Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre
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To assess metabolic outcomes in obese people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the first year following gastric bypass surgery. ⋯ Our study confirmed the finding of previous studies that gastric bypass surgery in obese people with T2D results in significant weight loss, and improved glycaemic, BP and lipid profiles. Bariatric surgery should be regarded as an effective therapeutic intervention in this patient population.
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Undiagnosed and mismanaged tuberculosis (TB) continues to fuel the global TB epidemic. Rapid, accurate and early diagnosis of TB is therefore a priority to improve TB case detection and interrupt transmission. Although considerable improvements have been made in TB diagnostics, there are two major gaps in the existing diagnostics pipeline: (1) lack of a simple accurate point-of-care test that can be used for rapid diagnosis at the primary care level; (2) lack of a biomarker (or combination of biomarkers) that can be used to identify latently infected individuals who will benefit most from preventive therapy. ⋯ Recognizing the threat posed by these suboptimal tests, a World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Group has strongly recommended against the use of serological tests for the diagnosis of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary TB. Another WHO Expert Group has discouraged the use of interferon-γ release assays for active pulmonary TB diagnosis in low- and middle-income countries. All existing tests for latent TB infection appear to have only modest predictive value and further research is needed to identify highly predictive biomarkers.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Can ephedrine pretreatment be effective in alleviating rocuronium injection pain?
The aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to evaluate the effect of ephedrine pretreatment on the intensity of rocuronium injection pain when rocuronium was applied by timing principle and also to compare this effect with lidocaine and placebo. ⋯ Although not as effective as lidocaine 0.5 mg/kg, 70 μg/kg ephedrine pretreatment was able to alleviate rocuronium injection pain when rocuronium was applied by timing principle.
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To review our experience with typhlitis among children treated for acute leukemia. ⋯ In our study, the rate of typhlitis among leukemic children was 4.5%; however, the mortality rate was 20%. Thus, rapid identification and timely, aggressive medical intervention are necessary to reduce the morbidity and mortality from typhlitis.
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To investigate the effect of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in Kuwaiti patients with primary knee osteoarthritis (OA) and to assess its relation with radiological grading and functional status. ⋯ Most of our patients had vitamin D deficiency, but the level of 25(OH)D was not related to the severity of the knee X-ray grading or to the functional assessment in our patients with primary knee OA.