Upsala journal of medical sciences
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Despite improved treatment of myocardial infarction (MI), real-world patients still suffer substantial risk for subsequent cardiovascular events. Little is known about coagulation activity shortly after MI and whether coagulation activity markers may identify patients at increased risk despite contemporary treatment. ⋯ In unselected MI patients treated according to contemporary guidelines, D-dimer measurements may identify patients at increased risk of new cardiovascular and bleeding events. The inverse association of thrombin generation potential and risk of stroke has to be further investigated.
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The aim of the study was to investigate if expecting parents wanted to know the sex of the fetus during ultrasound examination and if they had discussed it with the midwife. Another aim was to explore any interest in sex selection. ⋯ Half of women and their partners wanted to know the fetal sex, and 5% were interested in sex selection. This high interest in sex determination is a challenge, since present national guidelines do not include sex determination as an option.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Pain drawings predict outcome of surgical treatment for degenerative disc disease in the cervical spine.
Pain drawings have been frequently used in the preoperative evaluation of spine patients. For lumbar conditions comprehensive research has established both the reliability and predictive value, but for the cervical spine most of this knowledge is lacking. The aims of this study were to validate pain drawings for the cervical spine, and to investigate the predictive value for treatment outcome of four different evaluation methods. ⋯ Pain drawings were a reliable tool to interpret patients' pain prior to cervical spine surgery and were also to some extent predictive for treatment outcome.
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Hyperthermia is a common secondary insult in traumatic brain injury (TBI). The aim was to evaluate the relationship between hyperthermia and intracranial pressure (ICP), and if intracranial compliance and cerebral blood flow (CBF) pressure autoregulation affected that relationship. The relationships between hyperthermia and cerebral oximetry (BtipO2) and cerebral metabolism were also studied. ⋯ The major finding was that the effects of hyperthermia on intracranial dynamics (ICP, brain energy metabolism, and BtipO2) were not extensive in general, but there were exceptional cases. Hyperthermia treatment has many side effects, so it is desirable to identify cases in which hyperthermia is dangerous. Information from multimodality monitoring may be used to guide treatment in individual patients.