August 2020
41 ArticlesNo Section
Screening for pulmonary arterial hypertension in systemic sclerosis: A systematic literature review.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare and severe disease characterized by proliferative remodeling of the small pulmonary arteries, leading to increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR... more
Commentary
We should no longer play lip service to lifestyle interventions in the prevention of CVD
For as long as cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention has been advocated, and guidance recommendations for clinicians based on the synthesis of existing evidence provided by international guidelines... more
First view of the TESEO registry: From snapshots come photo albums
The increased risk of thrombosis associated with cancer has been known since Trousseau's observations in the 19th century. Roughly 15 to 20 years ago, studies found that patients with cancer and... more
The value of bleeding scores in the assessment of patients presenting with bleeding of unknown cause: Bleeding assessment tools have still a place
In this issue of the Journal, Genhart and coworkers present data about the discriminatory power of bleeding assessment tools (BATs) in adults with a mild to moderate bleeding tendency [1]. They... more
The value of bleeding scores in the assessment of patients presenting with bleeding of unknown cause: Complex algorithms with little predictive value
The evaluation of patients with mild to moderate bleeding disorder can be frustratingly unproductive. Patients frequently present with bothersome symptoms, such as recurrent epistaxis, easy bruising... more
Changes in ongoing clinical trial protocol designs behind the scenes
The implications and relevance of a study showing that 54% of clinical trials recently published in the three most influential general medicine journals New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet and... more
Editorial
Chloroquine and COVID-19: A western medical and scientific drift?
We read with interest the letter entitled “COVID-19 and hydroxychloroquine: is the wonder drug failing ?” by U. Paliani and A. Cordona [1]. This work illustrates the need to be very careful in... more
COVID-19 and hydroxychloroquine: Is the wonder drug failing?
The absence of an effective treatment against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has led clinicians to redirect drugs that are known to be effective for other... more
Internal Medicine Flashcard
Bone pain, splenomegaly and microcytic anemia in a young woman
A 23 years old female patient presented to clinical hematology consultation with asthenia and mild bilateral femoral pain. She has a history of anemia without clear etiology during her childhood.... more
Goosebumps and angioid streaks in a patient with cerebrovascular disease.
A 55-year-old man was referred to the dermatology department for a long history of asymptomatic lesions on the skin of his neck and axillae. He had a remarkable history of recurrent ischemic strokes... more
A great masquerader disease…
A 64-year-old-man, with history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, serous chorioretinopathy and past-smoking history (15 pack-years) presented with asthenia and weight loss (6 kg in 6 months). His-... more
Amlodipine-induced gingival hypertrophy
A 57-year-old male patient who was guided by a dentist, presented with gingival swelling to the department of hematology (Fig. 1A). He had been suffering from increasing gingival enlargement for two... more
Letter to the Editor
Hyponatremia at discharge: A solid risk or accidental findings in community acquired pneumonia – Authors’ reply
With great interest have we read the comment of Obradović and Esquinas to our article on hyponatremia in patients with pneumonia published in the European Journal of internal Medicine [1,2].
Some concerns about poor outcome predictors for influenza virus infections: Authors' reply
Sir,
Some concerns about poor outcome predictors for influenza virus infections
According to World Health Organization (WHO), influenza virus infections cause 3-5 million clinically severe cases and 290-650 thousand deaths per year due to solely respiratory disease [1]. Besides... more
Hyponatremia at discharge: A solid risk or accidental findings in Community-acquired pneumonia
To Editor
Management and outcomes of post-acute COVID-19 patients in Northern Italy
Dear Editor
SARS-CoV-2 infection among asymptomatic homebound subjects in Milan, Italy
At the end of December 2019, the first cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were identified in Wuhan, China. [1] In the following months, the outbreak of SARS-COV-2 infections spreads worldwide [1] As of... more
Comment to: Cluster analysis for clinical sarcoidosis' phenotyping
We have read and appreciated the commentary by M. d'Alessandro to our manuscript entitled “Cluster analysis for clinical sarcoidosis’ phenotyping” published in European Journal of Internal Medicine [... more
Why the four non-vitamin K-antagonist oral anticoagulants are actually five
To the Editor,
Comparison of stroke recurrence between antiplatelet and closure therapy in cryptogenic stroke patients with patent foramen ovale and its influencing factors
Stroke is the second highest disease causing burden on the global economy and one of the leading causes of non-traumatic disability [1]. As many as 30–40% of ischemic stroke cases have no identified... more
The Impact Of Diabetes Mellitus And Microvascular Complications On Heart Failure Biomarkers
The presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in patients with cardiovascular disease is associated with a greater number of major adverse events [1]. One of the most severe consequences is represented by... more
Comparative prediction of long-term mortality by the CHA2DS2-VASc score and cardiac troponin I levels in patients with atrial fibrillation at the emergency department
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice, and is associated with an increased risk of stroke, heart failure (HF) and mortality [1]. In this regard, the CHA2DS2-VASc... more
“Haven't I always been a sickly person?” Controversies about L. van Beethoven's illnesses
The life of this exceptional genius (1770–1827), was embittered by progressive hearing loss which he experienced at an early age and undoubtedly caused him very severe suffering and had a hard effect... more
Exploring the characteristics, global distribution and reasons for retraction of published articles involving human research participants: A literature survey
Over the past few years, the issue of retractions has attracted the attention of researchers and many studies have reported the current state of retractions [1]. Many previous studies have analyzed... more
Iron deficiency in pregnancy and gastrointestinal cancer: addressing a common gap
The article of Alexandre, Leo et al. [1] about the correlation of Iron Deficiency without Anemia (IDWA) with intestinal cancer was an interesting read. Essentially Iron Deficiency (ID) appears as a... more
Original Article
Electrocardiographic features of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the clinical manifestation of infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) [1,2]. The clinical course of the infection is... more
Anticholinergic drug exposure at intensive care unit admission affects the occurrence of delirium. A prospective cohort study
Delirium frequently complicates Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay [1,2]. The costs accompanying delirium are high [3], mainly due to an increased length of stay both in the ICU and in the hospital [1,4,... more
A snapshot of cancer-associated thromboembolic disease in 2018–2019: First data from the TESEO prospective registry
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with cancer [1]. Both pathologies interrelate at a deep biological level with numerous interactions between... more
Early osteopontin levels predict mortality in patients with septic shock
Despite substantial advances in clinical understanding and disease definition, sepsis remains the leading cause of death in intensive care units (ICUs) [1]. Furthermore, progress in medical care have... more
Longitudinal changes of left and right cardiac structure and function in patients with end-stage renal disease on replacement therapy
As renal function declines, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are subjected to a graded increase in rates of cardiovascular events [1]. Heart failure and sudden cardiac death account for a... more
Non-adherence to antimicrobial guidelines in patients with bloodstream infection visiting the emergency department
Bacterial infections can result in considerable mortality and have a profound global burden [1–3]. Patients with a severe infection (e.g. sepsis) often present in an acute care setting, such as the... more
National trends in mechanical ventilation among patients hospitalized with heart failure: a population-based study in Spain (2001-2017)
Heart failure (HF) affects around 10% of population over 70 years in developed countries [1]. Despite advances in therapy, it remains a leading cause of hospitalization, morbidity and mortality [2].
The discriminatory power of bleeding assessment tools in adult patients with a mild to moderate bleeding tendency
Receiver operating characteristic curves for the prediction of any diagnosis of a bleeding disorder by 2 different bleeding assessment tools (Vicenza BAT and ISTH BAT).
Heart rate as an independent predictor of long term mortality of acute heart failure patients in sinus rhythm according to their ejection fraction: data from the AHEAD registry
Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of recurrent hospitalization [1,2]. Current European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines define HF with reduced EF (HFrEF) as HF with EF < 40%, HF with... more
Embolic risk stratification and prognostic impact of early surgery in left-sided infective endocarditis
Infective endocarditis (IE) is a severe condition, with elevated in-hospital mortality and morbidity due to complications such as acute heart failure and embolic events, the latter largely involving... more
Serial investigation of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme in sarcoidosis patients treated with Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor
Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease associated with T lymphocyte and macrophage activation and migration into affected organs. The interaction between antigens and antigen-presenting... more
Influence of sex on long-term prognosis in patients with atrial fibrillation treated with oral anticoagulants. Results from the prospective, nationwide FANTASIIA study
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequently cardiac arrhythmia in developed countries [1] and several studies have been described that in both developed and developing countries, the age-adjusted... more
Inappropriate use of carbapenems in an internal medicine ward: Impact of a carbapenem-focused antimicrobial stewardship program
Carbapenems are last-line beta-lactamic antibiotics used for the treatment of critically ill patients with confirmed or suspected infections involving multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria [1]. These... more
Percutaneous mitral valve repair for secondary mitral valve regurgitation: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Mitral Regurgitation (MR) is one of the most prevalent valvular disorders in the United States, with a prevalence of ~1.7% [1] and its etiology may be primary or secondary. Secondary MR, also known... more
Review Article
Chronic cough in adults
Cough is a physiologic defense mechanism for clearing the airways of secretions, exudate, or foreign bodies. Its mechanisms are well known, with afferent, central, and efferent nervous pathways that... more