Yun Ge, Bingwei Wang, Jingyuan Liu, Ruoyan Han, Changpeng Liu
{"title":"Efficacy of high-flow nasal oxygen therapy in cancer patients with concurrent acute hypoxemic respiratory failure: a retrospective propensity score study.","authors":"Yun Ge, Bingwei Wang, Jingyuan Liu, Ruoyan Han, Changpeng Liu","doi":"10.1007/s11739-024-03777-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11739-024-03777-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acute respiratory failure is the leading cause of intensive care unit (ICU) admission of cancer patients. Studies of the efficacy of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy were rarely conducted in cancer populations. We here compared the clinical effects of HFNC therapy and conventional oxygen therapy (COT) in cancer patients with concurrent acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF). In this single-center retrospective study, cancer patients with concurrent acute hypoxic respiratory failure either received initial oxygen therapy via HFNC (HFNC group, 68 patients) or received initial oxygen therapy via a nasal cannula, simple mask, or mask with reservoir bag (COT group, 133 patients). Groups were propensity score matched. Differences in respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR), and PaO<sub>2</sub>/FiO<sub>2</sub> ratio before and after treatment in the two groups were compared using a mixed-effects model. The 28-day mortality risk was explored using a Cox proportional hazards model. The 24-h and 48-h PaO<sub>2</sub>/FIO<sub>2</sub> ratios were significantly higher in the HFNC than in the COT group (210.5 mmHg vs. 178.5 mmHg; P < 0.01; 217.1 mm Hg vs. 181.6 mm Hg; P < 0.01, respectively). Differences in RR and HR between the groups at each time point were nonsignificant. The 28-day mortality rate was 17.4% vs. 38.1% for the HFNC and COT groups, respectively (P < 0.01). Hazard ratio was significantly higher for COT group (HR 2.6, 95% confidence interval 1.3, 5.3). Compared with COT, HFNC use for initial oxygen therapy can improve PaO<sub>2</sub>/FIO<sub>2</sub> ratio and survival rate in cancer patients with AHRF.</p>","PeriodicalId":13662,"journal":{"name":"Internal and Emergency Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1225-1233"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142619749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nicola Flor, Jacopo Di Napoli, Luca Carsana, Laura Moneghini, Federico Biglioli
{"title":"Nodular fasciitis. A rare, rapidly growing lesion of the parotid gland.","authors":"Nicola Flor, Jacopo Di Napoli, Luca Carsana, Laura Moneghini, Federico Biglioli","doi":"10.1007/s11739-025-03868-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11739-025-03868-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13662,"journal":{"name":"Internal and Emergency Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1271-1272"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143074224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Arian Zaboli, Serena Sibilio, Gloria Brigiari, Magdalena Massar, Marta Parodi, Gabriele Magnarelli, Francesco Brigo, Gianni Turcato
{"title":"External validation of the TFC (triage frailty and comorbidity) tool: a prospective observational study.","authors":"Arian Zaboli, Serena Sibilio, Gloria Brigiari, Magdalena Massar, Marta Parodi, Gabriele Magnarelli, Francesco Brigo, Gianni Turcato","doi":"10.1007/s11739-024-03757-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11739-024-03757-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Assessing patient frailty during triage evaluations has become increasingly relevant in Emergency Departments (ED). This study aimed to externally validating the Triage Frailty and Comorbidity (TFC) tool. This prospective study was conducted from June 1 to December 31, 2023. During this period, 12 triage nurses applied the TFC tool during triage evaluation of ED patients. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Decision Curve Analysis to assess the predictive ability of the TFC tool for a 90-day mortality (the same endpoint used during tool development) and a 30-day mortality. 1270 patients were included and 56 of them died within 90 days. The TFC tool had an AUROC of 0.894 (0.858-0.929) for 90-day mortality and 0.885 (0.834-0.938) for 30-day mortality. In Decision Curve Analysis, it yielded higher net benefits up to a threshold probability of 0.30. The externally validated TFC tool appears very effective at identifying patients with increased risk of 90-day mortality after ED attendance. It could be implemented in clinical practice and enhance the predictive ability of standard triage systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":13662,"journal":{"name":"Internal and Emergency Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1195-1202"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142139982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ulcerative colitis in the elderly.","authors":"Grigoriy E Gurvits","doi":"10.1007/s11739-024-03798-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11739-024-03798-y","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13662,"journal":{"name":"Internal and Emergency Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1281-1282"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142499755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Holding breath.","authors":"Silvia Tiraboschi","doi":"10.1007/s11739-025-03912-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11739-025-03912-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Emergency doctors are really superheroes; they are not just for resuscitating people from cardiac arrests and performing emergency tracheotomies but also for being capable of holding their breath for a very long time, living in a blender and taking care of many simultaneous issues. That is an absurd feature that others practitioners do not really realize, and it is not acknowledged and valorized sufficiently.</p>","PeriodicalId":13662,"journal":{"name":"Internal and Emergency Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1269-1270"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143582295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
José Mariz, Joaquin Martinez, Sheila Arroja, Michael Blaivas
{"title":"Testicular ultrasound: an emergency medicine perspective.","authors":"José Mariz, Joaquin Martinez, Sheila Arroja, Michael Blaivas","doi":"10.1007/s11739-025-03864-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11739-025-03864-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ultrasound of the scrotum plays a crucial role in assessing acute scrotal conditions in the Emergency Department. Although the Emergency Physician and Intensivist have shared responsibility for the care of the critically ill patient, the Emergency Physician typically uses Point-of-care Ultrasound in a broader range of applications than the intensivist to include advanced abdominal, obstetric, testicular, musculoskeletal, and ocular ultrasonography. Acute scrotum refers to the sudden onset of scrotal erythema, swelling, or pain, and it is not a rare condition in the Emergency Department. Prompt intervention is required in cases of testicular torsion or rupture, and ultrasound of the scrotum has high utility for emergency physicians seeing acute scrotal complaints with any frequency. However, the incidence of acute scrotum incidence is low compared to other disease states requiring ultrasound diagnosis. This presents a problem when considering ultrasound training of Emergency Physicians for ultrasound of the scrotum in a Point-of-care perspective. With this narrative review, we will attempt to raise the awareness of emergency medicine doctors to the importance of ultrasound of the scrotum in the Emergency Department. We will also discuss educational aspects in testicular ultrasound and the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Finally, we propose an algorithm for action.</p>","PeriodicalId":13662,"journal":{"name":"Internal and Emergency Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1153-1163"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143657190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ameenathul Mazaya Fawzy, Agnieszka Kotalczyk, Yutao Guo, Yutang Wang, Gregory Y H Lip
{"title":"Effects of the ABC pathway on clinical outcomes in very elderly Chinese patients with atrial fibrillation. A report from the optimal thromboprophylaxis in elderly Chinese patients with atrial fibrillation (ChiOTEAF) registry.","authors":"Ameenathul Mazaya Fawzy, Agnieszka Kotalczyk, Yutao Guo, Yutang Wang, Gregory Y H Lip","doi":"10.1007/s11739-025-03928-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11739-025-03928-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The current Atrial fibrillation Better Care (ABC) pathway for holistic or integrated management of AF is associated with improved clinical outcomes; however, data on the very elderly (aged ≥ 85 years) are sparse.To evaluate the impact of ABC pathway on clinical outcomes amongst very elderly AF patients over a follow-up period of 1 year.The ChiOTEAF registry is a prospective, multicenter nationwide study conducted from October 2014 to December 2018. Endpoints of interest were the composite outcome of all-cause death/any thromboembolism (TE), all-cause death, TE events, and major bleeding.The eligible cohort included 1215 individuals (mean age 88.5 ± 3.3; 33.5% female), of which 142 (11.7%) were managed accordingly to the ABC pathway. ABC compliance was independently associated with lower odds of the composite outcome (odds Ratio (OR): 0.23; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.08-0.66) and all-cause death (OR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.07-0.75), without a significant increase in major bleeding compared to ABC non-compliance. Health-related quality of life (QOL) was also significantly higher in the ABC compliant group compared to the non-compliant group (EQ score 0.83 ± 0.17 vs. 0.78 ± 0.20; p = 0.004). Independent predictors of ABC non-compliance were prior major bleeding, chronic kidney disease, and dementia.Our findings suggest that adherence to the ABC pathway in very elderly patients is associated with significantly improved survival and health-related QOL.</p>","PeriodicalId":13662,"journal":{"name":"Internal and Emergency Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1087-1095"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143985909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gaia Sinatti, Benedetta Cosimini, Andreea Alina Braicu, Silvano Junior Santini, Valerio Caputo, Ada Ruscitti, Leondino Mammarella, Clara Balsano
{"title":"The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on hospitalization rate, clinical impairment and mortality of cirrhotic patients.","authors":"Gaia Sinatti, Benedetta Cosimini, Andreea Alina Braicu, Silvano Junior Santini, Valerio Caputo, Ada Ruscitti, Leondino Mammarella, Clara Balsano","doi":"10.1007/s11739-025-03911-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11739-025-03911-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruption to global healthcare systems, necessitating the reallocation of resources to address the immediate demands. This reorganization had significant repercussions on the management of chronic diseases, including cirrhosis. We sought to provide a comprehensive picture of the COVID-19 impact on monthly hospitalization rates of cirrhotic patients at Local Health Board 1 hospitals in the Abruzzo Region, Italy. Using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, we identified cases of alcohol-related, nonalcohol-related, biliary, and decompensated cirrhosis. We analyzed 957 Hospital Discharge Records from January 1 to December 31, 2019 (pre-pandemic), and from January 1 to December 31, 2022 (post-pandemic). We evaluated patients' clinical impairment, length of stay, and mortality before and after the pandemic. We identified 494 hospitalizations for nonalcohol-related cirrhosis and 310 for alcohol-related cirrhosis. As key findings, hospitalizations for nonalcohol-related cirrhosis decreased (69% vs. 48%; p < .0001), while hospitalizations for alcohol-related cirrhosis increased (31% vs. 52%; p < .0001), in the post-pandemic period. Additionally, there was a significant rise in decompensated patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis post-COVID (77% vs. 65%; p = .0216). Mortality risk increased for both nonalcohol- (11% vs. 18.5%; p = .0176) and alcohol-related cirrhosis (7.7% vs. 18%; p = .0059) in the post-pandemic era. The increase in hospitalizations for alcohol-related cirrhosis is alarming and likely to have a prolonged impact on the natural history of liver diseases. There is an urgent need to reduce alcohol consumption at the population level. Continued awareness and personalized follow-up are essential for guaranteeing the standard of care during health emergencies.</p>","PeriodicalId":13662,"journal":{"name":"Internal and Emergency Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1059-1067"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144018764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michael-Alexander Pais, Mauro Vasella, Oliver Matthes, Elena Millesi, Alexander Kobler, Tabea Breckwoldt, Gregory Reid, Lukas Naef, Luzie Hofmann, Jennifer Ashley Watson, Philipp Karl Bühler, Pietro Giovanoli, Bong-Sung Kim
{"title":"Severe burn injuries and the impact of mental health: insights from 7 years at Switzerland's leading burn center.","authors":"Michael-Alexander Pais, Mauro Vasella, Oliver Matthes, Elena Millesi, Alexander Kobler, Tabea Breckwoldt, Gregory Reid, Lukas Naef, Luzie Hofmann, Jennifer Ashley Watson, Philipp Karl Bühler, Pietro Giovanoli, Bong-Sung Kim","doi":"10.1007/s11739-025-03887-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11739-025-03887-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Severe burn injuries present significant global healthcare challenges, with outcomes significantly influenced by factors such as socioeconomic status, mental health conditions, and substance use, which vary across regions and healthcare systems. This study investigates the etiologies, treatment outcomes, and the impact of psychiatric conditions and controlled substance use on burn injuries in patients admitted to the intensive care unit at Switzerland's largest Burn Center. Data were retrospectively analyzed from 438 patients admitted to the University Hospital Zurich Burn Center ICU between 2016 and 2022. Variables assessed included baseline characteristics, burn etiologies, injury mechanisms, treatment modalities, complications, discharge outcomes, and mortality. Statistical analyses employed generalized linear models and logistic regression. Most burns occurred at home/leisure activities (43.4%), 21.2% at work. Pre-existing psychiatric conditions were present in 38.8% of patients, and 24.4% were under influence of controlled substances at the time of injury. These factors were associated with higher complication rates, increased surgeries, longer hospital stays, and lower survival rates. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 15.8%, significantly linked to a history of controlled substance use. These findings highlight the significant impact of psychiatric conditions and use of controlled substances on burn injury outcomes, underscoring the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to treatment and management, particularly for patients with mental health and substance abuse histories.</p>","PeriodicalId":13662,"journal":{"name":"Internal and Emergency Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1141-1151"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143407324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}