Postgraduate medical journal
-
Methylphenidate is mainly used for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactive-disorder (ADHD). Its effect of increased attentiveness leads to the potential of off-label use by students for academic enhancement-previously demonstrated in undergraduate students. No publication exists on postgraduate student use of methylphenidate. ⋯ Off-label use of methylphenidate is prevalent in MMed students registered at this South African university. The prevalence is significantly higher than in undergraduate medical students. The non-conventional means of access is of great concern. Efforts should be made to discourage self-prescription, educate students on the dangers of methylphenidate use, promote better access regulation and enhance psychological support.
-
Several predictors of COVID-19 severity have been reported. However, chronic airway inflammation characterised by accumulated lymphocytes or eosinophils may affect the pathogenesis of COVID-19. ⋯ Eosinopaenia and elevated LDH are potential predictors of disease severity in patients with COVID-19 with underlying chronic airway diseases. In addition, they could indicate disease progression and treatment effectiveness.
-
The purpose of this review is to raise the index of suspicion for paradoxical embolism among generalists. The review is based solely on anecdotal reports compiled from EMBASE, MEDLINE, Googlescholar and Pubmed. Search terms were 'paradoxical embolism', 'pulmonary embolism' and 'pulmonary arteriovenous malformations'. ⋯ Stroke was by far the commonest systemic manifestation of paradoxical embolism. Some strokes were attributable to pulmonary arteriovenous malformations with or without coexistence of intracardiac shunts. Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for paradoxical embolism because of its time-sensitive dimension when it occurs in the context of involvement of the intracranial circulation, coronary circulation, mesenteric circulation, and peripheral limb circulation.
-
Pulmonary cancer is a kind of deeply invasive tumour which is difficult to treat, and its mortality rate is high. Previous research has shown that activation of complement could contribute to the progression of non-small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, little research has been done on SCLC. ⋯ CFH can be recognised as a biomarker to predict the risk of death in SCLC. The prediction model established based on CFH, C3 and C4 levels has good accuracy in patients' prognostic assessment.