Search Results (1,452)

Background/Objectives: Pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a major cause of mortality, requiring rapid risk stratification. Widely used clinical tools such as the simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI) may not fully capture the disease’s inflammatory burden. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of multiple inflammatory indices and to develop a clinically applicable nomogram integrating these indices with sPESI for mortality prediction in acute PE. Methods: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 338 patients with acute PE. Ten inflammatory indices were calculated from admission laboratory data. The primary outcome was 12-month all-cause mortality; secondary outcomes were 30-day and 90-day mortality. Receiver operating characteristic analysis, multivariable Cox regression, and person-time analysis were performed. A composite inflammatory risk score (0–10) was developed, and a nomogram combining this score with sPESI was constructed. Internal validation used 1000 bootstrap resamples. Results: Overall mortality was 44.1%, with 41% of deaths occurring in the first 12 months. The red cell distribution width-to-albumin ratio (RAR) showed the highest discriminative performance (AUC = 0.755, 95% CI: 0.704–0.806). Each 1-point increase in the inflammatory risk score was independently associated with increased 30-day mortality (HR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.10–1.34) and 90-day mortality (HR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.15–1.36). The nomogram improved risk classification, particularly in patients with intermediate sPESI scores (1–2). The combined model achieved an AUC of 0.806 (95% CI: 0.761–0.851), with good calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow p = 0.342). Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) did not show significant prognostic value. Conclusions: RAR is a strong, independent predictor of mortality in acute PE, providing incremental prognostic value beyond sPESI. The integrated nomogram enables more precise risk stratification and offers a practical, low-cost tool for bedside use. Full article

Aphasia is a complex neurological syndrome that includes a multitude of signs and symptoms that describe a patient’s inability to use language (understanding and producing spoken and/or written language) after it has already been acquired, which is caused by cerebral lesions situated in the dominant (left) cerebral hemisphere in right-handed people. Aphasia has a prevalence of 25–30% in acute ischemic stroke (especially in arterial infarcts). In patients who suffered cerebral venous and dural sinuses thrombosis (CVST), aphasia has been noticed in almost 20% of cases, its presence being considered a negative predictive factor. We report the case of a 22-year-old right-handed woman with obesity and active smoking (10 cigarettes/day), undergoing treatment with oral contraceptives who presented to the Emergency Department with an intense headache, resistant to usual analgesic treatment, accompanied by language disorders onset within 24 h. The neurological examination was normal, except for language assessment, which revealed the severe impairment of the repetition domain (she was unable to repeat simple words), and difficulty in naming objects with some hesitations and mild comprehension difficulties (especially in complex orders). She underwent neuroimaging examinations at admission. Native Head Computed Tomography revealed spontaneous hyperdensity (parenchymatous hematoma) in the left temporal lobe. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed venous infarction in the left temporal area and a hypointense signal on MRI T2*SW (susceptibility-weighted) in the region of the left lateral sinus and left jugular vein bulb, which confirmed the thrombosis at this level. Associated cortical vein thrombosis was diagnosed on indirect radiological grounds, since hemorrhagic transformation obscured the direct visualization of the adjacent cortical veins. MR venography was not performed at that time, but instead at the 1-month follow-up, MR venography confirmed the chronic, partial thrombosis of the left lateral sinus and left jugular vein bulb. Laboratory data demonstrated an elevated D-dimer and the presence of homozygosity for MTHFR C677T and PAI-1 4G/4G. Anticoagulation in the form of low-molecular-weight heparin was immediately started, followed by chronic treatment with oral anticoagulant (apixaban) and folic acid. The headaches resolved within three days, and her neurological examination was almost normal: the repetition continued being altered for complex phrases. We did not observe any left lateral sinus thrombosis recurrence, or other extra-cerebral embolic events (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) during the follow-up year. The immediate anticoagulation since the admission resulted in a favorable outcome. Taking into consideration our interest in monitoring patients with aphasia secondary to CVST, we also analyzed data from the literature regarding the incidence of conduction aphasia and other aphasic syndromes in this CVST. Due to the limited number of articles identified in the last 21 years (2005–2026) in the literature, we concluded that conduction aphasia is an extremely rare clinical presentation in this kind of pathology and further studies should be conducted in order to identify significant statistical data. Full article

Background/Objectives: To evaluate the association of preoperative morphometric and morphovolumetric parameters with post-endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) sac remodeling, endoleak development, and secondary interventions, and to assess the role of volumetric analysis in post-EVAR surveillance. Methods: This retrospective single-center study included 383 patients who underwent elective EVAR for infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm between 2016 and 2024, with available pre- and postoperative computed tomography angiography and at least 1 year of follow-up. Diameter- and volume-based sac dynamics were analyzed using standardized morphometric and 3-dimensional morphovolumetric measurements. Endoleak subtype distribution, risk factors, secondary interventions, and survival were assessed using regression and survival analyses. Results: Endoleaks were detected in 26.1% of patients (n = 100), with type II endoleak being the most frequent subtype (12.3%, n = 47), followed by type Ib (6.8%, n = 26), type III (5.5%, n = 21), type Ia (4.2%, n = 16), and 1 patient with type V endoleak in the revised manuscript framework. Secondary interventions were required in 14.1% of patients (n = 54), mainly for type I and III endoleaks, with a mean time to reintervention of 21.7 ± 10 months. Diameter and volume changes were strongly correlated; a 10% increase in aneurysm volume corresponded to an average 4 mm increase in diameter (R² = 0.72, p < 0.001). Significant predictors of overall endoleak included dual antiplatelet therapy, aneurysm length > 133 mm, elevated pre- and postoperative D-dimer levels, aneurysm diameter > 59 mm, aneurysm volume > 164 cm³, and thrombus volume > 89 cm³. Subtype-specific analyses identified distinct risk profiles for type Ia, Ib, II, and III endoleaks. Overall survival did not differ significantly between patients with and without endoleaks (p = 0.227), although worse survival was observed in type Ia and III endoleaks than in type II and Ib endoleaks. Conclusions: Preoperative morphovolumetric parameters are significant predictors of post-EVAR endoleaks and secondary interventions. Volumetric analysis may provide a complementary early signal of aneurysm sac remodeling beyond conventional diameter-based assessment, particularly in patients with type II endoleaks. However, the proposed volumetric thresholds remain exploratory and require prospective external validation before routine clinical adoption. Post-EVAR management should integrate endoleak subtype, sac behavior, and patient-specific morphovolumetric risk factors to improve surveillance and treatment selection. Full article

Background/Objectives: Although COVID-19 is generally more severe in males, data on sex-specific differences in the predictive value of commonly used inflammatory biomarkers remain limited. The study aimed to evaluate the sex-specific prognostic performance of selected biomarkers during the Alpha variant wave. Methods: In single-center study, univariate and multivariable regressions analyses, along with receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses, were performed to assess the association of acute-phase proteins, cytokines, and white blood cell indices (at admission and 7 days later) and disease severity and mortality in patients with severe-to-critical COVID-19. Results: At admission, the combined assessment of ferritin and D-dimer predicted disease severity in both sexes; however, optimal cut-off values and diagnostic performance (specificity and sensitivity) differed between males and females. In males, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts provided additional clinically relevant predictive value. Seven days after admission, the combination of ferritin, D-dimer, and fibrinogen in males, and ferritin, as an independent predictor within a model including lactate dehydrogenase, in females demonstrated strong predictive performance for severe-to-critical COVID-19. At this time-point, lymphocyte count in males was also identified as an independent predictor of disease severity. Notably, C-reactive protein and neutrophil count correlated with mortality in males with severe-to-critical disease. Conclusions: Severe COVID-19 is predicted by distinct acute-phase proteins and shared, sex-specific biomarkers, but with distinct cut-offs and predictive accuracy. In males, white blood cell indices also serve as independent predictors. Furthermore, prognostic utility changes of these biomarkers over the course of the disease, suggesting sex-specific and time-dependent role in COVID-19 pathogenesis. Full article

Background: Long COVID in children is increasingly recognized, yet its clinical predictors and objective biological correlates remain insufficiently characterized. Objectives: The objective was to compare clinical, demographic, and laboratory characteristics between children with and without long COVID and to identify associated variables. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational case–control study at the “Dr. Victor Gomoiu” Children’s Clinical Hospital, including pediatric patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cases were defined as children with symptoms persisting ≥12 weeks after acute infection, while controls had no persistent symptoms at ≥12 weeks. Results: Eighty-nine children with long COVID and 88 matched controls were included. Children with long COVID were significantly older (1.79 ± 0.90 vs. 1.14 ± 0.80 years, p < 0.001) and more frequently from urban areas (86.5% vs. 69.3%, p = 0.0099). Lymphocyte, monocyte, and basophil counts were significantly lower in the Long COVID group, while D-dimer, ferritin, serum iron, urea, and creatinine levels were significantly higher. A multivariate predictive model demonstrated excellent discrimination (AUC = 0.94), with optimal sensitivity (84.3%) and specificity (89.8%) at a probability threshold of 0.48. Conclusions: Long COVID in children was associated with identifiable clinicobiological features. An exploratory composite model showed good discrimination but requires external validation. Full article

Primary pulmonary artery sarcoma (PPAS) is a mesenchymal tumor originating from the pulmonary artery, accounting for approximately 0.001–0.003% of all sarcomas. The early clinical symptoms are atypical, and diagnosis is often delayed, making the management of this disease challenging. The widespread availability of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT), and high-resolution echocardiography has significantly improved the diagnostic capability for PPAS. We herein report a 74-year-old female patient who presented with a 3-week history of exertional dyspnea without an apparent trigger. She had received anti-inflammatory therapy at another hospital for one week. Five days before admission, she experienced right-sided chest pain without apparent cause, which was respiratory-related. On the day of admission, laboratory tests revealed a slight elevation in D-dimer levels. Echocardiography showed an irregular, moderately echogenic mass at the origin of the right pulmonary artery. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the chest revealed a filling defect in the right pulmonary artery accompanied by bilateral pleural effusion. The patient was given heparin anticoagulation therapy. To confirm the nature of these lesions, a PET/CT scan was conducted five days after admission, which indicated hypermetabolism in the right pulmonary artery, suggesting primary pulmonary artery sarcoma. Due to the poor efficacy of anticoagulation therapy, the patient continued to experience breath-holding after physical activity. Subsequently, catheter-guided interventional angiography was carried out for pulmonary artery thrombectomy and biopsy, and histopathological examination revealed pulmonary artery sarcoma. Given the patient’s respiratory failure and heart failure, as well as the uncertain efficacy of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, interventional pulmonary artery thrombectomy alleviated the chest pain. Currently, the patient’s overall condition is stable. Full article

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a chronic vascular disease characterized by localized dilatation of the abdominal aorta. This condition is frequently underdiagnosed and carries a high mortality rate (65–85%) due to aneurysm rupture. Although numerous candidate biomarkers have been identified for AAA, none have been successfully implemented in clinical diagnostic procedures for AAA screening. This highlights the critical need for the discovery and validation of reliable biomarkers to improve early detection and risk stratification in AAA. Therefore, in our study, we aimed to identify small AAA (sAAA) biomarker candidates among the key cytokines and receptors of IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-17 families on gene expression and plasma protein levels. Comparative analysis was conducted between a group of 100 men with sAAA (<54 mm in diameter) and a group of 100 men without AAA. Expression profiles of the analyzed cytokines and their receptors were obtained in peripheral blood mononuclear cells using real-time PCR, while plasma levels of selected encoded proteins were determined using ELISA. The mean expression of IL10RA, IL17RA, CXCL8, and IL1B, as well as the plasma levels of IL-17A, were significantly different between the sAAA and Control groups, with CXCL8 and IL1B exhibiting a strong mutual correlation. The diagnostic model incorporating these biomarker candidates and D-dimer levels showed a fair classification performance (ROC-AUC = 0.756), with a sensitivity and specificity of approximately 0.7. The selected biomarker candidates were functionally associated with fibroblast activation, neutrophil chemotaxis, T-helper cell function, and cell adhesion and proliferation. Cytokines selected as biomarker candidates represent a promising field for further studies on the identification of diagnostic targets for the early detection of AAA. Full article

Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor 1a (GHS-R1a) is a key G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) governing feeding and energy homeostasis. Accumulating evidence shows that GHS-R1a forms functional heterodimers with multiple metabolic-related GPCRs, including dopamine 2 receptor (D2R), melanocortin 3 receptor (MC3R), 5-hydroxytryptamine 2c receptor (5-HT2cR), orexin receptor 1 (OX1R) and cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R). These heterodimers undergo distinct signal transduction reprogramming, generating novel physiological effects that are not observed with individual receptors: for instance, GHS-R1a/D2R mediates an atypical calcium signaling pathway to regulate appetite, while GHS-R1a/5-HT2cR antagonizes ghrelin-induced orexigenic effects. Meanwhile, diverse detection techniques, including co-immunoprecipitation and fluorescence resonance energy transfer, have been developed to identify and validate GHS-R1a heterodimerization, laying a solid foundation for mechanistic research. This review systematically summarizes the molecular mechanisms of GHS-R1a heterodimer formation, the characteristic signal regulation patterns of different heterodimers, and their specific regulatory roles in feeding circuits. Furthermore, we discuss the existing research gaps in this field, such as the lack of in vivo detection methods for heterodimers and the unclear structural basis of dimerization. Finally, we highlight the potential of targeting specific GHS-R1a heterodimers as a novel therapeutic strategy for obesity and anorexia, providing new directions for future pharmaceutical development and clinical translation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Secondary bacterial infections in subjects hospitalized with COVID-19 are associated with longer hospital stays and an increased risk of death. Thus, identifying the risk factors associated with bacterial complications in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection is clinically important. Methods: We analysed the collected records of all adult patients diagnosed with an acute COVID-19 infection who were admitted to the Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Warsaw, Poland, between March 2020 and November 2021. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with bacterial infections complicating the SARS-CoV-2 course. Results: The records of 1963 patients were analysed; 1128 (57.4%) of the patients were male, the median age of the cohort was 63 years (IQR: 50–74 years), and 202 patients (10%) died. A bacterial infection complicating the course of COVID-19 was diagnosed in 351 (18%) patients. In a multivariate logistic regression model the only factors identified as independently associated with an increased odds of bacterial infection were age (OR per decade: 1.21, p = 0.016), length of hospitalization (OR per day: 1.12, p < 0.001), and D-dimer concentration (OR per 500 units: 1.01, p = 0.048). Conclusions: Shortening the length of hospitalization of patients with COVID-19 can reduce the risk of bacterial infection complications, especially in elderly individuals. Coagulation system activation in COVID-19 patients increases the risk of a bacterial infection. Full article

A novel cleft-type cholic acid dimer was synthesized from native bile acid through a six-step reaction sequence. Structural characterization was performed using FTIR, 1D NMR (¹H, ¹³C and DEPT135), 2D NMR (¹H,¹H COSY; ¹H,¹³C HSQC; ¹H,¹³C HMBC) and ESI-MS (+). The dimer could entrap both polar and nonpolar guests within its invertible pockets, adapting to changes in solvent polarity. Specifically, UV–Vis absorption and in silico simulations revealed a moderately stable 1:1 host–guest complex for the dimer with Cresol Red sodium salt in an organic solvent. The docked dimer–pyrene complex, investigated by molecular modeling studies, demonstrated an identical 1:1 binding ratio and moderate stability in the micromolar concentration range. Steady-state fluorescence investigations implied that the quenching of pyrene emission by the dimer in an aqueous environment was chiefly a collisional or dynamic pathway rather than the generation of a ground-state dimer–pyrene assembly. Full article

This study investigated the association between serum hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) levels and clinical severity in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This prospective case–control study included 91 patients with confirmed COVID-19, of whom 51 had severe-critical disease with pneumonia and 40 had mild disease without pneumonia, as well as 39 healthy controls. Vital signs, including body temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and blood pressure, were recorded. Biochemical parameters such as complete blood count, D-dimer, ferritin, creatinine, urea, and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T were analyzed. Serum HIF-1α levels were measured using ELISA. Median HIF-1α levels were 132.9 pg/mL (IQR: 131.7–138.0) in the severe-critical disease group, 137.35 pg/mL (IQR: 131.65–152.75) in the mild disease group, and 136.6 pg/mL (IQR: 132.2–162.2) in controls. Significant differences were observed between groups (p = 0.012). ROC analysis showed a discriminatory performance for HIF-1α, with a sensitivity of 89.01% and specificity of 35.90% at a cut-off value of ≤154 pg/mL for distinguishing mild disease from controls, and a sensitivity of 86.3% and specificity of 42.5% at a cut-off value of ≤141.1 pg/mL for distinguishing severe-critical disease from mild disease. HIF-1α levels decreased with increasing disease severity. HIF-1α levels were found to be associated with disease severity; however, the low AUC values indicate that this parameter has limited discriminative ability for clinical use when used alone. Full article

Extremity vascular malformations in children and adolescents are congenital vascular developmental abnormalities that often present to pediatric orthopedic surgeons with pain, swelling, restricted motion, contracture, gait disturbance, limb asymmetry, and growth-related deformity rather than with an obvious vascular phenotype. The orthopedic importance of these lesions lies less in surface appearance than in their potential to affect muscle balance, joint integrity, osseous development, and peri-procedural safety. This review translates contemporary vascular anomaly classification and multidisciplinary management pathways into a practical orthopedic framework for diagnosis, referral, and longitudinal limb management. The most useful first step is to distinguish low-flow from high-flow lesions and then define lesion depth, periarticular or osseous involvement, coagulopathy risk, and syndromic overgrowth phenotype. Ultrasound is usually the first-line imaging modality for flow characterization, whereas magnetic resonance imaging is the cornerstone for defining extent and planning treatment. Plain radiographs remain highly relevant for identifying phleboliths, osseous remodeling, arthropathy, contracture-related deformity, and limb-length discrepancy. Venous malformations generally warrant pathway-based coagulation assessment, especially D-dimer and fibrinogen, because localized intravascular coagulopathy has direct implications for intervention and surgery. Arteriovenous malformations are best managed within specialist multidisciplinary teams. Fibro-adipose vascular anomaly and syndromic overgrowth phenotypes warrant particular attention because they frequently drive pain, contracture, and progressive limb imbalance. Outcome assessment in this field should extend beyond lesion size and incorporate pain, function, quality of life, and growth-related consequences. For pediatric orthopedic surgeons, management should move from late deformity correction toward early classification, early referral, longitudinal surveillance of joint and growth-related complications, and careful integration of local, surgical, and systemic therapies. Full article

Background/Objectives: Diagnosing periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after megaprosthetic reconstruction may be difficult due to altered inflammatory responses, extensive prior surgery, and the limited performance of conventional criteria such as the 2018 ICM score. Synovial calprotectin is a rapid neutrophil-derived biomarker that may improve diagnostic accuracy in this challenging setting. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of synovial calprotectin in detecting periprosthetic infection in patients treated with tumor megaprostheses; secondary aims included comparison with ICM classification, assessment in infection classification-inconclusive cases, and exploratory performance in patients with low CRP. Methods: This prospective study included 20 consecutive megaprosthesis patients evaluated for suspected PJI at ATTIKON University Hospital, Athens, with a minimum follow-up of 1 year after biomarker testing. Synovial calprotectin was measured using a lateral-flow assay (positive ≥ 50 mg/L) and compared with a predefined infection reference standard. ICM final status (0 = aseptic, 1 = inconclusive, 2 = infected) was recorded for all cases. Other synovial biomarkers (α-defensin, leukocyte esterase, synovial D-dimer) were not routinely available. The cohort had a mean age of 52.9 ± 22.5 years, 70% were male, and reconstructions involved the knee (80%), hip (15%), and humerus (5%). Preoperative cultures were positive in 40%, the median systemic WBC was 7100/μL, and the median time from last surgery to testing was 1.0 years (IQR 0.46–2.0). Among infected cases, the most common microorganisms were coagulase-negative staphylococci (61.5%) and Staphylococcus aureus (23.1%), with 30.8% demonstrating polymicrobial infection. Results: Thirteen of 20 patients (65%) were classified as infected. Using the ≥50 mg/L threshold, synovial calprotectin demonstrated high apparent diagnostic accuracy in this exploratory cohort, and no false positives, yielding a sensitivity of 92.3%, specificity of 100%, PPV of 100%, NPV of 87.5%, LR+ = ∞, and LR− = 0.08. The AUC for continuous values was 1.00. Agreement with the ICM final classification was substantial (κ = 0.76), with no directional discordance (McNemar p = 1.00). Among the three ICM-inconclusive cases, calprotectin correctly reclassified two (66.7%). In patients with low CRP (<10 mg/L), a clinically difficult subgroup, calprotectin maintained strong performance (sensitivity 75%, specificity 100%, NPV 85.7%). Conclusion: Synovial calprotectin demonstrated promising diagnostic performance for PJI in megaprosthesis patients, with high sensitivity and specificity, and substantial agreement with the 2018 ICM criteria. It successfully clarified most ICM-inconclusive cases and remained reliable even in patients with low CRP. These findings support calprotectin as a valuable adjunctive biomarker in the complex diagnostic environment of megaprosthetic reconstruction and justify further validation in larger cohorts. Full article

Pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a frequent and potentially fatal condition, with early mortality largely driven by (RV) failure and hemodynamic collapse. Rapid and accurate prognostic assessment is therefore central to management. Current European Society of Cardiology (ESC) strategies rely first on hemodynamic status to identify high-risk patients requiring urgent reperfusion consideration, and then—when patients are normotensive—on a stepwise approach combining clinical risk scores, RV imaging, and circulating biomarkers. Clinical tools such as HESTIA and the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI)/simplified PESI (sPESI) enable early identification of low-risk patients suitable for outpatient pathways and stratify 30-day mortality risk, but do not integrate biological data. Consequently, biomarkers have an expanding role in refining prognosis, particularly within the heterogeneous intermediate-risk group. This review provides a practical overview of established and emerging biomarkers for PE risk stratification. Conventional cardiac biomarkers—troponins and natriuretic peptides (BNP/NT-proBNP)—reflect RV myocardial injury and strain and, when combined with imaging evidence of RV dysfunction, allow discrimination between intermediate–low- and intermediate–high-risk PE, guiding monitoring intensity and escalation strategies. D-dimer, while essential in diagnostic algorithms because of its high negative predictive value, has only an adjunctive and indirect prognostic role. Beyond these markers, growing evidence supports additional biomarkers capturing complementary pathways: neurohormonal stress (copeptin), early myocardial injury (H-FABP), inflammation and hypoxia (GDF-15), tissue hypoperfusion (lactate), and molecular regulation (circulating microRNAs). Readily available inflammatory indices derived from blood counts (NLR, PLR, LMR), red cell distribution width, and hs-CRP may further contribute within multimarker models, although specificity and validation remain limitations. Future directions include multimodal and omics-driven biomarker profiling integrated with advanced imaging to enable more precise, dynamic, and personalized PE care, from acute risk prediction to long-term follow-up and prevention of chronic thromboembolic complications. Full article

Background: Intensive care units (ICUs) provide management of critically ill patients requiring continuous monitoring and complex therapeutic interventions. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical and biological characteristics associated with mortality in patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Methods: This retrospective observational study included 108 adult patients admitted to the Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit of the “Sf. Apostol Andrei” Emergency County Clinical Hospital in Galați, who were in a coma at the time of admission. Demographic data, comorbidities, clinical parameters and biological biomarkers determined at admission were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS program and included non-parametric tests (Mann–Whitney U), Spearman correlation analysis, multivariate logistic regression and ROC curve analysis to evaluate the predictive performance of biomarkers. Results: Hypertension (60.2%) and diabetes mellitus (35.2%) were the most common comorbidities. Comparative analysis revealed significant differences between deceased and surviving patients for several biological parameters, including leukocytes, C-reactive protein, LDH, D-dimers, INR and APTT. In multivariate analysis, LDH (OR = 0.998; p < 0.001) and APTT (OR = 0.951; p = 0.033) remained independently associated with mortality. ROC analysis revealed good discrimination capacity for LDH (AUC ≈ 0.805) and moderate performance for APTT. Conclusions: Determination of LDH and APTT at the time of admission to the ICU may provide useful information for assessing the prognosis of critically ill patients and for early stratification of mortality risk. Full article