Irish journal of medical science
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The participation of inflammation in the progression of cancer for many years have been the subject of research. ⋯ In this article we present a brief history of the discovery mechanisms and potential links between acute and chronic inflammation and cancer.
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Breast cancer in women under 40 years of age is rare and typically presents symptomatically. The optimal imaging modality for this patient group is controversial. Most women undergo ultrasonography with/without mammography. Young women typically have dense breasts, which can obscure the features of malignancy on film mammography, however, initial studies have suggested that digital mammography may have a more accurate diagnostic performance in younger women. Ultrasound generally performs well in this age group, although it is poor at detecting carcinoma in situ (DCIS). ⋯ This study demonstrates the superior sensitivity of ultrasound for breast cancer in women under the age of 40 years, however, the results show that digital mammography has an important complimentary role in the comprehensive assessment of these patients, particularly in the diagnosis of DCIS.
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The location and staging of a colorectal cancer (CRC) determine prognosis and choice of treatment. We examined the sub-site, sex, and stage distribution for CRC in Ireland for patients diagnosed in the period immediately prior to the implementation of a national screening programme. ⋯ There was a distal-to-proximal shift and a trend towards diagnosis at late stage during 1994-2012. Some reversal of this trend is expected following the implementation of a national screening programme.
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Sepsis is the most frequent cause of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are well-known predictors of sepsis. Serum PCT levels are associated with blood culture positivity in patients with sepsis, but the magnitude of elevation of PCT and CRP levels at the onset of sepsis is unknown in Gram-negative (GN) bacteremia and in Gram-positive (GP) bacteremia. ⋯ Serum PCT levels are higher in GN sepsis than GP sepsis in 72 h. There are not differences in CRP. The separation of PCT and CRP phenomenon is helpful for early diagnosis of GP sepsis.
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Observational Study
Cardiac arrest secondary to acute coronary syndrome: a 4-year observational study of patient characteristics and outcomes.
Cardiac arrest due to ischaemia is frequently the first manifestation of cardiovascular disease. We sought to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with a diagnosis of cardiac arrest secondary to acute coronary syndrome (ACS). ⋯ A significant proportion of patients admitted to the intensive care unit with a diagnosis of cardiac arrest secondary to acute coronary syndrome survive to hospital discharge with meaningful recovery in neurological and cardiac function.