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It is considered that COVID-19’s pandemic expansion is responsible for the particular increase in deaths, especially among the population with comorbidities. The health system is often overwhelmed by the large number of cases of patients addressing it, by the regional limitation of funds, and by the gravity of cases at subjects suffering from this pathology. Several associated conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular illnesses, obesity, persistent lung condition, neurodegenerative diseases, etc., increase the mortality risk and hospitalization of subjects suffering from COVID-19. The rapid identification of patients with increased risk of death from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the stratification in accordance with the risk and the allocation of human, financial, and logistical resources in proportion must be a priority for health systems worldwide.

The ever-increasing frequency of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is still a major challenge of the public health care system, worldwide. In recent years, researchers have been drawn to the uncommon (at first look) link between skin illnesses and MetS. Because of the pro-inflammatory mechanisms and insulin resistance (IR) that are upregulated in metabolic syndrome, many skin disorders are correlated to metabolic dysfunctions, including acne vulgaris. A comprehensive understanding of the link between MetS and acne vulgaris may contribute to the development of new treatment strategies. The current review focuses on dietary and therapeutic interventions and assesses the effect of various approaches such as improving diet by avoiding certain food products (i.e., milk and chocolate) or increasing the intake of others (i.e., food products rich in omega-3 fatty acids), metformin administration, therapy with plant extracts, plant essential oils, and probiotic supplementation on the improvement of certain acne vulgaris severity parameters. These therapeutic approaches, when combined with allopathic treatment, can improve the patients' quality of life.

Increased environmental pollution, urbanization, and a wide variety of anthropogenic activities have led to the release of toxic pollutants into the environment, including heavy metals (HMs). It has been found that increasing concentrations of HMs lead to toxicity, mineral imbalances, and serious diseases, which are occurring more and more frequently. Therefore, testing has become imperative to detect these deficiencies in a timely manner. The detection of traces of HMs, especially toxic ones, in human tissues, various biological fluids, or hair is a complex, high-precision analysis that enables early diagnosis, addressing people under constant stress or exposed to a toxic environment; the test also targets people who have died in suspicious circumstances. Tissue mineral analysis (TMA) determines the concentration of toxic minerals/metals at the intracellular level and can therefore determine correlations between measured concentrations and imbalances in the body. Framing the already-published information on the topic, this review aimed to explore the toxicity of HMs to human health, the harmful effects of their accumulation, the advantages vs. the disadvantages of choosing different biological fluids/tissues/organs necessary for the quantitative measurement of HM in the human body, as well as the choice of the optimal method, correlated with the purpose of the analysis.

Adequate therapeutic intervention performed in the case of extradural spinal AVM and an inten-sive recovery program allow the amelioration of neurological manifestations in a very high percentage. With the ultimate goal of practicing a trade, a good biological recovery is needed for social recovery. The effectiveness of strategies for professional integration and reintegration de-pends largely on the patient’s experiences before the onset of the disease. The paper aims to re-view the treatment, the evolution of patients with extradural spinal AV and the possibilities of socio-professional reintegration. Methods and analysis. A case presentation of a patient diag-nosed with extradural spinal AV fistula is proposed, along with a review of the current literature on the treatment of this pathology, the evolution and the possibilities of vocational recovery. The studies will be analysed and selected in two stages, in the first stage the titles and abstracts, in the second stage, the articles with full text will be analysed, selected and a narrative synthesis of the included studies will be made. Summary case. The 51-year-old urban patient, a profes-sional driving instructor who underwent endovascular and surgical treatment for extradural spinal AV fistula, is hospitalized for a moderate motor deficit, such as paraparesis, back pain, mechanical pain in the knees and gait disorders. The objectives of recovery are represented by neuromotor recovery and socio-professional reintegration. Conclusions. Spinal EAVFs are rare lesions with a low risk of bleeding; the clinical manifestations are determined by the compres-sion of the bone marrow; these being significantly improved after the endovascular and surgical treatment. Studies show a good long-term prognosis, which is determined by the absence of re-currences. An essential role in the integration of patients with disabilities in the socio-professional life is the identification of their deficiencies and their reorientation according to the outstanding abilities, the stimulation of the preserved skills. Keywords: rehabilitation, disc hernia, low back pain, paraplegia