Background: Emergency medicine in Romania has developed fast since inception. The need for faster diagnostic capabilities due to the high workload pre- and in-hospital made point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) a logical next step. The advantages of POCUS are well known, but implementation presents challenges. Our goal was to study how a straightforward method of implementation would work locally. Methods: Two prospective observational studies were conducted at 6 months (prehospital) and 4 months (in-hospital). The protocol used was extended focused assessment sonography in trauma (eFAST), and the shock index (SI) was used to stratify patients. Voluntary sampling was conducted by emergency physicians. The primary outcomes were patient numbers, type of case use, results, and accuracy. Results: The prehospital study registered 34 patients: 41% traumas, 35% cardiac arrest, 18% shock, and 6% acute respiratory distress. The in-hospital study patients were 78: 36% traumas, 6% cardiac arrests, 41% shock, and 17% acute respiratory distress. A total of 88.5% of the cases were confirmed with definitive imagistic findings. Conclusion: The studies mark an increase in POCUS usage and use in complicated cases. Providing supervision and feedback into clinical practice resulted in a further increase in POCUS usage, the second study having an 88.5% accuracy when compared to the final diagnostic proving the increased efficiency of a longitudinal training approach.

Background: Medical emergencies occur at varying rates across the globe. Given the significant effort invested in identifying them and assessing dentists’ preparedness to deliver treatment in these life-threatening conditions, a global overview was needed. Materials and Methods: In this scoping review, data from PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases were examined to identify all relevant studies reporting on the impact of medical emergencies on dentists and determine their operational preparedness at a national or regional level. Operational preparedness was determined in accordance with existing emergency operational preparedness frameworks across six domains: Anticipate, Assess, Prevent, Prepare, Respond, and Recover. Significant Findings: Global data show that dentists will invariably encounter medical emergencies across their careers. However, our investigation found that in countries where there is strong foundational training and regular refresher training, fewer frequent emergencies and stronger operational preparedness are reported. Governmental regulation emerged as a key facilitator of operational preparedness. Still, barriers exist, primarily limited access to medical emergency courses, shortages of office supplies for emergency drugs and materials, and the absence of medical emergency registries. Conclusions: A reassessment of the medical emergency training courses’ content appropriateness is paramount. Training interventions should also focus on raising awareness about the importance of preventive measures and office optimization through planning. Further research is needed to identify any overlooked facilitators and barriers to operational preparedness in medical emergencies. This will help identify opportunities for improvement and minimize the impact of emergencies on dental practices.

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) represent the most common category of congenital malformations and constitute a significant cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Despite advances in prenatal imaging, such as fetal echocardiography, early detection remains challenging, particularly in pregnancies without identified risk factors. Recent studies suggest that maternal circulating non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), may serve as promising non-invasive biomarkers for the prenatal diagnosis of CHDs. Following a review of the most relevant clinical and preclinical studies, it was found that maternal circulating RNA, particularly microRNAs and lncRNAs, shows potential as non-invasive biomarkers for detecting fetal congenital heart defects. Among microRNAs, miR-146a-5p demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy for ventricular septal defects (VSDs), while panels of lncRNAs, such as LINC00598, LINC01551, and GATA3-AS1, exhibited high performance for atrial septal defects (ASDs). In addition, miR-19b, miR-29c, and miR-375 were associated with both VSDs and ASDs, suggesting a shared role in septal development. However, the studies displayed variability in biomarker selection and analytical methodologies. The findings indicate that maternal circulating microRNAs and lncRNAs hold significant potential as non-invasive biomarkers for the early detection of CHDs. Nonetheless, methodological heterogeneity and small sample sizes highlight the need for standardized protocols and larger multicenter studies prior to clinical implementation. These observations support the future integration of RNA biomarkers with fetal echocardiography to enhance early CHD screening and to inform prenatal counseling.

Background: Preoperative stress is a multifactorial phenomenon shaped by physiological, psychological, and social influences, with a substantial impact on postoperative recovery. This study aimed to quantify preoperative stress levels, identify associated factors, and rank their predictive importance. Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 197 patients scheduled for general surgery, orthopedics, neurosurgery, or otorhinolaryngology procedures between December 2024 and June 2025 at Suceava County Emergency Clinical Hospital. Stress levels were assessed using the Brief Measure of Emotional Preoperative Stress (B-MEPS), translated and culturally adapted into Romanian. Statistical analyses included nonparametric tests, generalized linear modeling, and Random Forest regression. Results: The mean B-MEPS score was 21.42 ± 6.04 (range: 11–34), indicating a moderate level of preoperative stress. Higher stress scores were significantly associated with female sex (p < 0.001), lower educational attainment (p = 0.003), divorced marital status (p = 0.007), a history of cancer (p = 0.002), and the type of surgical intervention (p = 0.003). Random Forest analysis identified the type of surgery, educational level, and sex as the strongest predictors. Conclusions: Preoperative stress is chiefly influenced by the type of surgical procedure, educational level, and sex, with potential synergistic effects among these factors. Early identification of high-risk patients enables targeted, personalized interventions to mitigate anxiety and improve perioperative outcomes. Further research should include formal validation of the Romanian version of B-MEPS and the integration of additional psychosocial variables.

Background: In the 19th century, pulmonary tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in Europe, responsible for up to one-quarter of all mortality. Before Robert Koch’s discovery of the tubercle bacillus in 1882 and the advent of effective therapies, treatment relied on rest, high-caloric diets, and sanatoria. Objectives: This study aims to reconstruct the medical biography of Dr. Șerban Eminovici (1841–1874), Romanian physician and elder brother of poet Mihai Eminescu, and to contextualize his life and death within the broader history of tuberculosis and pre-antibiotic medical practice. Methods: We conducted a historical case study using archival sources, including university registers from Erlangen, Munich, and Vienna, hospital admission records from the Charité Hospital in Berlin, and contemporaneous correspondence. Secondary literature on the history of tuberculosis and the Eminovici family was also reviewed. Results: Eminovici pursued medical studies across Central Europe, obtaining his doctorate in Vienna and later practicing medicine in Berlin, where he was a member of the Berliner Medizinische Gesellschaft. Despite early signs of respiratory illness, treated at spa resorts such as Gleichenberg, his condition progressed to advanced pulmonary tuberculosis with neuropsychiatric complications. Hospital records confirm his admission to the Charité on 10 October 1874, and his death from “Lungenschwindsucht” (pulmonary tuberculosis) on 29 November 1874, at age 33. His trajectory illustrates both the transnational mobility of Romanian intellectual elites and the therapeutic limitations of pre-antibiotic medicine. Conclusions: The case of Dr. Șerban Eminovici highlights the devastating impact of tuberculosis on 19th-century intellectuals, the reliance on lifestyle-based therapies before the discovery of the tubercle bacillus, and the importance of Central European medical networks in shaping Romanian professional identities. Beyond its biographical significance, this case underscores the persistent social and cultural burden of tuberculosis in Eastern Europe.

Background: Basic Life Support (BLS) is fundamental for individuals to perform resuscitation techniques. The learning environment (LE) significantly influences students' development, impacting their knowledge, skills, and attitudes. This study aimed to correlate resuscitation knowledge with medical students' perceptions of the LE. Patients and methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among medical students at the Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iași, Romania. The survey assessed BLS knowledge, attitudes towards learning, and demographic characteristics. Results: We analysed 608 completed questionnaires. The sample was predominantly female (79.3%), with an average age of 21.63 years (SD = 2.65). A high proportion (76.2%) of students demonstrated strong BLS knowledge, with 62.5% reporting confidence in providing BLS. Pre-clinical students had significantly lower total BLS scores compared to clinical students (p 0.001). Conversely, pre-clinical students had significantly higher total LE scores (p = 0.001). Participants confident in providing BLS displayed higher overall BLS and LE scores, particularly in the teacher-learner relationship and self-efficacy domains (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The findings suggest a positive correlation between a strong teacher-learner relationship and student confidence in acquiring BLS skills and performing maneuvers. Students with a solid foundation in BLS knowledge are more likely to seek opportunities to develop their practical skills and share their knowledge informally with others, potentially increasing access to BLS for the general public. Enhancing teacher-student relationships can positively impact students' confidence in performing life-saving procedures, underscoring the importance of exploring effective strategies for fostering these connections.