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Background. Shared decision making (SDM) is becoming more and more important for the patient-physician interaction. There has not been a study in Romania evaluating patients’ point of view in the SDM process yet. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the psychometric parameters of the translated Romanian version of SDM-Q-9. Material and methods. A multicentric cross-sectional study was performed comprising eight recruitment centers. The sample consisted of in- and outpatients who referred to Hospital Units for treatment for atrial fibrillation or collagen diseases. Furthermore, patients who were members of Autoimmune Disease Patient Society were able to participate via an online survey. All participants completed the Romanian translated SDM-Q-9. Results. Altogether, 665 questionnaires were filled in within the hospital setting (n = 324; 48.7%) and online (n = 341; 51.3%). The Romanian version had good internal consistency (Cronbach α coefficient of 0.96.) Corrected item correlations were good ranging from 0.64 to 0.89 with low corrected item correlations for item 1 and item 7. PCA found a one-factorial solution (similar with previous reports) but the first item had the lowest loading. Conclusion. SDM-Q-9 is a useful tool for evaluation and improvement in health care that was validated in Romania and can be used in clinical setting in this country.

Background Shared decision making (SDM) is very important from patients' perspective. This process has not yet been evaluated in Romania. The study aims to evaluate SDM from the patients' perspective and to evaluate patients' characteristics that associate with SDM. Material and methods A cross‐sectional multicentric study comprising eight recruitment centres was performed. Inpatients and outpatients who referred to Hospital Units treating autoimmune diseases or atrial fibrillation were included. Another sample consisted of members of the Autoimmune Disease Patient Society, who completed an online anonymous questionnaire. All participants completed the Romanian translated version of the 9‐item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire (SDM‐Q‐9), as these samples were used for the validation of this questionnaire, too. Patients had to refer to the visit in which the decision concerning the antithrombotic treatment was taken (atrial fibrillation patients), or the immunosuppressive treatment was last time changed (autoimmune disease patients). Ordinal regression having the total SDM score as dependent variable was used. Results A total of 665 questionnaires were filled in within the hospital setting (n = 324; 48.7%) and online (n = 341; 51.3%). The median score for SDM was 34 of 45, but it differed between hospital completion –39/45 and online completion (anonymous) –20/45 (P < .001). Patients with higher education were influenced most by the setting, giving the best marks in hospital and low marks online, while those with lower education gave lower marks in both settings. In ordinal regression with SDM score as dependent variable, hospital completion of the questionnaire (OR = 9.5, 95% confidence interval, 5.69‐16), collagen disease diagnosis (OR = 2.4, 95% confidence interval, 1.39‐4.14), and immunosuppressive treatment (OR = 2.16, 95% confidence interval, 1.43‐3.26) were independent predictors. Conclusion In our study, full anonymity was associated with significantly lower scores for the SDM process. The patients with higher education were most influenced by this condition, while those with the lowest education were the most critical.

Cystic hydatid disease commonly affects the liver and lungs. Cardiac hydatid cysts are a rare occurrence and can cause fatal complications, including anaphylactic shock, systemic or pulmonary embolism, dissemination, arrhythmias, valvular dysfunction or sudden death. The case of a 19-year-old male from a rural area who was admitted to the emergency room with anaphylactic shock is presented in the current study. The patient was subsequently referred to the Department of Pneumology due to a mild fever, a dry cough and thoracic pain. Pneumonia was suspected and antibiotics were administered. As the patient didn't respond to the antibiotics, a pulmonary CT-scan was performed, which demonstrated a bilateral pulmonary embolism of the segmental arteries and the patient was referred to the Department of Cardiology. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) demonstrated the presence of a right ventricular mass of ~25x18 mm, attached to its free wall, adjacent to the tricuspid valve causing no tricuspid inflow obstruction. Blood tests were positive for echinococcal infection. Considering that previous reviews had included cases published up until 2018, the present study also included a short literature review of the studies published between 2018 and 2021. The review showed that cardiac hydatid cysts are diagnosed more often in underdeveloped countries, especially in men. Transthoracic echocardiography is the most useful non-invasive imaging technique for diagnosis. Surgery is the treatment of choice, but consideration must be given to the risk-benefit ratio and the shared decision-making approach. The complete surgical removal of the cyst(s) is the major prognosis factor of the cardiac manifestation. This study emphasizes the importance of considering cardiac echinococcosis as a potential diagnosis in patients from endemic or farming areas.

Anaphylactic shock became, unfortunately, a common presence in Romanian mass-media, due to some fatal cases in the last months. The coincidence that in December 2014 the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and the Joint Council of Allergy Asthma and Immunology released Practice parameters offers a good opportunity to renew for all practitioners what is now considered the "golden standard" of good practice. Epinephrine must be considered the cornerstone and the most urgent measure to be applied in these cases, immediately after the diagnosis. A very important notice is to forget the administration of antihistamines or corticosteroids as first line therapy instead of epinephrine. Proper positioning of the subjects and quick fluid replacement (1-2 1 of normal saline in a few minutes) are also mandatory.

Cardiovascular complications induced by adjuvant cancer therapies may become symptomatic after many years, being responsible for increased morbidity and mortality in long-term survivors. We report a case of a 54-year old female admitted for severe heart failure induced by myocardial and valvular damage after postoperative adjuvant therapy for left breast cancer 6 years ago. Her recent history revealed nonST elevation myocardial infarction in the absence of significant cardiovascular risk factors. Transthoracic echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging and speckle-tracking imaging revealed severe biventricular systolic dysfunction, severe mitral and tricuspid regurgitation and severe pulmonary hypertension.

Cardiac lipomas are generally asymptomatic even in large dimensions. Echocardiograms can identify tumors, but cardiac magnetic resonance imaging or cardiac computerized tomography can differentiate cardiac lipomas from other cardiac tumors. The present study is a case report of an asymptomatic 30-year-old man diagnosed with atrial lipoma. The patient received cardiac surgery and the intervention consisted of exclusion of the right atrial (RA) tumor and reconstruction of the right atrium with 'XenoSure' patch in extracorporeal circulation through a minimally invasive approach. A short PubMed literature review was performed and 26 cases of RA lipomas with available details were found. Cardiac tumors may cause clinical presentation through different pathways. Symptoms related to an RA lipoma were present in 21 out of 26 patients (80%). The symptoms varied greatly, dyspnea being the most common of them. In one case, the lipoma was found during the autopsy of a patient after sudden death. Large cardiac lipomas can lead to complications such as obstruction of ventricular outflow tract, electric disorders, embolism or pericardial effusion. Obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract was reported in 11 out of 26 patients (42%) diagnosed with RA lipoma. Generally, atrial lipoma can have various sizes. The most useful imaging technique was transthoracic echocardiography. Accurate diagnosis and evaluation of cardiac lipoma is dependent on multimodality imaging methods, including cardiac magnetic resonance. Surgery is the treatment of choice, but the risk-benefit ratio must be considered, and shared decision making must be taken into account. The present review data showed that 23 out of 25 patients (92%) underwent surgery. Among these patients, only 1 out of 23 received a minimally invasive approach in 2021. Cardiac lipomas are rare entities, usually asymptomatic, that can occur at any age. The most useful diagnostic method of cardiac tumors is echocardiography, but nuclear magnetic resonance can also specify the type and characteristics of tumors.

People living with human immunodeficiency virus have an increased cardiovascular risk due to higher prevalence of traditional risk factors, such as smoking, dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, or obesity, and particular risk factors, such as inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and antiretroviral therapy. Thus, people living with human immunodeficiency virus can develop accelerated atherosclerosis. The incidence of coronary artery disease in these patients may be twice as high compared with that of HIV-negative individuals with similar characteristics. “Porcelain aorta” is a term used to describe extensive circumferential calcification of the thoracic aorta. The pathophysiology of porcelain aorta is not fully understood. We present a case of a young man who was a smoker and living with HIV since childhood, without other traditional cardiovascular risk factors, who presented to the emergency room with a positive stress test for myocardial ischemia. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed normal regional and global myocardial wall motion, ascending aorta ectasia, and moderate aortic regurgitation. Coronary angiography showed a critical calcified proximal left anterior descending artery stenosis and an important calcification of the thoracic aorta. Therefore, the most important challenge was the management of coronary syndrome in a young person living with HIV, with associated porcelain aorta and aortic regurgitation.