Irish journal of medical science
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The Norton scale, a marker of patient frailty used to predict the risk of pressure ulcers, but the predictive value of the Norton scale for in-hospital mortality after adjustment for a wide range of demographic, and abnormal admission laboratory test results shown in themselves to have a high predictive value for in-hospital mortality is unclear. ⋯ The Norton scale and presence of a urinary catheter are important predictors of in-hospital mortality in acutely hospitalized adults in internal medicine departments.
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Kisspeptin has recently emerged as a key regulator of the reproductive axis in women. Kisspeptin, acting centrally via the kisspeptin receptor, stimulates the secretion of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH). ⋯ Understanding the role of kisspeptin may lead to its use as a biomarker in infertility diagnosis in UEI patients and might guide the use of kisspeptin analogues in selected patients for infertility management.
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Myocardial strain-change in myocardial fibre length over the cardiac cycle-is a measure of cardiac muscle function. It is obtained using conventional techniques such as echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging, adding additional clinical information to augment the current techniques. ⋯ This review explains advantages and disadvantages of myocardial strain imaging and explains why, through adding increased precision without additional burden, it should be a standard part of cardiac assessment.
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Traumatic injuries are among the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Major trauma presentations have seen a demographic shift recently from the young to the elderly, with significant associated neurological deficit. ⋯ Elderly patients with complete SCIs have poorer outcomes and mortality than those with less extensive SCIs. They require more resources, have greater risk of complications, and have higher mortality than those with incomplete SCIs, with subsequent implications on optimal treatment strategies. More robust studies are needed to derive improved risk stratification tools for geriatric patients with spinal injuries.