Addressing influenza's underestimated burden - Iberian experts call to action.

Having a proper understanding of the impact of influenza is a fundamental step towards improved preventive action. This paper reviews findings from the Burden of Acute Respiratory Infections study on the burden of influenza in Iberia, and its potential underestimation, and proposes specific measures to lessen influenza's impact.

Excess hospitalizations and mortality associated with seasonal influenza in Portugal, 2008-2018.

BACKGROUND: Influenza can have a domino effect, triggering severe conditions and leading to hospitalization or even death. Since influenza testing is not routinely performed, statistical modeling techniques are increasingly being used to estimate annual hospitalizations and deaths associated with influenza, to overcome the known underestimation from registers coded with influenza-specific diagnosis. The aim of this study was to estimate the clinical and economic burden of severe influenza in Portugal. METHODS: The study comprised ten epidemic seasons (2008/09-2017/18) and used two approaches: (i) a direct method of estimating the seasonal influenza hospitalization incidence, based on the number of National Health Service hospitalizations with influenza-specific International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes (ICD-9: 487-488; ICD-10: J09-J11), as primary or secondary diagnosis; (ii) an indirect method of estimating excess hospitalizations and deaths using broader groups of ICD codes in time-series models, computed for six age groups and four groups of diagnoses: pneumonia or influenza (ICD-9: 480-488, 517.1; ICD-10: J09-J18), respiratory (ICD-9: 460-519; ICD-10: J00-J99), respiratory or cardiovascular (R&C, ICD-9: 390-459, 460-519; ICD-10: I00-I99, J00-J99), and all-cause. Means are reported excluding the H1N1pdm09 pandemic (2009/10). RESULTS: The mean number of hospitalizations coded as due to influenza per season was 1,207, resulting in 11.6 cases per 100,000 people. The mean direct annual cost of these hospitalizations was €3.9 million, of which 78.6% was generated by patients with comorbidities. Mean annual influenza-associated R&C hospitalizations were estimated at 5356 (min: 456; max: 8776), corresponding to 51.5 cases per 100,000 (95% CI: 40.9-62.0) for all age groups and 199.6 (95% CI: 163.9-235.8) for the population aged ≥ 65 years. The mean direct annual cost of the estimated excess R&C hospitalizations was €15.2 million for all age groups and €12.8 million for the population aged ≥ 65 years. Mean annual influenza-associated all-cause deaths per 100,000 people were estimated at 22.7 for all age groups. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest that there is an under-detection of influenza in the Portuguese population. A high burden of severe influenza remains to be addressed, not only in the elderly population but also in younger people.

Iatrogenic aortic pseudoaneurysm: a forgotten complication.

Pseudoaneurysms of the ascending aorta are a rare complication of cardiac surgery. However, the poor prognosis associated with this condition if untreated makes early diagnosis and treatment important. We present the case of a 66-year-old woman who had undergone mitral valvuloplasty 12 days previously, who was admitted with a diagnosis of new-onset atrial fibrillation. The transthoracic echocardiogram showed a clot in the right atrium and anticoagulation was initiated, followed by antibiotic therapy. After further investigation, the patient was diagnosed with a pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta and underwent surgical repair, followed by six weeks of antibiotic therapy. She was readmitted six months later for an abscess of the lower sternum and mediastinum. After a conservative approach with antibiotics and local drainage failed, recurrence of a large pseudoaneurysm compressing the superior vena cava was documented. A third operation was performed to debride the infected tissue and to place an aortic allograft. There were no postoperative complications.

[A rare form of acute pulmonary edema: case report]. / Forma rara de edema pulmonar agudo: a propósito de um caso clínico.

We report the case of a 21-year-old man who underwent appendectomy under general anesthesia and developed acute pulmonary edema immediately after extubation. We then review the literature, focusing on the pathophysiology and the most important aspects of diagnosis and treatment of post-extubation pulmonary edema.

Effectiveness and safety of levosimendan in clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: In previous randomized studies levosimendan improved hemodynamics and clinical course, with a still unclear effect on prognosis. There are, however, few data regarding its effects when used in daily practice. AIMS: We evaluated the clinical effectiveness and safety of levosimendan in the treatment of acute systolic heart failure (SHF) in daily practice conditions. METHODS: In this prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized trial, a continuous infusion of levosimendan (0.05 microg/kg/min-0.2 microg/kg/min) was administered for 24 hours. An optional loading dose of 12 microg/kg over 10 minutes was used. The primary combined endpoint of clinical effectiveness (as defined by a eight-variable clinical score) and safety (defined by the absence of serious adverse events) was assessed at 24 hours after the beginning of treatment; a second similar primary combined endpoint was assessed at 5 days. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-nine consecutive patients requiring inotropes despite optimal oral background heart failure therapy were recruited. The primary endpoint was reached in 80.6% at 24 hours and in 79.7% at 5 days. During the six months before levosimendan the number of patient days of hospitalization for heart failure was 14.9 +/- 14.6 versus 3.1 +/- 7.6 during the six months following levosimendan (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In daily practice, levosimendan was clinically effective and safe in 80.6% and 79.7% of patients with acute SHF at 24 hours and 5 days respectively after the beginning of treatment. A marked reduction in the number of days of hospitalization for heart failure was also seen during the subsequent six months.

The Manchester Triage System in acute coronary syndromes.

INTRODUCTION: A growing number of hospitals have implemented the Manchester Triage System (MTS) in their Emergency Department (ED), so as to better prioritize the evaluation of those attending these departments. OBJECTIVES: To assess whether the MTS was used effectively in patients admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: We evaluated 114 consecutive patients admitted to the Cardiology Department with a diagnosis of ACS. We recorded the color assigned in the MTS, mean time from arrival in the ED to MTS, mean time from MTS to first medical assessment (1-MA) and mean time from 1-MA to admission. We also analyzed the correlation between the type of ACS and clinical presentation and its relation with MTS. RESULTS: Of the 114 patients, one was coded red (0.9%), 71 orange (62.3%), 12 green (11%), and two were not assigned a color code according to MTS because they were admitted via a Medical Emergency and Resuscitation Vehicle. Mean time from arrival in the ED to MTS was 5.2 +/- 0.6 min and from MTS to MA was 20 +/- 2.5 min. In patients triaged as orange the time from MTS to MA was 15.1 +/- 1.5 min, as yellow 36.2 +/- 7 min, and as green 35.2 +/- 20.6 min (p = 0.003). Mean time from 1-MA to admission was 144.4 +/- 17 min, with no differences according to triage code or ACS type. Clinical presentation influenced triage and the speed of 1-MA and admission, patients with typical presentation being evaluated and admitted more quickly. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients admitted for ACS are initially triaged as orange or yellow, an indication for prompt assessment in the ED; this has a positive effect on time to first medical assessment, but has no effect on time to hospital admission.

Brugada syndrome complicated with sudden death.

Brugada syndrome is an electrocardiographic diagnosis that is increasingly recognized as a cause of sudden cardiac death. The authors present a clinical case of a patient with a family history of sudden death, in whom a diagnosis of Brugada syndrome had been established, and who died suddenly. They also present a brief review of the main findings of this entity, particularly the diagnostic criteria and treatment of choice, since it is recognized that its prevalence will rise in the coming years.

Levosimendan in daily intensive care practice--the experience of 15 centers. Background, methods and organization of the PORTLAND study.

INTRODUCTION: The LIDO and RUSSLAN trials showed that levosimendan was well tolerated and had a stronger hemodynamic effect than dobutamine and a positive impact on prognosis. There are, however, few data regarding its effectiveness and safety when used in an everyday clinical setting. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that in day-to-day practice conditions levosimendan is both effective and safe for the treatment of decompensated heart failure (HF). This primary combined endpoint of effectiveness and safety was evaluated at 24 hours and 5 days after the beginning of the treatment. DESIGN: Prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized clinical trial with evaluations at baseline, 24 hours, 5 days, and 3 and 6 months. Follow-up for 6 months. SETTING: The intensive care units of 15 cardiology or internal medicine departments. PATIENTS: 129 consecutive patients requiring inotropes due to decompensated systolic HF despite maximally tolerated oral therapy. INTERVENTION: 24-hour infusion of levosimendan via a central or peripheral vein. MEASUREMENTS AND EVALUATION OF RESULTS: 1. Monitoring: Continuous ECG monitoring, non-invasive blood pressure, urinary output, oximetry. Invasive monitoring was not required. 2. Follow-up. Baseline evaluation: history, physical examination, ECG, 2D echocardiogram, hemogram, ionogram, liver and kidney function. 24-hour and 5-day evaluations: symptoms, physical examination, recording of medical therapy and previous 24-hour urinary output, ECG, hemogram, ionogram, liver and kidney function, and evaluation of arrhythmic episodes and heart rate and blood pressure trends in previous 24 hours. 3- and 6-month evaluations: number of hospital admissions and length of hospital stay due to HF, and mortality. 3. Evaluation of primary endpoint. EFFECTIVENESS: assessed by a clinical score including 2 subjective parameters (1. NYHA functional class, 2. patient self-evaluation symptom class) and 6 objective parameters (3. body weight, 4. pulmonary congestion, 5. previous 24-hour diuresis, 6. serum creatinine, 7. oral HF medication, 8. intravenous HF medication). Definition of clinical effectiveness: improvement in > or = 1 subjective parameters plus improvement in > or = 1 objective parameters, with all other parameters unchanged. SAFETY: The therapy was judged safe in the absence of any serious adverse event with a probable or undetermined causal relationship with levosimendan. Primary endpoint evaluation: Patients reached the primary endpoint when levosimendan was both effective and safe according to the above definitions.