Romanian Journal of Internal Medicine最新文献

Penicillin allergy is the most commonly reported drug allergy, with prevalence rates ranging from 6% to 31% across various populations and geographic areas. The penicillin allergy label is linked to higher mortality and morbidity rates, extended hospital stays, increased readmission rates, and a greater reliance on second-line antibiotics. Research indicates that nearly 99% of those labeled as penicillin-allergic can tolerate the drug. However, alternative antibiotics are often prescribed without confirming the allergy, largely due to legal concerns regarding re-exposure. Even when a negative challenge test is conducted, non-allergist providers may remain hesitant to reintroduce penicillin. To address the considerable gap between reported and actual penicillin allergies, as well as to ensure the prompt use of penicillins by non-allergists, various management strategies have emerged in recent years. Although several comprehensive reviews have examined these strategies, selecting and applying the most suitable for routine practice is difficult. This narrative review focuses on the most relevant data regarding the efficiency of key penicillin allergy risk assessment tools, particularly those of clinical significance, and discusses their readiness for implementation in non-allergist settings.

Introduction: The mortality rate of hemodialysis patients is extremely high and it is significantly affected by vascular access dysfunction. Our research aimed to determine predictive parameters of arteriovenous fistula functioning and survival in a one-year follow-up period.

Methods: The research was organized as a prospective, one-year study, which included 120 dialysis patients who were followed for one year. We recorded the demographic and gender structure, clinical parameters, and laboratory findings significant for the survival and functioning of arteriovenous fistulas. Laboratory findings are presented as the mean values of the analysis at the beginning and the end of the one-year control period.

Results: Univariable regression analysis confirmed the predictive significance of anastomosis positioning, type of vascular access, length of hemodialysis treatment, hemoglobin, Kt/V index values, and creatinine concentration for one-year survival, but multivariable regression analysis confirmed predictive significance only for length of treatment. Univariable regression analysis revealed significant predictors of vascular access function for the length of hemodialysis treatment, diastolic blood pressure, leukocytes, platelets, hemoglobin, creation of an arteriovenous fistula by a nephrologist, starting hemodialysis with a fistula and not with a central venous catheter, multivariable regression analysis confirmed predictive significance for the length of dialysis treatment and creation of an arteriovenous fistula by a nephrologist.

Conclusion: A prognostically important parameter for the one-year survival of a patient on hemodialysis is the length of dialysis treatment. In contrast, predictive parameters for the functioning of an arteriovenous fistula are the length of dialysis and the creation of a fistula by a nephrologist.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to assess the etiological distribution of patients with an erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) over 100 mm/hour and to evaluate differences in demographic, comorbidity, laboratory characteristics, and clinical outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective observational clinical study included patients aged 18 years and older who were admitted to the internal medicine inpatient clinic between May 1, 2015 and June 1, 2021 and had ESR values above 100 mm/h. Demographic data, comorbidities, laboratory parameters, imaging studies, histopathological findings, microbiological and serological data, along with in-hospital and post-discharge mortality, were collected from the hospital's electronic database. Two independent clinicians evaluated the data to identify diagnoses associated with elevated ESR. Patients were divided into six categories based on the most likely diagnosis.

Results: The study included 441 patients, 52.6% of whom were female, and the mean age was 72.6 years. The etiological distribution was as follows: infectious diseases (34%), malignancies (31.5%), undiagnosed cases (15.9%), renal diseases (9.8 %), other causes (5 %), and rheumatologic diseases (3.8%). Etiological distributions did not differ by gender, age, or ESR ranges. The in-hospital mortality rate was 3.6%, and the overall mortality rate from hospitalization to the data collection date was 64.4%. Mortality was higher in patients with malignancies (81.3%) compared to other etiologies (p<0.001). Patients who died had higher mean age, ferritin levels, having diabetes mellitus, heart failure, or malignancy, and lower hemoglobin and lymphocyte levels compared to survivors (p<0.05 for all).

Conclusion: Most patients with an ESR over 100 mm/hour had significant underlying medical conditions, with infectious diseases and malignancies comprising two-thirds of the cases.

Purpose: To provide epidemiologic data on kidney biopsy from Romania.

Methods: Retrospective observational study of kidney biopsy records for adult patients from a referral center in the north-western part of Romania, reported for 2014-2023.

Results: 556 biopsies were performed, corresponding to an incidence of 12 biopsies/m person-year with over 50% increase over the last reported year. Optimal core for optic microscopy was available in 81.4%, immunofluorescence was performed in 86.3%, and electron microscopy in 35.2% of patients. The mean age at biopsy was 47.12 years, and 53.8% were males. Indications for kidney biopsy were nephrotic syndrome in 63.1% of patients, nephritic in 25.9% of patients, asymptomatic urinary abnormalities in 2.9%, acute kidney injury/rapid progressive renal failure in 3.6%, and chronic kidney disease in 1.4%. The most frequent diagnostic categories were membranous nephritis (14.7%), IgA nephropathy (13.9%), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (11,1%), minimal change disease (12,2%), lupus nephritis (10,9%), vasculitis (7.6%), and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (8%). The age of diagnosis increased for IgA Nephropathy over time while it decreased for membranous nephritis.

Conclusions: Our study adds data for the completion of the kidney biopsy map in our region.

Background: Given the importance of coronary artery disease (CAD) and the range of cardiovascular disease phenotypes in smokers, as well as the potential genetic and epigenetic factors, we were motivated to explore the impact of smoking on some selected microRNAs associated with significant CAD.

Methods: A total of 60 individuals were selected in four groups including non-smoker without significant CAD (S-A-), non-smokers with significant CAD (S-A+), smokers without significant CAD (S+A-) and smokers with significant CAD (S+A+). Micro-RNA expression was investigated using real-time PCR. General linear model was used to calculate fold change (FC) considering SA- as the reference group.

Results: For mir-34a, down-regulation was observed in S+A- (FC =0.13, P =0.007) and S+A+ (FC =0.23, P =0.036) groups. For mir-126-3p, down-regulation was observed in S-A+ group (FC =0.05, P =0.024). For mir-199, up-regulation was observed for S+A- group (FC =9.38, P =0.007). The only significant interaction between pack-years of smoking and number of significantly narrowed vessels (≥75% stenosis) was for mir-199 which was in favor of down-regulation (P =0.006), while the main effects were in favor of up-regulation (P <0.05).

Conclusion: Mir-34a expression may be affected by smoking, whereas mir-126-3p expression may be affected by atherosclerosis, the most common reason of CAD. The significant down-regulation of mir-199 for the interaction of smoking dose and severity of CAD was a notable finding showing the harmful consequence of this interaction. Further studies are needed for this micro-RNA.

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex connective tissue disease characterized by microangiopathy, immune dysregulation, and fibrosis. Early detection of microvascular abnormalities using nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) is crucial in assessing disease progression and associated disease's involvement such as interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Objective: This study aims to explore the relationships correlation between NVC patterns, clinical manifestations, and systemic complications in SSc.

Methods: We analyzed the data of 63 patients, predominantly female (95%), with a mean age of 49 years and an average disease duration of 42 months. Patients were categorized into early, active, and late patterns based on NVC findings. Clinical features, including digital ulcers (DU), ILD, and PAH, were assessed. Pearson correlation analyses were performed to evaluate the relationships between capillary loss, neoangiogenesis, ILD, and PAH.

Results: The early pattern group (mean mRSS 2.36) exhibited minimal microvascular damage and systemic involvement, with no DUs. In the active pattern group (mean mRSS 10.40), 34.38% had diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc), with 15.63% presenting DUs, 65.63% ILD, and 37.5% PAH. The late pattern group (mean mRSS 18.00) showed the most severe disease, with 80% having DUs, 70% dcSSc, 90% ILD, and 70% PAH. Pearson correlation analyses revealed strong correlations between capillary loss and ILD (r = 0.7255) and PAH (r = 0.6369). A moderate correlation was found between neoangiogenesis and PAH (r = 0.5592).

Conclusion: The study demonstrates that progressive microvascular damage in SSc, as visualized by NVC, correlates strongly with the severity of systemic complications. Early detection of capillary loss and neoangiogenesis using NVC is critical for timely interventions, which could improve patient outcomes by mitigating the progression of ILD and PAH.

Background: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are common cause of acute kidney injury, but chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk of NSAIDs is controversial. Prior systematic reviews are outdated with some methodological flaws. We conducted this systematic review to clarify the association between chronic NSAIDs use and occurrence and/or progression of CKD.

Methods: MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Science direct were searched for observational and interventional studies from inception to May 2023. Qualitative synthesis was performed. The meta-analysis used pooled odds ratios (OR) and hazard ratios (HR) to estimate the association between chronic NSAID use and CKD occurrence or progression.

Results: Forty studies with a total of 1757118 participants were included in the systematic review; of them 39 studies were suitable for meta-analysis. 56% of our included studies were recent, published within the last 10 years. The meta-analysis revealed a significant association between chronic NSAIDs use and CKD occurrence and progression. The pooled odds ratio was 1.24 (95% CI: 1.11-1.39, p <0.001, I² = 91.21%), and the pooled hazard ratio was 1.50 (95% CI: 1.31-1.7, p <0.001, I² = 90.77%). The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for individuals with no CKD at baseline was 1.31 (95% CI, 1.26-1.40), while for those with preexisting CKD, the HR was significantly higher at 1.67 (95% CI, 1.38-2.02). The HR for individuals with no specific chronic disease was 1.6 (95% CI, 1.32-1.94). For populations with diabetes mellitus (DM) and/or hypertension (HTN), the HR was 1.35 (95% CI, 1.27-1.43), and for those with rheumatic disease, the HR was 1.36 (95% CI, 0.88-2.10).

Conclusions: Long-term NSAID use increases the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) occurrence and progression, especially in individuals with pre-existing CKD, who have a 67% risk compared to the general population's 60%. A patient-centered approach for safe and effective pain management is crucial, with special caution for those with pre-existing CKD.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) have a diverse range of outcomes due to their high degree of heterogeneity. Therefore, different predictive scoring systems have been created to assist in decision-making regarding retreatment with TACE. We compared the predictive capabilities of different scoring systems, such as ART, ABCR, and SNACOR, for prediction of the outcome of subsequent TACE in HCC patients.

Method: In this retrospective study, the three scoring systems were compared for their capability of predicting the outcome of repeating TACE in 149 HCC patients treated at the National Liver Institute, Egypt, between January 2017 and December 2019. We used the likelihood ratio to select the model with the highest predictive capability for overall survival (OS).

Results: According to our data, the amount of tumor, the change in Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage following TACE, and the SNACOR score (with a 95% confidence range for HR 1.0305-1.256 and p-value = 0.0106) were the most predictive variables. It was also shown that the ABCR score was a good predictor of survival (90 patients had an ABCR score ≤ 0 with a P- value <0.0001, 56 patients had 0 < ABCR < 4 with a P-value <0.0001, and the ART score was not useful in predicting OS (P-value = 0.18).

Conclusion: The SNACOR score is the most predictive score for OS and would be the most helpful scoring system in decision-making regarding retreatment with TACE.

Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked rare disorder caused by mutations in the GLA gene. Women with FD have been less enrolled in studies and less treated compared with men. The aim of the present study is to describe the complete phenotype of the women cohort with FD diagnosed and evaluated in Romania and compare it to the male population. This study included all consecutive patients diagnosed with FD referred to the Expert Center for Rare Genetic Cardiovascular Diseases between 2014-2023 which included 73 consecutive Romanian FD patients: 41 women (56.2%) and 32 men (43.8%) from 33 unrelated families. Women with FD were diagnosed later and had a later symptom onset. Comparing with men, women were less often symptomatic, but with similar symptom severity. They had similar ophthalmologic and ENT involvement, but less angiokeratomas. Both women and men had similar heart failure symptoms, which were usually mild to moderate, with no difference between the age of developing of the heart failure symptoms. There were also similar rates of acroparesthesia and stroke between sexes, but women presented less renal involvement, with less requirement for renal transplant. This study demonstrates that women with Fabry disease are not just carriers of the disease, they can present symptoms as severe as men, and they have less or later access to pathogenic therapy. Further studies with more female participations are needed to better understand the burden of Fabry disease in women.

Introduction: Solitary extramedullary plasmacytomas (SEPs) are disease entities characterized by the local proliferation of neoplastic plasma cells, representing less than 6% of plasma cell tumors. They typically produce monoclonal immunoglobulin and are usually found in the head, neck, and, less commonly, in the lungs. SEP, in rare instances, can transition to multiple myeloma (MM) with an estimated risk between 8 and 31%.

Case presentation: We report the case of a 72-year-old woman who sought medical attention at the emergency department due to acute onset dyspnea and syncope. Laboratory results revealed elevated creatinine, hypercalcemia, and anemia, all of which were absent at a hospitalization three months prior for tuberculosis. A chest x-ray showed a right upper lobe opacity, and a computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated an apical lung mass with calcifications. A CT-guided needle aspiration of the mass indicated SEP. Bone marrow biopsy subsequently confirmed MM. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit and treated with chemotherapy; however, following a complicated hospital course, she died.

Discussion: SEPs are an exceedingly rare form of malignancy with the potential for conversion to MM. Although the likelihood of transformation to MM in months is rare, we call for attention to the possibility of such transition and the clinical prognosis of patients with SEP. Prompt and aggressive treatment is essential, and this, to our knowledge, is the first case of conversion to MM in less than four months following the initial diagnosis of SEP of the lung.