Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre
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Helicobacter pylori infection is a significant global health concern. It cannot be diagnosed based solely on the patient's medical history and symptoms, and laboratory and imaging tests are often required to confirm the diagnosis. Both noninvasive and invasive methods are available for diagnosing H. pylori infection, including conventional and advanced detection techniques. ⋯ It is essential to treat all patients infected with H. pylori. This represents a significant change in the approach, as the treatment was recommended previously only for patients showing symptoms of infection. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the limitations of traditional diagnostic methods and help raise awareness among healthcare professionals about the latest advances in diagnosing this important bacterium.
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HLA typing serves as a standard practice in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to ensure compatibility between donors and recipients, preventing the occurrence of allograft rejection and graft-versus-host disease. Conventional laboratory methods that have been widely employed in the past few years, including sequence-specific primer PCR and sequencing-based typing (SBT), currently face the risk of becoming obsolete. This risk stems not only from the extensive diversity within HLA genes but also from the rapid advancement of next-generation sequencing and third-generation sequencing technologies. ⋯ It explores how the adoption of third-generation sequencing technologies can revolutionize the field by offering improved accuracy, reduced ambiguity, and enhanced assessment of compatibility in HSCT. Embracing these cutting-edge technologies is essential to advancing the success rates and outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This review underscores the importance of staying at the forefront of HLA typing techniques to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients undergoing HSCT.
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Cannabinoid usage is widespread in the self-management of various medical ailments. However, adverse effects have been reported with use, especially pertaining to the gastrointestinal system in adults and aged patients. These range from nausea, vomiting, bloating, or abdominal pain. This systematic review of previously reported cannabis-induced gastrointestinal symptoms in the adult population from the literature provides an analysis of relevant data to enhance knowledge and awareness of this topic. ⋯ Potential limitations include small sample sizes, variation in research methodologies, varied studied designs, and limited availability of data on specific populations such as geriatric users. Further research is warranted to add to current evidence pertaining to this emerging topic of significance, fill the broad knowledge gaps and contribute to evidence-based guidelines for healthcare professionals, ensuring safe prescribing practices and provision of quality care.
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Review
Current Landscape and Future Directions of Deprescribing and Polypharmacy Practices in Jordan.
This review explores the current landscape and future directions of deprescribing and polypharmacy practices in Jordan. The prevalence of polypharmacy, defined as the concurrent use of multiple medications by an individual, has been increasing in recent years due to various factors, such as population aging and the greater availability of medications. However, polypharmacy can lead to adverse drug events, suboptimal medication adherence, increased healthcare costs, and reduced quality of life. ⋯ Additionally, it discusses the challenges healthcare professionals face in implementing deprescribing strategies and identifies potential solutions for enhancing these practices in Jordanian healthcare settings. Moreover, this paper provides insights into future directions for deprescribing and polypharmacy practices in Jordan. Overall, this review offers valuable insights into the current landscape of deprescribing and polypharmacy practices in Jordan while also providing recommendations for future directions to optimize medication management strategies that can ultimately benefit patient outcomes within a sound healthcare system framework.
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Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecologic malignancies. Recurrence and metastasis often occur after treatment, and it has the highest mortality rate of all gynecological tumors. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small population of cells with the ability of self-renewal, multidirectional differentiation, and infinite proliferation. ⋯ Ovarian cancer side population (SP) cells, a type of CSC, have been shown to play roles in tumor formation, colony formation, xenograft tumor formation, ascites formation, and tumor metastasis. The rapid progression of tumor angiogenesis is necessary for tumor growth; however, many of the mechanisms driving this process are unclear as is the contribution of CSCs. The aim of this review was to document the current state of knowledge of the molecular mechanism of ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSCs) in regulating tumor angiogenesis.