Annals of medicine
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Review
Emerging COVID-19 variants and their impact on SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis, therapeutics and vaccines.
The emergence of novel and evolving variants of SARS-CoV-2 has fostered the need for change in the form of newer and more adaptive diagnostic methods for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 infections. On the other hand, developing rapid and sensitive diagnostic technologies is now more challenging due to emerging variants and varying symptoms exhibited among the infected individuals. In addition to this, vaccines remain the major mainstay of prevention and protection against infection. ⋯ Key messageThe emergence of novel variants of the SARS-CoV-2 in the past couple of months, highlights one of the primary challenges in the diagnostics, treatment, as well as vaccine development against the virus. Advancements in SARS-CoV-2 detection include nucleic acid based, antigen and immuno- assay-based and antibody-based detection methodologies for efficient, robust, and quick testing; while advancements in COVID-19 preventive and therapeutic strategies include novel antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs and SARS-CoV-2 targeted vaccines. The varied COVID-19 vaccine platforms and the immune responses induced by each one of them as well as their ability to battle post-vaccination infections have all been discussed in this review.
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Nail conditions are not only aesthetic concerns, and nail changes may be a clue to an underlying systemic diseases or infection. Without timely treatment, nail diseases can continue to worsen and significantly impair performance of daily activities and reduce quality of life. Examination of the nails is essential at every medical visit, and may uncover important findings. ⋯ Key messagesNail disease is not only a cosmetic issue, as nail changes can indicate the presence of a serious underlying systemic disease, infection or malignancy. Nail pain and changes associated with NP are physically and emotionally distressing and may contribute to functional impairment and diminished quality of life. LM is a hallmark sign of subungual melanoma and this finding warrants further investigation to rule out malignancy.
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Hamstring injuries are among the most common muscle injuries. They have been reported in many different sports, such as running, soccer, track and field, rugby, and waterskiing. However, they are also present among the general population. ⋯ KEY MESSAGEsSurgical treatment of hamstring tendon ruptures leads to high satisfaction and return to sport rates. Both complete and partial hamstring tendon ruptures have better results after acute surgical repair, when compared to cases treated surgically later. Athletes with hamstring tendon ruptures should be treated more aggressively with operative methods.
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Meta Analysis
Performance of adenosine deaminase in detecting paediatric pleural tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Paediatric pleural tuberculosis (TB) is a paucibacillary disease, which increases the difficulty of examination. We aimed to assess the performance of pleural fluid adenosine deaminase (ADA) in the detection of paediatric pleural TB. ⋯ At a cut-off value of 40 U/L, the overall performance of ADA was good for detecting paediatric pleural TB, with relatively high sensitivity and low specificity. Key messageAccurate identification of paediatric pleural TB will help eliminate TB in children. At a cut-off value of 40 U/L, the overall performance of ADA was good for detecting paediatric pleural TB, with relatively high sensitivity and low specificity.
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Multicenter Study
One-on-one comparison between qCSI and NEWS scores for mortality risk assessment in patients with COVID-19.
To compare the predictive value of the quick COVID-19 Severity Index (qCSI) and the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) for 90-day mortality amongst COVID-19 patients. ⋯ Patients with SARS-CoV-2 can rapidly develop bilateral pneumonias with multiorgan disease; in these cases, in which an evacuation by the EMS is required, reliable scores for an early identification of patients with risk of clinical deterioration are critical. The NEWS score provides not only better prognostic results than those offered by qCSI at all the analyzed time points, but it is also better suited for COVID-19 patients.KEY MESSAGESThis work aims to determine whether NEWS is the best score for mortality risk assessment in patients with COVID-19.AUCs for NEWS ranged from 0.825 for 1-day mortality to 0.777 for 90-day mortality and were significantly higher than those for qCSI in these same outcomes.NEWS provides a better prognostic capacity than the qCSI score and allows for long-term (90 days) mortality risk assessment of COVID-19 patients.