Military medical research on internal diseases in modern warfare: new concepts, demands, challenges, and opportunities.

Battlefield internal medicine aims at the treatment of combatants and noncombatants with various internal diseases on the battlefield. The military medical research on battlefield internal diseases focuses on the pathogenesis, clinical management, and prevention of internal diseases under military war conditions. In both wartime and peacetime, the soldiers suffer from more internal diseases than surgical wounds. With the introduction of high-tech weapons, including chemical, physical, and biological agents, a large number of special internal illnesses and casualties will appear in future wars. The battles often occur in special environments, such as high or low temperatures, plateau or polar areas, and micro- or hyper-gravity. The current theories of battlefield internal medicine are mainly derived from wars decades ago and cannot meet the needs of military medical support under the conditions of modern warfare. Therefore, the military medical research on battlefield internal medicine should be based on contemporary military situations, focus on the purpose of treating battlefield internal diseases, and adhere to the actual needs of the troops in peacetime and wartime. We should investigate the pathogenesis of battlefield internal diseases and explore the threats that may arise in future wars to ensure the advancement of battlefield internal medicine. This review highlights new concepts, demands, challenges, and opportunities for the further development of military medical research on battlefield internal medicine.

Screening for atrial fibrillation during automated blood pressure measurement among patients admitted to internal medicine ward.

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the commonest sustained cardiac arrhythmia affecting the adult population, is often casually discovered among hospitalized people. AF onset is indeed triggered by several clinical conditions such as acute inflammatory states, infections, and electrolyte disturbance, frequently occurring during the hospitalization. We aimed to evaluate whether systematic AF screening, performed through an automated oscillometric blood pressure (BP) device (Microlife WatchBP Office AFIB, Microlife AG, Switzerland), is effective for detecting AF episodes in subjects admitted to an Internal Medicine ward. 163 patients consecutively hospitalized at the Unit of Internal Medicine of the "Santa Maria" Terni University Hospital between November 2019 and January 2020 (mean age ± standard deviation: 77 ± 14 years, men proportion: 40%) were examined. Simultaneously with BP measurement and AF screening, a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) was performed in all subjects. AF was diagnosed by ECG in 29 patients (18%). AF screening showed overall 86% sensitivity and 96% specificity. False negatives (n = 4) had RR-interval coefficient of variation lower than true positives (n = 25, p < 0.01), suggesting a regular ventricular rhythm during AF. The repeated evaluation substantially confirmed the same level of agreement. AF screening was positive in all patients with new-onset AF (n = 6, 100%). Systematic AF screening in patients admitted to Internal Medicine wards, performed using the Microlife WatchBP Office AFIB, is feasible and effective. The opportunity to implement such technology in daily routine clinical practice to prevent undiagnosed AF episodes in hospitalized patients should be the subject of further research.

Padua prediction score and IMPROVE score do predict in-hospital mortality in Internal Medicine patients.

Padua prediction score (PPS) and IMPROVE bleeding score are validated tools for venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment recommended by guidelines, albeit not frequently used. Some data suggest that a positive PPS and IMPROVE score may be were associated with early mortality in Internal Medicine patients. Aim of the study was to characterize the predictive ability on mortality of the two scores using two different populations, respectively, as derivation and validation cohort. The derivation cohort consisted of 1956 Internal Medicine patients admitted to La Spezia Hospital in 2013. 399 Internal Medicine patients admitted to Carate Brianza Hospital in 2016 constituted the validation cohort. PPS and IMPROVE scores were applied to each patient using their validated cutoffs. Frequency of positive PPS and mortality were significantly higher in La Spezia patients. In the derivation cohort, the positivity of at least one of the two scores was associated with a significantly higher mortality compared to both negative scores. Similar results were observed in the validation cohort. In the derivation cohort, the sensitivity of a positive PPS score in predicting mortality was 0.97 (0.94, 0.98) but the specificity was 0.21 (0.19, 0.23), the negative likelihood ratio being 0.15. Sensitivity and specificity of a positive IMPROVE gave specular findings but the positive likelihood ratio was 2.19. The accuracy data in the validation cohort were in the same direction. Both PPS and IMPROVE are associated with in-hospital mortality but their additional predictive accuracy is modest. It is unlikely that both scores could be useful in clinical practice to predict death in hospitalized Internal Medicine patients.

[Use of pocket-sized ultrasound in internal medicine (hospitalist) practice: Feedback and perspectives]. / Échographie ultraportable en médecine interne : retour d'expérience et point de vue.

INTRODUCTION: Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is routinely used by intensivists and emergency physicians for many years. Its interest is not arguable any more for these specialists, despite the large variety of diseases they care. Hospitalists and internists also should find some interest in POCUS, which convenience and wide range of indications responds well to the variety of their practice. However, it is still not widely used in internal medicine departments. METHODS: We here report our experience of using a pocket-sized ultrasound device in a French internal medicine department. The device used was a Vscan Dual Probe, GE, whose two probes and presets allow for cardiac, abdominal, pulmonary, obstetric, vascular, pulmonary, and superficial soft tissue exploration. One physician of the ward received a course for POCUS that was initially dedicated for emergency physicians. This study reports on the results of the examinations made between January and September 2015. For each examination performed, clinical usefulness was assessed at the time of patient discharge, by two independent physicians who reviewed the clinical course and the results of conventional imaging and rated their evaluation on a Likert scale. RESULTS: One hundred and four examinations were evaluated. The mean duration of the ultrasound examination was 9±5minutes. The POCUS conclusions were corrected by disease course or the results of conventional imaging in 10 (9.6%) cases. The presets of the device: heart, soft tissue, lung, abdomen and vascular were used respectively in 32, 30, 21, 12 and 5% of the examinations. The main indications of POCUS examination were for identification of pleural, pericardial or peritoneal effusion, and to assess the central venous pressure by inferior vena cava examination. Eighteen examinations were performed for puncture of effusion. The retrospectively evaluated clinical benefit was clearly demonstrated in 78% of cases. The agreement between the two blinded assessors was good (kappa coefficient at 0.82). CONCLUSION: Pocket-sized ultrasound device could be used in internal medicine wards. However, its limited performance compared to more sophisticated echography limits the possible explorations and their reliability, which encourages caution and makes critical the question of the initial training of doctors and medical students.

[WHEN ULTRASOUND MEETS THE INTERNIST].

INTRODUCTION: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an important modality with many advantages. At the Shaare Zedek Medical Centre, we developed a case-based course to teach POCUS to internal medicine residents and attendings. The topics include: "Introduction to Point-of-Care Ultrasound", "Focused Assessment with Sonography of Trauma", "Basic Cardiac, Pulmonary and Vascular Ultrasound", "Rapid Ultrasound in Shock" and "Ultrasound Guided Central Lines". The use of POCUS should aid in rapid diagnosis, decrease complications associated with bed-side procedures, and ultimately improve patient care.

Use of Ultrasound by Internists to Improve Diagnostic Small Joint Aspiration.

BACKGROUND: Primary care internists are often the first to see patients with an initial episode of crystalline arthritis. Timely aspiration of the affected joint for definitive diagnosis and treatment in the office is desirable but can be difficult, especially if the joint is small, surrounded by soft tissue swelling distorting landmarks, and is very painful to move or palpate. METHODS: We compared the likelihood of successful aspiration of the great toe metatarsophalangeal joint by primary care internists for the diagnosis of potential crystalline arthritis by either landmark identification of the joint space or by employing ultrasound to identify the joint space. RESULTS: Aspiration was performed by one of 2 primary care internists using landmarks and palpation to identify the joint space in 27 patients with suspected crystalline arthritis affecting the first metatarsophalangeal joint. A sample adequate for diagnosis by polarized light microscopic crystal analysis was obtained in 14 of the 27 aspirations (52%) when landmarks alone were used to locate the joint space. In an additional 27 patients with suspected crystalline arthritis affecting the first metatarsophalangeal joint, ultrasound was used to identify the joint space and resulted in a significant increase in the success of obtaining an adequate diagnostic sample, which was obtained in 25 of the 27 aspirations (93%). CONCLUSIONS: The primary care internist can easily provide quality and timely small joint diagnostic aspiration when ultrasound is used to identify the location of the joint space.

[Experience of Collaborative Research through Department of Medical Instrumental Research and Technology in Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine].

Both of Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine which offers high, technical and safe medical treatment and Horiba, Ltd. which has small CBC analyzers in a core product established a joint research institute for development of advanced laboratory test analyzer from January 1, 2012 in Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine as the "advanced treatment hospital" where the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has got approved. Clinical needs about analyzer and reagent for a laboratory test are being investigated to the emergency medical care unit and the intensive care unit as well as the laboratory test part in the affiliated hospital and many medical departments of the pediatrics, the internal medicine and the surgery. Developing the new analyzer based on high technology, evaluating the performance of them and spreading them to a medical examination and treatment site is our main target.

¿Qué hacen los internistas? Respuestas innovadoras a nuevas necesidades / What do internists do? Innovative answers to new requirements

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Pocket-sized ultrasound as an aid to physical diagnosis for internal medicine residents: a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Proficiency and self-confidence in the physical examination is poor among internal medicine residents and interest in ultrasound technology has expanded. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine whether a pocket-sized ultrasound improves the diagnostic accuracy and confidence of residents after a 3-h training session and 1 month of independent practice. DESIGN: This was a randomized parallel group controlled trial. PARTICIPANTS: Forty internal medicine residents in a single program at an academic medical center participated in the study. INTERVENTION: Three hours of training on use of pocket-sized ultrasound was followed by 1 month of independent practice. MAIN MEASURES: The primary outcome was a comparison of the diagnostic accuracy of a physical exam alone versus a physical examination augmented with a pocket-sized ultrasound. Other outcomes included confidence in exam findings and a survey of attitudes towards the physical exam and the role of ultrasound. KEY RESULTS: Residents in the intervention group using a pocket-sized ultrasound correctly identified an average of 7.6 of the 17 abnormal findings (accuracy rate of 44.9 %). Those in the control group correctly identified an average of 6.4 abnormal findings (accuracy rate of 37.6 %, p = 0.11). Residents in the intervention group identified on average 15.9 findings as abnormal when no abnormality existed (false positive rate of 16.8 %). Those in the control group incorrectly identified an average of 15.5 positive findings (false positive rate of 16.3 %). There was no difference between groups regarding self-assessed confidence in physical examination. Residents in the intervention group identified 6.1 of 13 abnormal cardiac findings versus the control group's 4.5 of 13, an accuracy rate of 47.0 % versus 34.6 % (p = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic ability of internal medicine residents did not significantly improve with use of a pocket-sized ultrasound device after a 3-h training session and 1 month of independent practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov: number NCT01948076; URL http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT01948076?term=ultrasound+physical+exam&rank=2.

Aportación al continuo asistencial de una consulta de conexión con atención primaria coordinada con internistas / Provision of continuous health care by a unit connected to primary care centres coordinated by specialist physicians

Objetivo. Evaluar la eficacia y eficiencia de un sistema de conexión entre niveles asistenciales que supere la actual desconexión asegurando el acceso preferencial de pacientes con enfermedad significativa a atención especializada. Material y métodos. Descripción de la actividad de la Consulta de Conexión con Atención Primaria (CCAP) del Departamento de Salud de Alcoy (Alicante) en su primer año de funcionamiento. Resultados. Hubo 450 visitas con 6,5 (IC 95% 5,7-7,3) primeras visitas y 3,9 (IC 95% 3,1-4,8) sucesivas diarias. Fueron más de 50 los motivos de consulta, y más de 60 los diagnósticos finales, la mayoría no relevantes (65,6% definidos no significativos; 14% indefinidos). Globalmente los diagnósticos definidos predominantes fueron los digestivos (31%) y los funcionales (14,4%), y los definidos significativos las neoplasias y las enfermedades autoinmunes. Al 86,9% de los diagnósticos se llegó tras 1 o 2 visitas, y al 40% con la sola revisión de la historia clínica hospitalaria. Hubo 217 peticiones de más de 20 exploraciones complementarias distintas, con un 38,8; 34,4; 21,6; y 5,2% de pacientes que requirieron 0, 1, 2 y >= 3, mayoritariamente (21,6%) analíticas básicas. Los pacientes con diagnóstico significativo fueron diagnosticados más rápidamente (12,4 ± 19,4 vs. 45,3 ± 52,8 días; p = 0,001), con menos exploraciones complementarias (0,5 ± 0,7 vs. 0,9 ± 0,9 exploraciones complementarias por paciente; p = 0,032; 58,6 vs. 39,6% pacientes sin exploraciones complementarias; p = 0,052) y en mayor proporción derivados a especializada (58,6 vs. 18,3%, p < 0,0001). Conclusiones. El demostrado manejo diferencial del paciente con enfermedad potencialmente significativa aprovechando los recursos existentes hacen de la CCAP con internistas un modelo eficiente de conexión entre niveles (AU)

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of a system set up to overcome the current disparity between primary and specialist health care and with the capacity to detect patients with significant diseases. Material and methods: To describe the activity of the Unit for Connection with Primary Care Centres (UCPCC) in the Alcoy Health Area (Alicante) during its first year. Results: A total of 450 visits were made, with 6.5 (95% CI 5.7-7.3) first visits, and 3.9 (95% CI 3.1- 4.8) successive ones per day. There were more than 50 reasons for consultation, and more than 60 final diagnoses (65.6% non-significant, 14% undefined and 12.4% significant). Digestive (31%) and functional (14.4%) diseases were the most frequently defined diagnoses, with neoplasic and autoimmune diseases among those defined as significant ones. The great majority (86.9%) of patients required 1-2 visits, with 40% diagnosed by just reviewing the hospital files. More than 20 different complementary examinations were performed, with 38.8%, 34.4%, 21.6%, and 5.2% of patients requiring 0, 1, 2, or >=3, respectively. Patients with a significant pathology were diagnosed more quickly (12.4 ± 19.4 vs. 45.3 ± 52.8 days; P = .001), with less complementary examinations (0,5 ± 0,7 vs. 0,9 ± 0,9 per patient; P = .032. 58.6% vs. 39.6% patients without complementary examinations; P = .052), and were more frequently referred to specialised medicine (58.6% vs. 18.3%, P < .0001). Conclusions: The demonstrated differential management of patients with potentially significant pathology using existing resources, make the UCPCC with internists an efficient model for the connection between health care levels (AU)

Ecocardiografía clínica básica en Medicina Interna / Focused cardiac ultrasound in Internal Medicine

La ecocardiografía clínica básica es una técnica no invasiva, que puede dominar y ser muy útil para el internista. La ecocardiografía ofrece una información útil, rápida y precisa acerca de la estructura y función cardiaca que complementa a la anamnesis y a la exploración física a la cabecera del paciente. Tras un período de formación teórica y práctica breve, el internista puede determinar la dimensión y función de ambos ventrículos, detectar la presencia de derrame pericárdico significativo, orientar el diagnóstico de valvulopatías severas y estimar la presión venosa central mediante el diámetro y colapsabilidad de la vena cava inferior con una elevada fiabilidad. El objetivo de la ecocardiografía clínica básica no es la realización de un ecocardiograma reglado sino agilizar el diagnóstico y optimizar el manejo de gran parte de los enfermos con afección cardiovascular(AU)

Focused cardiac ultrasound is a noninvasive technique which can be performed by the internist. It is capable of providing useful, rapid and accurate information about the structure and function of the heart. It can be used to complement anamnesis and physical examination at the bedside. Clinicians may be able to determine left and right ventricular diameter and function, detect the presence of significant pericardial effusion, identify important valvular defects and estimate the central venous pressure by measuring the diameter and collapsibility of inferior vena cava with good accuracy after a short training period. The aim of focused cardiac ultrasound is not to perform a complete echocardiogram but using previous mentioned data, it is possible to expedite diagnosis and optimize the management of patients with cardiovascular diseases(AU)

Los calendarios electrónicos como herramientas de organización de los servicios de Medicina Interna / Electronic calendars as an organization element in Internal Medicine services

El volumen creciente de información y la introducción de las nuevas tecnologías en los servicios hospitalarios de Medicina Interna hacen que los «métodos» tradicionales de actualización de conocimientos y organización se hayan quedado obsoletos. El desarrollo de nuevas herramientas podría ayudar en la gestión de la información y organización de los servicios médicos. Los calendarios electrónicos como el Google calendar facilitan la coordinación de los profesionales de la salud. Nuestra experiencia sugiere que Google calendar es una herramienta que facilita la organización de la actividad asistencial, docente y de investigación de los servicios médicos, limita la pérdida de información, y mejora su eficiencia con un coste de infraestructura prácticamente nulo(AU)

The growing volume of information and introduction of new technologies in the Internal Medicine hospital department mare making the traditional updating «methods» of knowledge and organization obsolete. The development of new tools could help the management of information and organization of the medical departments is outdated. Electronic calendars such as the Google calendar facilitate adequate coordination among health care professionals. Our experience suggests that the Google calendar·is a simple and useful tool that helps planning and organization of the clinical, educational, and research activities of the different medical departments, limits loss of information and improves efficacy with a close to zero cost of infrastructure(AU)

Síndrome de Patau: a propósito de un caso / Patau syndrome: a purpose of a case

Patología causada por tres copias del cromosoma 13 en el cariotipo, en la mayoría de los casos por una disyunción meiótica principalmente del gameto materno que conlleva a un síndrome congénito polimalformativo caracterizado por microftalmia, fisura labio palatina y polidactilia; acompañado o no de otras malformaciones. La prevalencia es de 1/12000 nacidos vivos, con un tiempo de supervivencia corto. Reportamos un caso diagnóstico de Patau confirmado por estudio citogénico en el que describimos las características clínicas y asociación con las descritas por la literatura.

[Endomicroscopy--technology with future]. / Endomikroskopie. Eine Technologie der Zukunft.

Endomicroscopy becomes possible due to the integration of a miniaturized confocal microscope in the distal tip of a conventional endoscope. Endomicroscopy enables subsurface analysis of the gut mucosa and in vivo histology during ongoing endoscopy in full resolution by point scanning laser fluorescence analysis. Cellular, vascular and connective structures can be seen in detail. Graduation of cellular changes with endomicroscopy allows an immediate in-vivo diagnosis of different gastrointestinal diseases. The diagnostic spectrum of confocal endomicroscopy is currently expanding from screening and surveillance for colorectal cancer towards Barrett's esophagus, Helicobacter pylori associated gastritis and early gastric cancer. The new detailed images seen with confocal laser endomicroscopy are unequivocally the beginning of a new era where this optical development will allow a unique look on cellular structures and functions at and below the surface of the gut.

Locating steel needles in the human body using a SQUID magnetometer.

A technique has been developed, based on magnetic field measurements, to localize, in three dimensions, hypodermic and sewing needles lost in the human body. A theoretical model for the magnetic field generated by needles has been elaborated and experimentally validated. Using this model, the localization technique gives information about needle's centre, orientation and depth. The clinical measurements have been made using a SQUID system, with patients being moved under the sensor with the aid of an X-Y bed. The magnetic field associated with the remanent magnetization of the needle is acquired on-line and mapped over a plane. In all six cases that occurred, the technique allowed surgical localization of the needles with ease and high precision. This procedure can decrease the surgery time for extraction of foreign bodies by a large factor, and also reduce the generally high odds of failure.

[Localizing foreign ferromagnetic bodies by means of the PF-02 ferroprobe polarity detector]. / Lokalizatsiia inorodnykh ferromagnitnykh tel s pomoshch'iu ferrozondovogo poliusoiskatelia PG-02.

The paper analyzes the problems, facilities and techniques for enhancing the accuracy of localization of a foreign ferromagnetic body. To tackle this problem is associated with further improvement of the parameters and characteristics of an electronic polarity detector unit, by using a new element base. In this connection, a PF-02 polarity detector model with its new construction of a ferroprobe transducer is presented. The device defines the inhomogeneity of static magnetic field acting on the ferroprobe transducer at the gradient range of 0.00024 A/cm2 to 1.2 A/cm2. The clinical testing of the device enables polarity detector to be more effectively used in medicine.