The Libyan journal of medicine
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Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is associated with poor prognosis and risk of acute heart failure after liver transplantation or interventional procedures. We aimed to assess the relationship between the severity of cardiac impairment and hepatic disease. Eighty patients and eighty controls underwent echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging and speckle tracking measures. ⋯ Left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly lower in decompensated patients as compared to compensated patients(p = 0.02).. We did not identify any association between severity of liver disease and cardiac dysfunction. Therefore, a transthoracic echocardiography should be performed in all cirrhotic patients before interventional and surgical procedures regardless of the severity of liver disease.
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The aim of the present study was to locate the ophthalmic artery by using the edge of the internal carotid artery (ICA) as the reference depth to perform a reliable non-invasive intracranial pressure measurement via a multi-depth transcranial Doppler device and to then determine the positions and angles of an ultrasonic transducer (UT) on the closed eyelid in the case of located segments. High tension glaucoma (HTG) patients and healthy volunteers (HVs) undergoing non-invasive intracranial pressure measurement were selected for this prospective study. The depth of the edge of the ICA was identified, followed by a selection of the depths of the IOA and EOA segments. ⋯ The difference in the located depths of the segments between groups was not statistically significant. The results showed a significant difference in the measured UT angles in the case of the identified edge of the ICA and selected ophthalmic artery segments (p = 0.0002). We demonstrated that locating the IOA and EOA segments can be achieved using the edge of the ICA as a reference point.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of listening to Holy Qur'an recitation and physical training on dialysis efficacy, functional capacity, and psychosocial outcomes in elderly patients undergoing haemodialysis.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether listening to Holy Qur'an recitation would augment the beneficial effects of physical exercise on physiological and psychological measures in elderly patients undergoing haemodialysis. Fifty-three male haemodialysis patients were randomly assigned to an intervention group (listening to Holy Qur'an recitation in combination with endurance-resistance training, n = 28) or a control group (endurance-resistance training only, n = 25). Functional capacity was assessed using the Timed Up and Go test (TUG) and the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT). ⋯ All measured parameters were significantly improved over baseline in both groups, except for Kt/V in the control group (p > 0.05). Moreover, final measurements were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group for all measured parameters, except for 6MWT performance and the physical component summary of the SF-36 (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the present study showed that listening to a recitation of the Holy Qur'an in combination with interdialytic endurance-resistance training induced an improvement in physical condition and quality of life and a large reduction in anxiety among patients undergoing haemodialysis.
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The aim of this study was to investigate whether dexmedetomidine - administered before ischemia - has protective effects against lower extremity ischemia reperfusion injury that induced by clamping and subsequent declamping of infra-renal abdominal aorta in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. ⋯ We found that dexmedetomidine - 100 μg/kg intraperitoneally - administered 30 minutes before ischemia in diabetic rats ameliorates lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress, and I-R-related renal injury. We suggest that dexmedetomidine administration in diabetic rats before I/R has renoprotective effects.
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Observational Study
Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of an Arabic language version of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire in Lebanon.
Patients' positive illness perceptions (IPs) significantly contribute to treatment success. The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ) is widely used in various diseases for assessing IPs. It was developed in English-speaking countries and studies on it in Arab countries are scarce. ⋯ We confirm that the Brief IPQ-Ar is appropriate for exploring IPs in cardiac disease patients whose first language is Arabic. Further research should be conducted to test this Arabic version in other types of diseases.