The Role of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Comorbidities in the Link between Atrial Fibrillation and Cognitive Impairment: An Appraisal of Current Scientific Evidence.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice with implications on long-term outcomes. Metabolic disorders including diabetes mellitus and obesity are independent predictors of atrial fibrillation and present therapeutic targets to reduce both the incidence and duration burden of atrial fibrillation. The presence of pericardial fat in direct contact with cardiac structures, as well the subsequent release of proinflammatory cytokines, may play an important role in this connection. Atrial fibrillation is an independent predictor of cognitive impairment and dementia. While clinical stroke is a major contributor, other factors such as cerebral hypoperfusion and microbleeds play important roles. New evidence suggests that atrial fibrillation and cognitive impairment may be downstream events of atrial cardiomyopathy, which may be caused by several factors including metabolic syndrome, obesity, and obstructive sleep apnea. The mechanisms linking these comorbidities to cognitive impairment are not yet fully elucidated. A clearer understanding of the association of AF with dementia and cognitive impairment is imperative. Future studies should focus on the predictors of cognitive impairment among those with AF and aim to understand the potential mechanisms underlying these associations. This would inform strategies for the management of AF aiming to prevent continued cognitive impairment.

Wells syndrome secondary to influenza vaccination: A case report and review of the literature.

Vaccinations have been shown repeatedly to be extremely safe with low incidence of complications. Given the rarity, these adverse events, they must be reported and examined cautiously. This case report illustrates the first case of an adult presenting with Wells syndrome that developed soon after vaccination with the thiomersal, a common preservative, containing influenza vaccine. Wells syndrome, also known as eosinophilic cellulitis, is an uncommon dermatologic condition of unknown etiology. Lesions in patients with Wells syndrome (eosinophilic cellulitis) progress over a few days to become large indurated plaques with associated edema and erythema. Although the etiology of Wells syndrome remains unknown, certain precipitants have been described in the literature, including but not limited to parasitic infections, contact dermatitis, Churg-Strauss disease and various medications. This article describes a possible sensitivity to thiomersal, as well as describes other cases that have reported a similar sensitivity secondary to receiving thiomersal-containing vaccines.

[Pathophysiology and management of perioperative hypothermia]. / Patofizjologia i metody leczenia hipotermii okolooperacyjnej.

The paper is a review of pathophysiology and management of perioperative hypothermia. The advanced methods of rewarming, such as passive and active: external and core used in clinic allow for efficient management ant prophylactics of hypothermia. Thermotherapy with use of infrared ceiling heaters CTS and mobile MTC as well as Infutherm system applying by authors are desirable and even indispensable in contemporary equipment of surgery clinics, cardiovascular surgery clinics and burn centers. The ideal rewarming method should be safe and enable fast, reliable and predictable warming or rewarming. The clinical parameter to determine the efficacy of rewarming is the change of core temperature. There is no doubt that active warming with forced-air warmers (Warm Touch 5700 and Bair Hugger 500) or radiative heaters (IR-A:Hydrosun 500, IR-C radiation: CTC X, MTC) is more effective than use of standard, passive insulation hospital blankets or convectional heaters. Actually the forced-air warmers are counted to be more useful in cardiovascular surgery hypothermia management, because of fast rate core temperature rise and faster rise in mean skin temperature compared to the control group. CTC X and MTC Aragona radiative heaters are useful in burn management being the most effective when the distance of heater from the patient body is less than 80 cm. The observation of 60 consecutive extensive burns leads to conclusion that long-lasting dressings in burn patients when the whole body is not covered and protected, can be performed safely only in conditions excluding heat losses and core temperature drop. While the cold intravenous fluids may significantly contribute to the temperature drop depending on the volume infused, the use of fluids warming systems as well as external heat application is absolutely indicated to improve the heat balance of the patient body.