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Journal of Clinical Medicine

Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal of clinical medicine, published semimonthly online by MDPI.
Indexed in PubMed | Quartile Ranking JCR - Q1 (Medicine, General and Internal)

All Articles (45,510)

Objective: In this study, we aimed to determine the most significant risk factors for 5-year mortality in patients with paroxysmal and persistent drug-refractory tachysystolic atrial fibrillation after undergoing atrioventricular node ablation (AVNA) in combination with the implantation of a permanent three-chamber pacemaker with an implantable cardioverter–defibrillator function (CRT-D). Methods: This prospective single-center cohort study included 101 patients with chronic heart failure (mean age 62 ± 15.5 years; 70.3% male) with paroxysmal or persistent drug-refractory atrial fibrillation who underwent atrioventricular node ablation and CRT-D implantation. All patients received optimal medical therapy before and after undergoing the procedure. Predictors of 5-year mortality were assessed using exploratory machine-learning methods, including random forest and Shapley additive explanations. Results: During 5-year follow-up, 13 cardiovascular deaths were recorded. Five key predictors of mortality were identified: left ventricular ejection fraction, 6 min walk distance, mean pulmonary artery pressure, systolic relaxation coefficient, and degree of mitral regurgitation. The exploratory predictive model showed high accuracy (92%) in terms of classifying the outcomes. Conclusions: Atrioventricular node ablation (AVNA) combined with CRT-D was associated with the observed long-term clinical outcomes observed in patients with drug-refractory tachysystolic atrial fibrillation. The exploratory machine learning analysis identified key mortality-associated factors, which may support future efforts in personalized risk stratification and hypothesis generation. The combination of AVNA and CRT-D was associated with the observed long-term outcomes in this real-world cohort.

18 December 2025

The patients (blue line) ordered for indicators EF LV (1st row), NYHA test (2nd row), MPAP (3rd row), CSR (4th row), and MR (5th row) marked the deceased cases (red dots) for real (left) and both real and synthetic (right) data.

Background: Preservation of posterior occlusal support is critical for maintaining residual dentition in partially edentulous patients. Although implant-supported restorations are widely used, long-term evidence on their role in preventing tooth loss remains limited. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 225 patients (80 males, 145 females; mean age 53 ± 9 years) who received posterior implant-supported restorations, with a mean follow-up of 21 years. Post-treatment occlusal support was classified using the Eichner classification. Tooth and implant loss were recorded. Associations between residual occlusal support and tooth loss were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square test, with thresholds of ≥1, ≥2, or ≥3 teeth lost. Multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for age and gender were performed to evaluate the independent association of the Eichner classification. Results: After prosthesis delivery, 159 patients were classified as Eichner A, 48 as B1, 16 as B2, and 2 as B3. The mean number of lost teeth was 2.4, and 35 implants failed in 22 patients. Tooth loss ≥3 occurred more frequently in the Eichner B groups than in A. (48.5% vs. 34.0%). In multivariate analyses, Eichner classification significantly predicted loss of ≥3 teeth (adjusted OR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.00–3.33; p = 0.048), but not ≥1 or ≥2 teeth. Conclusions: Posterior implant therapy provides durable occlusal support and contributes to long-term preservation of residual dentition. Patients with limited occlusal support remain at a higher risk of substantial tooth loss, even after adjustment for age and gender. The Eichner classification represents a practical clinical tool for evaluating occlusal support and predicting long-term prognosis in partially edentulous patients.

18 December 2025

Risk Stratification Tools in Acute Heart Failure and Their Roles in Personalized Follow-Up

  • Vittoria Rizzello,
  • Samuela Carigi and
  • Renata De Maria
  • + 15 authors

Heart failure (HF) is a condition with a high clinical and healthcare burden. In Europe, the current incidence is approximately 5 per 1000 persons per year in the adult population, with a prevalence of 1–2%. Prognosis remains poor, with persistently high rates of mortality and hospitalization. The period immediately following hospital discharge is known as the “vulnerable phase,” marked by a heightened incidence of clinical events, including a 30% chance of rehospitalization and a 10% mortality risk. Effective patient management during this time is crucial and should incorporate a risk stratification process, which is vital for designing a personalized follow-up plan and ensuring optimal resource utilization. This review aims to outline the available tools for prognostic risk stratification and propose a structured follow-up model applicable at discharge from an HF hospitalization in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction and in patients with mildly reduced/preserved ejection fraction.

18 December 2025

Early identification of motor difficulties is essential in infancy and early childhood, and current American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations emphasize that motor surveillance should accompany routine clinical visits. One standardized tool widely used for evaluating motor development is the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales–Second Edition (PDMS-2). This review summarizes the theoretical foundations and psychometric properties of the PDMS-2, the principles of administering and scoring the assessment, and evidence from validation and standardization studies conducted in different countries. A non-systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar (2000–February 2025) using the terms “PDMS-2” OR “Peabody Developmental Motor Scales Second Edition” combined with “reliability”, “validity”, “norms”, “reference”, or “standardization”. Original and review articles published in English were included without geographical restrictions. The PDMS-2 is widely applied in both clinical and research contexts. It has been used as an outcome measure in randomized controlled trials, interventional, and observational studies involving preterm infants, children with genetic syndromes, metabolic disorders, cerebral palsy, congenital heart defects, HIV, oncological conditions, and typically developing children. Key strengths of the PDMS-2 include its broad age range, the ability to assess both gross and fine motor skills, and its quantitative scoring system, which supports diagnosis, therapeutic planning, and monitoring of developmental change. Although the tool has been validated and standardized in multiple countries, additional work is still needed to establish normative data for underrepresented populations.

18 December 2025

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J. Clin. Med. - ISSN 2077-0383