March 2023
29 ArticlesCommentary
Antimicrobial stewardship at the emergency department: Dead bugs do not mutate!
Detecting organisms in blood is a key determinant in sepsis management [1] and in optimizing antimicrobial use in hospitalized patients [2]. Conway et al. [3] reported that blood cultures were... more
Ideas and Opinions
General health check-ups: To check or not to check? A question of choosing wisely
In high-income countries, regular general health check-ups are part of the fabric of the health care systems. The hidden concept of general health check-ups, promoted for more than a century, is to... more
Internal Medicine Flashcard
Peculiar form of rapidly progressive pneumonia in healthy man
A healthy 53–years-old male presented to ED with fever and arthralgia for two days. On admission the patient was alert, oriented, febrile; thoracic exam revealed crackles in left basal area. Blood... more
A plaque on the right retropharyngeal wall
A 25-year-old unmarried man was referred because of 1-week history of mildly sore throat, without association of systemic symptoms. He had an oral sex with a man 3 weeks before his presentation. His-... more
Dyspnea with chylothorax: Importance of examining the nails
A previously healthy 53-year-old man presented to our department with 2 months of dyspnea. Lung examination revealed a left-sided pleural effusion confirmed on the chest radiograph (Fig. 1A) and CT... more
Letter to the Editor
Which events to consider in the study of venous thromboses in pancreatic cancer patients? Authors' reply
We appreciate the comments made by Debourdeau et al. [1] regarding our recent publication “Incidence, risk factors, and evolution of venous thromboembolic events in patients diagnosed with pancreatic... more
Prognostic value of positive blood cultures and culture results on outcomes in emergency medical admissions
Blood cultures are commonly performed in emergency medical admissions but the extent to which they improve established prognostic algorithms has been infrequently studied [1]. We report on a large... more
Trend in the proportion of subjects with SARS-CoV-2 infection without COVID-19 specific symptoms among patients admitted to a COVID-19 referral hospital
The clinical and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 gradually changed during different waves [1]. The highly transmissible omicron variant that has globally dominated during 2022 has led to... more
Which events to consider in the study of venous thromboses in pancreatic cancer patients?
The incidence of Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with pancreatic cancer is high, especially in individuals with locally advanced or metastatic disease treated with chemotherapy, as outlined... more
Non-infectious gastrointestinal manifestations of Good syndrome
Good syndrome is a rare adult-onset immunodeficiency syndrome, typically characterized by thymoma and hypogammaglobulinemia. Its clinical manifestations are highly variable, and concurrent non-... more
The effects of different types of resistance training in patients with coronary artery disease
Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) reduces all-cause mortality, reinfarction and revascularisation rates, and rehospitalizations for cardiovascular... more
Safety and efficacy of interleukin-1 antagonists in hospitalized patients with COVID-19
the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection still represents a major public health concern. Severe COVID-... more
Discordance in perception of disease severity between patient and physicians
Dear Editor,
Impact of chronic lung disease on long-term clinical outcomes in patients with venous thromboembolism: From the COMMAND VTE registry
Chronic lung disease (CLD), such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and restrictive lung diseases, has been reported to be a moderate risk factor for the development of venous... more
Fostering the intersection between primary care and hospital: hints from a survey and the PRIME (PRIMary care-hospital Embedding) project
great debate is ongoing in Italy and in other countries about the challenges faced by primary care, among which its reduced efficacy and lack of workforce turnover [1–3]. Some even envisage “the end... more
Prognostic value of clusterin/apolipoprotein J in patients with reperfused ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction
Dear Editor,
The management of erythrocytosis during testosterone therapy: A practical approach
Testosterone is the primary sex hormone and anabolic steroid in men. It is a widely used drug which is used by males as an anabolic–androgenic steroid but it is also the cornerstone in treatment of... more
Original Article
Patterns of immunosuppressive drug use during pregnancy in women with systemic vasculitis: A nationwide population-based cohort study
Systemic vasculitis are characterized by inflammation of the vessel wall, classified according to clinical, biological and histological criteria [1]. Systemic vasculitis can be severe and even life-... more
Competences of internal medicine specialists for the management of patients with multimorbidity. EFIM multimorbidity working group position paper
By 2060, the number of Europeans above age 65 is projected to increase from 88 to 153 million [1]. In consequence, the true challenge for European health care systems is to prepare for this... more
Active fluid de-resuscitation in critically ill patients with septic shock: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Adequate initial fluid resuscitation
Is the steady-state concentration, duration of action, or molecular weight of GLP-1RA associated with cardiovascular and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes?
Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) suffer from a higher risk of cardiovascular events and renal events, which are strongly associated with morality [1–3]. The novel anti-hyperglycemic agent,... more
Associations of relative fat mass, a new index of adiposity, with type-2 diabetes in the general population
Associations of adiposity measures with incident type-2 diabetes in the total population and across multiple age categories. Adiposity indices were standardized sex specifically. Abbreviations: RFM,... more
Impact of adherence to EULAR quality indicators on the quality of life of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a wide range of manifestations affecting health-related quality of life [1]. In recent years recommendations have been... more
The effect of sex inequality on solid organ transplantation: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Solid organ transplantation (SOT) is the preferred treatment option for patients with end-stage diseases [1]. The prognosis of these patients is influenced by many factors such as infection [2],... more
Cardiovascular outcomes and mortality after incident ischaemic stroke in patients with a recent cancer history
Evidence from previous studies suggests a relationship between ischaemic stroke and cancer such that 1 in 10 patients with ischaemic stroke has been shown to have comorbid cancer [1–3]. The most... more
Role of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha agents in treatment of sarcoidosis: A meta-analysis
Sarcoidosis is a chronic multisystem inflammatory disorder characterized by noncaseating granulomas. The exact etiology and underlying mechanisms of sarcoidosis have not been fully elucidated. It is... more
Review Article
How low should blood pressure be in patients with chronic coronary and cerebrovascular diseases
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. More than 18 million deaths are attributed to CVD in 2019 while the global trends for disability-... more
The spike effect of acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines on blood pressure
Data accrued over the last 2 years reported that specific comorbidities are associated with increased risk of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and worse... more
Reshaping care in the aftermath of the pandemic. Implications for cardiology health systems
Since the COVID-19 pandemic commenced more than two years ago, it has taken the lives of more than six million people around the globe [1]. In parallel with high mortality rates, health care delivery... more