Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre
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The musical composers in the Romantic Era (1800-1910) strived for compositions that expressed human life, including happiness, harmony, and despair. They lived in a period in which freedom of thought, expression of emotion, and inspiration by nature predominated. During this period, intensive trading with other parts of the world brought new microorganisms along, which made infections and epidemics very common. ⋯ This text dwells on diseases and the cause of death of ten composers, namely Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Liszt, Mahler, and Bruckner. It is evident that from the perspective of modern medicine, symptoms and forensic facts are not complete, but witnesses' reports and recent medical research have provided passable and plausible clarity. Although many questions will remain unanswered, it appears that the diseases of these composers and their causes of death have their origins in alcohol abuses, age, epidemics (like tuberculosis), and syphilis.
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In 1 year, COVID-19 spread rapidly worldwide affecting all societies and most age-groups. It has taken not only a toll of human lives (approaching 220 million people infected with 4.55 million reported deaths at time of writing) but also decimated every economy as countries struggle to control infection rates by introducing draconian lockdown and social distancing measures, bringing great suffering well beyond medical effects of the disease. A parallel pandemic has resulted in a deluge of information emanating from both scientific as well as international news media including social media platforms. ⋯ This review highlights some of the issues concerning the handling of the COVID-19 crisis by governments worldwide, the medical and scientific communities, and the media and how this may have laid the foundations for a far greater medical, social, and economic burden in the coming years. We present comparative data to challenge current conceptions of this disease in the more general context of human health to provide a perspective that seems to have been lost in the general panic. We need more rational approaches to the handling of a disease which is unlikely to disappear from our spectrum of afflictions even after the magnifying glass has been removed.
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Recent studies have increasingly shown the benefits of using sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i). However, there are concerns regarding the initiation of SGLT2i during acute hospital admissions due to the potential increased risk of complications. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SGLT2i initiation within 2 weeks of an acute hospital admission. ⋯ There was no increased harm with initiation of SGLT2i within 2 weeks of an acute hospital admission, and its use reduced the relative risk of rehospitalizations for heart failure in patients with heart failure. It was also associated with increased urine output. However, current evidence pool is limited, especially in specific population subtypes.
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Review Case Reports
A 60-year Literature Review on Hepatic Actinomycosis.
Hepatic actinomycosis (HA) is a rare infection with an indolent course, atypical clinical manifestations, nonspecific laboratory and imaging findings, and challenging diagnosis. We describe a case of a 35-year-old female who developed HA 2 weeks after gastrectomy. In addition, we analyzed clinical characteristics and outcome of 157 additional cases of HA identified in a 60-year literature review. ⋯ The presence of multiple lesions or solid tumor-like lesions (without liquefaction) was significantly associated with medical therapy alone. The outcome was favorable in most cases (94%). Although rarely encountered, HA should be considered in patients with a chronic or subacute inflammatory process of the liver to promptly diagnose and treat.
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The aim of this systematic review was to investigate whether sickle cell disease (SCD) protects against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection by determining the association between SCD and the incidence and virulence of HIV infection. ⋯ SCD appears to protect against HIV infection and slows HIV progression.