Prostate cancer is among the most frequently diagnosed cancers and a leading cause of cancer-related death in men. Currently, the most reliable and widely used imaging test for prostate cancer diagnosis is multiparametric pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI). Modern biopsy techniques are based on the computerised merging of ultrasound and MRI images to provide better vision during the biopsy procedure (Fusion Biopsy). However, the method is expensive due to high equipment cost. Cognitive fusion of ultrasound and MRI images has recently emerged as a cheaper and easier alternative to computerised fusion. The aim of this prospective study is to perform an in-patient comparison of the systematic prostate biopsy procedure (SB) vs. cognitive fusion (CF) guided prostate biopsy method in terms of safety, ease of use, cancer detection rate and clinically significant cancer detection. We enrolled 103 patients with suspected prostate cancer that were biopsy naive, with PSA > 4 ng/dL and PIRADS score of 3, 4 or 5. All patients received a transperineal standard 12–18 cores systematic biopsy (SB) and a four-cores targeted cognitive fusion (CF) biopsy. Following the prostate biopsy, 68% of the patients were diagnosed with prostate cancer (70/103 patients). SB diagnosis rate was 62% while CF biopsy was slightly better with a 66% rate. There was a significant 20% increase in clinically significant prostate cancer detection rate for the CF compared to SB (p < 0.05) and a significant prostate cancer risk upgrade from the low to the intermediate risk category (13%, p = 0.041). Transperineal cognitive fusion targeted prostate biopsy is a straightforward biopsy method that is easy to perform and is a safe alternative to standard systematic biopsy with improved significant cancer detection accuracy. A combined targeted and systematic approach should be used for the best diagnostic results.

The relationship between oxidative stress and sepsis determines how well patients recover from surgery and critical illness. The perioperative period creates conditions for excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) production through surgical trauma and anesthesia and tissue hypoperfusion and infection, leading to mitochondrial damage, endothelial harm, and immune system problems. The processes create more inflammation while damaging cellular energy systems, which results in multiple organ system failure. The review examines modern knowledge about perioperative oxidative stress and sepsis mechanisms while discussing treatment implications and new therapeutic approaches. The authors conducted database searches in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus to find English-language peer-reviewed studies about oxidative stress and perioperative sepsis. The authors used the keywords “oxidative stress”, “perioperative”, and “sepsis” to find relevant studies from 2000 to 2025. The most effective strategy to reduce oxidative damage and enhance patient results involves early infection control, normoxia preservation, and accurate fluid management during perioperative care. The current understanding of oxidative stress has not led to the successful clinical implementation of targeted antioxidant treatments. Research should concentrate on developing individualized antioxidant treatments based on biomarker tests while conducting clinical trials to assess mitochondrial protective effects. The integration of mechanistic knowledge with clinical practice makes oxidative stress modulation a fundamental approach to enhance survival rates of patients with sepsis and those undergoing high-risk surgery.

Background: Even though there have been improvements in antimicrobial and supportive therapies, sepsis and septic shock are still major causes of death in intensive care units. Early prognostic stratification is very important for helping doctors make decisions. Platelet-derived indices may provide useful, low-cost indicators that signify both inflammatory activation and coagulation irregularities. This study looked at how well different platelet-based ratios could predict death in the hospital from sepsis. Materials and Methods: We performed a prospective observational study spanning one year in a tertiary ICU, enrolling 114 adult patients diagnosed with sepsis or septic shock. Upon admission, four platelet-related biomarkers were measured: the C-reactive protein-to-platelet ratio (CPR), the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), the platelet-to-white blood cell ratio (PWR), and the platelet-to-creatinine ratio (PCR). Logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were employed to assess predictive accuracy. Results: Compared to survivors, non-survivors (n = 39) had much higher CRP levels and CPR values, alongside lower platelet and lymphocyte counts. The CPR index showed the best ability in differentiating between non-survivors and survivors (AUC 0.757), with a best cutoff of 0.886. In simplified multivariate models, CPR was still an independent predictor of death in the hospital (OR 1.98; 95% CI 1.22–3.21), whereas PLR and PWR were not. PCR showed a non-significant trend toward lower values in not survivors. Conclusions: CPR is a strong and clinically viable predictor of early mortality in sepsis, outperforming other platelet-based indices. Derived from routine laboratory parameters, CPR serves as a valuable adjunct for initial risk stratification in the ICU. To further confirm its prognostic role and incorporation into current scoring systems, large-scale multicenter studies with longitudinal measurements are warranted to validate its prognostic utility and integration into existing scoring systems.

Case Presentation: A 67-year-old man presented with transient loss of consciousness and dizziness after weeks of vomiting, weakness, and recurrent syncopal episodes. Initial laboratory findings showed hyponatremia (Na 125 mEq/L), severe hypokalemia (K 2.3 mEq/L), hypochloremia (Cl 77 mEq/L), metabolic alkalemia (pH 7.5; HCO₃⁻ 34 mEq/L), low serum osmolality (263 mOsm/L) with inappropriately concentrated urine (332 mOsm/kg), and prerenal azotemia (creatinine 3.4 mg/dL; eGFR 19 mL/min/1.73 m²; blood urea 209 mg/dL). Contrast-enhanced CT, along with colonoscopy, identified a large mucus-secreting villous adenoma in the upper rectum. After fluid and electrolyte replacement, the patient underwent surgical resection with complete remission of symptoms and correction of electrolyte abnormalities on follow-up. Conclusion: Rectal villous adenomas should be considered in older adults with unexplained hypovolemia, hypokalemic hyponatremia, and metabolic alkalemia. Early recognition and definitive resection are curative and prevent kidney injury.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by systemic inflammation, immune dysregulation, oxidative stress, and frequent extrapulmonary organ involvement. Neurological complications of ARDS, such as neuroinflammation, cognitive impairment and delirium, are common and worsen outcomes. Early evidence highlights bidirectional communication between the lungs and brain, the lung–brain axis, through which inflammation may amplify both pulmonary and cerebral injury. This narrative review synthesizes recent experimental and clinical data on the immunomodulatory and neuroprotective effects of commonly used sedative agents in ARDS, focusing on their influence on inflammatory mediators (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α) and neuronal injury biomarkers (S100B, neuron-specific enolase). Sedative agents seem to exert effects beyond sedation by modulating systemic and neuroinflammatory responses. Evidence suggests they can influence cytokine profiles and reduce biomarkers associated with neuronal injury, potentially mitigating neuroinflammation and delirium in ARDS patients. Sedatives may modulate lung–brain crosstalk in ARDS through immunoinflammatory pathways, integrating sedative and neuroprotective effects. Mechanistic clarification may enable targeted sedation strategies to improve pulmonary and neurological outcomes.

Background and Objectives: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is characterized by rapid and aggressive infection of the subcutaneous tissue and fascia, and a high risk of death in case of delay in diagnosis and treatment. Materials and Methods: This 7-year retrospective study (May 2017–May 2024) evaluated 38 patients with upper- and lower-limb NF admitted to the surgery clinic at the County Emergency Hospital in Craiova, Romania. Results: 21.8% of the confirmed NF cases were monomicrobial; Gram-positive strains were predominant, but Gram-negative strains were also involved. The mortality rate was 28.9%; acute kidney injury appears as the only independent risk factor associated with mortality, although in univariate analysis, septic shock and high NLR and INR values were also factors associated with mortality. An increased resistance rate to antibiotics was recorded, with a 32.7% MDR rate; moderate to high resistance to piperacillin + tazobactam, most cephalosporins, most carbapenems (for Gram-negative strains), and quinolones was noted. Conclusions: Multidisciplinary management, comprising intensive medical support, prompt targeted antibiotic therapy, and immediate surgical intervention, was critical for achieving favorable patient outcomes. Increasing antibiotic resistance may alter the prognosis in patients with NF.