Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre
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We aimed to investigate whether the severity of fatigue and the incidences of depression and anxiety of patients with beta thalassemia minor (BTm) are different from healthy individuals using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). ⋯ We found that both depression and anxiety were higher in BTm patients than in healthy individuals, but this difference was not feasible for fatigue.
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The proportion of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) with pulseless electrical activity (PEA) as initial rhythm is increasing. PEA should be managed by identifying the underlying cause of the arrest and treating it accordingly. This often poses a challenge in the chaotic prehospital environment with only limited resources available. ⋯ In the management of OHCA, anamnestic and clinical information remains the initial source of information in search for an underlying cause. Ultrasonographic evaluation should be performed subsequently, both for detecting an underlying cause and discriminating between true PEA and pseudo PEA. Comparative studies are required to identify the best ultrasonographic protocol, which can be included in resuscitation guidelines.
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Low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (LCKD), originally used as a treatment for childhood epilepsy is currently gaining acceptance as a nutritional therapy for obesity and type 2 diabetes. In addition, this diet has a positive effect on body weight, blood glucose level, glycosylated hemoglobin, plasma lipid profile, and neurological disorders. ⋯ It is shown that LCKD contributes to the reduction in the intake of insulin and oral antidiabetic drugs in patients with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, the data presented in this review reveal the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of LCKD in the management of type 2 diabetes.
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Review
Chronic respiratory diseases and neurodegenerative disorders: a primer for the practicing clinician.
Chronic respiratory disorders represent a world epidemic. Their incidence and prevalence in the world population is increasing, and especially among elderly subjects, they are commonly associated with other pathologies, often generating a status of high clinical complexity. Neurology, internal medicine, and pneumology specialists should be aware of the common background of these disorders in order to treat correctly the patient's comorbid state and optimize the treatment considering potential overlaps. In this review, we aimed to focus on the relationships between chronic respiratory disorders and chronic neurodegenerative diseases at different levels; we review the shared risk factors and the interactions between disorders, the indications to explore respiratory function in neurodegenerative diseases, pathology-pathology and drug-pathology interactions in patients affected by both chronic neurologic and respiratory diseases.
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Comparative Study
Rapid Serological Tests for Sars-Cov-2: Diagnostic Performance of Four Commercial Assays.
To assess the diagnostic performance of lateral flow immunochromatographic assays (LFAs) of 4 different manufacturers to identify SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgM, IgG, or total), comparing them with the nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) or the clinical defined test (definite or probable SARS-CoV-2 infection, respectively). ⋯ Our data demonstrate the excellent performance of LFA for the diagnoses of definite or probable SARS-CoV-2 infection. There was substantial heterogeneity in sensitivities of IgM and IgG antibodies among the different kits. LFA tests cannot replace molecular diagnostics but should be used as an additional screening tool.