Irish journal of medical science
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Problem alcohol use is common and associated with considerable adverse outcomes among patients who attend primary care in Ireland and other European countries for opiate substitution treatment. ⋯ Primary care has an important role to play in the care of problem alcohol use among problem drug users, especially opiate substitution patients. Further research on strategies to inform the implementation of these guidelines is a priority.
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Good patient care, research and education should be so inextricably linked that each should drive the other towards improvements in quality of care, innovation and discovery. ⋯ Good patient care stimulates research, research drives educational activity and education improves care. Interaction of these elements of medicine and science constitutes an interdependent upward spiral towards excellence.
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Early diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is still a challenge; the present study aimed to establish a method of detecting the antigen early secreted antigenic target 6 (ESAT-6) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbance assay (ELISA) protocol and to study the value of detecting ESAT-6 in CSF in the early diagnosis of TBM. ⋯ Detection of ESAT-6 in the CSF of TBM patients by indirect ELISA protocol gives a reliable early diagnosis and can be used to develop an immunodiagnostic assay with increased sensitivity and specificity.
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Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase isoform 5b (TRACP5b) is a serum bone resorption marker. Our aim was to investigate its utility in monitoring metabolic bone disease. ⋯ TRACP5b has limited utility as a single marker of metabolic bone disease treatment.