April 2019
29 ArticlesNo Section
Compassionate use of unauthorized drugs: Legal regulations and ethical challenges
Compassionate use (also referred to as expanded access) is therapeutic use of unauthorized drugs outside of clinical trials. The objective of this review is to discuss practical aspects of the... more
High-flow nasal cannula oxygenation utilization in respiratory failure
High flow nasal cannula (HFNC) represents a new oxygenation system to be used in the treatment of respiratory emergencies. During HFNC therapy, the active humidification and air heating system allow... more
Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis
Euglycemic DKA (eu-DKA) is a life-threatening emergency. It may occur in patients with both type 1 and type 2 DM, and characterized by milder degrees of hyperglycemia with blood glucose level < ... more
Refining diagnosis and management of chronic venous disease: Outcomes of a modified Delphi consensus process
Chronic venous disease (CVD) is a common condition with major health consequences that is associated with poor long-term prognosis, significant socioeconomic impact, disabling symptoms and reduced... more
Editorial
Recent published hypertension guidelines: A critical approach
Since 2012, doctors encountered a tsunami of new guidelines in the field of hypertension. >8 guidelines have been published by different societies or groups, causing confusion not only among... more
The management of anticoagulant treatment in non-valvular atrial fibrillation real-world patients
The interest on the primary and secondary prevention of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) has greatly increased after the introduction of the direct oral anticoagulants... more
Internal Medicine Flashcard
An incidental finding of metallic objects in a patient with chronic renal failure
A 69 year old male presented with one month of general weakness and progressive shortness of breath. Workup revealed a large unknown pleural effusion, and he was admitted to our hospital for... more
An elderly man with fever, dyspnoea and eosinophilia
An 81-year-old man presented to the author's hospital with one-week history of fever, non-productive cough and intermittent desaturations. This patient has known penicillin allergy, chronic hepatitis... more
Letter to the Editor
Interleukin 10 related to lymphopenia in lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune condition characterized by a wide range of cytokines and antibodies production. The interleukin 10 (IL-10) is one of the most studied... more
A simple audit of the quality of care during internal medicine admissions
Performance measurement in the health care system and especially in hospitals has expanded dramatically in recent years, but remains complex and inconsistent [1].
Urgent reforms for general practice in Italy
Following the letter by Colombo and Parisi [1], first of all we thank the authors for their positive comments on our earlier editorial [2]. Actually, their letter adds interesting information from... more
Women in internal medicine academic positions in France
Created in 1958, university hospital centers are French public health institutions linked to a university. They have a triple mission of care, teaching and research. At the same time, the position of... more
Seeking identity in primary care. A survey on GPs trainees in Lombardy
The role and identity of the general practitioner (GP) in the frame of primary care have significantly changed. The article of Livio Garattini and Anna Padula [1] compares the main traditional... more
On cancer and atrial fibrillation: Nuances and limitations
In a recent study, Malavasi et al. [1] describe the prevalence and predictive factors for anticoagulant use in a cohort of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and cancer admitted into an oncology... more
Issues regarding ambulatory blood pressure measurement in severely obese population: The guilty upper-arm
We read with great interest the paper by Głuszewska et al, [1] recently published in the journal of European Journal of Internal Medicine reporting blood pressure (BP) changes following bariatric... more
Cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with West Nile disease infection: An unexplored issue
Over the latest years, the incidence of West-Nile virus (WNV) infection has increased dramatically in some Italian regions, as in the North-east of Italy [1,2]. However, data regarding the prevalence... more
Impact of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate polysaccharide vaccination on severe exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and established cardiovascular disease
Immunocompromised patients with certain underlying diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or cardiovascular disease (CVD), are more susceptible to Streptococcus pneumoniae (... more
A man with psoriasis like rash
A 74-year-old man was admitted for diffuse skin lesions since several months. His past medical history included type 2 diabetes, hypertension, chronic heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Skin... more
Narrative Review
The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: Current trends in clinical practice between guidelines and technology progress
The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) is a valuable alternative to the conventional trans-venous ICD (TV-ICD) for the prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Prospective... more
Original Article
Clinical and patient reported outcomes of the multidisciplinary management in patients with inflammatory bowel disease-associated spondyloarthritis
Arthritis is the most frequent extra-intestinal manifestation in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The coexistence of intestinal and articular inflammation advocates the need for a... more
Serum endotrophin levels in patients with heart failure with reduced and mid-range ejection fraction
Endotrophin, a type VI collagen cleavage product, has fibrosis, and insulin resistance effects. Type VI collagen also plays a role in cardiac fibrosis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role... more
Assessment of the procoagulant potential and associated risk factors in pregnant patients with inflammatory bowel diseases
Both inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) and pregnancy are established risk factors for thrombotic complications, thus IBD pregnant patients can be considered at even greater risk for thrombosis as... more
Disparities in osteoporosis by race/ethnicity, education, work status, immigrant status, and economic status in the United States
Osteoporosis is one of the most common bone health diseases affecting older adults in US. Addressing disparities in osteoporosis will help to enhance the quality of bone care in the nation's bone... more
Hepatitis C virus infection and risk of coronary artery disease: A meta-analysis
A few recent studies have demonstrated that hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was associated with coronary artery diseases (CAD). However, there still existed studies did not confirm this correlation...
Impact of underlying chronic adrenal insufficiency on clinical course of hospitalized patients with adrenal crisis: A nationwide cohort study
Chronic adrenal insufficiency (AI) is an established risk factor for adrenal crisis (AC). However, the proportion of patients with newly diagnosed chronic AI during admission for AC is unclear.
The fat-to-mlean mass ratio, a novel anthropometric index, is associated to glucose metabolic disorders
The aim was to evaluate whether the Fat-to-Lean Mass (FyM) ratio is associated to glucose metabolic disorders (GMD).
Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis
The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality.
Review Article
Management of small renal masses: An interventional radiologist's perspective
Renal cell carcinoma is relatively common malignancy. Its imaging features are often non-specific and can present a diagnostic dilemma for clinicians. Historically, all patients with a renal mass... more
Special Article
Appropriateness, inappropriateness and waste of resources: Unfulfilled expectations?
Recent years have been characterised by an increased awareness in the fact that a high number of overused diagnostic imaging, medications and procedures provide no benefit to patients and may even... more