0000000000075498
AUTHOR
Ornella Piazza
Effect of Intravenous IgM-Enriched Immunoglobulins on Presepsin and Other Sepsis Biomarkers
Patients in septic shock with low IgG and IgM serum concentrations have higher mortality rates compared to those with normal immunoglobulin levels and, therefore, there is a rational explanation to administer intravenous IgM-enriched immunoglobulins to septic patients in ICU. Aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous IgM-enriched immunoglobulins in decreasing several sepsis biomarker concentrations. 26 sepsis patients were enrolled in this observational cohort study and Nitric Oxide, Endocan, Pentraxin and presepsin serum levels were measured during their first 3 days of ICU stay. The use of intravenous IgM-enriched immunoglobulins did not influence the temporal evol…
Age and Multimorbidity Predict Death Among COVID-19 Patients: Results of the SARS-RAS Study of the Italian Society of Hypertension
Several factors have been proposed to explain the high death rate of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, including hypertension and hypertension-related treatment with Renin Angiotensin System inhibitors. Also, age and multimorbidity might be confounders. No sufficient data are available to demonstrate their independent role. We designed a cross-sectional, observational, multicenter, nationwide survey in Italy to verify whether renin-angiotensin system inhibitors are related to COVID-19 severe outcomes. We analyzed information from Italian patients diagnosed with COVID-19, admitted in 26 hospitals. One thousand five hundred ninety-one charts (male, 64.1%; 66±0.4 years) were r…
Sepsis-associated encephalopathy
Summary Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is defined as a diffuse or multifocal cerebral dysfunction induced by the systemic response to the infection without clinical or laboratory evidence of direct brain infection. Its pathogenesis is multifactorial. SAE generally occurs early during severe sepsis and precedes multiple-organ failure. The most common clinical feature of SAE is the consciousness alteration which ranges from mildly reduced awareness to unresponsiveness and coma. Diagnosis of SAE is primarily clinical and depends on the exclusion of other possible causes of brain deterioration. Electroencephalography (EEG) is almost sensitive, but it is not specific for SAE. Computed To…
Endogenous Agents That Contribute to Generate or Prevent Ischemic Damage
From single to multicellular organisms, protective mechanisms have evolved against endogenous and exogenous noxious stimuli. Over the past decades numerous signaling pathways by which the brain senses and reacts to such insults as neurotoxins, substrate deprivation and inflammation have been discovered. Research on preconditioning is aimed at understanding endogenous neuroprotection to boost it or to supplement its effectors therapeutically once damage to the brain has occurred, such as after stroke or brain trauma. Another goal of establishing preconditioning protocols is to induce endogenous neuroprotection in anticipation of incipient brain damage. Currently several endogenous neuroprote…