Irish journal of medical science
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While biologic drugs have demonstrated efficacy across a range of indications, patient access to these drugs is constrained due to their high cost. Biosimilars provide a means to increase patient access while reducing the financial burden. ⋯ Biosimilar versions of trastuzumab and rituximab were in use to a variable extent. There remains a considerable opportunity to further increase the usage to maximise their potential benefits. A series of challenges were identified including reduced awareness among the medical profession and lack of clear nomenclature.
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Comparative Study
Validation and comparison of two new scoring systems for the prediction of complicated versus uncomplicated appendicitis.
To validate the Atema and APSI scoring systems in the diagnosis of complicated vs uncomplicated appendicitis. To compare these scoring systems with computed tomography (CT) imaging alone to establish which method provides most accurate prediction of complicated vs uncomplicated appendicitis. ⋯ By comparing the APSI and Atema et al. scoring systems with CT reporting in our hospital, it appears that the Atema may confer some benefit in stratifying patient risk of complicated versus uncomplicated appendicitis. Further larger scale prospective studies are required.
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It has been reported that the inflammatory process plays a role in the pathophysiology of frailty in elderly individuals and that diet is effective in regulating chronic inflammation. ⋯ The dietary inflammatory index was found to be high in frail and malnourished individuals. It was determined that the quality of life of individuals with malnutrition decreased.
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Neurogenic inflammation has been recognized as an important contributing factor in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical values of substance P, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and neuropeptide Y as biomarkers of disease severity and treatment outcomes of chronic urticaria complicated with allergic rhinitis. ⋯ Our data indicates that substance P, VIP, and neuropeptide Y levels before treatment correlate strongly with the treatment outcomes of the patients, which could potentially serve as a decision support tool in clinical management of chronic urticaria complicated with allergic rhinitis.
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In-hospital stroke refers to a stroke arising in a patient during hospital admission for another condition. Between 2 and 17% of all inpatient strokes are in-hospital strokes. ⋯ When compared with community-onset stroke, in-hospital stroke represents a distinct stroke subgroup with poorer outcomes and delays to thrombolysis emphasising the need for standardised approaches to evaluation and management.