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This article describes some recent developments in the area of prediction of noise, vibration and harshness of automobiles.

Coronavirus disease-19 has emerged as a devastating global public health crisis. An increased frequency of arterial and venous thrombosis was observed in COVID-19 infection. The objective of this study was to describe the thromboembolic complications of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 and their evolution. A prospective single-center study was conducted that compared the characteristics, risk factors, thromboembolic event rate, hospital stay and mortality among patients admitted to intensive care or general ward. The mean age of population was 46 ± 18 years, and 52% were female. The global rate of thromboembolic events was 4.4%, significantly higher in intensive unit patients (29% vs 1.4%; p < 0.001) despite the high use of prophylactic heparin (91.1% vs. 84.9%; p < 0.1). The independent predictive factors for the development of thromboembolic events were: age, D-dimer and creatinine. Of the patients admitted to intensive care, 45.1% required mechanical ventilation. Overall mortality was 4.3%, significantly higher in intensive care patients than in the general hospital ward (29% vs. 1.3%; p < 0.0001). Patients requiring hospitalization due to infection secondary to COVID-19 have a high rate of thromboembolic events despite the use of thromboprophylaxis with heparin, generating a negative prognostic impact on the survival of patients admitted to intensive care.

Coronary involvement in COVID-19 infection usually presents as type 2 acute myocardial infarction (AMI), due to increased 02 consumption and reduction of oxygen supply, and less frequently as type 1 (STEMI). In that cases, thrombogenicity of the infection may contribute to acute coronary occlusion. We present 2 cases of middle-aged men, with few or none cardiovascular risk factors, who were in hospital during 10 days because pneumonia due to COVID-19 with good evolution. In the convalescent phase, one day after hospital discharge, and enoxaparin suspension, they went back to hospital because STEMI. Both were treated by direct angioplasty using pharmacologic stent. Discussion is related to treatment of AMI at discharge, if anticoagulation should be added to double antiplatelet therapy, and if any prophylactic antithrombotic treatment should be considered at discharge from COVID-19 pneumonia in some patients.

Greater antithrombotic potency new antiplatelet agents have been added such as prasugrel (PR) and ticagrelor to the traditional use of clopidogrel (CL) in the treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study was aimed at comparing the incidence of long term ischemic and hemorrhagic events in patients treated with CL or PR during hospitalization. Retrospective ACS data base analysis performed by our cardiology service was completed prospectively. There were consecutively included all patients with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) during hospitalization due to ACS from December 2011 thru December 2012. A total of 398 ACS patients who underwent PCI with stent implantation were recruited. No differences in cardiovascular related deaths were observed in both groups (PR 2.9% vs. CL 2.5%, p=0.48). PR group showed less re-infraction (1.9% vs. 6.8%, p=0.01) with more total bleedings (18.5% vs. 8.5%, p=0.001) and minor bleedings (12.4% vs. 3.4%, p<0.001) with no differences in major and life threatening bleedings (p=ns). Multivariate analysis showed that independent predictors of cardiovascular mortality were age (OR 1.08, CI 95% 1.02-1.16) and renal failure (OR 6.98, CI 95% 1.23-39.71). Independent predictors for total bleeding were age (OR 1.06, CI 95% 1.02-1.09),ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (OR 1.99, CI 95% 1.05-3.79), renal failure (OR 3.32, CI 95% 1.62-6.78) and prasugrel use (OR 3.97, CI 95% 1.87-8.41). Use of prasugrel, in the ACS that requires PCI with stent, is associated with a lower myocardial infarction a year after follow-up, and it also leads to an increase of milder hemorrhage. No significant differences were observed in the cardiovascular mortality of both groups.

We report a challenging case of a 32-year-old patient in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV with pulmonary atresia, ventricular septal defect, a left aortopulmonary collateral artery, a right modified Blalock-Taussing shunt, and a gigantic aneurysm of the ascending aorta with severe aortic valve insufficiency. A combined Rastelli and Bentall procedure was performed by a joint adult and pediatric cardiovascular surgery team. One year after the operation, the patient is in NYHA class I, working full time., (© The Author(s) 2014.)