September 2018
18 ArticlesNo Section
Interventional pulmonology techniques in elderly patients with comorbidities
Respiratory diseases are common cause of disability in the elderly and are often concomitant with other non-respiratory medical conditions. Interventional pulmonology includes advanced diagnostic and... more
Management of immune thrombocytopenia in elderly patients
Despite the improvement in understanding its pathogenesis and the introduction of novel treatment options, the management of primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) still remains challenging.... more
Editorial
English and Italian national health services: Time for more patient-centered primary care?
Primary care is the first level of contact for people to meet their health needs, so its functioning is crucial for a health care system [1]. Broadly, primary care can include a wide range of... more
The geriatric condition of frailty
Frailty is a clinical condition characterized by a decrease of reserves and functions across multiple physiological systems, responsible for a compromised ability to cope with stressors [1]. Frailty... more
Letter to the Editor
Growing number of incident pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients in Latvia: a shifting epidemiological landscape? Data from a national pulmonary hypertension registry
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a complex, progressing and debilitating pulmonary vascular disease associated with poor prognosis. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic... more
Starting anticoagulation with vitamin k antagonists alone or with concomitant low-molecular weight heparin for non-valvular atrial fibrillation
It is well known that a majority of patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) treated with vitamin K antagonists (VKA) do not benefit from bridging anticoagulation for ambulatory... more
#PatientsToo. Sexual harassment by medical professionals
Recent articles have pointed the fact that sexual harassment is not uncommon between medical professionals [1]. Unfortunately, it seems that this harassment by faculty and staff members (that is,... more
Incidence and impact of new-onset atrial fibrillation on transcatheter mitral valve repair
Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) has been approved, in the United States, for the treatment of degenerative mitral valve regurgitation (MR) in certain high surgical risk or inoperable... more
PoliFIT-INFOcus: A pilot study exploring how to promote physical activity in older people
The amount of physical activity (PA) recommended for the elderly is the same as for adults aged 18–64 [1]; however, older people are less keen to attend gyms regularly. Exercise group-based programs... more
Legionella urinary antigen test –a contribute towards a more rational use
Legionnaires Disease (LD) is a common cause of community acquired pneumonia (CAP). LD diagnosis is challenging due to a lack of distinctive features at presentation [1]. Inadequate diagnosis and... more
Aquagenic wrinkling and cystic fibrosis carriership: A dubious relationship
Pruritic wrinkling of the palmar skin following brief contact with water, aka aquagenic wrinkling of the palms (AW), has been repeatedly described as a clinical manifestation of cystic fibrosis (CF... more
Trends in the utilization and in-hospital outcomes when using mechanical circulatory support devices for stable chronic total occlusion treated with percutaneous coronary intervention
The treatment of chronic total occlusion (CTO) of coronary arteries is a challenge for physicians. In recent years, CTO treatment with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has increased with... more
High fractional potassium excretion in symptomatic hyponatremia
In experimental SIADH induce in man [1] or animal [2–4] it is well know that not only sodium excretion increase during a few days (particularly if it is acute), the same as been reported for... more
Narrative Review
Angioedema and emergency medicine: From pathophysiology to diagnosis and treatment
Angioedema is a self-limiting edema of the subcutaneous or submucosal tissues due to localised increase of microvascular permeability whose mediator may be histamine or bradykinin. Patients present... more
Cognitive load in internal medicine: What every clinical teacher should know about cognitive load theory
Internal medicine is an appropriate example of specialties in which to teach learners clinical reasoning skills, decision-making, and analytical thinking, as well as evidence-based, patient-oriented... more
Original Article
Lung function and outcomes in emergency medical admissions
We examine the ability of pre-existing measures of Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 s (FEV1), and Diffusion Capacity for Carbon Monoxide (DLCO) to determine the subsequent 30-day mortality outcome... more
Risk of incident atrial fibrillation after a prior critical illness: A retrospective cohort study
This investigation aimed at assessing the issue of incident atrial fibrillation (AF) associated with acute critical illness.
Review Article
Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis: Does the elderly patient need a specialistic approach?
Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) is defined by the presence of a monoclonal B-cell population in the peripheral blood (PB) at a concentration of <5 × 109/l and no signs or symptoms of a... more