Adding the value of the Charlson Comorbidity Index to the GRACE score for mortality prediction in acute coronary syndromes.

BACKGROUND: Scarce and conflicting data still exist about the role of the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) when added to the traditional Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk score for outcome prediction in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: All consecutive admissions due to ACS, from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed from an internal database of a tertiary cardiac center in Salerno (Italy). Logistic and Cox proportional regression analyses were performed in order to assess the contribution of the CCI on 30-day and long-term mortality. The CCI adding value to the GRACE score was analyzed with several measures of improvement in discrimination: increase in the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), the integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and the categorical and continuous net reclassification improvement (cNRI) more than 0. Robustness of the results was assessed through an internal validation procedure with bootstrapping. RESULTS: One thousand three hundred and ten patients were identified. The median age was 68 (58-78) years. One hundred and twenty (9.2%) and 113 (9.5%) deaths occurred, respectively, during the first 30 days from admission and during long-term follow-up (median follow-up time: 13 months; interquartile range: 9-24). After multivariate regression analysis, the CCI was not associated with short-term mortality, while it was significantly and independently associated with long-term mortality along with the GRACE score (hazard ratio: 1.34, 95% confidence interval: 1.22-1.47; P  < 0.001). An additive effect of CCI with the GRACE risk score was observed in predicting long-term mortality: AUC from 0.768 to 0.819 ( P  = 0.003), category-based NRI: 0.215, cNRI>0: 0.669 ( P  < 0.001), IDI: 0.066 ( P  < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The CCI is a predictor of long-term mortality and improves risk stratification of patients with ACS over the GRACE risk score.

Differences between cardiogenic shock related to acute decompensated heart failure and acute myocardial infarction.

AIMS: The present analysis from the multicentre prospective Altshock-2 registry aims to better define clinical features, in-hospital course, and management of cardiogenic shock complicating acutely decompensated heart failure (ADHF-CS) as compared with that complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI-CS). METHODS AND RESULTS: All patients with AMI-CS or ADHF-CS enrolled in the Altshock-2 registry between March 2020 and February 2022 were selected. The primary objective was the characterization of ADHF-CS patients as compared with AMI-CS. In-hospital length of stay and mortality were secondary endpoints. One-hundred-ninety of the 238 CS patients enrolled in the aforementioned period were considered for the present analysis: 101 AMI-CS (80% ST-elevated myocardial infarction and 20% non-ST-elevated myocardial infarction) and 89 ADHF-CS. As compared with AMI-CS, ADHF-CS patients were younger [63 (IQR 59-76) vs. 67 (IQR 54-73) years, P = 0.01], but presented with higher creatinine [1.6 (IQR 1.0-2.6) vs. 1.2 (IQR 1.0-1.4) mg/dL, P < 0.001], bilirubin [1.3 (IQR 0.9-2.3) vs. 0.6 (IQR 0.4-1.1) mg/dL, P = 0.01], and central venous pressure values [14 mmHg (IQR 8-12) vs. 10 mmHg (IQR 7-14),P = 0.01]. Norepinephrine was the most common catecholamine used in AMI-CS (79.3%), whereas epinephrine was used more commonly in ADHF-CS (65.5%); 75.8% vs. 46.6% received a temporary mechanical support in AMI-CS and ADHF-CS, respectively (P < 0.001). Length of hospital stay was longer in the latter [28 (IQR 13-48) vs. 17 (IQR 9-29) days, P = 0.001]. Heart replacement therapies were more frequently used in the ADHF-CS group (heart transplantation 13.5% vs. 0% and left ventricular assist device 11% vs. 2%, P < 0.01 and 0.01, respectively). In-hospital mortality was 41.1% (38.6% AMI-CS vs. 43.8% ADHF-CS, P = 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: ADHF-CS is characterized by a higher prevalence of end-organ and biventricular dysfunction at presentation, a longer hospital length of stay, and higher need of heart replacement therapies when compared with AMI-CS. In-hospital mortality was similar between the two aetiologies. Our data warrant development of new management protocols focused on CS aetiology.

Standardization of robotic right liver mobilization.

BACKGROUND: Since its introduction 2 decades ago, robotics has been increasingly used for resection of benign and malignant liver lesions. The robotic platform seems to preserve minimally invasive approach benefits, overcoming laparoscopy limitations. Robotic right liver mobilisation represents a key step for many robotic resections from non-anatomical resections of posterosuperior segments to right hepatectomy. METHODS: We present here a standardized technique of right hepatic lobe mobilisation including technical steps and videos. Robotic resection provide all benefits of minimally invasive approaches in terms of preserving abdominal wall, early alimentation, reduced respiratory stress, associated with more ergonomic conditions for surgeon. RESULTS: We present our standardized and feasible right liver lobe mobilisation needed for posterosuperior resections to the right hepatectomy. CONCLUSIONS: The standardisation of right liver lobe represented our aim to provide a safe and reproducible initial step for many procedures to reduce the conversion rate and to improve the learning curve in young surgeons.

Robotic emergency liver resection of ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare complication. The management of this complication needs a stepwise, multidisciplinary approach which considers first of all clinical conditions of the patient and also the possibility of the best curative treatment. METHODS: We report our experience of an emergency robotic liver resection for a ruptured HCC in an elderly patient. Minimally invasive liver resection is currently recognised as a safe and feasible approach to the treatment of HCC in elderly patients. RESULTS: Our patient presented haemodynamic stability, which allows us to perform a robotic resection of segment 3. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the application of a robotic platform in an emergency setting for liver resection. CONCLUSIONS: Rupture of HCC is an uncommon complication, burdened by a high rate of mortality. Its management still remains controversial. Treatment should be individualised taking into consideration the clinical status of the patient, tumour features and possibility of centre therapeutic strategy.

Soluble PCSK9 Inhibition: Indications, Clinical Impact, New Molecular Insights and Practical Approach-Where Do We Stand?

Current research on cardiovascular prevention predominantly focuses on risk-stratification and management of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) to optimize their prognosis. Several basic, translational and clinical research efforts aim to determine the etiological mechanisms underlying CAD pathogenesis and to identify lifestyle-dependent metabolic risk factors or genetic and epigenetic parameters responsible for CAD occurrence and/or progression. A log-linear association between the absolute exposure of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) and the risk of atherosclerotic cardio-vascular disease (ASCVD) was well documented over the year. LDL-C was identified as the principal enemy to fight against, and soluble proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) was attributed the role of a powerful regulator of blood LDL-C levels. The two currently available antibodies (alirocumab and evolocumab) against PCSK9 are fully human engineered IgG that bind to soluble PCSK9 and avoid its interaction with the LDLR. As documented by modern and dedicated "game-changer" trials, antibodies against soluble PCSK9 reduce LDL-C levels by at least 60 percent when used alone and up to 85 percent when used in combination with high-intensity statins and/or other hypolipidemic therapies, including ezetimibe. Their clinical indications are well established, but new areas of use are advocated. Several clues suggest that regulation of PCSK9 represents a cornerstone of cardiovascular prevention, partly because of some pleiotropic effects attributed to these newly developed drugs. New mechanisms of PCSK9 regulation are being explored, and further efforts need to be put in place to reach patients with these new therapies. The aim of this manuscript is to perform a narrative review of the literature on soluble PCSK9 inhibitor drugs, with a focus on their indications and clinical impact.

Artificial Intelligence in Hypertension Management: An Ace up Your Sleeve.

Arterial hypertension (AH) is a progressive issue that grows in importance with the increased average age of the world population. The potential role of artificial intelligence (AI) in its prevention and treatment is firmly recognized. Indeed, AI application allows personalized medicine and tailored treatment for each patient. Specifically, this article reviews the benefits of AI in AH management, pointing out diagnostic and therapeutic improvements without ignoring the limitations of this innovative scientific approach. Consequently, we conducted a detailed search on AI applications in AH: the articles (quantitative and qualitative) reviewed in this paper were obtained by searching journal databases such as PubMed and subject-specific professional websites, including Google Scholar. The search terms included artificial intelligence, artificial neural network, deep learning, machine learning, big data, arterial hypertension, blood pressure, blood pressure measurement, cardiovascular disease, and personalized medicine. Specifically, AI-based systems could help continuously monitor BP using wearable technologies; in particular, BP can be estimated from a photoplethysmograph (PPG) signal obtained from a smartphone or a smartwatch using DL. Furthermore, thanks to ML algorithms, it is possible to identify new hypertension genes for the early diagnosis of AH and the prevention of complications. Moreover, integrating AI with omics-based technologies will lead to the definition of the trajectory of the hypertensive patient and the use of the most appropriate drug. However, AI is not free from technical issues and biases, such as over/underfitting, the "black-box" nature of many ML algorithms, and patient data privacy. In conclusion, AI-based systems will change clinical practice for AH by identifying patient trajectories for new, personalized care plans and predicting patients' risks and necessary therapy adjustments due to changes in disease progression and/or therapy response.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Bile Duct Tumor Thrombus: A Case Report and Literature Review of 890 Patients Affected by Uncommon Primary Liver Tumor Presentation.

Bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) is an uncommon finding in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), potentially mimicking cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Recent studies have suggested that HCC with BDTT could represent a prognostic factor. We report the case of a 47-year-old male patient admitted to the University Hospital of Bari with abdominal pain. Blood tests revealed the presence of an untreated hepatitis B virus infection (HBV), with normal liver function and without jaundice. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a cirrhotic liver with a segmental dilatation of the third bile duct segment, confirmed by a CT scan and liver MRI, which also identified a heterologous mass. No other focal hepatic lesions were identified. A percutaneous ultrasound-guided needle biopsy was then performed, detecting a moderately differentiated HCC. Finally, the patient underwent a third hepatic segmentectomy, and the histopathological analysis confirmed the endobiliary localization of HCC. Subsequently, the patient experienced a nodular recurrence in the fourth hepatic segment, which was treated with ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA). This case shows that HCC with BDTT can mimic different types of tumors. It also indicates the value of an early multidisciplinary patient assessment to obtain an accurate diagnosis of HCC with BDTT, which may have prognostic value that has not been recognized until now.

SCAI stage reclassification at 24 h predicts outcome of cardiogenic shock: Insights from the Altshock-2 registry.

BACKGROUND: Cardiogenic shock (CS) includes several phenotypes with heterogenous hemodynamic features. Timely prognostication is warranted to identify patients requiring treatment escalation. We explored the association of the updated Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) stages classification with in-hospital mortality using a prospective national registry. METHODS: Between March 2020 and February 2022 the Altshock-2 Registry has included 237 patients with CS of all etiologies at 11 Italian Centers. Patients were classified according to their admission SCAI stage (assigned prospectively and independently updated according to the recently released version). In-hospital mortality was evaluated for association with both admission and 24-h SCAI stages. RESULTS: The overall in-hospital mortality was 38%. Of the 237 patients included and staged according to the updated SCAI classification, 20 (8%) had SCAI shock stage B, 131 (55%) SCAI stage C, 61 (26%) SCAI stage D and 25 (11%) SCAI stage E. In-hospital mortality stratified according to the SCAI classification at 24 h was 18% for patients in SCAI stage B, 27% for SCAI stage C, 63% for SCAI stage D and 100% for SCAI stage E. Both the revised SCAI stages on admission and at 24 h were associated with in-hospital mortality, but the classification potential slightly increased at 24-h. After adjusting for age, sex, lactate level, eGFR, CVP, inotropic score and mechanical circulatory support [MCS], SCAI classification at 24 h was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In the Altshock-2 registry the utility of SCAI shock stages to identify risk of in-hospital mortality increased at 24 h after admission. Escalation of treatment (either pharmacological or with MCS) should be tailored to achieve prompt clinical improvement within the first 24 h after admission. Registration: http://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov; Unique identifier: NCT04295252.

Awake robotic liver surgery: A case report.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, minimally invasive liver resection has become a standard of care for liver tumors. Considering the need to treat increasingly fragile patients, general anesthesia is sometimes avoided due to respiratory complications. Therefore, surgical treatment with curative intent is abandoned in favor of a less invasive and less radical approach. Epidural anesthesia has been shown to reduce respiratory complications, especially in elderly patients with pre-existing lung disease. CASE SUMMARY: A 77-year-old man with hepatitis-C-virus-related chronic liver disease underwent robotic liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma. The patient was suffering from hypertension, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program score for developing pneumonia was 9.2%. We planned a combined spinal-epidural anesthesia with conscious sedation to avoid general anesthesia. No modification of the standard surgical technique was necessary. Hemodynamics were stable and bleeding was minimal. The postoperative course was uneventful. CONCLUSION: Robotic surgery in locoregional anesthesia with conscious sedation could be considered a safe and suitable approach in specialized centers and in selected patients.

Occurrence rate and risk factors for long-term central line-associated bloodstream infections in patients with cancer: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) is a public health problem that harms patients' outcomes and healthcare costs, especially in susceptible populations such as patients with cancer. Overall, systematic queries about etiology, risks, and epidemiology are explained by data from observational studies, which better underline the relationship between factors and incidence of disease. However, no recent systematic reviews of observational studies on adult patients with cancer have been conducted on this topic, considering the wide range of all potential factors which can contribute to the increase in infection rate in the hospitalized adults with cancer. This study systematically reviewed observational studies investigating the occurrence rate of CLABSI and its risk factors for long-term inserted central catheter-related infections in hospitalized adult cancer patients. METHODS: A systematic review was performed on four databases from the earliest available date until December 2020. Retrospective and prospective cohort studies focused on the occurrence rate of CLABSI and its risk factors in hospitalized adult cancer patients. The pooled occurrence rate of CLABSI (95% CI) was calculated by applying a random-effects model. RESULTS: Of 1712 studies, 8 were eligible, and the data of device-related infection rate were meta-analyzed. The pooled occurrence rate of CLABSI was roughly 8% (95% CI [4%, 14%]). The device characteristics, device's management aspects, therapies administration, and select patients' clinical conditions represent the main risk factors for long-term catheter-related infection in cancer patients. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Considering the substantial infection rate among cancer patients, identifying risk rate factors is pivotal to support evidence-grounded preventive strategies and maximize cancer patient safety. This study's results could guide policymakers and healthcare leaders and future research studies to disseminate appropriate risk-reducing management culture and implement standardized research and clinical approach to the investigated phenomenon as an infection surveillance strategy.

Standardized laparoscopic right hepatic lobe mobilization.

Highlight Laparoscopic hepatectomy has become commonly used worldwide and laparoscopic right hepatic mobilization is an important step for right sided liver resection. While the technique has been refined, it remains technically challenging. Ielpo and colleagues present a standardized and reproducible technique for safe mobilization including technical steps and video.

Worldwide management of hepatocellular carcinoma during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted hospital organization, with the necessity to quickly react to face the pandemic. The management of the oncological patient has been modified by necessity due to different allocation of nurses and doctors, requiring new strategies to guarantee the correct assistance to the patients. Hepatocellular carcinoma, considered as one of the most aggressive types of liver cancer, has also required a different management during this period in order to optimize the management of patients at risk for and with this cancer. The aim of this document is to review recommendations on hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance and management, including surgery, liver transplantation, interventional radiology, oncology, and radiotherapy. Publications and guidelines from the main scientific societies worldwide regarding the management of hepatocellular carcinoma during the COVID-19 pandemic were reviewed.

SARS-CoV-2 serology in 4000 health care and administrative staff across seven sites in Lombardy, Italy.

Lombardy is the Italian region most affected by COVID-19. We tested the presence of plasma anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in 3985 employees across 7 healthcare facilities in areas of Lombardy with different exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. Subjects filled a questionnaire to self-report on COVID-19 symptoms, comorbidities, smoking, regular or remote working, and the exposure to COVID-infected individuals. We show that the number of individuals exposed to the virus depended on the geographical location of the facility, ranging between 3 and 43%, consistent with the spatial variation of COVID-19 incidence in Lombardy, and correlated with family interactions. We observed a higher prevalence of females than males positive for IgG, however the level of antibodies was similar, suggesting a comparable magnitude of the anti-spike antibody response. IgG positivity among smokers was lower (7.4% vs 13.5%) although without difference in IgG plasma levels. We observed 11.9% of IgG positive asymptomatic individuals and another 23.1% with one or two symptoms. Interestingly, among the IgG positive population, 81.2% of subjects with anosmia/dysgeusia and fever were SARS-CoV-2 infected, indicating that these symptoms are strongly associated to COVID-19. In conclusion, the frequency of IgG positivity and SARS-CoV-2 infection is dependent on the geographical exposure to the virus and primarily to family rather than hospital exposure.

The Role of Laparoscopic Surgery in Localized Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours.

OPINION STATEMENT: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PNETs) are a rare and heterogeneous group of tumours with various clinical manifestations and biological behaviours. They represent approximately 2-4% of all pancreatic tumours, with an incidence of 2-3 cases per million people. PNETs are classified clinically as non-functional or functional, and pancreatic resection is recommended for lesions greater than 2 cm. The surgical approach can involve "typical" and "atypical" resections depending on the number, size and location of the tumour. Typical resections include pancreaticoduodenectomy, distal pancreatectomy enucleation and, rarely, total pancreatectomy. Atypical resections comprise central pancreatectomies or enucleations. Minimally invasive pancreatic resection has been proven to be technically feasible and safe in high-volume and specialized centres with highly skilled laparoscopic surgeons, with consolidated benefits for patients in the postoperative course. However, open and minimally invasive pancreatic surgery remains to have a high rate of complications; there is no specific technical contraindication to minimally invasive pancreatic surgery, but an appropriate patient selection is crucial to obtain satisfactory clinical and oncological outcomes.

Evaluation of a micro-spectrometer for the real-time assessment of liver graft with mild-to-moderate macrosteatosis: A proof of concept study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Liver macrosteatosis (MS) is a major predictor of graft dysfunction after transplantation. However, frozen section techniques to quantify steatosis are often unavailable in the context of procurements, and the findings of preoperative imaging techniques correlate poorly with those of permanent sections, so that the surgeon is ultimately responsible for the decision. Our aim was to assess the accuracy of a non-invasive pocket-sized micro-spectrometer (PSM) for the real-time estimation of MS. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated a commercial PSM by scanning the liver capsule. A double pathological quantification of MS was performed on permanent sections. Initial calibration (training cohort) was performed on 35 livers (MS ≤60%) and an algorithm was created to correlate the estimated (PSM) and known (pathological) MS values. A second assessment (validation cohort) was then performed on 154 grafts. RESULTS: Our algorithm achieved a coefficient of determination R2 = 0.81. Its validation on the second cohort demonstrated a Lin's concordance coefficient of 0.78. Accuracy reached 0.91%, with reproducibility of 86.3%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for MS ≥30% were 66.7%, 100%, 100% and 98%, respectively. The PSM could predict the absence (<30%)/presence (≥30%) of MS with a kappa coefficient of 0.79. Neither graft weight nor height, donor body mass index nor the CT-scan liver-to-spleen attenuation ratio could accurately predict MS. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that a PSM can reliably and reproducibly assess mild-to-moderate MS. Its low cost and the immediacy of results may offer considerable added-value decision support for surgeons. This tool could avoid the detrimental and prolonged ischaemia caused by the pathological examination of (potentially) marginal grafts. This device now needs to be assessed in the context of a large-scale multicentre study. LAY SUMMARY: Macro-vacuolar liver steatosis is a major prognostic factor for outcomes after liver transplantation. However, it is often difficult for logistical reasons to get this estimation during procurement. Therefore, we developed an algorithm for a commercial, portable and affordable spectrometer to accurately estimate this content in a real-time fashion. This device could be of great interest for clinical decision-making to accept or discard a potential human liver graft.

The Effect of Recipient Body Mass Index and Its Extremes on Survival and Graft Vascular and Biliary Complications After Liver Transplantation: A Single Center Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND This is the largest UK-based study on the effect of recipient body mass index (BMI) and its extremes (BMI <18.5 and BMI ≥35 kg/m²) on liver transplant (LT) outcomes. Its purpose was to analyze the BMI effect on post-LT mortality, graft loss, primary non-function (PNF), and graft vascular and biliary complications. MATERIAL AND METHODS Data were retrieved from a single-center LT database of 2,115 consecutive patients receiving first LT during period February 2004 to September 2015. Survivals were compared across the BMI groups; the effects of recipient BMI on survival, PNF, and graft vascular and biliary complications were analyzed via regression. RESULTS Autoimmune disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis were prevalent among underweight and morbidly obese adults, respectively. Graft survival was similar across BMI classes at 30 days and in 1, 2, 5, and 10 years (p=0.75) and on obese versus non-obese (p=0.33). BMI <35 kg/m² versus BMI ≥35 kg/m² mean graft survival was similar (p=0.84). BMI <18.5 kg/m² recipients tended to have inferior mean graft and patient survivals; however, the difference was non-significant (p=0.09 and p=0.1 respectively). BMI <18.5 kg/m² recipients were at higher risk of hepatic artery thrombosis (HR, 1.73, 95% CI 1.73-3, p<0.05). Adult underweight status was an independent HAT risk factor (HR 3, 95% CI 1-8.6, p=0.046). BMI class did not affect ischemic cholangiopathy risk (p=0.84). However, the overall biliary complication risk increased by 3% for every 1 kg/m² BMI rise. CONCLUSIONS Post-LT survival is independent of recipient BMI. Underweight status is linked to higher HAT risk. Biliary complication risk increases with rising recipient BMI. After appropriate recipient selection, recipient BMI extremes are not a contraindication for LT.

Autoimmune pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer? A dilemma in a pregnant woman.

INTRODUCTION: Autoimmune pancreatitis is now a defined entity and it could mimic a pancreatic malignancy. True oncological emergencies in pregnant patients are rare. CASE REPORT: A 39 years-old pregnant woman was admitted to our emergency unit due to right upper quadrant abdominal pain and evidence of obstructive jaundice. Since computed tomography-scan and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography are contraindicated in pregnant woman, a cholangio-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance was performed, confirming the biliary tract dilatation with stenosis of the intrapancreatic portion of the common bile duct and a shaded image of a mass in the pancreatic head. An endoscopic ultrasound with fine needle aspiration biopsy were performed. US-guided external percutaneous trans-hepatic biliary drainage was successfully performed. The cytological examination showed the presence of erythrocytes, granulocytes, histiocytes and rare lymphocytes; a diagnosis of AIP was supposed, and steroid therapy with metilprednisolone was started. Laboratory tests and jaundice were normalized within 15 days, and the fetus was born in very good health, 22 weeks after. The follow-up was uneventful and a CT-scan confirmed the complete normalization of the pancreatic gland, 12 months after hospital discharge. CONCLUSION: Autoimmune pancreatitis should be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of a not well defined pancreatic mass; in the event of pancreatic mass-forming disease in pregnancy, the differential diagnosis should be early and accurate, because destructive surgery involves an high rate of morbidity and may interrupt pregnancy. A US-guided FNAB and the response to the corticosteroid therapy should lead to a correct diagnosis.