Irish journal of medical science
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Healthcare education encountered unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the necessary responses have also provided learning opportunities for the future. ⋯ Any pandemic poses unique challenges to the delivery of healthcare education. These surveys report educators' and students' views on online teaching and learning strategies, highlighting novel mechanisms to improve student engagement and ultimately impact on graduate outcomes.
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Rectal cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide that imposes high costs on patients and the healthcare system while also having a significant impact on the patient's quality of life (QoL). ⋯ QoL of patients after LAR for rectal cancer is significantly associated with the distance of the anastomosis site from the AV.
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Male urethral stricture affects 100 in 100,000 men. These are investigated using uroflowmetry, retrograde urethrography and cystourethroscopy. Management is usually endoscopic with urethral dilation or direct visual internal urethrotomy, although they have high failure rates. It is now recommended that urethroplasty is performed earlier. In this study we have reviewed a single surgeons experience with urethroplasty and patient outcomes. ⋯ The most popular techniques for urethroplasty in the UK are augmentation urethroplasty using a buccal mucosal graft and anastomotic urethroplasty, both of which we describe. There are variations in what is deemed as successful surgery. The most widely used definition is 'the lack of need for any further operative intervention'. We have recently adopted Patient Reported Outcome Measures using a validated questionnaire to measure the patients perception of a successful outcome. Complex strictures have a higher incidence of complications. 42% of our cohort were complex and we describe results comparable to the published literature.
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Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a group of chronic disorders of the bone marrow characterised by the overproduction of clonal myeloid stem cells. The most common driver mutation found in MPNs is a point mutation on exon 14 of the JAK2 gene, JAK2V617F. Various studies have suggested that measuring the variable allele frequency (VAF) of JAK2V617F may provide useful insight regarding diagnosis, treatment, risks and outcomes in MPN patients. In particular, JAK2V617F has been associated with increased risk of thrombotic events, a leading cause of mortality in MPNs. ⋯ We have shown that a higher JAK2V617F VAF is associated with thrombotic events post MPN diagnosis. JAK2V617F VAF may therefore provide a valuable prognostic indicator for risk of thrombosis in MPNs.
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This study focuses on integrating prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) and Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) for enhanced risk stratification in biopsy-naïve patients. ⋯ This study concludes that combining PSAD and PI-RADS improves diagnostic accuracy and predictive value for csPCa in biopsy-naïve men, resulting in a promising strategy to provide additional risk stratification for more accurate diagnostic decision in biopsy-naïve patients, especially in the PI-RADS 3 group.