Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre
-
Although in recent years the world has witnessed great advances in the medical field, much ambiguity still surrounds the issue of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, with increasingly favorable attitudes among physicians around the world. In our study, we aimed to assess the attitudes of physicians in Kuwait towards different types of euthanasia and examine whether physicians' frequent encounters with terminally ill patients were associated with their approval. ⋯ The attitudes of physicians towards euthanasia are diverse, and therefore the Ministry of Health should provide guidelines for physicians dealing with situations where patients or their families request euthanasia.
-
To investigate the placental and umbilical cord histopathology in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and their relation to second-trimester maternal hematological parameters. ⋯ Maternal hematological parameters do not seem to affect neonatal outcome. Our main findings are the correlation of maternal platelet count with placental weight, the correlation of placental volume with birth weight being stronger than the correlation of placental weight with birth weight, and the correlation of umbilical artery lumen cross-sectional area with neonatal weight. Mild histopathologic alterations might occur in normal pregnancies; however, sufficient fetal nutrition can be maintained. This compensatory function of the placenta seems to be insufficient when two or more pathologies are present, which is characteristic for IUGR.
-
The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether the application of the Audio Recorded Cognitive Screen (ARCS) in cognitive functioning screening of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) differentiates profiles of existing cognitive deficits (CDs) and whether this instrument can discriminate accurately between subjects who are cognitively intact (CI) and those with a cognitive disorder. ⋯ ARCS has the ability to differentiate persons with a CD from those without, both in a sample of persons suffering from MS and in a sample of persons from the general population. This finding indicates that this instrument is well suited for profiling the cognitive status into specific categories, which puts it among the instruments with a wide range of implementation.
-
In-hospital mortality for patients presenting with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) has been reported to be up to 7 times higher for patients with decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). However, few studies have assessed its effect on long-term mortality. ⋯ Decreased renal function is a prognostic factor for increased all-cause mortality 90 days and 1 year after acute PE.
-
Observational Study
Platelet-Rich Plasma Diffusion in Achilles Tendon: Relationship with Therapeutic Outcomes.
The therapeutic efficacy of platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of Achilles tendinopathy is controversial. Among the variables which can explain the discrepant results, little attention has been paid to the distribution of platelet-rich plasma inside the tendon. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether this factor is related to the clinical outcome of treatment. ⋯ Platelet-rich plasma diffusion has no effect on clinical outcome, which mainly depends on the metabolic activation of the whole structure of the tendon.