ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide determining dramatic impacts on healthcare systems. Early identification of high-risk parameters is required in order to provide the best therapeutic approach. Coronary, thoracic aorta and aortic valve calcium can be measured from a non-gated chest computer tomography (CT) and are validated predictors of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. However, their prognostic role in acute systemic inflammatory diseases, such as COVID-19, has not been investigated. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to evaluate the association of coronary artery calcium and total thoracic calcium on in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: 1093 consecutive patients from 16 Italian hospitals with a positive swab for COVID-19 and an admission chest CT for pneumonia severity assessment were included. At CT, coronary, aortic valve and thoracic aorta calcium were qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated separately and combined together (total thoracic calcium) by a central Core-lab blinded to patients' outcomes. RESULTS: Non-survivors compared to survivors had higher coronary artery [Agatston (467.76 â± â570.92 vs 206.80 â± â424.13 âmm2, p â< â0.001); Volume (487.79 â± â565.34 vs 207.77 â± â406.81, p â< â0.001)], aortic valve [Volume (322.45 â± â390.90 vs 98.27 â± â250.74 mm2, p â< â0.001; Agatston 337.38 â± â414.97 vs 111.70 â± â282.15, p â< â0.001)] and thoracic aorta [Volume (3786.71 â± â4225.57 vs 1487.63 â± â2973.19 mm2, p â< â0.001); Agatston (4688.82 â± â5363.72 vs 1834.90 â± â3761.25, p â< â0.001)] calcium values. Coronary artery calcium (HR 1.308; 95% CI, 1.046-1.637, p â= â0.019) and total thoracic calcium (HR 1.975; 95% CI, 1.200-3.251, p â= â0.007) resulted to be independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: Coronary, aortic valve and thoracic aortic calcium assessment on admission non-gated CT permits to stratify the COVID-19 patients in-hospital mortality risk.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/mortality , COVID-19/physiopathology , Computed Tomography Angiography , Vascular Calcification/mortality , Vascular Calcification/physiopathology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Aorta, Thoracic/diagnostic imaging , Aortic Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Aortic Diseases/mortality , Aortic Diseases/physiopathology , Aortic Valve/diagnostic imaging , COVID-19/diagnostic imaging , Coronary Vessels/diagnostic imaging , Female , Humans , Italy/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Pneumonia, Viral/diagnostic imaging , Pneumonia, Viral/mortality , Pneumonia, Viral/physiopathology , Pneumonia, Viral/virology , Predictive Value of Tests , Retrospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2 , Severity of Illness Index , Vascular Calcification/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Recently, it has been demonstrated that surgical treatment of hemorrhoids in a day-care basis is possible and safe. The aim of this study was to compare the Longo stapled hemorrhoidopexy (SH) and the Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy (MMH). METHODS: One hundred seventy one patients (95 cases in SH group and 76 cases in MMH group) entered the study: 83 cases were III degree hemorrhoids, 88 IV degree. A priori and a post hoc power analysis were performed. Results, prospectively collected, were compared using chi squared test and student t test. Visual analog scale was used for pain evaluation. Postoperative pain, duration of pain, wound secretion, bleeding, resumption of a normal lifestyle, and postoperative complication were evaluated. RESULTS: Surgical time was 28.41+/-10.78 for MMH and 28.30+/-13.28 min in SH (P=0.94). Postoperative pain was not different between MMH and SH during the first two postoperative days (4.73+/-2.91 vs 5.1+/-3.048; P=0.4), during the following 6 days, patients treated with SH had less pain (4.63+/-2.04 in MMH vs 3.60+/-2.35 in SH; P=0.006). In the SH group, seven patients needed further hospital stay for complicated course. SH showed higher incidence of anal fissure compared with MMH (6.3% vs 0%; P=0.025) but no differences in urinary retention, anal stricture, urgency, or anal hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that SH is associated with less postoperative pain and shorter postoperative symptoms, compared with MMH. SH may be a viable addition to the therapy for hemorrhoids with some advantages in early postoperative pain and some disadvantages in postoperative complications and costs.
Subject(s)
Ambulatory Surgical Procedures , Hemorrhoids/surgery , Surgical Stapling , Endoscopy , Female , Humans , Male , Pain, PostoperativeABSTRACT
The adverse physiological effects of pneumo and retro-peritoneum are relatively well known. However, the clinical implications of compromised mesenteric circulation through several mechanical and physiological mechanisms are not as well recognized. We describe a fatal case of intestinal infarction following an elective retroperitoneoscopic right sympathectomy. The patient was a 88-year-old man who died 30 hours after an uneventful anesthesia and right endoscopic lumbar sympathectomy. An emergency explorative laparotomy revealed a massive intestinal infarction due to thrombosis of the superior mesenteric artery. We reviewed the literature on laparoscopic procedures and mesenteric ischemia. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of intestinal infarction following retro-pneumoperitoneum. We conclude that the presence of a severe multidistrectual? arteriopathy may represent a major risk factor in retroperitoneoscopic procedures.
