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Diabetic individuals are considered a vulnerable population during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and several studies noted worse outcomes, including death, among those who get infected. Diabetic emergencies, such as ketoacidosis (DKA), are common and potentially life-threatening conditions in uncontrolled patients. While the pathophysiological background of the relationship between COVID-19 and DKA is not fully understood, early reports available so far indicate that patients with pre-existing diabetes who get infected with the SARS-CoV 2 virus are at higher risk of DKA. It was also suggested that DKA is a poor prognostic sign for infected patients, these being at higher risk of developing worse forms of COVID-19 disease and having high mortality. Therefore, healthcare personnel dealing with such patients face a considerable challenge, as the correct and safe emergency management of such cases is far from established. This article aimed to conduct a study that reviews the current published data available about patients with DKA and COVID-19.

Despite substantial advancements in diagnosis and specific medical therapy in pulmonary arterial hypertension patients’ management, this condition continues to represent a major cause of mortality worldwide. In pulmonary arterial hypertension, the continuous increase of pulmonary vascular resistance and rapid development of right heart failure determine a poor prognosis. Against targeted therapy, patients inexorable deteriorate over time. Pulmonary arterial hypertension patients with acute right heart failure who need intensive care unit admission present a complexity of the disease pathophysiology. Intensive care management challenges are multifaceted. Awareness of algorithms of right-sided heart failure monitoring in intensive care units, targeted pulmonary hypertension therapies, and recognition of precipitating factors, hemodynamic instability and progressive multisystem organ failure requires a multidisciplinary pulmonary hypertension team. This paper summarizes the management strategies of acute right-sided heart failure in pulmonary arterial hypertension adult cases based on recently available data.

Background/Objectives: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) are complex diseases that require precise diagnosis and management. The ESC risk score has been used in both conditions. We assessed the relationship between the EmPHasis-10 questionnaire (patient subjective evaluation) and objective assessment using endorsed tools (simplified four-strata risk assessment and right ventricular imaging by transthoracic echocardiography). Methods: The present study retrospectively extracted data from 40 adult patients (27 PAH and 13 CTEPH cases) diagnosed in a single center in Romania. The EmPHasis-10 questionnaire and the four-strata risk assessment (FSRA) tool were applied to each patient. Mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), TAPSE/systolic pulmonary artery pressure (TAPSE/sPAP) ratio, and right ventricular outflow tract acceleration time (RVOT-AT) were assessed. Results: A significant correlation was observed between the EmPHasis-10 scores and the FSRA tool, the WHO functional class, and the 6 min walking distance. Emphasis-10 score did not correlate with any of the echocardiographic parameters. The FSRA tool showed a moderate positive correlation with mPAP (r = 0.42, p = 0.01) and a negative correlation with TAPSE (r = −0.46, p = 0.003); additionally, across the entire cohort, it was moderately negatively correlated with both RVOT-AT (r = −0.42, p = 0.01) and TAPSE/sPAP ratio (r = −0.43, p = 0.005). Conclusions: Our study evidenced the alignment between EmPHasis-10 scores and prognostic risk score, with poorer health-related quality of life corresponding to higher FSRA. The EmPHasis-10 questionnaire proves to be a valuable, easy-to-use instrument, offering meaningful insights into patients' health-related quality of life, underscoring its utility in enhancing comprehensive patient assessment and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is characterized by complex pathophysiology, leading to increased hospitalizations and mortality. Inflammatory biomarkers such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) provide valuable diagnostic insights. Methods: This study evaluates the prognostic relationship between NLR, PLR, and, in a specific subcohort, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), alongside length of stay (LOS) and 90-day readmission rates in CHF patients, irrespective of heart failure phenotype. A retrospective analysis of 427 CHF admissions (males = 57.84%) was conducted. Results: The mean age of the entire population was 68.48 ± 11.53 years. The average LOS was 8.33 ± 5.26 days, with a readmission rate of 73 visits (17.09%) for 56 patients. The NLR (3.79 ± 3.32) showed a low but positive correlation with the LOS (r = 0.222, p < 0.001). Conversely, the PLR (144.84 ± 83.08) did not demonstrate a significant association with the LOS. The NLR presented a low negative correlation for days until the next admission (r = −0.023, p = 0.048). In a prespecified subanalysis of 323 admissions, the NT-proBNP exhibited a low positive Pearson correlation with the NLR (r = 0.241, p < 0.001) and PLR (r = 0.151, p = 0.006). Conclusions: The impact of the NLR across heart failure phenotypes may suggest the role of systemic inflammation in understanding and managing CHF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a global health issue that has profound medical and research implications. Methods: This retrospective study examined changes in renal and liver function, as well as lipid metabolism, over a 12-month period in 49 adult patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). All cases were admitted, managed, and followed up with in the PH Center, County Emergency Clinical Hospital of Targu Mures, Romania. Results: Kidney dysfunction was observed in 12.24% of cases at baseline, decreasing to 8.16% at 12 months, and CTEPH patients were more affected. In particular, CTEPH patients exhibited an improvement in renal function, confirmed by an increase in their glomerular filtration rates. Hepatic impairment was present in 57.14% of subjects at baseline, declining to 42.86% at 12 months, with significant improvements noted in the PAH group. Lipid metabolic dysregulations were experienced by 22.45% of all patients at baseline, decreasing to 16.33% at 6 months, with a slow elevation to 24.49% at 12 months, but with no statistically significant differences. Pharmacological regimens were adjusted in accordance with the PH groups, a patient's functional and clinical response, and laboratory tests. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the multi-organ damage in PH and the importance of individualized treatment approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Twenty-four hours dynamic blood pressure (BP) behaviour displays dipper profile defined as nocturnal systolic BP (SBP) reduction>10% compared to daytime. Non-dipper profile, nocturnal absence of SBP fall, associates an increased cardiovascular risk. We investigated the concomitant association of inflammatory bio-markers - high-sensitivity- C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), Human Chitinase3-like1 (YKL-40) and autonomic nervous system (total brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF) with respect to non-dipping blood pressure status.

A rapid, sensitive, high-throughput liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry method for the quantification of rivaroxaban from human plasma has been developed and validated. For the analytical separation a Zorbax SB-C18 column with isocratic flow of mobile phase composed of 0.2% formic acid in water and acetonitril (65:35, V/V) with a flow rate of 1 mL/min at a temperature of 45ºC was used. Detection of rivaroxaban was performed using positive electrospray ionization and MS/MS mode (sum of m/z 231.1; 289.2 and 318.2 from m/z 436.3). Plasma samples were prepared using single-step protein precipitation with methanol. Method validation was performed with regards to selectivity, linearity (r >0.9927), within-run and between-run precision (CV< 13.1 %) and accuracy (bias< 9.4 %) over a concentration range of 24.00 - 960.00 ng/mL plasma. Recovery was between 96.5 - 108.5% and the lower limit of quantification of rivaroxaban was 24.00 ng/mL. The developed method is simple, rapid, and selective, requires small plasma sample volumes, and was successfully applied for therapeutic drug monitoring of rivaroxaban in treated patients.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH), defined by mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAPm) ≥25 mm Hg, can lead to increasing pulmonary vascular resistance, which eventually results in right ventricle failure. Scleroderma, as an autoimmune connective tissue disease, is associated with PH as a sub-group according to the 2015 ESC/ERS PH classification. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) associated with scleroderma (SSc-PAH) can often result in poor prognosis with increased mortality. Early diagnosis and specific treatment of PH can significantly improve the prognosis of these patients.

Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is a cardiomyopathy that can either result from arrested or abnormal myocardial morphogenesis during heart development, or can be acquired later in life. Current practice guidelines recommend different strategies for the management of patients with LVNC. Common clinical features of this disease include cardiac failure, thromboembolism, life-threatening arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death, which could indicate a worse prognosis. The disease may occur alone or in association with other congenital cardiac, neuromuscular, mitochondrial or metabolic disorders. The association of left ventricular non-compaction with other structural cardiac congenital diseases (such as atrial or ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, obstruction of ventricular outflow tract) is rare. As clinical manifestations of LVNC are non-specific, particular imaging modalities (echocardiography, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging or ECG gated computed tomography) should be used in order to establish the diagnosis of LVNC. Antiarrhythmic drugs and implantable cardioverter defibrillators may be considered for the management of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with ventricular non-compaction. We report the presentation, diagnosis and management of a 46 year-old female with refractory severe cardiac failure, repeated syncope due to LVNC and atrial septal defect, requiring medical therapy and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator as a "life bridge" to heart transplantation.

S-a elaborat și s-a validat o metodă de cromatografie de lichide de înaltă performanță cuplată cu spectrometrie de masă în tandem (LC-MS/MS) pentru cuantificarea apixabanului în plasma umană. Separarea s-a realizat pe o coloană Gemini-NX în condiții izocratice folosind un amestec de acetonitril și formiat de amoniu 1 mM în apă (33:67, v/v) la 40 ºC, cu un debit de 0,5 mL/min. Detecția apixabanului s-a realizat prin monitorizarea reacțiilor multiple (m/z 417,2 din m/z 460,2) cu ionizare pozitivă prin electrospray. Pentru pregătirea probelor de plasmă s-a folosit o singură etapă de precipitare a proteinelor cu metanol. Metoda s-a validat cu respectarea selectivității, linearității (r > 0,994), preciziei intrazilnice și interzilnice (CV < 14,4 %) și a acurateței (bias < 9.5 %) pe domeniul de concentrații 9,70 - 970,00 ng/mL plasmă. Cea mai mică limită de cuantificare (LLOQ) a fost de 9,70 ng/mL, iar randamentul de recuparare din plasmă a avut valori cuprinse între 97,4 - 104,5 %. Metoda este rapidă, eficientă, necesită prelucrarea unui volum mic de plasmă (50 μL), un timp de lucru scurt (1 min) pentru analiza cromatografică și o pregătire simplă și rapidă a probelor. Se pretează foarte bine pentru monitorizarea concentrațiilor apixabanului în timpul tratamentului clinic și pentru studii de farmacocinetică.

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