BACKGROUND: Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an acute heart failure syndrome with symptoms similar to acute myocardial infarction. TTS is often triggered by acute emotional or physical stress and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Predictors of mortality in patients with TS are not well understood, and there is a need to identify high-risk patients and tailor treatment accordingly. This study aimed to assess the importance of various clinical factors in predicting 30-day mortality in TTS patients using a machine learning algorithm.
METHODS: We analyzed data from the nationwide Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry (SCAAR) for all patients with TTS in Sweden between 2015 and 2022. Gradient boosting was used to assess the relative importance of variables in predicting 30-day mortality in TTS patients.
RESULTS: Of 3,180 patients hospitalized with TTS, 76.0% were women. The median age was 71.0 years (interquartile range 62-77). The crude all-cause mortality rate was 3.2% at 30 days. Machine learning algorithms by gradient boosting identified treating hospitals as the most important predictor of 30-day mortality. This factor was followed in significance by the clinical indication for angiography, creatinine level, Killip class, and age. Other less important factors included weight, height, and certain medical conditions such as hyperlipidemia and smoking status.
CONCLUSIONS: Using machine learning with gradient boosting, we analyzed all Swedish patients diagnosed with TTS over seven years and found that the treating hospital was the most significant predictor of 30-day mortality.

BACKGROUND: Mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients remains unacceptably high compared with that of the general population and despite the continuous improvement of dialysis techniques. This study aimed to assess the role of alkaline phosphatase serum levels on cardiovascular and overall mortality in the RISCAVID study cohort through a long follow-up period, looking for associations with known risk factors for poor outcome.
METHODS: In June 2004, a prospective observational study was started focusing on the cardiovascular risk in hemodialysis patients who lived in the north-west area of Tuscany (RISCAVID, \"RISchio CArdiovascolare nei pazienti afferenti all\'Area Vasta In Dialisi\"). The RISCAVID cohort included 572 prevalent patients on maintenance HD for at least three months. Morbid or fatal events were prospectively recorded at 6-month intervals for a follow up time of 216 months.
RESULTS: In univariable Cox regression analysis, dialysis technique, Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, peripheral vascular disease, and intact parathyroid hormone and total calcium serum levels were significantly associated with baseline alkaline phosphatase serum levels. Cox multivariable analysis showed that elevated serum alkaline phosphatase levels (the highest quartile), advanced age, dialysis vintage, type of vascular access, Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, C-reactive protein and calcium serum levels, history of cardiovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease were independent predictors of overall mortality in maintenance HD patients. The fourth quartile of alkaline phosphatase was associated with all-cause 10-year mortality (HR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.177-1.834) with a 47% increase with respect to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quartiles. This was also observed for 18-year all-cause mortality.
CONCLUSIONS: Adjusted proportional analysis showed the alkaline phosphatase value to be an independent and powerful predictor of overall mortality in the hemodialysis population.

BACKGROUND: Concomitant tricuspid valve (TV) repair is a safe and effective procedure to protect against late moderate or greater tricuspid regurgitation (TR) after left-sided valve surgery, but studies regarding its late outcomes and recurrent TR are limited. This study aimed to reveal the late outcomes and explore the predictors of mortality and recurrent TR among patients who underwent concomitant TV repair with left-sided valve surgery.
RESULTS: This study included 645 patients (mean age, 69.7 years; 44% male) who underwent concomitant TV repair with left-sided valve surgery (mitral valve surgery in 594 cases, aortic valve surgery in 172 cases) from 2006-2020. Preoperative TR was grade 4, 3, and less than 2 in 85, 235, and 325 patients, respectively. The median follow-up period was 4.6 (IQR 1.7-7.8) years. The in-hospital or 30-day mortality was 1.7% (n = 11). Regarding long-term outcomes after TV repair, 90.3% and 80.8% achieved 5- and 10-year survival, respectively, while 96.1% and 88.8% achieved 5- and 10-year freedom from recurrent TR, respectively. The following were independent predictors of overall mortality on multivariate analysis in patients with preoperative TR grade ≥ 3: prior pacemaker implantation, preoperative renal dysfunction, diabetes mellitus and NYHA class ≥ 3. Also, suture annuloplasty and ring type of ring annuloplasty were not independent risk factors for recurrent TR, classified as grade ≥ 3.
CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant TV repair with left-sided valve surgery had acceptable outcomes in terms of survival and TR durability. In patients with preoperative TR grade ≥ 3, preoperative patient status had negative impacts on prognosis.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a major public health burden worldwide with increasing morbidity and mortality. The study evaluates the risk factors associated with mortality in SCD patients, between the years 2006 and 2020 at three hospitals in Oman. The analysis includes clinical manifestations, haematological, biochemical, and radiological parameters, use of antibiotics, and blood and exchange transfusions. Our cohort included 123 patients (82 males, 41 females), with a median age of 27 (Interquartile Range 21-35 years). SCD related complications included acute chest syndrome (ACS) in 52.8%, splenic sequestration in 21.1%, right upper quadrant syndrome in 19.5%, more than > 6 VOC/year in 17.9%, and stroke in 13.8%. At the terminal admission, patients had cough, reduced O2 saturation, crepitation and fever in 24.4%, 49.6%, 53.6% and 68.3% respectively. Abnormal chest X-ray and chest CT scan were seen in 57.7%, and 76.4% respectively. Laboratory parameters showed a significant drop in hemoglobin (Hb) and platelet counts from baseline, with a significant rise in WBC, LDH and CRP from baseline (p < 0.05, Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test). All patients received antibiotics, whereas, 95.9% and 93.5% received simple blood transfusions, and exchange transfusions respectively, and 66.6% required non-invasive ventilation. Among the causes of death, ACS is seen in 32 (26%), sepsis in 49 (40%), and miscellaneous in 42 (34%). Sudden death was seen in 32 (26%) of patients. Male gender, with low HbF, rapid drop in Hb and platelet, and increased in WBC, LDH, ferritin, and CRP, correlated significantly with mortality in this cohort.

BACKGROUND: In-hospital mortality rates following all types of pancreatic resections (PRs) have decreased over recent decades. Our aim was to identify predictors of in-hospital mortality following pancreatic resection.
METHODS: All patients undergoing pancreatic resection were sampled from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) in the years 2007-2012. Predictors of in-hospital mortality were identified and incorporated into a binary logistic regression model.
RESULTS: A total of 111,568 patients underwent pancreatectomy. Annual mortality rates decreased from 4.3% in 2007 to 3.5% in 2012. Independent predictors of in-hospital mortality included age ≥75 years (vs. <65 years, OR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.61-2.58), nonelective procedure status (OR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.19-1.80), resection other than distal pancreatic resection (vs. Whipple, OR = 2.14; 95% CI: 1.71-2.69; other partial, OR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.76-3.48), lower hospital volume (OR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.09-1.49), indication for pancreatic resection other than benign diseases (vs. malignant, OR = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.25-2.15; other, OR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.76-3.48), pulmonary complications (OR = 12.36; 95% CI: 10.11-15.17), infectious complications (OR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.78-2.64), noninfectious wound complications and pancreatic leak (OR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.53-2.46), and acute myocardial infarction (OR = 2.03; 95% CI: 1.32-3.06).
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings identify predictors of inpatient mortality following pancreatectomy, with pulmonary complications representing the single most significant factor for increased mortality. These findings complement and expand on previously published data and, if applied to perioperative care, may enhance survival following pancreatectomy.

Febrile neutropenia (FN) is one of the most important life-threatening complications in haemato-oncology. Our objective was to report all-cause mortality rates in patients ill with a hematological malignancy (HM) hospitalized with a first FN episode and to identify predictors for mortality. We conducted a historical retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients with an HM, >18 years of age, admitted between January 2012 and August 2018 for a first episode of FN. Data on all-cause mortality 12 months after admission for FN were obtained. The Kaplan-Meier curve was used to describe mortality during the follow-up period. Univariate and multivariable analyses identified predictors for 1,3 and 12-month mortality. One hundred and fifty-eight patients (mean age 69.5, 49.4% males) were included. Overall, 54 patients died (15.8%, 25.9%, and 34.1% died after 1, 3, and 12 months, respectively). Lower serum albumin, higher serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), older age, higher temperature, and lower absolute lymphocyte count at admission were independent predictors of all-cause mortality after 12 months. Further studies are needed to confirm our results and identify therapeutic strategies to improve survival.

UNASSIGNED: There was no data on the prevalence of Gastrointestinal bleeding (GI) among patients admitted on the emergency ward at Mulago hospital. This was partly because the medical records were not adequately completed as designed.
UNASSIGNED: To estimate the prevalence of gastrointestinal bleeding and the frequency of selected predictors of mortality on the emergency ward.
UNASSIGNED: This was a chart review incorporating quality improvement methods in the process of data collection. The health care team was educated on documentation of gastrointestinal bleeding while being assessed weekly for knowledge and practice of completion of the Casualty Assessment form (CAF) from which a documented diagnosis of GI bleeding and selected predictors of mortality were looked for.
UNASSIGNED: Of the 1881 CAF assessed, 278 had a documented diagnosis of GI bleeding, resulting in a prevalence of 6.8%. Of the patients with GI bleeding, 14.1% had age greater than 60 years, 24.0% had a systolic blood pressure less than 100mmHg and 44.5% had a heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute.
UNASSIGNED: The prevalence of GI bleeding on the medical emergency ward of Mulago hospital is high. This calls for strategies for resuscitative management of this life-threatening medical emergency. Among the selected predictors of mortality, tachycardia was most frequent followed by hypotension. These should always be assessed in a patient with GI bleeding and resuscitative measures with blood transfusion and intravenous fluids undertaken to correct them.

Asia is experiencing a demographic shift toward an aging population at an unrivaled rate. This can influence the characteristics and outcomes of trauma. We aim to examine different characteristics of older adult trauma patients compared to younger adult trauma patients and describe factors that affect the outcomes in Asian countries.
This is a retrospective, international, multicenter study of trauma across participating centers in the Pan Asian Trauma Outcome Study (PATOS) registry, which included trauma cases aged ≥18 years, brought to the emergency department (ED) by emergency medical services (EMS) from October 2015 to November 2018. Data of older adults (≥65 years) and younger adults (<65 years) were analyzed and compared. The primary outcome measure was in-hospital mortality, and secondary outcomes were disability at discharge and hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stays.
Of 39,804 trauma patients, 10,770 (27.1%) were older adults. Trauma occurred more among older adult women (54.7% vs 33.2%, p < 0.001). Falls were more frequent in older adults (66.3% vs 24.9%, p < 0.001) who also had higher mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) compared to the younger adult trauma patient (5.4 ± 6.78 vs 4.76 ± 8.60, p < 0.001). Older adult trauma patients had a greater incidence of poor Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) (13.4% vs 4.1%, p < 0.001), higher hospital mortality (1.5% vs 0.9%, p < 0.001) and longer median hospital length of stay (12.8 vs 9.8, p < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression revealed age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.06, 95%CI 1.02-1.04, p < 0.001), male sex (AOR 1.60, 95%CI 1.04-2.46, p = 0.032), head and face injuries (AOR 3.25, 95%CI 2.06-5.11, p < 0.001), abdominal and pelvic injuries (AOR 2.78, 95%CI 1.48-5.23, p = 0.002), cardiovascular (AOR 2.71, 95%CI 1.40-5.22, p = 0.003), pulmonary (AOR 3.13, 95%CI 1.30-7.53, p = 0.011) and cancer (AOR 2.03, 95%CI 1.02-4.06, p = 0.045) comorbidities, severe ISS (AOR 2.06, 95%CI 1.23-3.45, p = 0.006), and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) ≤8 (AOR 12.50, 95%CI 6.95-22.48, p < 0.001) were significant predictors of hospital mortality.
Older trauma patients in the Asian region have a higher mortality rate than their younger counterparts, with many significant predictors. These findings illustrate the different characteristics of older trauma patients and their potential to influence the outcome. Preventive measures for elderly trauma should be targeted based on these factors.

The aim of this study was to analyze the risk factors and predictors of mortality in a retrospective cohort of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) who presented central nervous system (CNS) manifestations and complications when admitted to hospital. Patients hospitalized from 2020 to 2022 were selected. Demographic variables; history of neurological, cardiological and pulmonary manifestations; comorbidities; prognostic severity scales; and laboratory tests were included. Univariate and adjusted analyses were performed to determine risk factors and predictors of mortality. A forest plot diagram was used to show the strength of the associated risk factors. The cohort included 991 patients; at admission, 463 patients presented CNS damage and of these, 96 hospitalized patients presented de novo CNS manifestations and complications. We estimate a general mortality of 43.7% (433/991) and 77.1% (74/96), for hospitalized patients with de novo CNS manifestations and complications, respectively. The following were identified as risks for the development of hospital CNS manifestations and complications when in hospital: an age of ≥64 years, a history of neurological disease, de novo deep vein thrombosis, D-dimer ≥ 1000 ng/dL, a SOFA ≥ 5, and a CORADS 6. In a multivariable analysis, the mortality predictors were an age of ≥64 years, a SOFA ≥ 5, D-dimer ≥ 1000 ng/mL and hospital CNS manifestations and complications when admitted to hospital. Old age, being hospitalized in critical condition, and having CNS manifestations and complications in hospital are predictors of mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

UNASSIGNED: Advances in pediatric intensive care have dramatically improved the prognosis for critically ill patients. The study aimed to determine the survival status and predictors of mortality among patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit at selected tertiary care hospitals in Ethiopia.
UNASSIGNED: A health facility-based prospective observational study from October 2020 to May 30, 2021, was conducted in a selected tertiary care hospital in Ethiopia. Kaplan Meier was used to compare patient survival experiences and Cox regression was used to identify independent predictors of ICU mortality. The hazard ratio was used as a measure of the strength of the association, and a P-value of <.05 was considered to declare statistical significance.
UNASSIGNED: Of 206 study participants, 59 (28.6%) patients died during follow-up time, and the incidence of mortality was 3.6 deaths per 100 person-day observation (95% CI: 2.04-5.04 deaths per 100 person-days). Respiratory failure 19 (32.2%) was the commonest cause of death followed by septic shock 11(18.6). In-ICU complications (AHR: 2.13; 95% CI: 1.02, 4.42; P = .04), sepsis diagnosis (AHR: 2.43; 95% CI: 1.24, 4.78; P = .01), GCS < 8 (AHR: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.12, 3.43; P = .02), use of sedative drugs (AHR: 2.40; 95% CI: 1.16, 4.95; P = .02) were linked with increased risk of in-ICU mortality. In contrast, the use of mechanical ventilation was associated with decreased mortality (AHR: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.92; P = .03).
UNASSIGNED: The study found a high incidence of in-ICU mortality among admitted pediatric patients in selected Ethiopian tertiary care hospitals. In-ICU complications, sepsis diagnosis, GCS < 8, and patient use of sedative drugs were independent predictors of in-ICU mortality. Prudent follow-up is warranted for those patients with the aforementioned risk factors.