Hemolysis and Its Clinical Implications in Septic Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure.

: Hemolysis during sepsis may be driven by patient-specific factors, including the intensity of the inflammatory response and the etiology of infection, as well as treatment-related factors, such as the use of extracorporeal life-support devices. : We evaluated the incidence of hemolysis-reflected by decreased plasma levels of haptoglobin and hemopexin-in a cohort of septic patients with acute respiratory failure ( = 50) admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). : Hemolysis was observed in 60% of patients.

Pregnancy and COVID-19: Comparing ICU Outcomes for Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women.

Background: This study compares organ dysfunction, treatment strategies, and unfavorable outcome rates between pregnant and nonpregnant women admitted to the ICU with severe COVID-19, highlighting the increased susceptibility of pregnant women to respiratory infections due to physiological changes.

Methods: A retrospective, age-matched study was conducted at a referral center specializing in critical care for pregnant women. Data from 14 pregnant/postpartum and 11 nonpregnant women were analyzed at ICU admission and on days 3, 5, and 7.

Changes in various forms of fibronectin in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass - a prospective, observational study.

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with the transient activation of a systemic inflammatory response. Fibronectin (FN), an endogenous inflammatory mediator, is a key component of the extracellular matrix. This study aimed to detect changes in cellular and plasma FN levels, as well as its potential fragmentation or FN-fibrin complex formation, in 40 patients undergoing CABG with CPB.

Platelet Aggregation Alterations in Patients with Severe Viral Infection Treated at the Intensive Care Unit: Implications for Mortality Risk.

Severe viral infections often result in abnormal platelet function, affecting various stages of hemostasis. Activated platelets are often considered prothrombotic and more susceptible to further stimulation. However, emerging evidence suggests that initial hyperactivation is followed by platelet exhaustion and hypo-responsiveness, affecting platelet degranulation, activation, and aggregation.

Abnormalities of Coagulation and Fibrinolysis Assessed by Thromboelastometry in an Endotoxic Shock Model in Piglets Treated with Nitric Oxide and Hydrocortisone.

This is an animal model study to investigate changes in hemostasis during endotoxemic shock and to determine whether the combination of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) + intravenous hydrocortisone had an effect on clot formation and fibrinolysis. iNO selectively decreases pulmonary artery pressure, without affecting cardiac index or systemic vascular resistance; however, the results of studies on the possible consequences of iNO administration on coagulation are inconsistent and require further research. Thirty-four piglets were included.

Antiplatelet therapy prior to COVID-19 infection impacts on patients mortality: a propensity score-matched cohort study.

One of the major pathomechanisms of COVID-19 is the interplay of hyperinflammation and disruptions in coagulation processes, involving thrombocytes. Antiplatelet therapy (AP) by anti-inflammatory effect and inhibition of platelet aggregation may affect these pathways. The aim of this study was to investigate if AP has an impact on the in-hospital course and medium-term outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Changes in plasma endocan level are related to circulatory but not respiratory failure in critically ill patients with COVID-19.

The aim of this prospective, observational study was to assess whether changes in the level of endocan, a marker of endothelial damage, may be an indicator of clinical deterioration and mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Endocan and clinical parameters were evaluated in 40 patients with acute respiratory failure on days 1-5 after admission to the intensive care unit. Endocan levels were not related to the degree of respiratory failure, but to the presence of cardiovascular failure.

Cerebrospinal Fluid and Serum Biomarker Insights in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Haemorrhage: Navigating the Brain-Heart Interrelationship for Improved Patient Outcomes.

The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying severe cardiac dysfunction after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) remain poorly understood. In the present study, we focused on two categories of contributing factors describing the brain-heart relationship. The first group includes brain-specific cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum biomarkers, as well as cardiac-specific biomarkers.

Usefulness of the Veterans Health Administration COVID-19 (VACO) Index for Predicting Short-Term Mortality among Patients of the COLOS Study.

Unlabelled: Advanced age is known to be a predictor with COVID-19 severity. Understanding of other disease progression factors may shorten the time from patient admission to applied treatment. The Veterans Health Administration COVID-19 (VACO index) was assumed to additionally anticipate clinical results of patients hospitalized with a proven infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Association of serum vitamin D concentration with the final course of hospitalization in patients with COVID-19.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is a substantial public health problem. The present study evaluated the association between vitamin D concentration and hospitalization and mortality risk in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19).

Methods: This study used the COronavirus in LOwer Silesia (COLOS) dataset collected between February 2020 and June 2021.

Effect of low-dose hydrocortisone and inhaled nitric oxide on inflammatory mediators and local pulmonary metalloproteinases activity in LPS-induced sepsis in piglets.

Hospital mortality in sepsis varies between 30-45%. It has been shown that administration of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) and intravenous corticosteroid in a porcine endotoxemia model attenuated the systemic inflammatory response. We explored the anti-inflammatory effect of a double-treatment strategy (iNO + low-dose steroid) on the lungs in a long-term porcine endotoxic shock model.

Citrulline, Intestinal Fatty Acid-Binding Protein and the Acute Gastrointestinal Injury Score as Predictors of Gastrointestinal Failure in Patients with Sepsis and Septic Shock.

Gastrointestinal (GI) failure can be both a cause of sepsis and a consequence of the systemic pro-inflammatory response in sepsis. Changes in biomarkers of enterocyte damage, citrulline and I-FABP (intestinal fatty acid binding protein), may indicate altered intestinal permeability and damage. The study group consisted of patients with sepsis ( = 28) and septic shock ( = 30); the control group included patients without infection ( = 10).

Dysnatremia in COVID-19 Patients-An Analysis of the COLOS Study.

Background: Sodium imbalance is one of the most common electrolyte disturbances encountered in the medical practice, and it may present with either hyponatremia or hypernatremia. Both sodium abnormalities are related with unfavorable outcomes.

Objective: Elucidation of the prevalence of dysnatremia among COVID-19 patients and its impact on 30- and 90-day mortality and need for ICU admission was the goal.

The NUTRIC Score as a Tool to Predict Mortality and Increased Resource Utilization in Intensive Care Patients with Sepsis.

The Nutrition Risk in Critically Ill score (NUTRIC) is an important nutritional risk assessment instrument for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the power of the score to predict mortality in patients treated for sepsis and to forecast increased resource utilization and nursing workload in the ICU. The NUTRIC score predicted mortality (AUC 0.

Assessment of Clinical Indicators Registered on Admission to the Hospital Related to Mortality Risk in Cancer Patients with COVID-19.

Background: Oncology patients are a particularly vulnerable group to the severe course of COVID-19 due to, e.g., the suppression of the immune system.

Intestinal Fatty Acid Binding Protein (I-FABP) as a Prognostic Marker in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients.

Gastrointestinal symptoms are common in critically ill COVID-19 patients. There is currently no generally recognized method of assessing gastrointestinal injury in unconscious or sedated intensive care unit (ICU) patients. I-FABP (intestinal fatty acid binding protein) and citrulline have previously been studied as potential biomarkers of enterocyte damage in various gastrointestinal tract diseases, and changes in the levels of these markers may reflect intestinal wall damage in COVID-19.

The Usefulness of the COVID-GRAM Score in Predicting the Outcomes of Study Population with COVID-19.

Background: The COVID-GRAM is a clinical risk rating score for predicting the prognosis of hospitalized COVID-19 infected patients.

Aim: Our study aimed to evaluate the use of the COVID-GRAM score in patients with COVID-19 based on the data from the COronavirus in the LOwer Silesia (COLOS) registry.

Material And Methods: The study group (834 patients of Caucasian patients) was retrospectively divided into three arms according to the risk achieved on the COVID-GRAM score calculated at the time of hospital admission (between February 2020 and July 2021): low, medium, and high risk.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Pregnancy: Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes and Placental Pathology Correlations.

There is accumulating evidence on the perinatal aspects of COVID-19, but available data are still insufficient. The reports on perinatal aspects of COVID-19 have been published on a small group of patients. Vertical transmission has been noted.

The Usefulness of the CHEST Risk Score in Predicting Clinical Outcomes among Hospitalized Subjects with COVID-19 and Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Even though coronary artery disease (CAD) is considered an independent risk factor of an unfavorable outcome of SARS-CoV-2-infection, the clinical course of COVID-19 in subjects with CAD is heterogeneous, ranging from clinically asymptomatic to fatal cases. Since the individual CHEST components are similar to the COVID-19 risk factors, we evaluated its predictive value in CAD subjects.

Materials And Methods: In total, 2183 patients hospitalized due to confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled onto this study consecutively.

Liver Function Tests in COVID-19: Assessment of the Actual Prognostic Value.

Deviations in laboratory tests assessing liver function in patients with COVID-19 are frequently observed. Their importance and pathogenesis are still debated. In our retrospective study, we analyzed liver-related parameters: aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), total bilirubin (TBIL), albumin, comorbidities and other selected potential risk factors in patients admitted with SARS-CoV-2 infection to assess their prognostic value for intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation necessity and mortality.

Explainable Artificial Intelligence Helps in Understanding the Effect of Fibronectin on Survival of Sepsis.

Fibronectin (FN) plays an essential role in the host's response to infection. In previous studies, a significant decrease in the FN level was observed in sepsis; however, it has not been clearly elucidated how this parameter affects the patient's survival. To better understand the relationship between FN and survival, we utilized innovative approaches from the field of explainable machine learning, including local explanations (Break Down, Shapley Additive Values, Ceteris Paribus), to understand the contribution of FN to predicting individual patient survival.

Usefulness of CHEST Score in Predicting Clinical Outcomes of COVID-19 in Heart Failure and Non-Heart-Failure Cohorts.

Background: Patients with heart failure represent a vulnerable population for COVID-19 and are prone to having worse prognoses and higher fatality rates. Still, the clinical course of the infection is dynamic, and complication occurrence in particular in patients with heart failure is fairly unpredictable. Considering that individual components of the C2HEST (C2: Coronary Artery Diseases (CAD)/Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); H: Hypertension; E: Elderly (Age ≥ 75); S: Systolic HF; T: Thyroid disease) are parallel to COVID-19 mortality risk factors, we evaluate the predictive value of C2HEST score in patients with heart failure (HF) Material and Methods: The retrospective medical data analysis of 2184 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the University Hospital in Wroclaw between February 2020 and June 2021 was the basis of the study.