Higher Risk Of Death Research Articles

Prognostic Value of Stress Myocardial Perfusion Imaging Across the Spectrum of Cardiovascular Risk

BackgroundSingle-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is widely used to identify ischemia. There is limited research to evaluate if there is a risk threshold below which SPECT-MPI may not add significant prognostic value. MethodsBetween January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2018, individuals who underwent SPECT-MPI were stratified into four risk groups. The primary outcome was acute myocardial infarction (MI) or death. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to calculated HRs with 95% CIs. ResultsAmong 48,845 patients (52.3% male, median age 67 years), 8.5% were low risk, 4.8% borderline risk, 18.1% intermediate risk, and 68.6% high risk based on the American College of Cardiology pooled cohort equation. Ischemia was more commonly detected in the high-risk cohort (19.4% in high-risk vs. 6.5% in low-risk). SPECT-MPI testing was associated with a significantly increased use of preventive medications such as statin therapy, regardless of stress test results. At a median follow-up of 4.2 years, there was no significant association between ischemia and death or MI in the low-risk cohort (adjusted HR 1.91, 95% CI 0.94-3.92) or the borderline-risk cohort (adjusted HR 1.58, 95% CI 0.79-3.15). Ischemia was associated with a higher risk of death or MI in the intermediate-risk (adjusted HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.24-1.99) and high-risk groups (adjusted HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.44-1.64). ConclusionSPECT-MPI was less useful for risk stratification among low-risk patients due to their low event rates regardless of test result.

Development and validation of a novel sleep health score in the sleep heart health study

BackgroundThere is a lack of consensus in evaluating multidimensional sleep health, especially concerning its implication for mortality. A validated multidimensional sleep health score is the foundation of effective interventions. MethodsWe obtained data from 5706 participants in the Sleep Heart Health Study. First, random forest-recursive feature elimination algorithm was used to select potential predictive variables. Second, a sleep composite score was developed based on the regression coefficients from a Cox proportional hazards model evaluating the associations between selected sleep-related variables and mortality. Last, we validated the score by constructing Cox proportional hazards models to assess its association with mortality. ResultsThe mean age of participants was 63.2 years old, and 47.6% (2715/5706) were male. Six sleep variables, including average oxygen saturation (%), spindle density (C3), sleep efficiency (%), spindle density (C4), percentage of fast spindles (%) and percentage of rapid eye movement (%) were selected to construct this multidimensional sleep health score. The average sleep composite score in participants was 6.8 of 22 (lower is better). Participants with a one-point increase in sleep composite score had an 10% higher risk of death (hazard ratio = 1.10, 95% confidence interval: 1.08–1.12). ConclusionsThis study constructed and validated a novel multidimensional sleep health score to better predict death based on sleep, with significant associations between sleep composite score and all-cause mortality. Integrating questionnaire information and sleep microstructures, our sleep composite score is more appropriately applied for mortality risk stratification.

Association Between Age and the 28-Day All-Cause Mortality in Tuberculosis Complicated by Sepsis in ICU Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Age is considered a vital factor in intensive care units (ICUs) because of its association with physiological frailty, comorbidities, and immune system function. Previous studies have examined the association between age and prognosis in patients with tuberculosis (TB) or sepsis; however, the association between age and prognosis in ICU patients with TB complicated by sepsis is rare. This study aimed to assess the association between age and the prognosis of patients in the ICU with TB complicated by sepsis. Data from the ICU of the Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu were analyzed using the multivariable Cox regression model, stratified analysis with interaction, restricted cubic spline (RCS), and threshold effect analysis to investigate the association between age and 28-day all-cause mortality in patients with TB complicated by sepsis. In total, 520 patients diagnosed with TB and sepsis were enrolled (120 women [23.1%]; median age, 64 years). The association between age and risk of death exhibited a J-shaped curve on the RCS (P for nonlinearity = 0.001). In the threshold analysis, the hazard ratio for the risk of death was 1.104 (95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.16) in participants aged ≥66.2 years. The risk of death increased by 10.4% with every 1-year increase in age in patients with TB complicated by sepsis. No significant association was found between age and 28-day all-cause mortality in patients aged <66.2 years. A nonlinear relationship was observed between age and short-term all-cause mortality in patients in the ICU with TB complicated by sepsis. Patients with a higher age at admission may have a higher risk of death and require focused attention, close monitoring, and early treatment to reduce mortality.

Association between red blood cell distribution width and the all-cause mortality of patients with aortic stenosis: A retrospective study

BackgroundIt is essential to assess the risk stratification of patients with aortic stenosis (AS). ObjectiveTo clarify the predictive value of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) in AS patients using a large cohort from the MIMIC-IV database. MethodsRestricted cubic spline, the Kaplan-Meier method, and logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to explore the association between RDW and all-cause mortality in AS patients. Multivariate adjustments, propensity score matching and weighting, and subgroup analysis were conducted to exclude confounding factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and decision curve analysis (DCA) curves were drawn to evaluate the predictive performance of RDW. Results1,148 patients with AS were included. Their death risks gradually increased with the elevation of RDW. Multivariate-adjusted 90-day (OR: 2.12; HR: 1.90; p = 0.001) and 1-year (OR: 2.07; HR: 1.97; p < 0.001) all-cause mortalities were significantly higher in patients with RDW≥14.7 %, which remained robust after propensity score matching and subgroup analysis. For AS patients with high RDW, those < 75 years old had higher death risks than those ≥ 75 years old. The area under the ROC curve of RDW were 0.741 and 0.75 at 90-day and 1-year follow-ups, respectively, exhibiting comparable performance to acute physiology score III and outperforming other critical illness scores in predicting the prognosis of AS patients. DCA curves also illustrated that RDW had a wide range of net benefits. ConclusionsHigh RDW was independently associated with increased 90-day and 1-year all-cause mortalities of AS patients, with strong predictive capability of prognosis.

Aspartate Transaminase-to-Albumin Ratio (ATAR), a Novel Prognostic Index, Predicts Outcomes in Patients with Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterized by high invasion rates, rapid progression, and poor prognoses. Thus, identifying SCLC patients at high risk of progression and death is critical to improve long-term survival. In this study, the aspartate transaminase-to-albumin ratio (ATAR) was examined as a prognostic factor for SCLC patients. We screened 196 SCLC patients from December 2013 to September 2022 at the Sichuan Cancer Hospital. The data was collected from patients' medical information as well as from their blood results during diagnosis. Using the Youden index as a cutoff value, patients were divided into high-risk（> 0.54) and low-risk (≤ 0.54) ATAR groups. We analyzed the prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) using the Kaplan-Meier method, univariate and multivariate analyses, Cox regression, and the C-index. There were 109 (55.6%) smokers among the patients, and the median OS was 17.55 months. The Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that patients with high-risk ATAR had significantly lower OS (p < 0.0001). A multivariate analysis demonstrated that elevated ATAR is an independent adverse predictor of OS (p < 0.001, HR = 1.907). Our study found that ATAR is an independent predictor of survival outcomes in SCLC, which was superior to ALB, PNI, and SII in predicting outcomes in low-risk and high-risk groups (all p < 0.05). Models combining ATAR with ALB, PNI, and SII showed more powerful prognostic value than their corresponding original models. Moreover, the prognostic indicator ATAR can significantly stratify stage I - II and III - IV SCLC patients (p ＜ 0.05). Peripheral blood ATAR prognostic index can be used as an independent predictor of SCLC patients before treatment.

Left atrial and left ventricular strain in feature-tracking cardiac magnetic resonance for predicting patients at high risk of sudden cardiac death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) represents the most severe complication of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The risk stratification of SCD in patients with HCM remains a subject of ongoing debate, and the utility of left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) myocardial strain for risk stratification of also SCD remains uncertain. Through use of feature-tracking cardiac magnetic resonance (FT-CMR), this study aimed to investigate the attenuation of LA and LV strain in HCM and to assess their predictive value in SCD. This retrospective and cross-sectional study included patients with HCM who underwent 3.0 T cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) at a single institution. Feature-tracking strain analysis was conducted to obtain the strain rate (SR) and LV strain and to evaluate LV function. LA strain was measured during different functional phases including left atrial reservoir strain (LARS), LA conduit strain (LACS), and LA booster strain. All patients were categorized into high- and low-risk groups for SCD as defined by the 2020 American Heart Association/American College HCM implantable cardioverter defibrillator class of recommendation algorithm. Comparison between the two groups was conducted using the independent samples t test and the nonparametric rank sum test. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to further identify the factors influencing SCD risk in HCM. Compared with those in the low-risk group, patients in the high-risk group had lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), LV stroke volume index (LVSVI), and LA stroke volume index (LASVI) but a higher LV end-systolic volume index (LVESVI), LV maximum wall thickness, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) (P<0.001). LV strain, SR, and LA strain all showed significant differences between the high- and low-risk groups (LARS: P=0.04; LACS: P=0.02; all other P values <0.001). The LV global circumferential strain (LVGCS) had a strong negative correlation with LVEF in patients with HCM (r=-0.76; P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that LV global radial strain (LVGRS) and LARS could be used for categorizing the patients into the high-risk group [LVGRS: odds ratio (OR) =0.69; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.55-0.87, P<0.001; LARS: OR =1.39; 95% CI: 1.02-1.90, P=0.03]. The combined LVGRS-LARS model exhibited a superior diagnostic value for high risk of SCD [area under the curve (AUC) =0.95; 95% CI: 0.90-1.00; P<0.001] compared to LARS alone (AUC =0.63; 95% CI: 0.51-0.76; P=0.04). LA and LV strain measured by FT-CMR can accurately identify those patients with HCM at a high risk of SCD. This approach may prove considerably value in guiding early therapeutic intervention with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) to prevent adverse clinical outcomes.

Risk factors and outcomes of cytomegalovirus infection in the intensive care unit.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has long been recognized as an important viral syndrome in the immunocompromised host. The disease is less well described in critically-ill patients. We evaluated the risk factors for the development of CMV infection in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). We also compared the outcomes of CMV infection in ICU patients to those of patients with hematological malignancies. This is a retrospective study composed of three arms: patients admitted to the ICU with infection (ICU + / CMV + arm), patients admitted to the ICU who did not develop CMV infection (ICU + / CMV- arm, and patients with hematological malignancies on the hematology ward without CMV infection (ICU - / CMV + arm). Patients who were admitted to ICU for surgical causes had a decreased risk of CMV infection. On the other hand, receiving corticosteroids and vasoactive drugs was associated with an increased risk of CMV infection with adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of 2.4 and 25.3, respectively. Mortality was higher in ICU + / CMV + patients compared to ICU - / CMV + patients. In the ICU + /CMV + population, male sex and being on mechanical ventilation after CMV infection were independent predictors of mortality (aOR 4.6 and 5.0, respectively). CMV infection in ICU patients is a potentially serious disease requiring close attention. The findings from our study help in identifying patients in the ICU at risk for CMV infection, thereby warranting frequent screening. Patients at high risk of death (male, on mechanical ventilation) should receive prompt treatment and intensive follow-up.

Acute respiratory failure due to pulmonary exacerbation in children with cystic fibrosis admitted in a pediatric intensive care unit: outcomes and factors associated with mortality

BackgroundChildren with advanced pulmonary disease due to cystic fibrosis (CF) are at risk of acute respiratory failure due to pulmonary exacerbations leading to their admission to pediatric intensive care units (PICU). The objectives of this study were to determine short and medium-term outcomes of children with CF admitted to PICU for acute respiratory failure due to pulmonary exacerbation and to identify prognosis factors.MethodsThis retrospective monocentric study included patients less than 18 years old admitted to the PICU of a French university hospital between 2000 and 2020. Cox proportional hazard regression methods were used to determine prognosis factors of mortality or lung transplant.ResultsPrior to PICU admission, the 29 patients included (median age 13.5 years) had a severe lung disease (median Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 s percentage predicted at 29%). Mortality rates were respectively 17%, 31%, 34%, 41% at discharge and at 3, 12 and 36 months post-discharge. Survival rates free of lung transplant were 34%, 32%, 24% and 17% respectively. Risk factors associated with mortality or lung transplant using the univariate analysis were female sex and higher pCO2 and chloride levels at PICU admission, and following pre admission characteristics: home respiratory and nutritional support, registration on lung transplant list and Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia bronchial colonization.ConclusionChildren with CF admitted to PICU for acute respiratory failure secondary to pulmonary exacerbations are at high risk of death, both in the short and medium terms. Lung transplant is their main chance of survival and should be considered early.

Prognostic Value of Hyperglycemia and Insulin Resistance Among Patients with Confirmed COVID-19 Infections at Admission to the Alexandria Fever Hospital, Egypt.

Background: The interaction between COVID-19 infection, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance (IR) may lead to poor outcome. Methods: This prospective study included 100 adult participants without diabetes attending Alexandria Fever Hospital with confirmed COVID-19 infections. They were classified into four groups according to disease severity using World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Demographic and clinical parameters were collected. Laboratory investigations were obtained. Another follow-up fasting plasma glucose (FPG) value was measured after 3 months in cured patients. Results: Admission FPG, follow-up FPG, lipid profile, markers of IR, and inflammation were significantly higher in severe and critical cases than in mild and moderate cases with increasing values with increased severity. Furthermore, these parameters were significantly higher in died cases compared with cured cases. Admission FPG, TyG index, and homeostatic model assessment (HOMA)-IR showed significant positive correlations with follow-up FPG. Admission FPG was the only independent mortality predictor in multivariate analysis (P = 0.027) with 1.7-folds increased mortality risk with each 10 mg/dL increments. Values exceeding 117 mg/dL, 2.2, and 6.33 for admission FPG, HOMA-IR, and Fasting Insulin Resistance Index, respectively, were able to predict mortality in the studied sample. Conclusions: These results will help in identifying patients at high risk of severe infection and death at admission and take early actions to improve outcome.

Analysis of Operated Ankle Fractures in Elderly Patients: Are They All Osteoporotic?

Background: Osteoporosis represents a global problem, which involves high risks of disability and death due to the consequences of fragility fractures. The aim of our study is to verify what type of relationship there is between ankle fractures and osteoporosis. Specifically, we aim to understand how the clinical and anamnestic characteristics of patients, along with the radiographic features of these fractures, may contribute to considering them as osteoporotic fractures. Methods: The study group includes 51 consecutive patients aged 60 years or older operated for ankle fracture from May to October 2022. The fractures were divided into uni-, bi-, or trimalleolar based on the plain X-rays. All patients underwent femoral and vertebral bone mineralometry by DXA associated with the FRAX questionnaire. Results: Ankle fractures in the elderly were associated with reduced BMD (76.5% of the total patients examined, 83.8% considering only women) and low-energy traumas (82%). Furthermore, these fractures present features of increased complexity as bone mass decreases. Conclusions: Ankle fractures in the elderly exhibit characteristics that suggest a relationship with bone fragility. For these reasons, it might be advisable to initiate a comprehensive fracture risk assessment in elderly patients who experience an ankle fracture. These fractures should not be underrated, and antiresorptive therapy must always be taken into consideration when selecting patients at risk.

Nutritional and Metabolic Status Control and Nutritional Support in Patients with Pancreatic Sepsis (Review)

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is associated with pancreonecrosis in 30% of patients, who may fall at 80% high risk of death when infected pancreatic necrosis progresses to sepsis. Given the catabolic nature of the disease and the significant influence of nutritional status on its course and outcome, these patients require an adequate nutritional support (NS) based on an adequate assessment and control of nutritional and metabolic status.The aim of the study: to identify trends in developing new tools for assessment of nutritional and metabolic status, and provision of NS in patients with pancreatic sepsis (PS).Materials and methods. Keyword search in the PubMed, Scopus and E-library databases for the period from 2018 to 2023 yielded 95 publications, of which 16 meta-analyses and 6 systematic reviews met the requirements.Results. all existing to date scales for assessment of nutritional deficiency in patients with PS have low prognostic value. Of them, mNUTRIC scale seems to be the most appropriate assessment tool. Recommended by EPSEN guidelines tools to assess the risk of nutritional deficiency it is not suitable for ICU patients. Indirect calorimetry should be preferred vs routine calculation formulas in assessing patient’s energy needs in case of PS. It was also found that «standard» anthropometric values, such as BMI, are not always informative and prognostically significant in patients with severe AP in the ICU. Analgesia, infusion therapy, as well as detection and correction of intraperitoneal hypertension are not only integral components of intensive care for PS but are indispensable for supplying adequate NS in PS patients. It was found that early enteral nutrition is the preferred method of NS, although questions concerning choice of tube insertion site, as well as all parameters of tube feeding remain unanswered. The optimal composition of enteral nutrition for patients with PS has not been established, which is indirectly confirmed by the variety of enteral mixtures available on the market. The refeeding syndrome that occurs at initiation of NS was characterized as a life-threatening condition.Conclusion. NS, based on adequate assessment of disorders and control of the nutritional and metabolic status is an integral component of intensive care in PS patients. It can reduce the probability and number of potential complications, time of stay in the ICU, cost of treatment, and improve patient’s prognosis.

Laryngectomy plus postoperative radio(system)therapy versus primary radio(system) therapy for the treatment of locally advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer – results from the University Clinical Cancer Registry Regensburg

Background There are few adequate randomized clinical trials directly comparing the therapeutic options of primary laryngectomy (pLE) vs. primary radio(system)therapy (pR(S)T) in patients with locally advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinoma and thus little clear scientific evidence to decide which patients will benefit most from which procedure. Aims/Objectives Aim was to compare survival between the therapeutic options and to learn from the limitations of this study, especially in the context of improved clinical assessment. Material and Methods The clinical data of patients treated between January 2010 and February 2022 were obtained from the electronic database of the University Hospital Regensburg. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between the treatment groups. Results The study included 193 patients (pLE n = 68, pR(S)T, n = 125). Median OS was 31.2 months and median PFS was 24.7 months with no significant difference between the treatment groups (p > .050). Patients who did not receive complete treatment as recommended by the tumor conference (n = 47, 24.4%) had a higher risk of death (p = .024). Conclusions and Significance The results of our study are consistent with the survival data reported in the literature. More detailed systematic data in clinical routine (e.g. relevant comorbidities) are required to ensure guideline-based recommended therapy.

[Silencing of Resistance Mechanism in Vancomycin-Resistance Enterococci Using Antisense RNA of vanA Gene].

The World Health Organization has included the problem of antibiotic resistance among the top 10 important health problems in the world. Treatment of infectious diseases has become more difficult due to the spread of antibiotic resistance between bacteria via transposable elements. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are of critical medical and public health importance due to their association with serious nosocomial infections and high risk of death. One of the most important features of VREs is that they have multiple antibiotic resistance and treatment options are reduced. Therefore, new treatment methods are needed. The vanA gene constitutes the building block of the vancomycin resistance mechanism and causes high resistance to vancomycin. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the neutralization of the vancomycin resistance mechanism by creating vanA antisense RNA (asRNA). The vanA positive VRE50 strain in our culture collection which was isolated from the clinical sample, was used to amplify the vanA gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The amplified vanA amplicon was inserted inversely into the pUC19 plasmid by means of the enzyme cutting sites in the primers used. The resulting plasmid was combined with the pAT392 plasmid which can replicate in gram-positive bacteria and a fusion plasmid was created. The fusion plasmid whose orientation was confirmed, was transferred to the wild strain VRE50 by electroporation method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of transformed VRE (tVRE50) and wild type VRE50 strains used as control were determined by the E-Test method. The vancomycin MIC value of the wild type VRE50 strain was determined as 1024 µg/mL and that of the tVRE50 strain was 32 µg/mL and it was determined that the vancomycin resistance of the tVRE50 strain decreased with asRNA (antisense RNA). Antisense RNA technology is an important method for neutralizing the expression of genes. This study showed that neutralization of the vancomycin resistance gene may provide a lower MIC value in a vancomycin-resistant enterococcus strain and lead to increased susceptibility. This new approach provides a new method for VRE treatment by neutralizing the vancomycin resistance mechanism. The result obtained in this study needs to be supported by in vivo tests.

The Characteristics of People with Serious Mental Illness Who are at High Risk for Hospitalization or Death.

Many individuals with serious mental illness are at high risk for hospitalization or death due to inadequate treatment of medical conditions or unhealthy behaviors. The authors describe demographic and clinical characteristics associated with increased risk in this population. Electronic data were obtained for individuals in treatment at a large Veterans' healthcare system who were at high risk according to a validated model. A random sample of these individuals was assessed in person. Multivariable regressions estimated the effect of numerous demographic, health, and clinical characteristics on risk. Emergency visits and hospitalizations were common. Greater risk was associated with being male, not married, and having more diagnoses. While risk varied by race, this effect was no longer significant after controlling for other factors. Health-related quality of life worsened with increasing risk. Routine data identify a large population of high-risk individuals who may benefit from outreach to provide healthcare services.

Circulating mortalin in blood and activation of the alternative complement pathway as risk indicators in COVID-19 infection.

Mortalin/GRP75 is a ubiquitous mitochondrial chaperone related to the cytosolic heat shock protein 70. It protects cells from various types of damages and from senescence. Our goal was to determine whether COVID-19 patients have circulating mortalin in their blood and to assess its prognostic value in anticipating disease severity. Mortalin was determined by ELISA in the sera of 83 COVID-19 patients enrolled in the study. Patients were categorized into 4 groups: critical patients who died (FATAL) or required intensive care and survived (ICU), patients of mild severity (hospitalized but not critical) who required nasal oxygen support (HOSP+O2), and patients who did not need oxygen therapy (HOSP). The mortalin concentration in the serum of all COVID-19 patients in the cohort was 194-2324 pg/mL. A comparison of the mortalin levels by peak severity among the various patient groups showed a highly significant difference between the HOSP and FATAL groups and a significant difference between the HOSP and the ICU groups. COVID-19 patients who eventually failed to survive had at hospitalization a markedly higher level of mortalin in their sera. Cox regression analysis revealed a high mortality hazard (HR=3.96, p<0.01) in patients with high mortalin circulating levels (above the median, ≥651 pg/mL). This was confirmed in survival curve analysis (Kaplan-Meier; p=0.0032, log-rank test). Mortalin remained an independent predictor of mortality even after adjusting for age and sex or various complement activation products. Complement activation data collected in an earlier study in the same cohort was compared regarding the mortalin levels. Patients with higher circulating mortalin levels also had higher levels of complement C3a but reduced levels of properdin. This is the first report on circulating mortalin in COVID-19 patients. Higher mortalin levels were associated with more severe illnesses and a higher risk of death. We claim that quantifying the blood levels of mortalin and activated complement proteins will provide important information on the prognosis of COVID-19 patients and will serve as a useful tool for guiding their clinical management and treatment.

Neutrophil/Lymphocyte ratio an important marker of worse outcome in Covid-19: a cross-sectional study in a Brazilian population

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, is a pandemic with high morbidity and mortality. Several studies on the use of laboratory markers that can differentiate patients at high risk of death associated with COVID-19 or with an unfavourable course from mild to severe disease have been proposed recently. In this study, we evaluated hematological parameters of 1369 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 from a unique center of Brazil and correlated with disease severity. Patients were divided into two groups according to their clinical outcome: death or hospital discharge. The absolute number of neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets  and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio were statistically significant between the two groups, with p&lt;0.001. There was no statistical relevance between the platelet/lymphocyte ratio and the clinical evolution of the studied patients. Thus, our results reinforce the data described in previous studies that NLR can be an important marker of unfavourable clinical evolution in Covid -19.

Conditional survival and annual hazard of death in older patients with esophageal cancer receiving definitive chemoradiotherapy

BackgroundDefinitive chemoradiotherapy is one of the primary treatment modalities for older patients with esophageal cancer (EC). However, the evolution of prognosis over time and the factors affected non-EC deaths remain inadequately studied. We examined the conditional survival and annual hazard of death in older patients with EC after chemoradiotherapy.MethodsWe collected data from patients aged 65 or older with EC registered in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database during 2000–2019. Conditional survival was defined as the probability of survival given a specific time survived. Annual hazard of death was defined the yearly event rate. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis identified the association of age at diagnosis with mortality.ResultsAmong 3739 patients, the 3-year conditional overall survival increased annually by 7-10%. Non-EC causes accounted for 18.8% of deaths, predominantly due to cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. The hazard of death decreased from 40 to 10% in the first 6 years and then gradually increased to 20% in the tenth year. Non-EC causes surpassed EC causes in hazard starting 5 years post-treatment. RCS indicated a consistent increase in death hazard with advancing age, following a linear relationship. The overall cohort was divided into two groups: 65–74 and ≥ 75 years old, with the ≥ 75-year-old group showing poorer survival and earlier onset of non-EC deaths (HR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.15–1.62, P < 0.001). Patients with early-stage disease (I-II) had higher risks of death from non-EC causes (HR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68–0.98, P = 0.035). Tumor histology had no significant impact on non-EC death risk (HR = 1.17, 95% CI: 0.98–1.39, P = 0.081).ConclusionsSurvival probability increases with time for older patients with EC treated with chemoradiotherapy. Clinicians and patients should prioritize managing and preventing age-related comorbidities, especially in older cohorts and those with early-stage disease.

Investigation of quality indicators of flour made of chickpea, corn and rice

The article presents the results of the investigation of the quality indicators of flour from chickpeas, corn and rice. Gluten-free foods literally become a panacea to a healthy and happy life for people suffering from celiac disease, given that patients in the acute phase of the disease have a high risk of death compared to the general population. Complex therapy involves both drug treatment and a strict gluten-free diet. In addition, the popularity of gluten-free products has increased among people leading a healthy lifestyle, watching their diet, seeking to either reduce excess body weight or keep weight under control. Creating gluten-free products is a global trend. Bread is statistically the most consumed food product and the gluten-free bakery products market development  industry has great potential.The market analysis has shown that gluten-free bakery products are mainly produced from buckwheat, rice, oat or potato flour. Chickpea, rice and corn flour do not contain gluten and as a result can be used for dietary nutrition both for those suffering from celiac disease and for other categories of citizens.The biochemical and physicochemical parameters of the studied types of flour have been considered. Taking into account that all the types of flour considered in the research are gluten-free, they can be recommended for the production of gluten-free bakery and flour confectionery products.

Comparative analysis of the prognostic significance of the CURB-65 and CRB-65 scores and their modifications in hospital mortality assessment in patients with community-acquired pneumonia

Background. Mortality associated with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) continues to be a crucial health problem worldwide. Correct assessment of CAP severity and the level of care is pivotal in the disease outcome.Aim. To evaluate the prognostic value of the CURB-65 and CRB-65 scores and their modifications in determining the risk of in-hospital mortality in patients with CAP.Materials and methods. The retrospective study included 1,412 patients with CAP aged over 18 years. In a population of 1,020 patients, which was subsequently split into test (n = 676) and training (n = 344) samples in the ratio 2 : 1, we compared the predictive value of the CURB-65 (confusion, urea &gt; 7 mmol / l, respiratory rate ≥ 30 / min, low blood pressure (BP), and age ≥ 65 years) and CRB-65 (confusion, respiratory rate ≥ 30 / min, low blood pressure (BP), and age ≥ 65 years) scores in identifying patients at high risk of in-hospital death. The specified scoring systems were modified by changing the cut-offs for each criterion to increase their accuracy. For comparison, we used the ROC analysis with the calculation of the area under the curve (AUC).Results. The modified CURB-65 score with new cut-off values (age &gt; 72 years, respiratory rate &gt; 21 / min, urea level &gt; 9.5 mmol / l, systolic blood pressure ≤ 105 mm Hg, and diastolic blood pressure ≤ 65 mm Hg) was more accurate than the original one in predicting death and was named CURB-72. The AUC for CURB-72 and CURB-65 was 0.946 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.916–0.967) and 0.905 (95% CI: 0.869–0.934), respectively (p = 0.0034). The modified CRB-65 (CRB-72) score also outperformed the original model, but showed no statistically significant difference. While comparing the modified scoring systems, the new CURB-72 score surpassed the CRB-72 score and demonstrated maximum accuracy in identifying CAP patients at risk of in-hospital mortality (p = 0.0347).Conclusion. The modified CURB-65 (CURB-72) and CRB-65 (CRB-72) scores demonstrated potential for assessing the prognosis of CAP and are superior to classical scoring systems. CURB-72 showed the highest sensitivity and specificity.

Aspiration of thrombus for intermediate-risk subacute pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary embolism is the most common cardiovascular disease after myocardial infarction and stroke. Konstantinides (Eur Heart J 41(4):543–603, 2020) Current guidelines categorize patients with PE as being at low, intermediate, and high risk of early death, with the intermediate-risk group experiencing the greatest uncertainty regarding treatment recommendations. Rapid reduction of the thrombus load by thrombolysis significantly reduces symptoms and decreases mortality, but is accompanied by a high risk of bleeding. Meyer (N Engl J Med 370(15):1402-11, 2014) Mechanical thrombectomy (CDTE) have been proven safe and efficient, yet current ESC guidelines suggest the utilization of catheter interventions only for hypotensive patients with high bleeding risk, failed systemic thrombolysis, and cardiogenic shock or if a patient does not respond to conservative therapy Konstantinides (Eur Heart J 41(4):543–603, 2020). Here, we report a case of an intermediate-risk patient with pulmonary embolism who underwent thrombus aspiration and showed significant improvement in symptoms after treatment.