D-dimer/high sensitive troponin I ratio is useful in predicting in-hospital mortality in pulmonary embolism patients.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary embolism requires careful differential diagnosis as it is associated with a wide range of symptoms that may suggest different diseases such as chest pain, shortness of breath and syncope. Since the disease can be fatal, especially in cases where right ventricular failure and hemodynamic instability develop, prognostic markers are great importance in terms of monitoring the patient during the treatment process. AIM: We aimed in our study to compare the relationship between the ratio of D-dimer and High Sensitive Troponin T (HsTnT) values ​​with short-term mortality and to compare this relationship with Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) scoring. METHOD: Our study was conducted with patients who applied to the emergency department of our hospital between 01/01/2022 and 01/01/2023 and were definitively diagnosed with Pulmonary thromboembolism after their evaluation. FINDINGS: The success of D-dimer/HsTroponin, D-dimer/CK-MB and troponin/D-dimer indices calculated from the laboratory test results of the cases in predicting mortality was examined, and a comparison was made with the success of the PESI score in predicting mortality. Among these indices, D-dimer/CK-MB was found to be the most successful index in predicting 7-day mortality (AUC: 0.734; 95% CI: 0.653-0.815; p < 0.001). Additionally, the D-dimer/HsTroponin ratio was found to be statistically significant as a successful index in predicting 7-day mortality (AUC: 0.697; 95% CI: 0.621-0.774; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: FD-dimer/HsTroponin ratio, which is a powerful, fast, low-cost, easy and simple test, can be used especially in emergency services instead of the PESI score as a mortality marker in pulmonary embolism, which has a high mortality rate.

Lactate for Predicting the Prognosis of Multi-Drug Poisoned Patients.

Background: We aimed to compare serum lactate levels of multi-drug poisoned patients to determine whether knowing the level may help emergency clinicians in predicting the patients' prognoses. Methods: The patients were divided into two groups according to the number of kinds of drugs taken (Group 1: patients took 2 kinds of drugs; Group 2: patients took 3 or more kinds of drugs). The groups' initial venous lactate levels, lactate levels before discharge, lengths of stay in the emergency department, hospitalisation units, clinics, and outcomes were recorded on the study form. These findings of the patient groups were then compared. Results: When we evaluated the first lactate levels and lengths of stay in the emergency department, we found that 72% of the patients with initial lactate levels ≥13.5 mg/dL stayed more than 12 hours in the emergency department. Twenty-five (30.86%) patients in the second group stayed ≥12 hours in the emergency department, and their mean initial serum lactate level was significantly related (p=0.02, AUC=071). The mean initial serum lactate levels of both groups were positively related with their lengths of stay in the emergency department. The mean initial lactate levels of patients who stayed ≥12 hours and those who stayed <12 hours in the second group were statistically significant, and the mean lactate level of the patients who stayed ≥12 hours in the second group was lower. Conclusions: Serum lactate levels may be helpful in determining a patient's length of stay in the emergency department in the case of multi-drug poisoning.

The Role of Procalcitonin in Predicting Necessity of Antivenom Administration and Clinical Severity in Snake Bites.

One of the most important steps for preventing deaths due to snake bites is to administer snake antivenom to the eligible patients in a swift manner. In our study, we aimed to investigate whether procalcitonin is useful for predicting the clinical severity and the necessity of antivenom therapy at the early stages in patients presenting with snake bite. A total of 78 patients over the age of 18 who applied to the emergency department within the first 24 hours were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Age and sex of patients, severity of snake bites, total antivenom vials administered, observation periods and outcomes were recorded. Patients were graded according to their clinical severity after the snake bite. Procalcitonin, complete blood count and biochemical parameters of the patients were recorded. According to their clinical severity, the patients' grades were as follows: 21 (26.9%) patients were grade 0; 21 patients (26.9%) were grade 1; 16 patients (20.5%) were grade 2; and 20 patients (25.6%) were grade 3. Snake antivenom was administered to 57 (73.1%) patients. There was a statistically significant difference between procalcitonin levels of patients in respect to their grade (P < 0.001). Sensitivity and specificity of procalcitonin levels of 13.45 and above were 100% and 100% respectively, both for the need of antivenom administration and for the blister formation in the patients. According to our study, we believe that elevated procalcitonin levels should alert the clinicians for possible blister formation, higher clinical severity, and increased requirement for antivenom administration.