Inflammation-related parameters serve as pivotal indicators in the prognosis and management of lung cancer. This retrospective investigation aimed to explore the relationship between inflammatory markers and diverse clinical variables in non-small-cell lung cancer patients. A cohort of 187 individuals undergoing elective lobectomy for lung cancer was retrospectively analyzed, spanning an 11-year data collection period. Six inflammation ratios derived from complete peripheral blood counts were assessed. Significantly elevated levels of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (p = 0.005), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (p = 0.001), Aggregate Index of Systemic Inflammation (AISI) (p = 0.015), Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI) (p = 0.004), and Systemic Immune Inflammation Index (SII) (p = 0.004) were observed in patients with advanced T stages. Significantly, elevated values (p < 0.05) of these parameters were observed in the study’s smoker patients compared to non-smokers. A statistically significant correlation was identified between the NLR parameter and tumor size (p = 0.07, r = 0.204), alongside a significant elevation in SIRI (p = 0.041) among patients experiencing postoperative complications. Inflammatory biomarkers emerge as invaluable prognostic indicators for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, offering potential utility in forecasting their prognosis.

Background and Objectives: Ward-level risk in pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is often estimated from static admission data. This study evaluated a pragmatic composite—TRIAD-TB—integrating physiology (SpO₂, respiratory rate), inflammation (systemic immune-inflammation index [SII], C-reactive protein [CRP]), and nutrition (BMI, albumin), augmented by 72 h changes in CRP and albumin, to predict 30-day mortality and hospital length of stay (LOS). Methods: A pooled prospective cohort of 126 HIV-negative adults without chronic systemic immunosuppression hospitalized with culture-confirmed pulmonary TB at two Romanian tertiary centers was analyzed. TRIAD-TB combined z-scored admission markers and 72 h deltas. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality; secondary outcomes included LOS. Associations were estimated using Firth logistic regression (mortality) and quasi-Poisson regression (LOS). Discrimination and overall performance were summarized by AUC and Brier score; internal performance used bootstrap optimism-correction. Results: Across TRIAD-TB tertiles, 30-day mortality increased from 2.4% to 16.7%, and mean LOS rose from 24.7 ± 5.8 to 32.1 ± 7.3 days. Each SD increase in TRIAD-TB was associated with higher odds of death (adjusted OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.3–4.8; p = 0.006) and longer hospitalization (adjusted IRR 1.19, 95% CI 1.09–1.30; p < 0.001). The full model discriminated mortality well (AUC 0.84; Brier 0.067) and explained 21.8% of LOS deviance. Early dynamics were informative: higher CRP ratio (72 h/0 h) and albumin decline tracked with adverse outcomes. An admission-only “mini-TRIAD” retained strong discrimination (AUC 0.79). Conclusions: A dynamic composite leveraging routine vitals and laboratory tests—plus 72 h trajectories—accurately stratified short-term risk in hospitalized pulmonary TB, while an admission-only “mini-TRIAD” retained strong discrimination. Together, these tools may support early escalation, targeted monitoring, and capacity planning. TRIAD-TB may support early escalation, targeted monitoring, and capacity planning; however, because it was derived in HIV-negative, non-immunosuppressed adults in an Eastern European setting, TRIAD-TB and the admission-only “mini-TRIAD” require external validation, including in cohorts with substantial HIV co-infection and different comorbidity profiles, before any broader implementation.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected parasitic disease caused by the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiological features of human cystic echinococcosis in patients from Western Romania. We retrospectively investigated the medical records of patients hospitalized with CE between 1 January 2007 and 1 September 2022. A total of 366 patients (range 18–90 years) were recorded. The number of hospitalized individuals was higher in patients aged 50–59 years (83/366, 22.7%), in females (194/366, 53%), and in residents of rural areas (225/366, 61.5%). The liver was the most common localization of the cysts (302/366, 82.5%). Ninety-eight patients (26.8%) presented complications, including biliary fistula, allergies, and infection of the cyst. Patients with complications had a longer mean hospital stay (15.7 ± 8.3 days) compared to patients without complications (11.5 ± 7.3 days) (p < 0.001). The results of this study revealed that patients diagnosed with CE required hospitalization and extended medical care, indicating that this zoonotic disease remains a significant public health problem in Western Romania. Public health authorities should enhance CE surveillance by implementing control programs and mandatory notification of new cases.

This systematic review investigates the intersection of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC), sexual functioning, and associated quality of life (QoL), aiming to understand the comprehensive impact of EOCRC on these critical dimensions. Through an extensive search across PubMed, Scopus, and Embase up until November 2023, this study synthesized evidence from the literature while adhering to PRISMA guidelines. The studies included EOCRC patients under 50 years, which examined sexual functioning and QoL using validated instruments, and were published in English. After a rigorous screening process, five relevant studies were identified from an initial pool of 2184 articles. This review includes data from five studies involving 2031 EOCRC patients. The key findings revealed a high prevalence of sexual dysfunction, with up to 50% of men experiencing impotence and 58% reporting sexual dysfunction, alongside 36% of women in some studies. Pain was described by 12% to 31% of patients. Anxiety and depression were notably prevalent, affecting up to 69% of participants. EOCRC profoundly impacts sexual functioning and QoL, with a significant prevalence of sexual dysfunction and psychological distress among affected individuals. These findings suggest the need for oncological management strategies that include not only medical treatment but also psychological support and sexual health interventions. This systematic review emphasizes the importance of holistic patient care approaches, advocating for further research and clinical attention to address the complex needs of younger EOCRC patients.

This systematic review critically evaluates the impact of systemic treatments on outcomes and quality of life (QoL) in patients with RAS-positive stage IV colorectal cancer, with studies published up to December 2023 across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. From an initial pool of 1345 articles, 11 relevant studies were selected for inclusion, encompassing a diverse range of systemic treatments, including panitumumab combined with FOLFOX4 and FOLFIRI, irinotecan paired with panitumumab, regorafenib followed by cetuximab ± irinotecan and vice versa, and panitumumab as a maintenance therapy post-induction. Patient demographics predominantly included middle-aged to elderly individuals, with a slight male predominance. Racial composition, where reported, showed a majority of Caucasian participants, highlighting the need for broader demographic inclusivity in future research. Key findings revealed that the addition of panitumumab to chemotherapy (FOLFOX4 or FOLFIRI) did not significantly compromise QoL while notably improving disease-free survival, with baseline EQ-5D HSI mean scores ranging from 0.76 to 0.78 and VAS mean scores from 70.1 to 74.1. Improvements in FACT-C scores and EQ-5D Index scores particularly favored panitumumab plus best supportive care in KRAS wild-type mCRC, with early dropout rates of 38–42% for panitumumab + BSC. Notably, cetuximab + FOLFIRI was associated with a median survival of 25.7 months versus 16.4 months for FOLFIRI alone, emphasizing the potential benefits of integrating targeted therapies with chemotherapy. In conclusion, the review underscores the significant impact of systemic treatments, particularly targeted therapies and their combinations with chemotherapy, on survival outcomes and QoL in patients with RAS-positive stage IV colorectal cancer, and the need for personalized treatment.

Background and objectives: To minimize stroke-related deaths and maximize the likelihood of cerebral reperfusion, medical professionals developed the “code stroke” emergency protocol, which allows for the prompt evaluation of patients with acute ischemic stroke symptoms in pre-hospital care and the emergency department (ED). This research will outline our experience in implementing the stroke code protocol for acute ischemic stroke patients and its impact on door-to-needle time (DTN) in the ED. Methods: Our study included patients with a “code stroke alert” upon arrival at the emergency department. The final sample of this study consisted of 258 patients eligible for intravenous (IV) thrombolysis with an onset-to-door time < 4.5 h. ED admissions were categorized into two distinct groups: “day shift” (from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) (n = 178) and “night shift” (from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.) (n = 80) groups. Results: An analysis of ED time targets showed an increased median during the day shift for onset-to-ED door time of 310 min (IQR, 190–340 min), for door-to-physician (emergency medicine doctor) time of 5 min (IQR, 3–9 min), for door-to-physician (emergency medicine doctor) time of 5 min (IQR, 3–9 min), and for door-to-physician (neurologist) time of 7 min (IQR, 5–10 min), also during the day shift. During the night shift, an increased median was found for door-to-CT time of 21 min (IQR, 16.75–23 min), for door-to-CT results of 40 min (IQR, 38–43 min), and for door-to-needle time of 57.5 min (IQR, 46.25–60 min). Astonishingly, only 17.83% (n = 46) of these patients received intravenous thrombolysis, and the proportion of patients with thrombolysis was significantly higher during the night shift (p = 0.044). A logistic regression analysis considering the door-to-needle time (minutes) as the dependent variable demonstrated that onset-to-ED time (p < 0.001) and door-to-physician (emergency medicine physicians) time (p = 0.021) are predictors for performing thrombolysis in our study. Conclusions: This study identified higher door-to-CT and door-to-emergency medicine physician times associated with an increased DTN, highlighting further opportunities to improve acute stroke care in the emergency department. Further, door-to-CT and door-to-CT results showed statistically significant increases during the night shift.