Current medical research and opinion
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Quality of bowel preparation and patient compliance are among the most important indicators to assess the quality of colonoscopy. To investigate the independent factors associated with the quality of bowel preparation in subjects undergoing colonoscopy and its impact on compliance. ⋯ Age, bowel preparation duration, and laxative dosage are independent influencing factors for bowel preparation adequacy and compliance among patients undergoing colonoscopy at the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University. It is recommended that a one-day low-residue diet combined with a 2000 mL laxative dosage be used as the bowel preparation protocol for the general colonoscopy population.
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Managing diabetes during Ramadan fasting is a challenge due lifestyle changes. We described the characteristics and patterns of care for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) during Ramadan 2020 and 2022. ⋯ Ramadan fasting in T2DM is high. Multidisciplinary approach is required to mitigate complications. Our findings support current recommendations for safe fasting.
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Case Reports
The first report of leukocytoclastic vasculitis induced by once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide.
Leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) is a small vessel vasculitis involving arterioles, capillaries and postcapillary venules. LCV is generally confined to the skin, with extracutaneous manifestations occurring less frequently. LCV has multiple potential etiologies. Indeed, histological LCV can be found in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, immune complex vasculitis, vasculitis associated with systemic diseases (i.e. sarcoidosis, Sjögren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus), or in vasculitis associated with cancer, infections, sepsis and use of certain medications. LCV can also be idiopathic in up to 50% of cases. ⋯ Future prospective studies, adverse event reporting and post-marketing surveillance will certainly contribute to establishing if LCV represents a less rare than expected side effect of both oral and subcutaneous semaglutide formulations.
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In the United States (US), prescription drug coverage is subject to prior authorization (PA) criteria, which may vary between health plans and may exceed drug label requirements. This study aimed to characterize profiles and treatment history of patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) who initiated esketamine nasal spray, by stringency of their health plans' PA criteria relative to the esketamine label. ⋯ Regardless of health plan stringency, on average, patients exceeded US label-mandated number of antidepressant trials before esketamine initiation, which questions the need for health insurance plans PA criteria above label.
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Patient journey mapping, a novel method to visualize all the interactions a patient might have with the health system, is increasingly being adopted by the healthcare industry to identify challenges patients face, with the goal of improving health outcomes. However, patient journey maps are often used internally within pharma companies and are not published widely. Here, I conducted in-depth interviews with eight Indian patients/caregivers dealing with chronic and/or serious conditions; seven of the interviewees were living in India and spoke entirely from the perspective of the Indian health system, whereas one spoke from his experience of living in India, Ireland, and the UK. ⋯ I have discussed these needs at length and provided suggestions for changes that could be implemented in the health system to meet these needs better. While my analysis presented here is generally framed from the context of the Indian health system, and some points discussed might have nuances in other health systems, the themes and insights provided are relevant to all patients and their journey, anywhere in the world. Pharmaceutical industry professionals, healthcare providers, and policymakers may benefit from these insights and may apply them to make strategic decisions and changes in their approach, with the goal of improving patient experience and health outcomes globally.