BioMed research international
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The syndrome of drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a rare, yet potentially fatal hypersensitivity reaction, most commonly associated with anticonvulsants, sulfonamides, and allopurinol. The reaction commonly manifests as a febrile skin eruption with lymphadenopathy and malaise between two and eight weeks following drug exposure. Internal organ involvement occurs in close to 90 percent of patients, and multiple organs may be involved in approximately half of those affected (most commonly the liver, kidney, and lung). Its long latency period and its variable clinical pattern of presentation have earned it the moniker of "the great mimicker," with delays in diagnosis leading to higher morbidity and mortality. Although less commonly affected in DRESS syndrome, lung involvement is associated with more severe clinical course and potentially worse outcome. Pulmonary symptoms may precede development of the other more common symptoms and signs of the syndrome, or they might develop later in the course of the disease. Lung involvement in DRESS presents with a plethora of manifestations from mild cough or dyspnea with nonspecific interstitial changes on chest imaging to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with life-threatening hypoxic respiratory failure. ⋯ Albeit rare, DRESS is a potentially life-threatening syndrome which may present with a myriad of pulmonary signs and symptoms. Pulmonary manifestations are less common but are typically seen in more severe cases. Pulmonary manifestations may be a presenting sign of DRESS, and timely recognition is important in order to stop offending medication and decrease morbidity and mortality.
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The impact of time (the golden period of trauma) on the outcome of severely injured patients has been well known for a long time. While the duration of the prehospital phase has changed only slightly (average time: ~66 min) since the TraumaRegister DGU® (TR-DGU®) was implemented, mortality rates have decreased within the last 20 years. This study analyzed the influence of prehospital time on the outcome of trauma patients in a matched-triplet analysis. ⋯ The results suggest that survival after severe trauma is not only a matter of short rescue time but more a matter of well-used rescue time including performance of vital measures already in the prehospital setting. This also includes that rescue teams identify the severity of injuries more rapidly in the most-severely injured patients in critical condition than in less-severely injured patients and plan their interventions accordingly.
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Several studies found that physicians develop a negative attitude toward biochemistry and genetics disciplines. Many medical schools adopt an integrated system-based curriculum supplemented with clinical correlations. Medical schools in Jordan switched to the integrated curriculum; however, studies that evaluate the attitude of physicians toward biochemistry and genetics are lacking. ⋯ Physicians in Jordan showed an overall positive attitude toward biochemistry and genetics. This was more evident among residents, physicians with more than five years of experience, or those practicing in the private sector.
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Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) is an available tumor biomarker mainly for detecting ovarian cancer. However, it is unknown whether it can be a novel indicator for diagnosis of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of serum HE4 as a novel biomarker for DKD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). ⋯ Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that increased HE4 level was a significant, independent risk factor for DKD (OR, 95% CI, 57.7, 3.0-1112.9, P < 0.001) after adjusting for factors associated with HE4. Increased serum HE4 level is associated with decreased renal function and increased risks of DKD in patients with DM. It displays a good diagnostic value for DKD.
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The endplate defects (EDs), Modic changes (MCs), disc degeneration (DD), facet orientation (FO), and facet tropism (FT) were demonstrated to be related to the low back pain (LBP). The aim of this study was to investigate possible correlations between them. ⋯ The relationship between weight, gender, and disc degeneration provided a mechanism by which increasing weight can predispose to DD. Different grades of EDs had different effects on patients with LBP. There was a significant correlation between EDs, MCs II, DD, FT, and FO.