This work aims to provide a comprehensive description of the characteristics of a group of acute aortic diseases that are all potentially life-threatening and are collectively referred to as acute aortic syndromes (AASs). There have been recent developments in the care and diagnostic plan for AAS. A substantial clinical index of suspicion is required to identify AASs before irreversible fatal consequences arise because of their indefinite symptoms and physical indicators. A methodical approach to the diagnosis of AAS is addressed. Timely and suitable therapy should be started immediately after diagnosis. Improving clinical outcomes requires centralising patients with AAS in high-volume centres with high-volume surgeons. Consequently, the management of these patients benefits from the increased use of aortic centres, multidisciplinary teams and an “aorta code”. Each acute aortic entity requires a different patient treatment strategy; these are outlined below. Finally, numerous preventive strategies for AAS are discussed. The keys to good results are early diagnosis, understanding the natural history of these disorders and, where necessary, prompt surgical intervention. It is important to keep in mind that chest pain does not necessarily correspond with coronary heart disease and to be alert to the possible existence of aortic diseases because once antiplatelet drugs are administered, a blocked coagulation system can complicate aortic surgery and affect prognosis. The management of AAS in “aortic centres” improves long-term outcomes and decreases mortality rates.

Background and Objectives: Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Treatment of this pathology is still under development and its risk factors remain to be determined. Therefore, we aim to determine the role of interleukin-1 beta in atherosclerotic lesions of the internal carotid artery as a risk factor for stroke and the role of this biomarker in stroke prognosis. Materials and Methods: This study enrolled 56 patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke in the anterior vascular territory (AVT) and posterior vascular territory (PVT). All the patients had venous blood collected at admission and 7 days after the onset of the cerebral ischemia in order to determine the plasma concentration of interleukin-1 beta. At the same time, an extracranial carotid ultrasound was performed. Results: The interleukin-1 beta collected at admission was positively correlated with the NIHSS at admission (Pearson index 0.424), and both measurements were correlated with carotid stenosis (Spearmen correlation index of 0.529 and 0.653, respectively). Conclusions: Interleukin-1 beta could be a reliable biomarker for stroke prognosis and the development of atherosclerotic lesions of the internal carotid.

Background and Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance represents an important patient-safety concern in surgical departments, where empirical therapy, invasive procedures, intensive-care exposure, and healthcare-associated infections may contribute to adverse outcomes. This study aimed to describe temporal changes in institutional surveillance indicators related to microbiological testing coverage, selected antimicrobial-resistance phenotypes among clinical isolates, selected-antibiotic use profiles, and infection-related patient-safety outcomes in surgical departments and the intensive care unit of a Romanian tertiary clinical emergency hospital. Materials and Methods: A retrospective, longitudinal, single-center observational study was conducted from January 2023 to December 2025. Data were extracted from four institutional sources: microbiology laboratory records, pharmacy antimicrobial-use data, the infection prevention and control registry, and the clinical-administrative hospital information system. Microbiological testing coverage, the selected resistance phenotypes and healthcare-associated infection indicators were analyzed at semester level, with selected-antibiotic DDD profiles being analyzed at department level. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Cochran–Armitage trend testing, Fisher’s exact test, and exploratory Spearman correlation. Results: The hospital-wide microbiological testing intensity index based on 1892 antibiogram events among 8141 antibiotic-treated patient records increased significantly from 18.05% (Semester I 2023) to 28.20% (Semester II 2025). When expressed as proportions of clinical isolates, E. coli MDR decreased from 10/136 isolates (7.4%) in Semester II 2023 to 0/122 isolates (0.0%) in Semester II 2025, and S. aureus MRSA+MLSB decreased from 11/36 isolates (30.6%) to 0/22 isolates (0.0%) over the same interval. Undetected several semesters, P. aeruginosa XDR/PDR accounted for 4/25 clinical isolates (16.0%) in the final semester. Selected-antibiotic DDD profiles differed across departments, with General Surgery and ICU accounting for the largest selected-antibiotic totals. Preoperative bacteriological screening increased from 48 tests in Semester I 2024 to 329 tests in Semester II 2025, MRSA-positive screening results decreasing from 10/48 (20.8%) to 2/329 (0.6%) over this interval, this finding being interpreted descriptively because the screened population and screening protocol could not be fully standardized retrospectively. Among 46 validated cases of healthcare or Clostridioides difficile infections, the overall mean length of stay was 15.35 days, peaking at 20.80 days in surgical departments. Conclusions: Routinely collected hospital data can generate useful institutional surveillance signals related to antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial use, and infection-related patient safety. Increased microbiological testing coverage and lower proportions of selected MDR/MRSA phenotypes were observed during the study period, while late detection of XDR/PDR P. aeruginosa highlighted the need for sustained microbiological surveillance and department-specific stewardship review.

Background and Objectives: Stroke is a main leading cause for mortality and morbidity worldwide. Treat-ment of this pathology is still under development and its risk factors remain the main target to be reached. Therefore, we aim to determine the role of interleukin 1 beta in atheromatosis, as risk factor for stroke and the reole of this biomarker in stroke prognosis. Materials and Methods: The study conducted enrolled 56 patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke in the anterior (AVT) and posterior vascular territory (PVT). All patients had venous blood collected at admission and 7 days after the onset of the cerebral ischemia in order to determine plasma concentration for interleukin 1 beta. At the same time an extracranial carotid ultrasound was performed. Results: Interleukin 1 beta collected at admission was positively correlated with NIHSS at admission (Pearson index 0,424) and both measurements were corelated with carotid stenosis (Spearmen correlation index 0,529, respectively 0,653). Conclusion: Interleukin 1 beta could be a reliable biomarker for stroke prognosis and carotid atheromatosis development.