Value of Lung Ultrasound Sonography B-Lines Quantification as a Marker of Heart Failure in COPD Exacerbation.

Introduction: Identifying heart failure (HF) in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) can be challenging. Lung ultrasound sonography (LUS) B-lines quantification has recently gained a large place in the diagnosis of HF, but its diagnostic performance in AECOPD remains poorly studied. Purpose: This study aimed to assess the contribution of LUS B-lines score (LUS score) in the diagnosis of HF in AECOPD patients. Patients and methods: This is a prospective cross-sectional multicenter cohort study including patients admitted to the emergency department for AECOPD. All included patients underwent LUS. A lung ultrasound score (LUS score) based on B-lines calculation was assessed. A cardiac origin of dyspnea was retained for a LUS score greater than 15. HF diagnosis was based on clinical examination, pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels, and echocardiographic findings. The LUS score diagnostic performance was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio at the best cutoffs. Results: We included 380 patients, mean age was 68±11.6 years, sex ratio (M/F) 1.96. Patients were divided into two groups: the HF group [n=157 (41.4%)] and the non-HF group [n=223 (58.6%)]. Mean LUS score was higher in the HF group (26.8±8.4 vs 15.3±7.1; p<0.001). The mean LUS score in the HF patients with reduced LVEF was 29.2±8.7, and was 24.5±7.6 in the HF patients with preserved LVEF. LUS score area under ROC curve for the diagnosis of HF was 0.71 [0.65-0.76]. The best sensitivity (89% [85.9-92,1]) was observed at the threshold of 5; the best specificity (85% [81.4-88.6]) was observed at the threshold of 30. Correlation between LUS score and E/E' ratio was good (R=0.46, p=0.0001). Conclusion: Our results suggest that LUS score could be helpful and should be considered in the diagnostic approach of HF in AECOPD patients, at least as a ruling in test.

Piroxicam and paracetamol in the prevention of early recurrent pain and emergency department readmission after renal colic: Randomized placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Renal colic (RC) is a common urologic emergency often leading to significant pain and recurrent hospital visits. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of piroxicam versus paracetamol in preventing pain recurrence and hospital readmission in patients treated for RC and discharged from the emergency department (ED). METHODS: A prospective, randomized, single-blind trial was conducted in four EDs. Eligible adults with RC were randomized to receive oral piroxicam, paracetamol, or placebo for 5 days post-ED discharge. Primary outcomes included pain recurrence and ED readmission within 7 days. Secondary outcomes included time to recurrence and treatment-related side effects. RESULTS: Of 1383 enrolled patients, no significant differences were observed among the groups regarding baseline characteristics. Pain recurrence rates within 7 days were 29% (95% confidence interval [CI] 24.9%-33.2%) for piroxicam, 30.3% (95% CI 26.1%-34.5%) for paracetamol, and 30.8% (95% CI 26.6%-35.0%) for placebo, with no significant between-group differences (p = 0.84). Among patients experiencing recurrence, the majority encounter it within the initial 2 days following their discharge (86% in the piroxicam group, 84.1% in the paracetamol group, and 86% in the placebo group, respectively). ED readmission rates were similar across groups: 20.8% (95% CI 17.1%-24.5%) in the piroxicam group, 23.8% (95% CI 19.9%-27.7%) in the paracetamol group, and 22.9% (95% CI 19.1%-26.8%) in the placebo group (p = 0.52). The piroxicam group reported significantly higher adverse effects compared to others. CONCLUSIONS: Piroxicam and paracetamol did not demonstrate efficacy in preventing pain recurrence or ED readmission within the first week following RC treatment.

Magnesium Sulfate Versus Lidocaine as an Adjunct for Renal Colic in the Emergency Department: A Randomized, Double-Blind Controlled Trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We wished to determine whether the addition of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) or lidocaine to diclofenac could improve the analgesic efficacy in emergency department (ED) patients with acute renal colic. METHODS: In this prospective, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial of patients aged 18 to 65 years with suspected acute renal colic, we randomized them to receive 75 mg intramuscular (IM) diclofenac and then intravenous (IV) MgSO4, lidocaine, or saline solution control. Subjects reported their pain using a numerical rating scale (NRS) before drug administration and then 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, and 90 minutes afterwards. Our primary outcome was the proportion of participants achieving at least a 50% reduction in the NRS score 30 minutes after drug administration. RESULTS: We enrolled 280 patients in each group. A 50% or greater reduction in the NRS score at 30 minutes occurred in 227 (81.7%) patients in the MgSO4 group, 204 (72.9%) in the lidocaine group, and 201 (71.8%) in the control group, with significant differences between MgSO4 and lidocaine (8.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.89 to 15.7], P=.013) and between MgSO4 and control (9.9%, 95% CI [2.95 to 16.84], P=.004). Despite this, differences between all groups at every time point were below the accepted 1.3 threshold for clinical importance. There were no observed differences between groups in the frequency of rescue analgesics and return visits to the ED for renal colic. There were more adverse events, although minor, in the MgSO4 group. CONCLUSION: Adding intravenous MgSO4, but not lidocaine, to IM diclofenac offered superior pain relief but at levels below accepted thresholds for clinical importance.

Melatonin, vitamins and minerals supplements for the treatment of Covid-19 and Covid-like illness: A prospective, randomized, double-blind multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Melatonin, zinc, and multivitamins are among most recommended supplements in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to examine the efficacy and safety of this association in the treatment of COVID-19 and COVID-like illnesses. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Patients with no medical history consulting the emergency department for covid and covid-like illness and who were not hospitalized were included. Patients were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the treatment or the placebo group. The primary outcome was studying the effectiveness of zinc multivitamin supplement and melatonin in the treatment of COVID and -like illnesses symptoms' according to the time from randomization to clinical improvement. The pre-specified secondary outcomes were date of disappearance of symptoms present on admission, appearance of an adverse effect due to the administration of the treatment, number of patients developing complications, requiring hospitalization, requiring respiratory support. RESULTS: One hundred sixty four patients were eligible for the study and were randomized to either the treatment group or the placebo group. Overall, 128 of the 164 patients had a PCR for SARS-CoV-2, yielding a positive PCR result in 49.1% of them. Regarding the disappearance of all initial presenting symptoms: on the 5th day of the follow-up, there was a significant difference between the two groups with a p value 0.04;On the 10th day, there was a significant difference too with p value of 0.038. There were no significant differences between the two groups in recovery during the 15th day of follow-up p>0.5. Finally, 100% of patients fully recovered in the treatment group vs 98.8% in the placebo group. No severe adverse events were reported throughout the trial. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that daily doses of Melatonin, zinc and vitamins did significantly reduce the duration of symptoms accelerating its disappearance among patients consulting with COVID-19 or COVID-19 like illness.

Value of inferior vena cava collapsibility index as marker of heart failure in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation.

INTRODUCTION: Inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter variability with respiration measured by ultrasound was found to be useful for the diagnosis of heart failure (HF) in ED patients with acute dyspnea. Its value in identifying HF in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation (AECOPD) was not specifically demonstrated. OBJECTIVE: To determine the value of ΔIVC in the diagnosis of HF patients with AECOPD. METHODS: This is a prospective study conducted in the ED of three Tunisian university hospitals including patients with AECOPD. During this period, 401 patients met the inclusion criteria. The final diagnosis of HF is based on the opinion of two emergency experts after consulting the data from clinical examination, cardiac echocardiography, and BNP level. The ΔIVC was calculated by two experienced emergency physicians who were blinded from the patient's clinical and laboratory data. A cut off of 15% was used to define the presence (< 15%) or absence of HF (≥ 15%). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was also measured. The area under the ROC curve, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated to determine the diagnostic and predictive accuracy of the ΔIVC in predicting HF. RESULTS: The study population included 401 patients with AECOPD, mean age 67.2 years with male (68.9%) predominance. HF was diagnosed in 165 (41.1%) patients (HF group) and in 236 patients (58.9%) HF was excluded (non HF group). The assessment of the performance of the ΔIVC in the diagnosis of HF showed a sensitivity of 37.4% and a specificity of 89.7% using the threshold of 15%. The positive predictive value was 70.9% and the negative predictive value was 66.7%. The area under the ROC curve was 0.71(95%, CI 0.65-0.76). ΔIVC values were not different between HF patients with reduced LVEF and those with preserved LVEF. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that ΔIVC has a good value for ruling out HF in ED patients consulting for AECOPD.

[The effect of intraperitoneal administration of dexamethasone on postoperative analgesia after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a prospective randomized controlled double-blind study]. / Intérêt de la déxaméthasone en intrapéritonéale dans l'analgésie post cholécystectomie laparoscopique: étude prospective contrôlée randomisée en double aveugle.

Introduction: the effect of intravenous corticosteroids on postoperative pain has been well demonstrated; however, few studies have focused on the efficacy of intraperitoneal corticosteroid use after laparoscopic surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of intraperitoneal administration of dexamethasone on postoperative analgesia after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods: we conducted a prospective, randomised, double-blind, controlled study, including patients scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy and randomised into two groups: the group D (receiving 16 ml: 12 ml saline and 4 ml solution containing 16mg dexamethasone) and the group T (receiving 16 ml saline). The primary endpoint was: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for abdominal pain during the first 24 hours after surgery. The secondary endpoints were the incidence of shoulder pain, time to first request for analgesia, the consumption of morphine in the post-intervention surveillance room (PACU), the consumption of non-opioid analgesics and the incidence of nausea and vomiting during the first 24 hours after surgery as well as the presence of complications. Results: sixty patients were included in the study and divided into two groups of 30. Demographic parameters, duration of surgical and anesthesia procedures, as well as intraoperative fentanyl consumption were comparable between the two groups. Abdominal pain VAS values (p≤0.001), the incidence of shoulder pain (p<0.001), opioid and analgesic consumption (p<0.001) and the incidence of nausea (p=0.002) and vomiting (p=0.012) during the first 24 hours after surgery were significantly lower in group D. No complications related to dexamethasone administration were noted. Conclusion: intraperitoneal dexamethasone reduces postoperative pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Case of Massive Hydatid Pulmonary Embolism Incidentally Discovered in a 56-Year-Old Woman with Posttraumatic Abdominal Pain.

Hydatid pulmonary embolism rarely occurs. It arises from the rupture of a hydatid heart cyst or the opening of a visceral hydatid cyst into the venous circulation. We report a case with pulmonary hydatidosis resulting in a massive bilateral pulmonary embolism in a 56-year-old woman with history of hepatic echinococcosis. A brief overview of clinical features and radiologic findings is presented.