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BACKGROUND: This observational study evaluates retrospectively the long-term outcomes after pleurectomy/decortication for pleural mesothelioma, with and without the resection/reconstruction of diaphragm and pericardium. METHODS: Data from 155 consecutive patients undergoing lung-sparing surgery for epithelial pleural mesothelioma were reviewed. Selection criteria for surgery were cT1-3, cN0-1, good performance status, age 12 months was strongly related to the overall survival (P12 months is predictive of an increased survival when the macroscopic complete resection is achieved.

Background: Severe hypoglycemia is defined as having low blood glucose levels that requires assistance from another person to treat. Severe hypoglycemia is classed as a diabetic emergency and is a complication that can occur in people with diabetes that take insulin and certain anti-diabetic drugs. The aim of our study was to evaluate the risk factors associated with hospitalization. Methods: The study was retrospectively conducted on the clinical records of adults with severe hypoglycemia who were admitted consecutively to the Emergency Department (ED) of the Carlo Poma Hospital from January 2021 to December 2021. Results: Overall, 50 patients were identified and most of these were elderly and had multiple comorbidities. They were treated with oral hypoglycemic drugs such as sulfonylureas or glinides (42%), insulin (46%) or both (6%). Hospitalization rates and in-hospital deaths occurred in 62% and in 4% of patients, respectively. There is a greater risk of hospitalization (15%) in favor of the group of patients aged ≥ 80 years compared to that with patients aged < 80 years. Conclusions: Severe hypoglycemia increases the risk of hospitalization particulary in elderly diabetic patients. Special care should be taken when prescribing anti-diabetic drugs in elderly patients, in accordance with recent guidelines, in order to avoid episodes of severe hypoglycemia that can lead to hospitalization.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) may predispose patients to pulmonary embolism (PE), despite standard thromboprophylaxis. Our retrospective study aimed to report the prevalence of PE in patients with COVID-19 and severe respiratory failure (SRF) treated with intermediate- to full-dose enoxaparin. We analyzed data from patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and SRF admitted to our Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU) from February 27 to April 20, 2020. All patients received at least intermediate-dose enoxaparin (40 mg twice daily). Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) was used to detect PE. Ninety-two patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and SRF were admitted to our RICU. Twenty-two patients underwent CTPA (24 %), 11 of whom had PEs (12%). We hypothesize that the enoxaparin treatment may be responsible for the lower prevalence of PE as compared to previous reports of similar patients, even if our report had several limitations, mainly the small sample size.

to describe the course of COVID-19 epidemic in the hospitals of the ASST of Mantua (Lombrady Region, Northern Italy) from February 2020 to April 2021.observational study.data from hospital discharging chart of all patients admitted to the hospitals of ASST were collected from 26.02.2020 to 30.04.2021 with COVID-19 diagnosis. Data from Emergency Rooms for patients evaluated but not admitted to departments were also collected.the data from hospital discharging were crossed for diagnosis with data from laboratory. The department were classified into 'low intensity' and 'middle/high intensity'. The comparison was according to the different periods of epidemic.patients admitted to the hospitals were 2,738: 510 died (17.3%) and 1,736 patients were evaluated in the Emergency Rooms but not admitted to departments. Among these patients, 166 died (9.6%). The prevailing age class were=65 years, with a trend to reduction in the third wave. The proportion of admission in middle/high intensity departments was significantly higher in the second wave than in the first. N. 510 deaths by 2,738 (17.3%) were observed, with significant reduction in the second and third waves in the low intensity departments (from 21.9% to 14.3% and 12.7%) (p0.001), while mortality was substantially unchanged in the middle/high intensity departments (28.0%, 29.6%, and 28.3%). The mortality for patients with=65 years was 26.7%. Females showed lower mortality (OR 0.690; CI95% 0.560-0.840) and lower incidence of admissions in middle/high intensity departments (OR 0.556; CI95% 0.459-0.673) in the three waves. Finally, including also the patients not admitted, the general mortality was 15.1%.a worse outcome by mortality and severity of disease was observed for male gender compared to female and for older age classes. Moreover, a significant improvement of outcomes in the second and third waves, compared to the first, was pointed out.

In the current classification of the World Health Organization (WHO), bone marrow mastocytosis (BMM) is a provisional variant of indolent systemic mastocytosis (ISM) defined by bone marrow involvement and absence of skin lesions. However, no additional diagnostic criteria for BMM have been proposed. Within the registry dataset of the European Competence Network on Mastocytosis, we compared characteristics and outcomes of 390 patients with BMM and 1175 patients with typical ISM. BMM patients were significantly older, predominantly male, had lower tryptase and lower burden of neoplastic mast cells, and displayed a higher frequency of allergic reactions, mainly triggered by Hymenoptera, than patients with typical ISM. The estimated 10-year progression-free survival of BMM and typical ISM was 95.9% and 92.6%, respectively. In BMM patients defined by WHO-based criteria, the presence of one B-Finding and tryptase level ≥125 ng/mL were identified as risk factors for progression in multivariate analyses. BMM patients without any of these risk factors were found to have better progression-free survival (p < 0.05) and better overall survival (p < 0.05) than other ISM patients. These data support the proposal to define BMM as a separate SM variant characterized by SM criteria, absence of skin lesions, absence of B-Findings, and tryptase levels

Background Immediate hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) to taxanes have been increasing in recent years, but the importance of skin tests in allergological workup has not been established. Objective In our study we tried to evaluate the role of prick and intradermal tests in the diagnosis of HSRs to paclitaxel and docetaxel. Methods In this multicenter prospective study, we enrolled patients with immediate HSRs to the aforesaid agents. Skin tests were performed on these subjects and if results were negative, intradermal tests with the culprit drug were conducted. Patients with grade 1 reactions subsequently underwent graded challenge; in cases of grade 2 or 3 reactions and/or positive test results, the culprit drug was administered with a desensitization schedule. Skin tests were also performed in 30 control subjects exposed to the taxanes without HSRs. Results A total of 84 patients (63 with HSRs to paclitaxel and 21 to docetaxel) were recruited in the period July 2015 to July 2017 by 8 centers; 58 patients (69%) developed grade 2 or 3 reactions. Prick test results were negative in all the cases, whereas intradermal test results were positive in 14 patients (10 with paclitaxel [15.9%] and 4 with docetaxel [19%]). The positivity of skin tests significantly correlated with grade 3 reactions and cutaneous involvement during HSRs. Graded challenge was performed in 16 patients without problems and 58 subjects underwent desensitization, which was well tolerated in all but 2 cases. In the control group, skin test results were negative in all the patients. Conclusions Skin tests for taxanes seem useful and can be performed in the allergological workup of subjects with HSRs to these agents, especially in cases of severe reactions with cutaneous involvement.

Considering the profound influence exerted by the ABO blood group system on hemostasis, mainly through the von Willebrand factor and factor VIII (FVIII) complex, we have conducted a study evaluating the possible role of blood type on the risk of inhibitor development in hemophilia A. A total of 287 consecutive Caucasian patients with severe hemophilia A (202 without FVIII inhibitors and 85 with FVIII inhibitors) followed at seven Italian Hemophilia Treatment Centers belonging to the Italian Association of Hemophilia Centers (AICE) were included in the study. A higher prevalence of O blood group was detected in patients without inhibitors as compared in inhibitor patients (55 vs. 30.6%; p

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may predispose patients to venous thromboembolism (VTE) due to inflammation, hypoxia, immobilization, and diffuse intravascular coagulation, despite standard thrombopropylaxis. Our retrospective study reports the incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with COVID-19 and severe respiratory failure(SRF) treated with intermediate to full-dose enoxaparin. .Methods: This retrospective case series analysed data from patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and severe respiratory failure (SRF) admitted to our Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU) between February 27 and April 20, 2020 for non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation. All patients received at least intermediate-dose enoxaparin (40 mg twice daily). If PE was suspected or diagnosed, patients were treated with full-dose enoxaparin (1 mg/kg twice daily). Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) was used to detect PE in patients with elevated D-dimer levels (> 3000 ng/mL) and/or other clinical indicators, including sudden worsening of cardiopulmonary status.Results: Ninety-two patients (71 males, 21 females; mean age 58 ± 11 years) with COVID-19 pneumonia and SRF (mean arterial oxygen partial pressure/fractional inspired oxygen [PaO2/FiO2] of 143 ± 45 mm Hg) were admitted to our RICU. Twenty-two patients underwent CTPA (24%), with PEs detected in 11 (12%). Mean PaO2/FiO2 and mean D-dimer levels did not significantly differ between patients with or without PE. Eleven patients (12%) died in the hospital, with a mean age of 70 ± 11 years for deceased patients and 56 ± 11 years for surviving patients (p < 0.0001).Conclusions: PE was diagnosed in 12% of patients despite intermediate to full-dose enoxaparin treatment. However the incidence of PE in our patients was lower than that previously reported. We hypothesize that this reduced PE incidence may have been secondary to the higher than prophylactic enoxaparin dose that was used.

Purpose Ischemic Colitis (IC) can be transient or it can have evolving presentations that have a profound impact on outcome. Based on a chart review of cases, the aim of the study was to characterize the prevailing histological features of IC and to determine to what extent the severity of necrosis affected outcomes.Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with IC who were referred to our department of surgery from 2013 to 2016. Moreover, the relationships among IC presentations, comorbidities and surgical procedures were surveyed. The severity of necrosis was investigated as the main histological feature, and a morphological criterion was used to grade necrosis from mild to severe differences between groups were determined with a univariate analysis, variables predicting death with a multivariate analysis and a flow-chart identifying clinical behavior.Results: Among 82 patients with an IC diagnosis, 74 (90.3%) were referred for surgical consultation, and 8 (9.7%) patients were not because they had fulminant IC. Comorbidities affected 53 (71.6%) patients. Ten (13.5%) patients underwent surgery, all of whom had severe necrosis, and 6 (60%) died perioperatively. The severity of necrosis impacted whether surgery was performed for evolving forms of IC (OR: 9.4, 95% CI: 1.8-48.8, p=0.002), the number of patients who had died by follow-up (OR: 0.2, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.7, p=0.013), and the frequency of right-sided IC (χ-square 12.4, p=0.029); however, necrosis severity was not affected by the presence of comorbidities (OR: 2.2, 95% CI: 0.724 to 7.124, p=0.154). Advanced age (OR: 1.119, 95% CI 1.015 to 1.234, P=0.023) and need of surgery predicted death (OR: 5.597, 95% CI 1.125 to 27.842, P=0.035). Conclusion: This study quantified to what extent the severity of histological findings affected poor outcomes and what factors predicted death. These findings allowed us to suggest prophylactic therapies for transient form of IC.

Background To assess outcomes of patients operated on for rectal cancer (RC) by analysing the trends of disease free survival curves (DFSc) after a very long-term follow-up. Methods All patients treated with curative intent for RC from 1986 to 2005 were retrospectively analyzed. Other than demographics, disease characteristics and treatment-related factors were considered. The DFSc were compared between patients who had neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) and those who had surgery alone. Results Median age of 319 patients included in the study was 66.3 years (range 23-89) and 140 (57.6%) of them were males. Moreover, NAT was given in 24 (11.8%) patients, and adjuvant therapy in 40 (19.7%) patients. Median follow-up was of 150 months (60-240). In patients who had NAT the mean age was higher (P=0.05), RC were located lower (P=0.009) and higher positive lymph-nodes were found (P=0.003), whereas the number of both local (P=0.4) and distant recurrences (P=0.7) was not significantly lower, compared to the other group. Comparing trends of DFSc a more progressive decrease was shown in patients treated with surgery alone. Even if the differences of DSFc between groups at the end of follow-up were not significant (95% CI: 0.609-2.963, P=0.46), patients who had NAT displayed better survival up to 180 months. Conclusions Overall, these results showed comparable outcomes between both groups over such a long lasting follow-up. This time frame might be used more extensively for increasing our knowledge of RC biological behaviour as well.

The rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) interval surveyed in screen-detected patients using a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) are not negligible. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of interval cancer on outcomes compared with a population with cancer diagnosed after a positive test result. All patients between 50 and 71 years of age, who were residents of the Mantua district, affected by CRC and operated on from 2005 to 2010 were reviewed. Other than patient-related, disease-related, and treatment-related factors and tumor location, this population was differentiated as either participating or not to screening and then into populations developing interval cancer after a negative FIT result. Mortality was investigated by univariate analysis and by overall survival rates. The mean age of the 975 patients enrolled was 62 years (61.7% males). Most patients (n=575, 59%) were not screen detected, and 400 (41%) were screen detected. Fifty-six (5.7%) patients in the latter group, representing 14% of the participants, developed interval cancer after a negative FIT result. Their cancer was mostly localized in the right colon (41.1%) instead of the left colon and rectum (P=0.02). They also showed higher stages (P=0.001), a moderate degree of differentiation (P=0.001), and overall higher mortality rates than patients with cancer diagnosed after a positive test result (P=0.001). The effect of interval CRC after screening with FIT resulted in worse outcomes compared with the FIT-positive group. With such findings, patients who had negative results for FIT should be informed of the risk of developing cancer within the rounds of screening to independently gain educational skills in the area of health prevention.

Aims The aim of this study is to assess whether in S-T Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) a relationship between early administration of abciximab and Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow before and after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in 960 consecutive patients exists. Methods From 1 February 2001 onward, in the Province of Mantua it has been operating a 'Cardiology Network for the Acute Infarction Care' having its Hub in the Central Coronary ICU/Cath Lab of Mantua Hospital and being its Spokes centers represented by the emergency rooms and Central Coronary ICUs of the four territorial hospitals. Results T1 (time from symptoms onset to first medical contact) and T2 (time from first medical contact to angioplasty) are shorter for patients rescued by first aid units rather than for those presented in emergency rooms as well as Ta (time from symptoms onset to abciximab administration). Furthermore, the patients that received abciximab before hospital arrival had less frequently a coronary occlusion [odds ratio = 0.74, 95% confidence interval (0.57-0.96), P = 0.013]. The patients with T1 less than 4 h are 753/960 (78.4%). For this type of patients, there was a significant Ta difference between the pre-PCI TIMI-flow classes (F = 4.467, df = 3, P = 0.04). Planned contrasts revealed that mean time of TIMI flow 0 (M = 104.2) is statistically different from mean time of TIMI flow 3 (M = 85.7), P = 0.013. Conclusion Our results suggest that the use of abciximab, free from pharmacokinetic limits of oral P2Y12 inhibitors, should be considered in STEMI patients with early presentation before primary PCI.

High rates of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) are still diagnosed in the right side of the colon. This study aimed to investigate whether screening programs increase CRC detection and whether tumor location is associated with survival outcome. Patients affected by CRC, aged from 50 to 69 years and operated on from 2005 to 2009 were reviewed. Other than patient-, disease-, and treatment-related factors, detection mode and tumor location were recorded. Overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were investigated, using univariate and multivariate analyses. Mean age of 386 patients included was 62.0 years, 59 % were males. CRC was detected by screening in 17 % of cases, and diagnosis was made from symptoms in 67 % and emergency surgery for 16 %. Screen-detected CRCs were located in the left colon (59 %), then in rectum (25 %) and in proximal colon (16 %) (p = 0.02). Most of CRC patients urgently operated on had cancer located in proximal colon (45 %), then in the left colon (36 %) and in rectum (18 %) (p = 0.001). Right-sided CRC demonstrated higher pTNM stage (p = 0.001), adequate harvest count nodes (p = 0.0001), metastatic nodes (p = 0.02), and poor differentiation grading (p = 0.0001). With multivariate analysis, poor differentiation grade was independently associated with both worse OS (HR 3.6, p = 0.05) and worse DFS (HR 8.1, p = 0.0001), while distant recurrence was associated with worse OS (HR 20.1, p = 0.0001). Low rates of right-sided CRC are diagnosed following screening program. Proximal CRC demonstrates aggressive behavior without impact on outcome. These findings prompt concern about population awareness for CRC screening.

As stapled hemorrhoidopexy (SH) becomes more widely used, we see more patients with chronic postoperative anal pain after this surgery. Its presentation is variable and difficult to treat. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of chronic anal pain after SH and whether tailored therapy was likely to achieve a favorable outcome. We retrospectively analyzed 31 consecutive patients with chronic anal pain who had undergone SH in other hospitals and were referred to our institutions. Depending on the type of pain, unrelated (at rest) or related to defecation, two groups of patients were identified. Moreover, the mean distance of the staple line from the anal verge was calculated in both groups. Treatments included: topical nifedipine, local anesthetic and steroid infiltration, removal of retained staples, anal dilation, and scar excision with mucosal suturing. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to compare pain at baseline, postoperatively, and in the follow-up. This mean difference of the VAS score between stages was always used as the main outcome measure, depending on the type of presentation, type of pain, and type of treatment. Treatment response was defined as a 50 % decrease of VAS from baseline. There were 22 males and 9 females. The overall median age was 43 years (range 21–62 years). On digital examination and proctoscopy, 15 (48 %) patients had inflammatory changes, 19 (61 %) patients had staple retention, 8 (26 %) patients had anorectal stenosis, and 30 (97 %) patients had scar tissue. All patients had one or more of the following treatments listed from the least to most invasive: topical nifedipine in 12 (39 %) patients, anal dilation in 6 (19 %) patients, anesthetic and steroid infiltration in 18 (58 %) patients, removal of staples in 10 (32 %) patients, and scar excision in 18 (58 %) patients. The mean VAS score at baseline was 6.100, ± 1.953 SD, which dropped significantly after treatment to 1.733, ± 1.658 SD (p