Factors affecting the prognosis of Albanian adult patients with generalized tetanus.

BACKGROUND: Despite systematic vaccination of the population, tetanus continues to be a health problem in Albania, as in some other developing countries. In this study, our intent was to evaluate prognostic factors relating to death in adult patients with generalized tetanus. METHODOLOGY AND PATIENTS: All the patients (60) included in the study were hospitalized at the regional hospitals of Shkodra and Korça, and the University Hospital Centre "Mother Theresa" of Tirana, Albania, during the period of 1984-2004. They had a mean age of 49.1+14.4 years, 43 (71.7%) were males and 40 (66.6%) of them lived in rural areas. The mean incubation period was 12 days and the case-fatality rate (CFR) was 38.3%. RESULTS: The CFR in patients with an onset period ≥2 days was 21.7% and in those with <2 days was 48.6%, OR=0.29 (p<0.05). Patients >50 years old had a CFR=60.87% (OR=7, p<0.05). We found the high CFR to be significantly associated with urban residency, male gender, complicated wound, head localization, fever ≥ 38.4 °C, tachycardia > 120 beats/min, and hypertension. DISCUSSION: The main prognostic factor of those analyzed in our study appeared to be the onset period and the age of the patients. We didn't find significant differences in CFR in patients with different incubation periods. Clinicians must take into account that wound complication and localization, tachycardia and hypertension, high fever, male gender and urban residency significantly influence the prognoses of adults with generalized tetanus.

Left and right ventricular diastolic functions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis without clinically evident cardiovascular disease.

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle (LV) and of the right ventricle in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) without clinically evident cardiovascular manifestations and to estimate whether there is a correlation between the duration of RA and the degree of LV diastolic dysfunction. The study included 81 patients (61 females and 20 males) with RA without clinically evident heart disease (group 1) and 40 healthy subjects (29 females and 11 males) who served as a control group (group 2). Both groups were matched for age and sex. Echocardiographic and Doppler studies were conducted in all patients with RA and control subjects. There were significant differences between patients with RA vs. control group with regard to early diastolic flow velocity (E), atrial flow velocity (A) and the E/A ratio (0.68 +/- 0.19 m/s vs. 0.84 +/- 0.14 m/s, p < 0.001; 0.73 +/- 0.15 m/s vs. 0.66 +/- 0.13 cm/s, p = 0.01; and 0.97 +/- 0.3 vs. 1.32 +/- 0.37, p < 0.001, respectively). There was significant difference between groups regarding the right ventricular early diastolic (Er)/atrial (Ar) flow velocities (Er/Ar ratio) (1.07 +/- 0.3 vs. 1.26 +/- 0.3, p = 0.002). There was a weak correlation between transmitral E/A ratio and the duration of RA (r = - 0.22, p = 0.001). Myocardial performance index (MPI) appeared to differ little in patients with RA as compared with control group (0.51 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.52 +/- 0.2, p = NS). In patients with RA without clinically evident cardiovascular disease, the left ventricular diastolic function and the right ventricular diastolic function are reduced. Left ventricular wall thickness, dimensions, systolic function and MPI were found to be normal. LV diastolic function had a weak correlation with the duration of RA.