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Influenza immunization includes a yearly repeated vaccine offered to every healthcare worker, including nursing students, with a high risk of contracting this viral disease. This study aimed to investigate the vaccination coverage, knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nursing students against influenza in Greece. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Attica region between September 2022 and July 2023, with the use of an anonymous reference questionnaire. Data from 1261 nursing students were recorded (response rate: 68.6%). The study found that 23% of the sample were vaccinated against influenza for the flu season 2022-2023, and 42% were vaccinated for the previous flu season. Knowledge scores regarding influenza ranged from 0% to 100%, with a mean value of 55 (SD = 18.8%). A higher level of knowledge about influenza was associated with more appropriate attitudes and practices toward the disease (p < 0.001). Notably, participants in their second, third, or fourth year of study and beyond exhibited more suitable attitudes and practices towards the flu compared to those in their first year of study (p < 0.05). The emergence of low vaccination coverage identifies the need for departments of nursing studies to proceed with the design of educational and intervention programs on infection control.

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This study aimed to investigate the knowledge of patients with hypertension about their condition, adherence to antihypertensive medication, and the factors influencing it. A cross-sectional study was conducted in two cardiology outpatient clinics of two tertiary hospitals, in Greece. The study included 188 patients diagnosed with hypertension. The patients' knowledge about their disease and adherence to medication were assessed by using the HK-LS and A-14 scales, respectively. Patients had sufficient knowledge levels about their disease, but significantly low levels of adherence to medication. Patients with higher knowledge levels were more adherent to medications [r(188) = 0.885, p < 0.001]. By using multivariate analysis, higher age (p = 0.018), residence in a more populous area (p = 0.041), more years with the disease (p = 0.012), and a lower number of medications (p = 0.03) were associated with higher levels of knowledge. Conversely, younger age (p = 0.036), lower educational levels (p = 0.048), fewer years with the disease (p = 0.001), and a higher number of medications (p = 0.003) were associated with lower adherence to medication. The Greek patients' hypertension knowledge was sufficient; however, adherence to medication was significantly low. Healthcare managers could utilize our findings to design targeted interventions for improving adherence to medication for these patients.

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BACKGROUND: The adoption of self-care behaviors among patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) is essential for the management of their health condition. However, there is a lack of tools for estimating self-care in CHF patients. We aim to develop and validate the Greek version of the Hippocratic heart failure self-care scale (HHFSCS). METHODS: The scale includes 22 items which are reviewed by a committee of experts. Individuals indicate the frequency at which they follow each self-behavior on a five-point Likert scale. Adult patients with CHF (n = 250) from a General Hospital in Athens participated in the study from June 2020 to March 2021. Reliability coefficients and an explanatory factor analysis (EFA), using a Varimax rotation and the principal component method, were used to assess the psychometric measurements. RESULTS: The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the HHFSCS was 0.807. The exploratory factor analysis identified two domains that accounted for 88.44% of the variance in the scale items; however, each sub-scale could not be used as an independent scale. Finally, the test-retest showed a significant and strong correlation (r = 0.973, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The HHFSCS is a reliable and valid tool for assessing self-behaviors in CHF patients. Health professionals can use it in their clinical practice to improve the management of a patient's health conditions.

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BACKGROUND: The adoption of self-care behaviors among patients with arterial hypertension (AH) plays an important role in the management of their health condition. However, a lack of scales assessing self-care is observed. We aimed to develop and validate the Hippocratic hypertension self-care scale. METHODS: From a pool of questions derived from a literature review, 18 items were included in the scale and reviewed by a committee of experts. Participants indicated the frequency at which they followed the self-behavior prescribed in each statement on a five-point Likert scale. Data were collected between April 2019 and December 2019. RESULTS: A total of 202 consecutive adult patients with AH were enrolled in the study. The internal consistency of the scale was found to be 0.807, using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. An exploratory factor analysis identified two domains that accounted for 92.94% of the variance in the scale items; however, each sub-scale could not be used as an independent scale. Finally, the test-retest of the scale showed a significant strong correlation (r = 0.0095, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This analysis indicates that the scale is reliable and valid for assessing self-care behaviors in patients with AH. It is suggested that health professionals use it in their clinical practice to improve the management of AH.

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Nurses' competency toward evidence-based practice (EBP) has been extensively investigated by several studies worldwide. However, factors affecting the competence of Greek nurses working in the NHS have not been fully investigated in terms of EBP. Thus, this study aimed to explore the impact of the individual qualifications of nurses on their competence toward EBP. Data from 473 registered nurses working in 10 hospitals in the Greek National Health Service (NHS) were collected between October and December 2020 using a convenience sampling method in a cross-section design. The Greek version of the 35-item (five-point Likert scale) Evidence-Based Practice Competency Questionnaire for Professional Registered Nurses (EBP-COQ Prof) was used to assess the competence level of nurses, focusing on attitudes, skills, and knowledge, as well as the utilization of EBP in clinical practice. One-way ANOVA and Pearson coefficient tests were applied to compare the possible differences among variables (two or more groups) as appropriate. A multi-factorial regression model was applied to explore participants' qualifications, including demographics (MSc degree, gender, English language knowledge, etc.) as independent variables, and to control for potential confounding effects toward EBP competency. The p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The mean age of the 473 participants (402 women and 71 men) was 44.7 ± 9.2 years old. The mean value of competence subscales was found as follows: attitudes 3.9 ± 0.6, knowledge 3.7 ± 0.6, skills 3.1 ± 0.8, and utilization 3.4 ± 0.7. A multivariate regression analysis revealed that associates of "Master's degree" (t = 3.039, p = 0.003), "Writing an academic article" (3.409, p = 0.001), "Working in a University clinic" (2.203, p = 0.028), and "Computer Skills" (2.404, p = 0.017) positively affected "Attitudes", "Knowledge", "Skills", and "Utilization", respectively. The research data suggest that nurses working in the Greek NHS were limited in competence regarding EBP in comparison with other European countries. Therefore, vocational, educational, and training programs tailored to EBP enhancement are crucially important. This study was not registered.

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Although central venous pressure (CVP) is among the most frequent estimated hemodynamic parameters in the critically ill setting, extremely little is known on how intensive care unit (ICU) nurses use this index in their decision-making process. The purpose of the study was to develop a new questionnaire for accessing how ICU nurses use CVP measurements to address patients' hemodynamics investigating its validity and reliability. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 ICU nurses from four ICUs of Greece. Based on a comprehensive literature review and the evaluation by a panel of five experts, a new questionnaire, named "CVP Score", was created, having eight items. The construct validity and the reliability of the questionnaire were examined. Half of the study participants (51.7%) worked at a specialized ICU, and they had a mean [±Standard Deviation (SD)] ICU experience of 13(±7.1) years. The estimated construct validity of the newly developed tool was acceptable, while the internal consistency reliability as measured by Cronbach alpha was excellent (0.901). CVP Score had acceptable test-retest reliability (r = 0.996, p < 0.001) and split-half reliability (0.855). The CVP score is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring how critical care nurses use CVP measurements in their decision-making process.

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Patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) often require prolonged periods of bed rest owing to the severity of their illness. Care is also required to maintain the position and integrity of the ECMO cannula. However, they experience a range of effects due to prolonged bed rest. This systematic review examined the possible effects of the early mobilization in patients on ECMO. The database PUBMED was searched by using appropriate keywords: "rehabilitation", "mobilization", "ECMO" and "extracorporeal membrane oxygenation". The selection criteria for the article search were the following: (a) studies published in the last five years, (b) descriptive studies, (c) randomized studies, (d) published in the English language and (e) studies in adults. A total of 259 studies were found, 8 of which were finally selected. Most of the studies showed that early intensive physical rehabilitation related to a decrease in in-hospital stay and a reduction in the duration of mechanical ventilation and doses of vasopressors. In addition, improvements in the functional status and rate of mortality were observed along with a reduction in health care costs. Exercise training should be a fundamental part of the management of patients on ECMO.

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(1) Background: Evidence-based nursing is the benchmark of the nursing profession. It is widely recognized that evidence enhances knowledge, skills, and competencies in nursing education and thus the quality of patient care. Although several proposals have been introduced to reinforce nurses through education in evidence-based practice (EBP) for clinical practice, there is no validated EBP competence tool to determine how nurses approach evidence-based nursing in healthcare practices in Greece. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to translate and validate the Greek version of the Evidence-Based Practice Competency Questionnaire, Professional version (EBP-COQ Prof©). (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of registered nurses working in the public sector. (3) Results: 414 clinical nurses were recruited in total with a response rate of 75.3% and a mean age of 43 years old. Most of the nursing personnel were females, 354 (85.5%), and there were 60 (14.5%) males. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed a confirmation of the developer's four-factor design. The estimated association between items on each scale showed a strong relationship. The competence questionnaire showed a high internal consistency between the components of attitude, knowledge, skills, and utilization. (4) Conclusions: The competence questionnaire shows a strong relationship between four the components, highlighting the four factors that should be promoted to improve the use of EBP nursing practices.

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(1) Background: evidence-based nursing has been widely adopted by healthcare facilitators, and it is predicated on the connection between research evidence and clinical practice. The knowledge and implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) depend on a variety of long-established barriers and attitudes. The purpose of this study was to translate and validate the Greek version of the evidence-based practice competence questionnaire (EBP-COQ) and test it on a sample of Greek undergraduate nursing students. (2) Methods: a cross-sectional analysis was conducted on data obtained between November 2018 and January 2019. A convenience sample of 320 Greek undergraduate nursing students participated in a survey to examine the psychometric properties of the tool. The reliability and validity of the tool was examined. Cronbach's coefficient alpha was used to determine the scale's internal consistency reliability. (3) Results: the EBP-COQ was translated and validated. The estimated Cronbach's alpha was higher than 0.70 for all scales. Of the participants, 22.5% were men and 77.5% were women, while 31% of them were in their final year of nursing education. A total of 61% of the students stated that they had not participated in an EBP seminar in the past. High Spearman's correlation coefficients were found for "Knowledge in EBP" with "Personal attitude towards EBP" (rs = 0.329, p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: the Greek version of the EBP-COQ is a valid instrument that can be used in the Greek population. It provides information about attitude, knowledge and skills in the EBP approach.

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BACKGROUND: People with hypertension experience significant damage to major organs due to insufficient management of cardiovascular risk factors. AIMS: To assess the impact of nurse-led educational interventions on the total cardiovascular risk among people with hypertension. METHOD: the study was an interventional randomised study. The sample (n=92) was randomly assigned to the either the control or intervention group. The HeartScore tool was used to assess patients' total cardiovascular risk between December 2017 and March 2018. FINDINGS: 56.6% of the control group and 55.4% of the intervention group were women, with a mean age of 64.4 years and 66.2 years respectively (P>0.05). Total cholesterol reduced in both groups; however, improvement was greater in the intervention group (P<0.05). Total cardiovascular risk fell in the intervention group from 4.75 to 4.33 (P>0.05), while the control group saw an increase in risk from 10.03 to 12.65 (P=0.035). CONCLUSION: Nurse-led educational interventions should be incorporated in the usual care of patients with hypertension, in order to achieve the best management of the condition.

Asunto(s)

Hipertensión , Femenino , Humanos , Anamnesis , Persona de Mediana Edad

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BACKGROUND: the choice of the appropriate tool for assessing level of medication adherence is a significant barrier in scientific research. AIMS: to translate into Greek and test the reliability of the Hill-Bone and A-14 scales among patients with hypertension. Also, to compare patients' responses in the Hill-Bone scale, A-14 scale and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS). METHODS: data collection occurred between February 2016 and March 2016 at a general hospital in Athens, Greece. The sample consisted of hypertensive patients (n=34) and non-hypertensive patients (n=34). FINDINGS: the coefficient alpha in hypertensive patients was 0.76 for Hill-Bone, 0.64 for MMAS and 0.91 for the A-14 scale. In non-hypertensive patients, the Cronbach's alpha for MMAS was 0.81 and 0.78 for A-14. A statistically significant difference was found among the mean scores of the scales, whereas strong correlation was found only between two pairs of questions with similar meaning. CONCLUSION: all tools are appropriate to assess the level of medication adherence in Greek hypertensive patients. However, careful translation of the scales is essential since items with the same meaning could be understudied in a different way.

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Hipertensión/tratamiento farmacológico , Cumplimiento de la Medicación/estadística & datos numéricos , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Anciano , Femenino , Grecia , Hospitales Generales , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Traducciones

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BACKGROUND: In patients with aortic stenosis, bioprosthetic valves are increasingly used. Although their benefits, they are also presenting limitations, as their time-related degeneration. Reoperation which was, until a few years ago, the only treatment for this condition, carries a significant surgical risk, especially in patients with multiple comorbidities, so the benefit of less invasive technique enabling the implantation of aortic valve prosthesis [transcatheter aortic valve-in-surgical aortic valve (TAV-in-SAV)] by a percutaneous access is remarkably important. Eligible patients are judged by a heart team, and imaging plays a key role in this selection, focusing on correct identification of bioprosthetic aortic valves type and size, evaluation of patients at increased anatomical risk for coronary artery occlusion. Radiolucency of stentless bioprosthetic valves, represent a significant challenge. METHODS: Surgical aortic valve replacements (SAVRs) with a bioprosthesis were performed using a stentless valve with no radiopaque components (Solo Smart, Sorin). The chosen method, in order to evaluate the results of the operation, was computed tomography (CT) scanning (64-slice MDCT, Brilliance, Philips). The study consisted of a thin sliced contrast electrocardiograph (ECG) gated chest CT (1 systolic cardiac phase), trying to simulate the required assessment of aortic root and the radiopaque placed markers. RESULTS: As surgical implant technique varies and may impact the relationship of the prosthetic annulus to the coronary ostia, marking the aortic annulus during the operation in order to have some useful radiopaque landmarks, is a great assistance promoting better orientation and correct identification of the position of the bioprosthetic valve. Although the implantation of metallic vascular clips at the level of aortic annulus (in any commissure or in the middle of any cups) was considered, the decision was to position three metallic clips bellow the aortic annulus in the three stiches ligated during the solo valve implantation. CONCLUSIONS: We are suggesting the preventive implantation of radiopaque landmarks, during SAVRs using tissue valves which are lacking fixed anatomic markers, as a guide for a presumptive TAV-in-SAV procedure, keeping in mind that appropriate guidance is crucial and can prevent valve misplacement, coronary obstruction and other potentially lethal complications.

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PURPOSE: To estimate the incidence of postprocedural early cardiac complications among patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation, through transapical approach (TA-TAVI), and to identify factors independently associated with the occurrence of them. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 90 patients, who had undergone TA-TAVI in a tertiary hospital of Liverpool, UK, during a 5-year period (September 2008-October 2013), was conducted. Data on patient demographics, periprocedural characteristics and cardiac complications presented within 30-day post TA-TAVI were collected, retrospectively, using the hospital's electronic database. RESULTS: The overall 30-day incidence of cardiac complications was estimated at 18.9% (n=17/90). The rate of new onset of atrial fibrillation (AF), atrioventricular block requiring permanent pacemaker implantation, shockable cardiac arrest rhythm and cardiac tamponade was 11.1%, 3.3%, 2.2% and 2.2%, respectively. Bivariate analysis found that absence of preoperative AF (p=0.01), receiving of oral inotropes preprocedurally (p=0.01), intravenous inotropic support postprocedurally (p=0.01) and requirement for postprocedural tracheal intubation (p=0.001) were the main factors associated with increased probability for patient cardiac morbidity. CONCLUSION: It seems that patients with absence of AF and oral inotropic support preprocedurally and those with post TA-TAVI mechanical ventilatory and intravenous inotropic support have greater probability to develop cardiac complications. This knowledge allows the early identification of high-risk patients and supports clinicians to apply both preventive and therapeutic interventions for the optimum patient management and care. In addition, administrators could allocate the health care system resources effectively.

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Recent research evidence has shown that patients with chronic viral hepatitis develop symptoms of anxiety and/or depression, which has a strong impact on their health-related quality of life. This study aimed to assess the levels of anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life among patients with chronic hepatitis B or C in Greece. It was a cross-sectional study among 111 patients with chronic viral hepatitis, evaluated at a tertiary General Hospital of Athens from March to September of 2014. Anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life were assessed by the use of specially designed questionnaires. For the comparison between patients' population and general population, a pair-matched population of 111 healthy participants was recruited. Mean age of patients was 44.85 years (SD = 14.4). Fifty-nine patients were infected by hepatitis B virus and 52 by hepatitis C virus. Levels of anxiety and depression were higher among patients than among controls and the overall health-related quality of life was poorer (p < .001). Female gender and liver parenchyma damage were associated with higher levels of anxiety (p < .05). Certain demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical-serological factors were related with higher levels of depression. Poorer health-related quality of life was reported by patients with liver cirrhosis and alanine aminotransferase of 40 IU/L or more. Patients with chronic viral hepatitis demonstrate psychological and physical impairment, especially those with advance liver disease and/or active viral activity.

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Hepatitis B Crónica/psicología , Hepatitis C Crónica/psicología , Trastornos Mentales/etiología , Calidad de Vida , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Adulto , Trastornos de Ansiedad/epidemiología , Trastornos de Ansiedad/etiología , Trastornos de Ansiedad/fisiopatología , Estudios Transversales , Trastorno Depresivo/epidemiología , Trastorno Depresivo/etiología , Trastorno Depresivo/fisiopatología , Femenino , Grecia/epidemiología , Hepatitis B Crónica/complicaciones , Hepatitis B Crónica/diagnóstico , Hepatitis C Crónica/complicaciones , Hepatitis C Crónica/diagnóstico , Hospitales Universitarios , Humanos , Masculino , Trastornos Mentales/epidemiología , Trastornos Mentales/fisiopatología , Persona de Mediana Edad , Prevalencia , Valores de Referencia , Medición de Riesgo , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , Factores Sexuales , Perfil de Impacto de Enfermedad

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BACKGROUND: Delirium is a quite common complication in adult patients post-cardiac surgery. The purpose of our study was to identify perioperative characteristics and also focus on incidence factors that could predict delirium in the cardiac surgery intensive care unit (CICU) postoperatively. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of 179 consecutive patients, who underwent open-heart surgical operation and were admitted to the CICU of a general tertiary hospital in Athens, Greece. The patients were screened for delirium by using the diagnostic tools of Rich-mond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS score) and the Confusion Assessment Method - ICU (CAM-ICU). The delirium assessment was carried out on the 1st and the 2nd postoperative day, and was conducted twice every nursing shift. A short questionnaire on sociodemographics and clinical patient characteristics was used for data collection purposes. RESULTS: A total of 179 patients who underwent open-heart surgical operation with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were enrolled in our study. The 2-day incidence of postoperative delirium in ICU was 11.2% (n=20/179). The main independent predictors of delirium on the 2nd postoperative day were neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (p=0.001) and urea levels (p=0.016). Additionally, increased perioperative creatinine (p=0.006) and sodium (p=0.039) levels were significantly associated with delirium occurrence. Furthermore, elevated EuroSCORE (p=0.001), extended length of stay (LOS) in ICU (p<0.001), and extended LOS with endotracheal tube (p=0.001) were also statistically significant indicators. CONCLUSION: Patients with extended LOS with endotracheal tube and prolonged stay in ICU in accordance with peaked urea, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, creatinine, and sodium levels seem to have a significantly greater probability of developing delirium in the ICU. Further research is needed in the field of postoperative cardiac patients in order to determine the causality and etiology of certain risk factors for delirium.

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OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify, retrieve, critically appraise and synthesize information regarding existing mobile phone text messaging interventions that have been done for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: A systematic review was conducted. The searching was conducted by using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CINAHL, PubMed and ScienceDirect databases. Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were eligible and included. RESULTS: The preventive factors measured among studies varied. While the majority of studies examined medication adherence as a main outcome (4), the other 3 studies focused on CVD risk factors combining blood pressure (BP), smoking, body mass index (BMI), physical activity and dietary habits, only 2 studies examined both medication adherence and risk factor modification of CVD. CONCLUSION: Even though mobile phone text messaging may be beneficial for the secondary prevention of CVD, reliable conclusions on the effects of text messaging cannot be drawn.

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Enfermedades Cardiovasculares/prevención & control , Prevención Secundaria/métodos , Envío de Mensajes de Texto/estadística & datos numéricos , Adulto , Humanos , Cumplimiento de la Medicación/estadística & datos numéricos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Ensayos Clínicos Controlados Aleatorios como Asunto , Factores de Riesgo , Prevención Secundaria/normas

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PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of body mass index (BMI) values on 1- and 2-year mortality rates in patients with chronic heart failure (HF). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 112 patients with confirmed HF who visited the HF outpatient unit of a tertiary hospital of Athens, Greece, during a 5-month period (December 2012 - April 2013). These patients were assigned to four groups based on their BMI category. Data collection was carried out through a review of the medical patient records and the filling in of a structured questionnaire, including information on the demographic and clinical patient variables. Additionally, 1- and 2-year patient mortality was recorded. The statistical significance was two-tailed, and p-values of less than 0.05 were considered significant. The statistical analysis was performed with Mann-Whitney U test, χ2 test, and Student's t-test using the SPSS software (IBM SPSS 21.0 for Windows). RESULTS: Obese patients had significantly lower 1-year (13% vs 34.6%, p=0.039) and 2-year (4% vs 21.4%, p=0.022) mortality rates compared with those with normal BMI values. Additionally, we found clinically and not statistically significant lower mortality in overweight and obese patients, when compared with normal BMI and overweight patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: Obesity paradox seems to be present in our study, translating to significantly lower long-term mortality rates of obese patients compared to those with normal BMI. The significantly higher left ventricular ejection fraction and hematocrit levels among obese HF patients could justify our study findings. Further research is needed due to the inherent weaknesses of BMI and the other study limitations.

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BACKGROUND: While short-term outcomes for patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) have long been studied, there is very little data on their predictors. We aimed to identify the predictors of outcomes, such as intensive care unit (ICU) and in-hospital length of stay (LOS), duration of postoperative intubation and in-hospital mortality, after TAVI procedures. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 162 consecutive patients with aortic valve disease, who were admitted to a tertiary hospital of Liverpool for TAVI, during a five-year period. The data was collected using of the hospital's structured database on November 2014. RESULTS: By using a multivariate analysis we found that any postoperative bleeding [odds ratio (OR) 2.71; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.41-5.24] was the independent predictor of prolonged ICU-LOS, while older age (OR 1.11; 95% CI: 1.05-1.17) and transapical TAVI (OR 4.11; 95% CI: 1.94-8.71) were the predictors of prolonged in-hospital LOS. Additionally, patients treated with oral inotropic agents, preoperatively (OR 5.77; 95% CI: 2.21-15.01), non-diabetics (OR 3.07; 95% CI: 1.12-8.42) and those with any postoperative bleeding (OR 3.53; 95% CI: 1.68-7.43) had a significantly greater probability in remaining intubated postoperatively. The multivariate analysis did not reveal any predictor of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The above predictors permit the early identification of TAVI patients at high risk for longer hospitalization and increased mechanical ventilation. This piece of information is crucial for clinicians and administrators contributing to more efficient patient care planning and better allocation of healthcare resources.

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PURPOSE: The assessment of the level of anxiety, depression and quality of life among patients with heart failure. METHODS: It was an observational study. The populations were 231 patients with heart failure who were hospitalized in cardiology departments of 2 general hospitals in Athens, from September 1, 2010 through January 31, 2012. We used the "Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire - MLHFQ" to evaluate patients' quality of life and the " State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - STAI" and the "Maastricht Questionnaire - MQ" to evaluate the level of stress and depression, respectively. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 66.1±10.1years. The quality of life was poor, since the average score in MLHFQ was 65.4±20.6. Also, patients revealed high levels of both trait and state anxiety (mean score in STAI was 54.5±9.4 and 52.8±8.5 respectively) and depression (mean score in MQ was 34.3±8.4). Factors associated with poor quality of life and high levels of anxiety and depression were older age, low level of education, unemployment, poor economic situation, multiple hospitalizations (> 4 times) and heart failure stages III and IV in NYHA (p<0.001 in all cases). CONCLUSION: Patients with heart failure present severe symptoms of anxiety and depression and poor quality of life. Assessing those patients for these symptoms and providing holistic health care by a multidisciplinary team, will lead to the prevention and early treatment not only of physical but also of the psychosocial manifestations of the disease.

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Ansiedad/etiología , Depresión/etiología , Insuficiencia Cardíaca/psicología , Calidad de Vida , Anciano , Femenino , Grecia , Insuficiencia Cardíaca/fisiopatología , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Factores Socioeconómicos

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PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between the perioperative neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and cardiac surgery patient outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 145 patients who underwent cardiac surgery in a tertiary hospital of Athens, Greece, from January to March 2015, was conducted. By using a structured short questionnaire, this study reviewed the electronic hospital database and the medical and nursing patient records for data collection purposes. The statistical significance was two-tailed, and p-values <0.05 were considered significant. The statistical analysis was performed with Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman's correlation coefficient, by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (IBM SPSS 21.0 for Windows). RESULTS: The increased preoperative levels of NLR were associated with significantly higher mortality, both in-hospital (p=0.001) and 30-day (p=0.002), prolonged postoperative hospital length of stay (LOS), both in the cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) (p=0.002), and in-hospital (p=0.018), and likewise with delayed tracheal extubation (p≤0.001). Furthermore, patients with elevated NLR during the second postoperative day had significantly higher in-hospital mortality (p=0.018), increased incidence of pneumonia (p=0.022), higher probability of readmission to the ICU (p=0.002), prolonged ICU LOS (p≤0.001), and delayed tracheal extubation (p≤0.001). CONCLUSION: Increased perioperative NLR seems to be associated with significantly higher mortality and morbidity in cardiac surgery patients. At the same time, NLR is a significant and inexpensive biomarker for the early identification of patients at high risk for complications. In addition, NLR levels could lead clinicians to perform measures for the optimal therapeutic patient approach.