January 2017
27 ArticlesNo Section
Characterization of the medical admissions in a tertiary Greek hospital
From 2009 to 2013 the number of admissions for the 1st Health District, which includes the majority of hospitals in Athens, Greece, has increased by 33.1% while the expenditure was reduced by 31.1%... more
Why modern internists should be also researchers?
Internal Medicine has drastically changed over the last years. Similarly, medical education has undergone significant changes, especially after the introduction of simulation- based medical teaching... more
Correspondence
Depression significantly reduces the 6-minute walking distance in systolic heart failure: Insights from the ESCAPE trial
Over the past two decades, there has been an increased interest to study the relationship between depression and heart failure (HF) stemming from the fact that HF is the fastest growing entity of... more
Editorial
Defining a care pathway for patients with multimorbidity or frailty
Multimorbidity and frailty are highly prevalent and emerging conditions [1–5]. Contrary to patients' and primary care providers' perceptions [6], multimorbidity does not necessarily imply the onset... more
Internal Medicine Flashcard
A bifid albumin peak of recent onset
A previously healthy 29-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital for dyspnea, fever at 39°C, arthralgia and myalgia. She had been treated one month before for a first episode of pneumonia treated... more
A case of tracheobronchomegaly
Tracheobronchomegaly (Mounier-Kuhn syndrome) is a rare condition characterized by an abnormally enlarged trachea and main bronchi. Herein, we present a case of 79-year-old male with idiopathic... more
Letter to the Editor
In-hospital mortality and diabetes: Absence of association
Diabetes and hyperglycemia are commonly considered in-hospital mortality determinants, as shown by the retrospective analysis of Umpierrez [1] and Krinsley [2]. However, we already found these... more
Who to screen for CALR mutations? An audit of real-life practice and review of current evidence
The myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) are clonal, hematopoietic stem cell-derived diseases characterised by bone marrow proliferation of one or more of the myeloid cell lineages with the main... more
Peer reviewing and Editor's decision should never be a personal conflicting matter
I came through the latest paper on the journal by Napolitani et al., about peer reviewing of scientific reports in the academic community of experts [1]. I joined the Editorial Board as a Member of... more
Acute medical units, more capacity without increasing resources
My compliments on the review of van Galen et al. [1] concerning implementation of acute medical care units in the Netherlands. It was no easy task to investigate this diversity in wards and articles.
Acute Medical Units, providing continuity of care may be the next focus
Dear Sir,
New-onset atrial fibrillation after percutaneous coronary intervention with stent: Updated proposal of an algorithm for the choice of oral anticoagulant and its dose
Whereas ongoing oral anticoagulation (OAC), with either warfarin or a non-vitamin K-antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), should generally be confirmed in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who... more
Obstructive sleep apnoea, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), characterized by episodes of upper airway collapses and sleep fragmentation, is the most prevalent sleep-breathing-disorder. Recent researches suggest the overall... more
The problem with incidental and chronic portal vein thrombosis
Thrombosis in the portal vein (PVT) can occur at any point along its course from the junction of the splenic vein and the superior mesenteric vein [1]. Classically, PVT is described to present with... more
Anonymous biomedical publications for security reason? An open letter to the ICJME
Can we publish anonymously in a biomedical journal for security reasons?
The longitudinal relationship between six-minute walk test and cardiopulmonary exercise testing, and association with symptoms in systolic heart failure: Analysis from the ESCAPE trial
The six-minute walk test (6MWT) and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) are two objective modalities utilized for examining the functional status in patients with heart failure (HF). CPET... more
Periodic dosing regimens of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin for dyslipidemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Statins constitute the major class of cholesterol-lowering drugs and 10–15% reported Statin induced myalgia [1]. Randomized controlled trials report that alternate day or once a week dosing of long... more
Letters to the Editor
Pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with connective tissue disease: Insights from Latvian PAH registry
The term connective tissue disease (CTD) refers to a group of autoimmune disorders that are classified among the systemic rheumatic diseases [1]. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a common and... more
Narrative Review
Hot heads & cool bodies: The conundrums of human BAT activity research
Brown adipose tissue is able to increase energy expenditure by converting glucose and fatty acids into heat. Therefore, BAT is able to increase energy expenditure and could thereby facilitate weight... more
Original Article
Incidence, characteristic and outcomes of ventilator-associated pneumonia among type 2 diabetes patients: An observational population-based study in Spain
To describe incidence, characteristics and outcomes of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) during hospitalization among patients with or without type 2 diabetes (T2DM).
The effect of a short-stay unit on hospital admission and length of stay in acute heart failure: REDUCE-AHF study
To determine whether the presence of a short-stay unit(SSU) in a hospital influences the percentage of admissions, length of hospital stay(LOS) and outcomes in emergency department(ED) patients with... more
The TSH levels and risk of hypothyroidism: Results from a population based prospective cohort study in an Iranian adult's population
The aim of current study was to assess the relationship between serum TSH levels and hypothyroidism risk in the euthyroid population.
COMP serum levels: A new non-invasive biomarker of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis
Recently we have shown that cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), a fibrillar collagen assembly regulator, is strongly associated with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma progression.... more
Time trends in incidence and outcomes of hospitalizations for aspiration pneumonia among elderly people in Spain (2003−2013)
Aspiration pneumonia (AP) is an infectious process causing high rates of mortality. The purpose of this study was: 1, to describe the incidence from 2003 to 2013 of AP hospitalizations; 2, to assess... more
Reflections in Internal Medicine
Generalism in modern subspecializing medicine
Medicine is currently developing at a breath holding pace. Diseases and medical conditions for which no remedy was available only a few years ago, can now be treated or even completely cured. However... more
Review Article
Antithrombotic treatment in anticoagulated atrial fibrillation patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention
Coronary artery disease coexists in a clinically relevant number of patients with atrial fibrillation and it often requires percutaneous coronary intervention. These patients represent a particular... more
Deprescribing: A narrative review of the evidence and practical recommendations for recognizing opportunities and taking action
Deprescribing can be defined as the process of withdrawal or dose reduction of medications which are considered inappropriate in an individual. The aim of this narrative review is to provide an... more