Medicine
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Efficacy and complications of polyethylene glycols for treatment of constipation in children: a meta-analysis.
Constipation is a common childhood complaint. In 90% to 95% of children, constipation is functional, which means that there is no objective evidence of an underlying pathological condition. Polyethylene glycol (PEG or macrogol) solution is an osmotic laxative agent that is absorbed in only trace amounts from the gastrointestinal tract and routinely used to treat chronic constipation in adults. ⋯ PEG-based laxatives are effective and safe for chronic constipation and for resolving fecal impaction in children. Children's acceptance of PEG-based laxatives appears to be better than non-PEG laxatives. Optimal dosages, routes of administration, and PEG regimens should be determined in future randomized controlled studies and meta-analyses.
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Observational Study
Prevalence of and factors influencing impaired glucose tolerance among hepatitis B carriers: a nationwide cross-sectional study in the Republic of Korea.
Diabetes is associated with a poor prognosis for liver disease, particularly in chronic hepatitis carriers. We investigated the prevalence of factors associated with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) including diabetes and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) among individuals with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. We used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted between 2007 and 2011. ⋯ Being a man and older in age were associated with a higher prevalence of IGT, and individuals with a low body mass index were at lower risk for IGT. Given the synergistic effect of diabetes and HBV infection on liver disease prognosis, we recommend targeted IGT screening and follow-up for HBV carriers. These efforts should include health policies and intervention programs aimed at reducing educational disparities and encouraging early control of elevated liver enzymes or lipid profiles.
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Observational Study
New microbleeds after thrombolysis: contiguous thin-slice 3T MRI.
We aimed to determine the frequency of new microbleeds after intravenous thrombolysis using contiguous thin-slice 3T magnetic resonance imaging. We retrospectively examined clinical and imaging data from 121 consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients who underwent magnetic resonance imaging before and 24 hours after intravenous thrombolysis. Of the included patients, 44 (36.4%) were women, with a median age of 69 years (range, 35-94 years). ⋯ The frequency of neither symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage nor remote hemorrhage or any hemorrhagic transformation was different between patients with and without new microbleeds (0.0% vs 1.7%, P > 0.99; 0.0% vs 1.7%, P > 0.99; 50.0% vs 28.7%, P =0.36). New microbleeds developed rapidly 24 hours after intravenous thrombolysis. The significance of these new microbleeds and their effect on cognitive and functional outcome merits further investigation.
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The aim of this article is to investigate the cortical metabolic arrangements in olfactory processing by using F fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography. Twenty-six normosmic individuals (14 women and 12 men; mean age 46.7 ± 10 years) were exposed to a neutral olfactory condition (NC) and, after 1 month, to a pure olfactory condition (OC) in a relatively ecological environment, that is, outside the scanner. All the subjects were injected with 185-210 megabecquerel of F FDG during both stimulations. ⋯ As a result, we found a significant higher glucose consumption during OC in the cuneus, lingual, and parahippocampal gyri, mainly in the left hemisphere. During NC, our results show a relative higher glucose metabolism in the left superior, inferior, middle, medial frontal, and orbital gyri as well as in the anterior cingulate cortex. The present investigation, performed with a widely available functional imaging clinical tool, may help to better understand the neural responses associated to olfactory processing in healthy individuals and in patients with olfactory disorders by acquiring data in an ecologic, noise-free, and resting condition in which possible cerebral activations related to unwanted attentional processes might be avoided.
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Observational Study
Combined alkaline phosphatase and phosphorus levels as a predictor of mortality in maintenance hemodialysis patients.
Hyperphosphatemia-induced vascular calcification and higher alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels-related high-turnover bone diseases are linked to mortality among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Nonetheless, no large epidemiological study in patients with CKD has been conducted to investigate the interaction and joint effect of hyperphosphatemia and higher ALP levels on mortality. We analyzed 11,912 maintenance hemodialysis patients from January 2005 to December 2010. ⋯ The association between serum phosphorus levels and mortality was not limited to higher ALP levels. Regardless of serum ALP levels, we may control serum phosphorus levels merely toward the normal range. While considering the joint effect of ALP and hyperphosphatemia on mortality, the optimal phosphorus range should be stricter.