Article type: Review

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: A review

Heart failure is the final stage of evolution of a large number of cardiovascular diseases and represents a health problem worldwide, due to increased prevalence of cardiovascular diseases. The patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represent about a half of the patients with heart failure and the prevalence of HFpEF is on the rise. HFpEF is mainly a disease of the elderly patients, who have numerous cardiovascular diseases – hypertension, myocardial ischaemia, atrial fibrillation, valvular disease, and also non-cardiovascular comorbidities, such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and obstructive sleep apnoea. HFpEF is more prevalent in women than in men, but women have a better prognosis than men. The pathophysiological changes that appear in HFpEF are: ventricular stiffening, cardiomyocite hypertrophy and hypercontractility, myocardial fibrosis and inflammation, which lead to abnormal diastolic function with delayed relaxation and inappropriate filling, in the presence of a normal systolic function of the left ventricle. The diagnosis of HFpEF is based on clinical, echocardiographic and biological criteria. In contrast to HFrEF, there is no effective treatment for HFpEF. The treatment of HFpEF includes diuretics for clinical improvement and treatment of comorbidities. The prognosis of patients with HFpEF is similar with those with HFrEF. Currently, the main objectives of the treatment in patients with HFpEF are to improve clinical status and decrease hospitalizations. Further studies are needed to establish an effective treatment to increase survival in these patients. Therefore, HFpEF continues to be a challenge for clinicians regarding the optimal therapy..

Complications of systemic lupus erythematosus: A review

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune condition, which often evolves with severe complications. In SLE, autoantibodies appear, with systemic inflammation and multiple tissue destructions. SLE is the most common form of lupus and is considered more severe than other forms. SLE can affect many parts of the body, including the kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, blood, and skin. Symptoms vary among patients. SLE can follow an unpredictable pattern of remissions (symptoms improve) and flares (symptoms worsen). Renal involvement is one of the most severe complications in SLE patients. The process of depositing the immune complexes in the kidneys could lead to the appearance of lupus nephritis. If the treatment is early and treat-to-target, it can change the course of the renal disease.

History of medicine on the border between philosophy and science

Physicians have represented a long time the main transmitters of knowledge as they were real scholars. If Renaissance promoted the study of the human body anatomy and physiology, the next step made by practitioners of medicine was to spread the enlightenment. That meant the shift of the very purpose of their profession: from passive opposition to ailments towards an active involvement into the lives of the impoverished. In order to change the odds in the battle against diseases, physicians had the great burden to enlarge the cultural horizons of those whose health was in their hands. Therefore, one way of imparting knowledge was by publishing and spreading their attainments to the general public in a comprehensible way. Once people gained awareness of the dangers entailed by bad hygiene, the physicians’ role in society switched towards more cultural realms. At the beginning of the 20th century health care professionals achieved the next step in the becoming of medicine: setting up a new science to link humanities with pure science. In Romania, the main promoters of this new border science were Victor Gomoiu and Valeriu Bologa and they co-opted other intellectuals.

Ethical limits between aesthetic and cosmetic dentistry

Esthetics is the “new trend” in dental medicine as a natural consequence of the development of modern society, with implications in practice and training. Like any rule in art, but also within the medical field, esthetics must be known and addressed in relation to other medical or non-medical principles (dental cosmetic), respect the ethics rules. Aim. Literature study designed to focus on the current problems that modern dentistry is facing, in relation to esthetic requirements. The literature search strategy in electronic databases: EBSCO Data Base, Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source, Pub Med indexed articles, used Boolean Operators. As a conclusion, the dentist must be familiar with the differences between esthetic and dental cosmetic, must minimize the subjective component of the examination, identify the reasons of presentation, guide the patient in choosing the optimal treatment, including obtaining the desired esthetic results, within the ethical boundaries of the noble medical profession.

Reactive nitrogen species and cardiovascular diseases

Oxidative stress plays a major part in the development of chronic and degenerative diseases such as cancer, arthritis, aging, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and Europe and is poised to become the most significant health problem worldwide. Reactive nitrogen species are involved in the regulation of cardiovascular motor tone, modulation of myocardial contractility, control of cell proliferation and inhibition of platelet activation, aggregation, and adhesion. Cellular constituents of our body are altered in oxidative stress conditions, resulting in various disease states. The oxidative stress can be effectively neutralized by enhancing cellular defenses in the form of antioxidants. To understand the mechanism of action of antioxidants, it is necessary to understand the generation of free radicals and their damaging reactions.

Emerging concepts regarding the molecular profile of breast carcinoma: one-year experience in a University Center

Breast carcinoma represents the leading cause of oncologic mortality for women. Due to therapeutic and diagnostic advances, the mortality and morbidity in the last decade declined, but breast cancer still has a great impact on quality of life and also on medical service cost. In the light of these facts, an integrated approach, considering histopathology features, molecular profiles and corroboration with clinical and imagistic data is necessary. A descriptive retrospective one-year study analyzed the breast cancer heterogeneity in 121 cases registered in the Pathology Department of the University Emergency Hospital in Bucharest, Romania. Our purpose was to evaluate histopathological, immunohistochemically, clinical and imagistic aspects of breast cancer considering the current molecular classification (Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2 enriched and triple negative/basal like). Our assay revealed that most prevalent histotype was NST (no special type) followed by invasive lobular carcinoma. Considering the molecular pattern, the most common was luminal B. Triple negative basal like and HER 2-enriched were correlated with an aggressive morphologic pattern and lymph-nodes positivity. Considering the imagistic acquisitions, mammography proved to be the most accurate technique for measuring the dimension of NST. In conclusion, breast carcinoma is a heterogeneous disease that needs an integrated approach and personalized treatment based on the histopathologic and molecular features. Considering the great number of advanced stages as diagnosis, a national screening program for breast cancer is imperiously needed.

Gingival involvement of oral non-tumoral mucosal diseases

Gingival conditions are frequently encountered in dental clinical practice and they can raise diagnosis and treatment problems. The diagnostic is variable from normal conditions to autoimmune diseases or even malignancy. Some of them cause disturbances such as pain, burning sensation and have an impact on patient’s quality of life.

Evolution of mortality rates in ST elevation myocardial infarction

The purpose of this paper is to provide information about mortality rate in patients undergoing primary angioplasty for STEMI. Cardiovascular diseases lead to one third of the deaths worldwide, surpassing the mortality rate produced by neoplasia, acute respiratory failure and diabetes mellitus all together. In the world, approximately 17 million die annually because of cardiovascular disease and every 5 seconds one is suffering from a myocardial infarction. In 2010, in our country was implemented a national program (RO-STEMI) to offer rapid interventional treatment for patients with STEMI, aligned to ESC Guidelines. At the beginning only small parts of the patients were transferred to the hospital in charge for STEMI, so, we chose to study patients from the second year of the program and from last year. We made a retrospective study, including patients with STEMI that reached our hospital for primary angioplasty in the first 12h after the debut of the symptoms, aiming to make a parallel between the in-hospital mortality rates at maximum one month after the primary PCI. In order to be included, the patients must present ST elevation and another 1 out of 3 criteria (clinical, echocardiographic and biological changes suggestive for myocardial infarction). The main target was to evaluate the evolution of early mortality rates post primary PCI after the changes in the ESC Guidelines and the progresses in the medical field. A secondary target was to correlate mortality rates with the presence of comorbidities or risk factors. INTRODUCTION Alexander Muirhead is reported to have attached wires to a feverish patient's wrist to obtain a record of the patient's heartbeat in 1872 at St Bartholomew's Hospital.[1] Another early pioneer was Augustus Waller, of St Mary's Hospital in London.[2] His electrocardiograph machine consisted of a Lippmann capillary electro- meter fixed to a projector. The trace from the heartbeat was projected onto a photographic plate that was itself fixed to a toy train. This allowed a heartbeat to be recorded in real time. in Leiden, working the Netherlands, used the string galvanometer first practical electrocardiograph) he invented in 1901.[2] (the than both This device was much more sensitive the capillary electrometer Waller used and the string Galvano- meter that had been invented in 1897 by the separately engineer Clément French Ader.[3] An initial breakthrough came when Willem Einthoven, Einthoven had previously, in 1 Carol Davila University Central Emergency Military Hospital, Bucharest 2 Titu Maiorescu University, Faculty of Medicine, Bucharest 7

Toxoplasma Gondii infection and the signs of fetal affection during pregnancy as seen on ultrasound

Toxoplasma Gondii is a protozoan parasite which causes multisystem affections and unusual clinical outcomes. Although primo- infection takes place frequently during childhood, there is a possibility for it to be found during pregnancy, when it could lead to congenital toxoplasmosis, with serious ocular and cerebral lesions (that can be identified during ultrasound). The positive diagnostic for the mother is made after a serologic test and for the fetus the parasite can be found in the amniotic fluid during amniocentesis. A prompt treatment can avoid the presence of cerebral lesions (hydrocephalus, ventriculomegaly, intracerebral calcifications).

Current review of surgical management options for rotational alignment of the femoral and tibial component in total knee replacement

Rotational malalignment complication following TKA, is common but can be avoided with proper surgical technique. This paper reviews the literature regarding rotational alignment during TKA, femoral and tibial rotation, and highlights the techniques prior in obtaining proper rotational positioning, nevertheless correct positioning in all three planes is important. Proper femoral component positioning in the axial plane is done using as landmarks the posterior condylar line (PCL), surgical transepicondylar axis (sTEA), anatomical transepicondylar axis and the trochlear anteroposterior (AP) axis. The paper describes the angular relationships between these landmarks and the distal femur. Axial tibial positioning is done when using intraarticular landmarks, the combination of more than one landmark could be a solution for solving this problem. The consensus is that femoral component should be positioned according to TEA but the interobserver variability of this land mark is very high. The rotation of the tibial component remains an open subject, most studies suggesting a point between half of the distance of patellar ligament and 1/3 of the internal tuberosity as optimal landmark.