Irish journal of medical science
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Treatment for bladder cancer includes radical cystectomy (RC) and urinary diversion; RC is associated with long-term morbidity, kidney impairment and mortality. ⋯ Patients with RC are at risk of progressive kidney function deterioration and elevated mortality and the main risk factors associated were age and preoperative eGFR. Regular monitoring of kidney function will permit early diagnosis and treatment.
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Antidepressant medication can be associated with weight gain. Consideration should be given to the specific agent prescribed to optimize bariatric surgery outcomes. ⋯ Many patients undergoing bariatric surgery have concurrent psychiatric conditions. Given the complex relationship between bariatric surgery and mental health, psychotropic medications may be best managed by a specialist in the field such as a bariatric psychiatrist in order to optimize patient outcomes.
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Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by persistent antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) with arterial and venous thrombosis and/or pregnancy morbidity. In recent years, several studies have highlighted the potential role of non-criteria aPL in diagnosing APS patients. ⋯ Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the most commonly associated disease with APS, being present in approximately 35% of cases [1]. Since the majority of the patient group in our study had APS that was secondary to SLE, non-criteria antibody positivity may be linked to the immunological activity of SLE. Large multicenter studies are necessary to investigate the clinical significance of isolated/combined positivity for criterion/non-criteria aPLs.
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Transgender patients continue to receive suboptimal health care due to transphobia and inadequate trans-competency of health care professionals. Lack of adequate training and exposure may lead to improper bedside manners. ⋯ This paper discusses the causes of iatrophobia in transgender patients and the steps that health care professionals can take to address this phenomenon. The authors believe that health care professionals that pay heed to this paper will greatly improve the competency of their care toward their transgender patients.
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Identify the impact of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on the vitamin D status of individuals in the west of Ireland. ⋯ Vitamin D levels were higher in the 5-month period of October-February 2020-2021, and this precipitated a decline in deficiency at both thresholds, indicating that lockdown coincided with enhanced vitamin D status. We postulate that it may be attributable to changes in diet and/or supplementation, or increased sun exposure, but further confirmatory studies are required.