BioMed research international
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Assessing excess adrenal hormones is important in patients with adrenal mass. Current screening tests for excess cortisol hormones are complex, so it cannot be done sometimes due to the limited medical resources. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can be used as an initial screening biomarker for Cushing's syndrome (CS) in patients with an adrenal mass. ⋯ The NLR may be useful for initial screening for CS among patients with an adrenal mass as an easy and convenient marker.
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Intrauterine balloon tamponade (IUBT) and compression sutures have been widely used in recent years in the management of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). However, there is scant literature directly comparing the clinical scenarios that led to the discriminant selection of these management modalities and the direct clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study is to compare the patient characteristics and clinical risk factors that led to the use of IUBT and compression sutures in the management of major PPH as well as the immediate outcome in a retrospective cohort. ⋯ There were no dominating patient characteristics that favoured the selection of either IUBT or compression sutures in the management of severe PPH except for the mode of delivery. Both procedures had equally high overall success rates to control PPH, but IUBT performed better in placenta praevia cases as compared to compression sutures.
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Antiseptic wound ointments are widely used to treat dermal wounds that are microbially contaminated. Polygalacturonic acid (PG)+caprylic acid (CAP) is a novel combination that has been shown to eradicate biofilms. We developed a novel PG+CAP ointment and compared the biofilm eradication capability and cytotoxicity of PG+CAP with that of commercially available antiseptic wound ointments. ⋯ Metabolic activity results followed a similar pattern. Cytotoxicity of PG+CAP ointment towards erythrocytes was comparable to saline. PG+CAP ointment seems to be safe and can rapidly eradicate microbial biofilm; thus, PG+CAP ointment merits further in vivo testing as a potential antimicrobial wound ointment.
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In emergency hospital settings, rapid diagnosis and isolation of SARS-CoV-2 patients are required. The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of an antigen chemiluminescence enzymatic immunoassay (CLEIA) and compare it with that of Real-time Reverse transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR), the gold standard assay, to assess its suitability as a rapid diagnostic method for managing patients in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ Data analysis demonstrated that the antigen test showed very good accuracy for discriminating SARS-CoV-2-infected patients from negative participants. The CLEIA is suitable for rapid clinical diagnosis of patients in hospital settings, particularly in EDs with a high prevalence of symptomatic patients and where a rapid turnaround time is critical. Timely and accurate testing for SARS-CoV-2 plays a crucial role in limiting the spread of the virus.
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External validation of a vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) prediction model is important before implementation in other settings. The primary aim of this study is to validate the Grobman prenatal VBAC calculator in the Ethiopian setting. Secondarily, the study was aimed at developing and comparing a new VBAC model that includes both the prenatal and intrapartum variables. ⋯ The success rate of VBAC was similar to other sub-Saharan African countries. The Grobman model performed adequately in the study setting; however, the model including both the prenatal and intrapartum variables was more predictive. Thus, intrapartum predictors used in the new model should be considered during intrapartum counseling.