Diagnostic Accuracy of Emergency Ultrasonography Compression by Non-Radiologists or Cardiologists for Diagnosis of Deep Vein Thrombosis in Lower Extremity: An Evidence-Based Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a medical condition with dangerous complications including lung thromboembolism which can cause death. However, the disease is often neglected, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment. Patients with lower extremity DVT clinical signs and symptoms usually cause diagnostic dilemmas, specifically for general practitioners (GP). Various diagnostic strategies have been proposed to diagnose DVT although they still have several limitations. Therefore, emergency compression US by non-radiologists or cardiologists needs to be further considered as a fast and accurate alternative. This study aimed to analyze the potency emergency compression US by non-radiologists or cardiologists to diagnose DVT in the lower extremity. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted through PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library. The articles were screened based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria with the keywords emergency, general practitioners, compression US, and DVT. Critical appraisal was performed using the Oxford CEEBM Critical Appraisal Tools for Diagnostic studies criteria. RESULTS: This study analyzed a total of five cross-sectional studies and one prospective cohort. The emergency compression US performed by general practitioners and emergency physicians had a sensitivity of 86-93% and specificity of 90-97.1%. This analysis produced reliable results for diagnosing DVT in bedside settings compared to compression or doppler US performed by experts. CONCLUSION: Emergency compression US performed by general practitioners and emergency physicians had great potential to be a fast and accurate method for diagnosing and excluding DVT in lower extremities. However, standardized training is necessary to produce the highest diagnostic accuracy.

Autologous intraarterial pancreatic bone-marrow mononuclear cells infusion in T2D patients: Changes on beta-cells function, insulin resistance, and inflammatory marker.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a progressive disease. Many drugs currently being used for the management of T2D have minimal effect on pancreatic beta cells regeneration. Cell-based therapies might provide potential benefits in this aspect. METHODS: A pilot study in five T2D patients with 12 months follow-up was performed to evaluate the effect of autologous bone marrow mononuclear stem cells (BM-MNCs) infusion into pancreatic arteries on the insulin requirement, beta-cell function, insulin resistance, and systemic inflammatory marker (CRP). RESULTS: The primary endpoint, a 50 % reduction of total insulin doses from baseline, was not achieved in this study. However, a trend of increasing fasting C-peptide (p = 0.07) and C-peptide 60' (p = 0.07) and 90' (p = 0.07) after a mixed-meal tolerance test was observed 12 months post-infusion compared to baseline levels. A similar result was observed for the homeostatic model assessment of beta cell function (HOMA1-B), an index for beta cell function. No improvement was observed for insulin resistance measured by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA1-IR) and systemic inflammatory parameter. CONCLUSION: Intraarterial pancreatic autologous BM-MNCs infusion might potentially improve beta cell function in T2D patients, although further study is needed to confirm this finding.

Cytomegalovirus may influence vascular endothelial health in Indonesian HIV-infected patients after 5 years on ART.

OBJECTIVES: Accelerated atherosclerosis in older HIV-infected patients has been attributed to persistent immune activation and high burden cytomegalovirus (CMV), as demonstrated in transplant recipients and the general population. Here we assess CMV and inflammatory markers linked with vascular health in young adult patients treated in Indonesia. STUDY DESIGN: HIV-infected adults (n = 32) were examined when they began antiretroviral therapy (ART) with < 200 CD4 T-cells/µl (V0) and after 60 months (V60). Age-matched healthy controls (HC, n = 32) were assessed once. METHODS: Flow Mediated Dilatation (FMD) was assessed by ultrasound on brachial arteries at V60 and in HC. Plasma markers of immune activation and endothelial activation, and CMV antibodies (lysate, gB, IE-1) were assessed in all samples. Results were assessed using bivariate (non-parametric) and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Levels of inflammatory biomarkers and CMV antibodies declined on ART, but the antibodies remained higher than in HC. FMD values were similar in patients and HC at V60. In HIV patients, levels of CMV lysate antibody correlated inversely (r = - 0.37) with FMD. The optimal model predicting lower FMD values (adjusted R2 = 0.214, p = 0.012) included CMV lysate antibodies and chondroitin sulphate. In HC, levels of sTNFR correlated inversely with FMD (r = - 0.41) and remained as a risk factor in the optimal multivariable model, with CMV glycoprotein-B (gB) antibody predicting a healthier FMD (adjusted R2 = 0.248, p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels CMV antibodies optimally predict vascular health measured by FMD in HIV patients. However in healthy controls, sTNFR marks risk and CMV gB antibody may be protective.

Diagnostic Value of Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio and D-Dimer as Biological Markers of Deep Vein Thrombosis in Patients Presenting with Unilateral Limb Edema.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) pose high morbidity and mortality risk thus needing fast and accurate diagnosis. Wells clinical prediction scores with D-dimer testing are traditionally used to rule out patients with low probability of DVT. However, D-dimer testing has a few limitations regarding its relatively low specificity. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a marker of inflammation, was found to increase in DVT. Hence, we aimed to evaluate the role of NLR for DVT diagnosis. METHODS: Data were collected from medical records of patients with suspected DVT at Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital during January-December 2014. Diagnosis of DVT was conducted using lower limb ultrasonography. Diagnostic values for NLR, D-dimer, and NLR + D-dimer were determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to obtain area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive values. Sensitivity and specificity analyses of NLR and D-dimer were also conducted based on Wells score and divided into groups of low and high probability of DVT. RESULTS: The AUC values for NLR, D-dimer, and NLR + D-dimer were 72.6%, 70.4%, and 76.1%, respectively. The optimal cut-off value determined for NLR was 5.12 with sensitivity of 67.7%, specificity of 67.9%, PPV of 68.85%, and NPV of 64.91% in differentiating subjects with and without DVT. This study also found that D-dimer had sensitivity of 69.4%, specificity of 71.4%, PPV of 72.88%, and NPV of 67.8%. Meanwhile, the NLR + D-dimer combination had sensitivity of 66.1% and specificity of 72.6%. Multivariate analysis showed that NLR (OR: 2.636; 95% CI: 1.144-6.076; p: 0.023) and D-dimer (OR: 4.175; 95% CI: 1.810-9.633; p: 0.001) were associated with DVT. CONCLUSION: NLR value has wider AUC than D-Dimer and is relatively easier to obtain and does not require specific assay, thus enabling rapid evaluation of symptomatic patients suspected of having DVT. Adding NLR to D-dimer increased AUC to detect DVT. Therefore, NLR could serve as a complementary diagnostic tool for D-dimer to exclude DVT, especially in low clinical probability patients.

Global Longitudinal Strain (GLS) in Elderly and Its Associated Factors.

BACKGROUND: cardiovascular disease is very common and can be fatal in elderly patients. It is often preceded by asymptomatic or subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). Early detection of LVSD can reduce morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular disease. One method used in the early detection of LVSD is an assessment of global longitudinal strain (GLS). This study aimed to determine the mean value of GLS and GLS-related factors. METHODS: this cross-sectional study was conducted among elderly patients aged > 60 years in the geriatric and cardiology clinic, Internal Medicine, CMH Hospital. Data were obtained from interviews, medical records, and transthoracic echocardiography examination. The variables of age, frailty, hypertension, coronary artery disease, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus were analyzed as the determinants of a decrease in GLS. Univariate analysis was conducted for each variable. Bivariate analysis was conducted using the chi-square test with a significance level of p<0.25 and confidence interval (CI) of 95%, and multivariate analysis used a logistic regression test. RESULTS: a total of 194 patients were admitted according to the study criteria, with a mean age of 66 years. The proportion of women was 60.8%. The study revealed that the determinants with p<0.25 are frailty, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus, with multivariate analysis frailty having an OR of 2.002 (95% CI 1.042-3.925) and diabetes mellitus having an OR of 2.278 (95% CI 1.033-5.025). CONCLUSION: the mean value of GLS among the elderly was -21.6% (minimum value -5.3% and maximum value 29.9%). The factors that influence the decrease of GLS are frailty and diabetes mellitus.

Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Young Adult Population with First Degree Relatives of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remain a leading cause of death globally. The concept of acute myocardial infarction in young adults was uncommon. Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of CVD, including myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure and peripheral artery disease. This condition is initiated early in childhood and progressive in nature. CVD risk factors includes hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity play a role in the development of atherosclerosis and  components in insulin resistance syndrome.One of many risk factors for insulin resistance in healthy individuals is a first-degree relative (FDR) of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients. This group shows a higher risk of insulin resistance and pancreatic beta cells disruption even in adolescence, although they often remains asymptomatic. Clinical manifestations of metabolic disorders and atherosclerosis will appear earlier in the FDR T2DM group who have sedentary lifestyles and obesity, when compared to the non-FDR group. Several studies have attempted to detect metabolic disorders and subclinical atherosclerosis that might occur; therefore an early prevention can be carried out in these high-risk groups.  Unfortunately, factors that affect the onset and the severity of the prospective clinical manifestations from the previous studies remained inconclusive.

Carotid intima-media thickness among normoglycemia and normotension first-degree relatives of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Introduction: Theoretically, first-degree relatives (FDRs) of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are predisposed to have earlier and more severe atherosclerosis than non-FDR due to hereditary insulin resistance. A previous study reported that atherosclerotic plaques were found in 45.2% of young adults FDR of T2DM, but the study did not include non-FDR as control group. The aim of this study was to compare subclinical atherosclerosis (carotid intima-media thickness, CIMT) between FDR of T2DM and non-FDR. Method: This was a cross-sectional study involving 16 FDR subjects and 16 age-sex matched non-FDR subjects, aged 19-40 years, with normal glucose tolerance and no hypertension. Collected data included demographic characteristic, anthropometric measurement (BMI and waist circumference), laboratory analysis (fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, lipid profile), and CIMT examination (using B-mode ultrasound). Results: The mean of CIMT in the FDR group was higher than that in the non-FDR group (0.44 mm vs 0.38 mm, p=0.005). After adjusting for waist circumference, BMI, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride, CIMT maintained significant difference between FDR and non-FDR subjects. BMI and waist circumference showed moderate correlation with CIMT. Conclusion: CIMT in young adult FDR of T2DM is thicker than that in age-and sex-matched non-FDR population.