage, and treatment monitoring of COVID-19 pneumonia. However, the actual effectiveness of LUS in characterizing lung involvement in COVID-19 is still unclear. Our aim was to evaluate LUS diagnostic performance in assessing or ruling out COVID-19 pneumonia when compared with chest CT (gold standard) in a population of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients.

Cardiac surgery practice during the COVID-19 outbreak: a multicentre national survey.

Objectives: Healthcare systems worldwide have been overburdened by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Accordingly, hospitals had to implement strategies to profoundly reshape both non-COVID-19 medical care and surgical activities. Knowledge about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac surgery practice is pivotal.

Cardiac surgery practice during the COVID-19 outbreak: a regionwide survey.

Background: Health systems worldwide have been overburdened by the "COVID-19 surge". Consequently, strategies to remodulate non-COVID medical and surgical care had to be developed. Knowledge of the impact of COVID surge on cardiac surgery practice is mainstem.

Recommendations from the Italian intersociety consensus on Perioperative Anesthesia Care in Thoracic surgery (PACTS) part 1: preadmission and preoperative care.

Introduction: Anesthetic care in patients undergoing thoracic surgery presents specific challenges that necessitate standardized, multidisciplionary, and continuously updated guidelines for perioperative care.

Methods: A multidisciplinary expert group, the Perioperative Anesthesia in Thoracic Surgery (PACTS) group, comprising 24 members from 19 Italian centers, was established to develop recommendations for anesthesia practice in patients undergoing thoracic surgery (specifically lung resection for cancer). The project focused on preoperative patient assessment and preparation, intraoperative management (surgical and anesthesiologic care), and postoperative care and discharge.

Pain assessment and management in Italian Haemophilia Centres.

Background: Although the widespread use of factor VIII/IX replacement therapy has significantly reduced the severity of arthropathy in persons with haemophilia (PWH), some develop degenerative joint changes, associated with significant pain. The aim of this survey was to investigate the management and perception of pain among Italian physicians who treat PWH.

Materials And Methods: Between September and October 2017, a questionnaire was distributed to 35 Italian haemophilia treatment centres (60 physicians).

Recommendations from the Italian intersociety consensus on Perioperative Anesthesa Care in Thoracic surgery (PACTS) part 2: intraoperative and postoperative care.

Introduction: Anesthetic care in patients undergoing thoracic surgery presents specific challenges that require a multidisciplinary approach to management. There remains a need for standardized, evidence-based, continuously updated guidelines for perioperative care in these patients.

Methods: A multidisciplinary expert group, the Perioperative Anesthesia in Thoracic Surgery (PACTS) group, was established to develop recommendations for anesthesia practice in patients undergoing elective lung resection for lung cancer.

A possible future for anaesthesia in breast surgery: thoracic paravertebral block and awake surgery. A prospective observational study.

Introduction: Quadrantectomy is a surgical procedure traditionally performed under general anaesthesia with intraoperative and postoperative opioid-based analgesia. The use of locoregional anaesthesia techniques in breast surgery has become widespread and allows excellent management of intraoperative and postoperative pain with reduced opioid consumption. We chose thoracic paravertebral block as regional anaesthesia technique in breast surgery to investigate the possibility of carrying out this surgery with the patient awake.

Erector spine plane block as postoperative rescue analgesia in thoracic surgery.

Objective: Erector spine plane block (ESPB) is a newly defined regional anesthesia technique performed by injection of local anesthetic beneath the erector spine muscle. We tested ESPB as a regional rescue analgesia bedside technique to be performed in the thoracic surgical ward, reporting a 7-patient case series.

Methods: We report our experience in rescue analgesia after thoracic surgery.

Effectiveness of home-based preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation in COPD patients undergoing lung cancer resection.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of a home-based preoperative rehabilitation program for improving preoperative lung function and surgical outcome of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) undergoing lobectomy for cancer.

Methods: This was a prospective, observational, single-center study including 59 patients with mild COPD who underwent lobectomy for lung cancer. All patients attended a home-based preoperative rehabilitation program including a minimum of 3 sessions each week for 4 weeks.

Role of a digital tool in preoperative lung resection surgery assessment.

The assessment of patients likely to undergo lung resection surgery is a multidisciplinary approach involving pulmonologists, surgeons and anaesthesiologists. In thoracic surgery, medical operability is also a calculation of postoperative lung function. A mobile application - PreParAPP MSD - to calculate postoperative lung function has been developed with the endorsement of the Italian Society of Anaesthesia, Analgesia and Intensive Care and with the unconditional support of MSD Italia.