Evaluation of the position of the central venous catheter tip of implantable venous access devices in the occurrence of postoperative thrombotic and non-thrombotic complications.

BACKGROUND: The position of the catheter tip of totally implantable venous access devices (TIVAD) is a risk factor for postoperative complications. The study aim was to assess the early and late complications (EC and LC) associated with the position of the catheter tip in cancer patients. METHODS: We reviewed cancer patients who had a TIVAD placed in 2020. EC (≤ 90 days), LC (> 90 days) and risk factors for TIVAD-associated complications were assessed. The vertical mismatch of the catheter tip was compared to an "ideal position" (> 10 mm below the carina and ≥ 20 mm below the right main bronchus (RMB)) using chest x-ray, post-implantation. RESULTS: 301 patients were included. Median follow-up after TIVAD implantation was 9.4 months. All TIVAD catheters were inserted via the internal jugular vein (IJV). The mean distance between the catheter tip and the carina and the RMB was 21.3 mm and 6.63 mm respectively. In total, 11.3% patients developed EC and 5.6% had LC. An association was found between the position of the catheter tip from the carina (≤ 10 mm vs. > 10 mm) and the occurrence of EC (18.3% vs. 8.6%, p = 0.01) and for the catheter insertion side (left IJV vs. right IJV) (19.1% vs. 9.0% p = 0.02). Multivariate analysis showed that left IJV catheter insertion (OR 2.76), and a catheter tip located ≤ 10 mm below the carina (OR 2.71) are significant independent risk factors of EC. CONCLUSIONS: TIVAD catheter tip located at ≤ 10 mm below the carina, and a left-side inserted catheter, are higher risk of EC.

A Late Testicular Relapse in an Adult with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, 5 Years after the Diagnosis and 4 Years after Allotransplant-A Rare Case.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a malignant disorder of lymphoid progenitor cells that affects both pediatric and adult populations. Although isolated testicular or any other organ recurrence can occur in the pediatric population, it is rare in adults. We present images for an atypical case of the late testicular recurrence of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a 56-year-old man previously diagnosed with ALL pro-T who was in remission following polychemotherapy (GMALL 2013 protocol) and the allotransplantation of peripheral blood stem cells from a related donor. Five years later (2022), the unilateral testicular relapse of ALL was suspected by imaging and diagnosed by immunophenotyping from sperm fluid infiltrated with atypical cells with an immunophenotype concordant with that of the underlying disease (ALL T). Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy showed no evidence of systemic leukemia relapse. Testicular ablation or chemotherapy and irradiation were considered. Given the strictly testicular relapse, orchiectomy would have been useful, but given the abdominal adenopathy, a chemotherapy course with HyperCVAD Block A was first required. Testicular relapse can occur at any age, and the recognition of this is important as it may be the first manifestation of systemic relapse.

Fluorescence imaging for real-time detection of breast cancer tumors using IV injection of indocyanine green with non-conventional imaging: a systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies of perioperative imaging technologies.

BACKGROUND: This review summarizes the available data on the effectiveness of indocyanine green fluorescence imaging (ICG-FI) for real-time detection of breast cancer (BC) tumors with perioperative imaging technologies. METHODS: PubMed and Scopus databases were exhaustively searched for publications on the use of the real-time ICG-FI evaluation of BC tumors with non-conventional breast imaging technologies. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies were included in this review. ICG-FI has been used for BC tumor identification in 12 orthotopic animal tumor experiences, 4 studies on animal assessment, and for 7 human clinical applications. The BC tumor-to-background ratio (TBR) was 1.1-8.5 in orthotopic tumor models and 1.4-3.9 in animal experiences. The detection of primary human BC tumors varied from 40% to 100%. The mean TBR reported for human BC varied from 2.1 to 3.7. In two studies evaluating BC surgical margins, good sensitivity (93.3% and 100%) and specificity (60% and 96%) have been reported, with a negative predictive value of ICG-FI to predict margin involvement intraoperatively of 100% in one study. CONCLUSIONS: The use of ICG-FI as a guiding tool for the real-time identification of BC tumors and for the assessment of tumor boundaries is promising. There is great variability between the studies with regard to timing and dose. Further evidence is needed to assess whether ICG-guided BC surgery may be implemented as a standard of care.

The Spatial-Temporal Dimension of Oncological Prevalence and Mortality in Romania.

The objective of this study was to identify spatial disparities in the distribution of cancer hotspots within Romania. Additionally, the research aimed to track prevailing trends in cancer prevalence and mortality according to a cancer type. The study covered the timeframe between 2008 and 2017, examining all 3,181 territorial administrative units. The analysis of spatial distribution relied on two key parameters. The first parameter, persistence, measured the duration for which cancer prevalence exceeded the 75th percentile threshold. Cancer prevalence refers to the total number of individuals in a population who have been diagnosed with cancer at a specific time point, including both newly diagnosed cases (occurrence) and existing cases. The second parameter, the time continuity of persistence, calculated the consecutive months during which cancer prevalence consistently surpassed the 75th percentile threshold. Notably, persistence of elevated values was also evident in lowland regions, devoid of any discernible direct connection to environmental conditions. In conclusion, this work bears substantial relevance to regional health policies, by aiding in the formulation of prevention strategies, while also fostering a deeper comprehension of the socioeconomic and environmental factors contributing to cancer.

Axillary Surgical Attitude Changing with Retrospective Application of ACOSOG Z0011 Eligible Criteria: An Institutional Evaluation.

Objective: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) represents the gold standard for axillary surgical staging. The aim of this study was to assess the proportion of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) that could be avoided after retrospective application of the ACOSOG Z0011 criteria and to evaluate the shortterm complications associated with axillary surgery. Materials and Methods: We reviewed breast cancer (BC) patients treated by primary breast-conserving surgery from 2012 to 2015. The percentage of SLNB vs ALND performed before and after the application of the ACOSOG Z0011 criteria was calculated. Complications were analyzed using crosstabs, with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: Two hundred fifty one patients with a median age of 59.3 years were included. BC tumors had a median size of 13 mm and were mostly unifocal (83.9%). There were 30.3% with 1-2 metastatic lymph nodes (MLN). ALND was performed in 44.2%. The patients with 1-2 MLN, had only SLNB in 14.5% of cases. By applying the ACOSOG Z0011 criteria, ALND would have been avoided in 40.2% of patients. At least one postoperative complication was reported after SLNB or ALND for 45.7% and 74.7% of patients respectively. Seroma was the most frequent complication, and occurred in 29.3% of cases after SLNB and in 59.5% after ALND. Conclusion: SNLB is the most commonly used axillary surgical staging procedure in this series (55.8%). With a retrospective application of the ACOSOG Z0011 criteria in our population, ALND could have been avoided for 40.2% patients. Post-operative complications rate was higher after ALND, with a seroma rate at 59.5%.

Effectiveness of Carbon Localization for Invasive Breast Cancer: An Institutional Experience.

Introduction: The final oncological and aesthetic results of breast-conserving surgery (BCS) are influenced by the precise localization of breast cancer (BC) tumors and by the quality of the intraoperative margin assessment technique. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the carbon localization (CL) technique by determining the success rate of BC identification and the proportion of adequate complete resection of BC lesions. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study of patients treated with primary BCS for invasive BC who underwent CL of their BC lesion at the Jules Bordet Institute between January 2015 and December 2017. Descriptive statistics with categorical and continuous variables were used. The success rate of tumor identification and the rate of adequate excision were calculated using the test of percentages for independent dichotomous data. Results: This study included 542 patients with 564 nonpalpable BC lesions. The median pathological tumor size was 12 mm. Of these, 460 were invasive ductal carcinomas. Most of the tumors were of the luminal subtype. CL was performed using ultrasound guidance in 98.5% of cases. The median delay between CL and surgery was 5 days, with 46% of the patients having CL one day before surgery. The lumpectomy weighed 38 g on average, with a median diameter of the surgical sample at 6 cm and a median volume of 44 cm3 (6-369). One-stage complete resection was successfully performed in 93.4% of cases. In 36% of cases, an intraoperative re-excision was performed, based on intraoperative macroscopic pathological margin evaluation. The tumor was identified in 98.9% of cases in the breast surgical specimen. Conclusion: This study demonstrated high success rates for BC tumor identification (99%) and one-stage complete resection (93.4%) after BCS and CL. These results show that CL is an effective, simple, and inexpensive localization technique for successful excision of BC lesions during BCS.

Secondary organizing pneumonia associated with sertraline: A case report.

Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia is a rare idiopathic interstitial lung disease, with a well-defined clinical-radiological and pathological entity. It may also be secondary to several causes. Rapid clinical and imaging improvement is usually obtained with corticosteroid therapy. We report here, to the best of our knowledge, a unique case of organizing pneumonia associated with Sertraline, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, commonly used in antidepressant therapy.

A radical approach to achieve complete cytoreductive surgery improve survival of patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Cytoreductive surgery of locally advanced ovarian cancer has evolved in the last few years from surgery to remove macroscopic residual disease (<1cm; R2b) to macroscopic complete cytoreductive surgery with no gross residual disease (R1). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the adoption of a maximalist surgical approach on postoperative complications, disease recurrence and survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study using prospectively collected data on patients who received either conservative approach (CA) or radical approach (RA) surgical treatment for primary ovarian cancer stage IIIc/IVa/IVb between June 2006 and June 2013. RESULTS: Data for 114 patients were included, 33 patients in the CA group and 68 patients in the RA group were consequently analysed. In the RA group, operative time was longer, in relation to more complex surgical procedures; with more blood losses and a higher rate of compete macroscopic resection. Totally, 77% of the patients had postoperative complications, with more grade I/II complications in the RA group but the same rates of grade III/IV complications in the both groups (P=0.14). For all patient study population, the overall and disease-free survivals were improved in case of no macroscopic residual disease. Overall survival was improved in the RA group (P=0.05), with no difference in terms of disease-free survival (P=0.29) CONCLUSION: A radical approach in advanced ovarian cancer allows a higher rate of complete cytoreductive surgery impacting overall survival. However, a non-significant trend for increased mild complications (grade I/II) rate is observed in this group.

[Urinary incontinence after HOLEP: Incidence, evolution and predictive factors]. / Incontinence urinaire après énucléation endoscopique de la prostate au laser Holmium : fréquence, évolution, et facteurs prédictifs de survenue.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the early morbidity after HOLEP, the urinary incontinence in particular, and specify its different types, evolution, and predictive factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted an observational, analytical, retrospective, monocentric study including all patients undergoing surgery for benign prostatic hypertrophy (HBP) by HoLEP between November 2015 and January 2017. The data were collected pre-, per- and postoperatively. The follow-up was for 6 months. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy one patients were included. 23 patients (14.6%) had a complication according to Clavien-Dindo classification [4]: 19 (83%) Clavien 2, 1 (4%) Clavien 3b et 3 (13%) Clavien 4. At one month of the surgery, 64 (42.7%) patients had urinary incontinence of which 55 (86.1%) presented pure stress urinary incontinence. 18 (32.7%) were still incontinent at 6 months of the surgery. The delivered amount of energy during the surgery and the preoperative IIEF5 score were statistically significantly associated with the occurrence rate of stress urinary incontinence. There was no correlation between the surgeon's learning curve and the occurrence of incontinence. CONCLUSION: The occurrence rate of urinary incontinence post HoLEP might be related to the adopted surgical technique ; It is crucial to keep the patient well informed of the risk of this complication postoperatively. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.

Helicobacter pylori infection: old and new.

Helicobacter pylori is a spiral-shaped bacterium that grows in the digestive tract and may be present in more than half of the world's population. The clinical features of Helicobacter pylori range from asymptomatic gastritis to gastrointestinal malignancy. Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a low-grade B-cell marginal zone lymphoma and Helicobacter pylori has been detected in more than 75% of the patients with MALT lymphoma. Many tests for the detection of Helicobacter pylori are available, including antibody tests, urea breath tests, stool antigen tests and endoscopic biopsies. The eradication of Helicobacter pylori usually prevents the return of ulcers and ulcer complications even after appropriate medications such as PPIs are stopped. The eradication of Helicobacter pylori is important in the treatment of the rare condition of the stomach known as MALT lymphoma. The treatment of Helicobacter pylori to prevent stomach cancer is controversial. Confirmation of eradication is recommended in associated ulcers, persistent dyspepsia despite a test-and-treat approach, MALT lymphoma, and previous treatment for early-stage gastric cancer. The urea breath test and stool antigen test can be used to confirm the eradication and should be performed at least 4 weeks after the completion of therapy. Several diseases have been reported to be associated with Helicobacter pylori infection, including hematologic diseases, such as ITP, idiopathic iron deficiency anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency. There is a positive trend in the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and neurodegenerative disorders and new data showed a reduced risk of death due to stroke and lung cancer but an increased risk of preeclampsia in infected women, which requires further investigations.

Optimal Teaching of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Schools: Better Education, More Lives Saved.

Teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation in Romanian schools is a joint initiative of the Acute Cardiac Care Working Group of the Romanian Society of Cardiology, the Romanian National Resuscitation Council and the Romanian Society of Emergency Medicine and Disaster. Teaching young generations to save people in cardiac arrest requires a structural approach, whose starting point is the launching of a large-scale campaign in favor of introducing the basics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the school curriculum. The training stages can be set according to the principle of repetition (i.e. every two years). Teachers seem to be the best candidates for the instructor position, taking into account the knowledge and skills they acquired throughout the teacher training programs, as well as, their continuous contact with the students; consequently, training teachers to become CPR instructors represents a long term investment. All acquired knowledge will implicitly spread to a secondary level (trainee's parents, relatives, etc.) and the number of individuals gaining access to CPR specific information will rise as a consequence. Entering the CPR training program should be promoted as a criterion for the accreditation and/or evaluation of primary schools, middle schools, and high schools. To begin with, this program must be implemented in Romania at first as part of the non-formal context of the special education week called "Scoala altfel" ("School otherwise").

Septic knee arthritis in Crohn's disease biological therapy-free patient. Case report.

UNLABELLED: A 52-year-old woman with Crohn's disease presented with septic arthrtis of the knee. This condition coincided with a symptomatic flare of her Crohn's disease due to an ileal inflammatory stenosis, manifested as a phlegmonous mass palpable in the right lower quadrant and a small bowel obstruction. Results of synovial fluid cultures showed the presence of Gram-negative bacillus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and the CT scan images were highly suggestive of abdominal abscess within Crohn's disease. The patient's condition improved after following an antibiotic treatment and after the initiation of Anti-TNF-alpha agent Adalimumab, with no further exacerbation. Septic arthritis in Crohn's disease should be considered to have a communicating source of sepsis consisting of an abdominal abscess or fistula. ABBREVIATIONS: Anti-TNF-alpha agent = anti tumor necrosis factor alpha agent, 5-ASA = 5-aminosalicylic acid.

[CONTROVERSIES REGARDING THE ACCURACY AND LIMITATIONS OF FROZEN SECTION IN THYROID PATHOLOGY: AN EVIDENCE-BASED ASSESSMENT]. / INTÉRÊTS ET LIMITES DE L'EXAMEN EXTEMPORANÉ EN PATHOLOGIE THYROÏDIENNE. Revue systématique de la littérature et évaluation fondée sur les preuves.

Palpable thyroid nodules are present clinically in 4-7% of the population and their prevalence increases to 50%-67% when using high-resolution neck ultrasonography. By contrast, thyroid carcinoma (TC) represents only 5-20% of these nodules, which underlines the need for an appropriate approach to avoid unnecessary surgery. Frozen section (PS) has been used for more than 40 years in thyroid surgery to establish the diagnosis of malignancy. However, a controversy persists regarding the accuracy of FS and its place in thyroid pathology has changed with the emergence of fine-needle aspiration (FNA). A PubMed Medline and SpringerLink search was made covering the period from January 2000 to June 2012 to assess the accuracy of ES, its limitations and indications for the diagnosis of thyroid nodules. Twenty publications encompassing 8.567 subjects were included in our study. The average value of TC among thyroid nodules in analyzed studies was 15.5 %. ES ability to detect cancer expressed by its sensitivity (Ss) was 67.5 %. More than two thirds of the authors considered PS useful exclusively in the presence of doubtful ENA and for guiding the surgical extension in cases confirmed as malignant by FNA; however, only 33% accepted FS as a routine examination for the management of thyroid nodules. The influence of FS on surgical reintervention rate in nodular thyroid pathology was considered to be negligible by most studies, whereas 31 % of the authors thought that FS has a favorable benefit by decreasing the number of surgical re-interventions. In conclusion, the role of FS in thyroid pathology evolved from a mandatory component for thyroid surgery to an optional examination after a pre-operative FNA cytology. The accuracy of FS seems to provide no sufficient additional benefit and most experts support its use only in the presence of equivocal or suspicious cytological features, for guiding the surgical extension in cases confirmed as malignant by FNA and for the identification of other potentially confusing intraoperative findings.

Massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding - complication of pancreatic pseudocyst.

Massive bleeding is an unusual complication of pancreatitis. Most patients have chronic pancreatic disorders associated with pancreatic pseudocyst. We present the case of a patient, aged 49 years, known with alcohol-induced chronic pancreatitis, corporeal-caudal pancreatic pseudocyst expanded in the omental bursa, admitted to the emergency room because of hematemesis and melena, the endoscopy revealing, as a source, the erosion through the posterior gastric wall by the pseudocyst. The gastrostomy and haemostasis in situ of the source and the pseudocyst-gastric anastomosis was the solution adopted, with favourable long-term evolution.

Correlations between the surface ECG and the intracavitary electrocardiogram in typical atrial flutter.

UNLABELLED: Typical atrial flutter (cavo-tricuspid isthmus-dependent) has as an electrophysiological substrate a macro-reentry circuit localized in the right atrium. Depending on the right atrial depolarization sequence, the rotation of the macro-reentry circuit can be counterclockwise (with an inferior to superior activation of the right atrium free wall and superior to inferior activation of the interatrial septum), characterized by negative F waves in inferior leads (DII, DIII, aVF) and V6, and positive in V1 on the surface electrogram (ECG), or clockwise (with a superior to inferior activation of the right atrium free wall and inferior to superior activation of the interatrial septum) characterized by positive F waves in inferior leads (DII, DIII, aVF) and V6, and negative in V1. Nevertheless, it is considered that for the diagnosis of the typical or atypical nature of this arrhythmia, the surface ECG has limited value. The purpose of this study was to compare the relationship between the flutter rotation sequence determined by the intracavitary electrogram and the morphology of the F waves on the surface ECG. METHODS: The study included 387 patients admitted to the Cardiology - Rehabilitation Hospital from Cluj-Napoca between January 2007 and May 2010, diagnosed with typical atrial flutter during an electrophysiological study. Using the intracavitary electrograms the flutter rotation sequence was determined (clockwise or counterclockwise). The F waves' aspect on the surface ECG in leads DII, DIII, aVF, aVL, V1 and V6 was then analyzed. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty two patients (39.3%) were diagnosed with clockwise atrial flutter and 235 patients (60.7%) with counterclockwise atrial flutter. The positive predictive value (PPV) of negative F waves in inferior leads and positive in V1 was, in the case of counterclockwise atrial flutter 98%; the negative predictive value (NPV) was 79%; sensitivity (Se) was 83% and specificity (Sp) was 97%. For typical clockwise atrial flutter, the PPV of the positive F waves in the inferior leads and negative in V1 was 94% (p < 0.001); the NPV was 85%; Se was 73% and Sp was 97%. CONCLUSION: The surface ECG has a high value in determining the macroreentry circuit rotation sequence in the case of typical atrial flutter.

Assessment of the correlation between two defining criteria for bidirectional isthmic block in the ablation of typical atrial flutter.

BACKGROUND: A complete, bidirectional conduction block in the cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) represents the end-point of the typical atrial flutter ablation. We investigated the correlation between two criteria for successful ablation, one based on the atrial bipolar electrogram morphology before and after complete CTI conduction block, compared to the standard criteria of differential pacing and reversal in the right atrial depolarization sequence during coronary sinus (CS) pacing. METHOD: We conducted a retrospective study in 111 patients (81 males, average age 62±10 years) who underwent an atrial flutter ablation during September 2007 - July 2009 in the Cardiology - Rehabilitation Hospital, UMF Cluj-Napoca. We assessed the presence of a bidirectional block at the end of the procedure using the standard criteria. We then analyzed the morphology of the bipolar atrial electrograms adjacent to the ablation line, before and after CTI conduction block. RESULTS: A change from a qRs morphology to a rSr' morphology when pacing from the coronary sinus and from a rsr' morphology to a QRS morphology when pacing from the low-lateral right atrium was associated with a CTI conduction block. Sensitivity (Se), specificity(Sp), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) were 96%, 89%, 99% and 67% respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that the analysis of the atrial bipolar electrogram next to the ablation line before and after CTI ablation may be used as a reliable criterion to validate CTI conduction block due to its high sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value.

The common bile duct: size, course, relations.

The common bile duct may present a number of anatomical peculiarities regarding its size, course and relations, which should be taken into consideration by the anatomists and by the surgeons as well, during the surgery of the gallbladder, pancreas and duodenum. In the present study, we have analyzed the anatomical peculiarities of the common bile duct in 150 adult corpses of both sexes from the Anatomy Department and 22 human fetuses from the Pathology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca.

The role of radiofrequency ablation as a first line therapy in the treatment of atrial flutter.

UNLABELLED: Cavo-tricuspid isthmus radiofrequency (RF) ablation is an efficient option in the treatment of atrial flutter. In the case of a well-tolerated, first episode of atrial flutter, it has a class II indication, level of evidence B, the current first-line therapeutic option being electrical cardioversion, pharmacological cardioversion or atrial overdrive pacing followed by long-term antiarrhythmic therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, in a prospective manner, the recurrence rate of these two different therapeutic options after the treatment of a first episode of atrial flutter. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between January 2007 and May 2009, for 99 patients admitted to the hospital for a first episode of atrial flutter, cardioversion was attempted either by RF ablation (group 1-42 patients), or by electrical cardioversion, pharmacological cardioversion or atrial overdrive pacing followed by long-term Amiodarone therapy (group 21-57 patients). We compared the recurrence rate of atrial flutter in the 2 groups after a follow-up period of one year. RESULTS: In group 1, sinus rhythm was achieved in all patients, with bidirectional isthmic block being obtained for 37 patients (88.1%). In group 2, conversion to sinus rhythm was obtained in all cases. The recurrence rate was 6 times higher in group 2 vs group 1 (57.9% = 33 patients vs 9.5% = 4 patients) (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: RF ablation should be considered as a therapeutic option in the treatment of the first episode of atrial flutter, due to its significant efficiency in maintaining sinus rhythm and to its low recurrence rate.

Multicystic mesothelioma--a rare case of ascites: case report.

We present the case of a 37-year-old male, admitted to our clinic with abdominal tenderness, right supraclavicular tumour, and ascites. The presence of ascites was incidentally reported 6 years before, but no other evaluation was done at that moment or during this period. Abdominal ultrasound and CT scan revealed moderate ascites, perivascular adenopathies, and multiple abdominal cystic lesions, while thoracic CT scan revealed the same lesions in mediastinum. Laboratory data were within normal limits, including the tumoral markers, and the tests for hydatid cysts. A biopsy from the right supraclavicular nodule was performed, and based on usual and immunohistochemical stains (calretinin, mesotheline, CK 5/6, CK 7, CK18 diffusely positive in mesothelial cells, and CEA -M, bcl-2 and vimentin negative), suggested the diagnosis of mesothelioma. Based on these results, the diagnosis of "multicystic mesothelioma" was made. The patient was referred for surgery.

Epidemiology of acute myocardial infarction in Romanian county hospitals: a population-based study in the Baia Mare district.

UNLABELLED: The epidemiological characteristics, the methods used in treating the patients, as well as the evolution of the myocardial infarction are not known in the Romanian county and municipal hospitals. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Six hundred and fifty one cases of acute myocardial infarction were retrospectively recorded in the Emergency County Hospital of Baia Mare from 1.01.1999 till 30.09.2003. Data on treatment delay, therapeutic strategies, duration of hospitalization and outcome were collected. The study was completed by a postal investigation which was carried out from the 1st of October until the 31st of December 2003. This investigation consisted in one application form (multiple choice answers were requested) which had been handed out to the patients who survived the acute episode and left the hospital. RESULTS: The first medical care took place for 60.9% of the patients in hospital. About 72% of these patients were male and the mean age was 66 +/- 12 years. The types of myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation STE-MI represented 67%, followed by 29.5% with no ST-segment elevation NSTE-MI, and 3.5% with undetermined ECG. The maximum values of Killip class during the first 48 hours were: I in 55% of the patients, II in 23%, III in 14% and IV in 9% of them. The thrombolytic therapy was done in 31% of the patients who were recommended to receive a reperfusion treatment. During their first period in hospital, 37% of the patients had an effort test and 2.45% were transferred to a tertiary care hospital for invasive procedures. The overall median hospital stay was 9 days. The mortality in hospital was 13.6%, respectively 8.1% in the study group who received the reperfusion therapy and 15.2% among those who had followed the standard care. The results of the mail survey revealed that only 62% of the patients who answered the questionnaire (N=498) had regular cardiologic check ups and 43% underwent a treatment with beta-blockers and 12% a treatment with statins. Out of these patients 16% had a revascularization procedure that was performed in a specialised University Hospital. The overall mortality in the responder group was 35.5% with an estimate 7.5% year rate. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of the present data and especially the rate of mortality suggest until two times higher values in comparison to the European average. These results demonstrate the fact that it is imperative to generalize the thrombolytic therapy in all the hospitals in Romania and give a wider access to the myocardial revascularization therapies.