October 2015
20 ArticlesNo Section
Social deprivation and hospital admission rates, length of stay and readmissions in emergency medical admissions
Patients from deprived backgrounds have a higher in-patient mortality following an emergency medical admission. How deprivation relates to the admission or readmission incidence rates, episode length... more
Letter to the Editor
Cryofibrinogenemia and risk of cancer in cryoglobulinemic patients without vasculitis criteria
Cryofibrinogen is a cryoprotein that forms only in plasma and not in serum. In patients screened for a cryopathy, prevalence of cryofibrinogenemia varies from 12% to 51% [1–3]. Most studies... more
The pursuit of excellence in a climate of cost containment
We have read with great interest the article by Pavan and Macchi [1] that brings into focus the implications of the changed economic environment for healthcare managers running organizations with a... more
Letters to the Editor
Safe site selection for chest drain insertion by trainee physicians — Implications for medical training and clinical practice
The number of patients with symptomatic pleural disease who require diagnostic and/or therapeutic intervention is increasing. Many of these patients will present acutely to emergency departments or... more
Mechanical thrombectomy as an alternative to thrombolysis in embolic stroke
Although both atrial fibrillation and cerebral embolism are risk factors for haemorrhagic transformation of cerebral infarction [1], it is the fact that thrombolysis compounds this risk [1] which... more
Original Article
The association between admission systolic blood pressure of heart failure patients with preserved systolic function and mortality outcomes
Heart failure is a major cause of death and disability and poses a significant public health concern. Approximately half of the patients admitted with heart failure, have preserved left ventricular... more
Diastolic dysfunction diagnosed by tissue Doppler imaging in cirrhotic patients: Prevalence and its possible relationship with clinical outcome
Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy has been characterized by impaired contractile response to stress and/or altered diastolic relaxation, with electrophysiological abnormalities in the absence of known cardiac... more
The association between glycated hemoglobin levels and mortality in non-diabetic elderly subjects
Glycated hemoglobin (HgbA1c) is extensively used as a screening tool for the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (DM). Although its prognostic value among diabetics has been extensively studied, similar... more
Troponin levels within the normal range and probability of inducible myocardial ischemia and coronary events in patients with acute chest pain
Patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes and negative cardiac troponin (cTn) levels are deemed at low risk. Our aim was to assess the effect of cTn levels on the frequency of inducible... more
Risk and mortality of gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients with thrombocytopenia: Two nationwide retrospective cohort studies
The association between thrombocytopenia (TP) and gastrointestinal hemorrhage was not completely understood. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage and post-... more
Characteristics and temporal pattern of the readmissions of patients with multiple hospital admissions in the medical departments of a general hospital
Patients with multiple hospital admissions represent a small percentage of total hospitalizations but result in a considerable proportion of the healthcare expenditure. There are no studies that have... more
Pulmonary embolism, acute coronary syndrome and ischemic stroke in the Spanish National Discharge Database
Venous and arterial thrombosis share a number of pathogenic mechanisms, but the burden of pulmonary embolism (PE) has not been consistently compared with that in other arterial diseases.
Is diabetes mellitus a risk factor for venous thromboembolism? A systematic review and meta-analysis of case–control and cohort studies
Diabetes mellitus is a well-established risk factor for atherosclerotic disease, but its role in the occurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) has not been elucidated. We conducted a meta-analysis... more
Primary PCI is associated with different cardiac autonomic patterns in relation to the site of myocardial infarction
Reflex alterations of cardiac autonomic modulation have been described after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The non-homogeneous autonomic innervation of the heart gives reason of different... more
Atrial fibrillation, CHA2DS2-VASc score, antithrombotics and risk of non-traffic-, non-cancer-related bone fractures: A population-based cohort study
Accidental bone fractures are a major cause of premature disabilities and death. Whether atrial fibrillation (AF) treated with or without antithrombotics correlates with occurrence of such events... more
Acute and chronic diseases as part of multimorbidity in acutely hospitalized older patients
To describe the prevalence of multimorbidity and to study the association between acute and chronic diseases in acutely hospitalized older patients
Physicians and alternative medicines in “The Barber of Seville” by Gioachino Rossini: A bicentennial debate
The year 2016 marks the bicentennial anniversary of the premiere of “The Barber of Seville” by Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868). This opera buffa, one of the most renowned in the world, puts on stage a... more
Review Article
Prevention of colorectal cancer: How many tools do we have in our basket?
Prevention is the main strategy in order to reduce colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. It can be accomplished through primary prevention, using measures affecting factors known to confer... more
Patent foramen ovale: Unanswered questions
The foramen ovale is a remnant of the fetal circulation that remains patent in 20–25% of the adult population. Although long overlooked as a potential pathway that could produce pathologic conditions... more
IgG4-related disease: A relatively new concept for clinicians
IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently recognized chronic fibrotic inflammation, which can affect almost every organ, and may come to clinical attention first due to visible organ swelling or... more