The American journal of the medical sciences
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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a serious disease worldwide and it leads to several serious hepatic sequels. Some studies find possible correlation between HCV and ischemic heart disease in retrospective observations. Based on lacked community-based evidence, the study aims to assess correlation between ischemic heart disease and chronic HCV infection via electrocardiogram (ECG) because its abnormalities is strongly associating with cardiovascular disease mortality. ⋯ HCV was strongly associated with ischemic ECG findings in this community study, and it could be a nonconventional risk factor for coronary artery disease.
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Discharge summaries are an important component of hospital care transitions typically completed by interns in teaching hospitals. However, these documents are often not completed in a timely fashion or do not include pertinent details of hospitalization. This report outlines the development and impact of a curriculum intervention to improve the quality of discharge summaries by interns and residents in Internal Medicine. A previous study demonstrated that a discharge summary curriculum featuring individualized feedback was associated with improved summary quality, but few subsequent studies have described implementation of similar curricula. No information exists on the utility of other strategies such as team-based feedback or academic detailing. ⋯ A comprehensive discharge summary curriculum can be feasibly implemented within the context of a residency program. Team-based feedback and academic detailing may serve to reinforce individual feedback and extend program reach.
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Observational Study
Obesity associated inflammation in African American adolescents and adults.
C-reactive protein (CRP) is related to adiposity and metabolic risk and predicts events in adults. The objective was to determine if relationships between adiposity and CRP have similar magnitudes in adolescents as adults. ⋯ These findings demonstrate that, in African Americans, obesity is associated with inflammation and adverse changes in metabolic parameters among both adolescents and young adults.
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Protein-bound uremic toxins-indoxyl sulfate (IS) and p-cresyl sulfate (PCS)-can not only predict clinical outcomes but also may relate to bone-mineral disorders in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the relationship between protein-bound uremic toxins and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) has not been studied before. The objective of this study was to explore the association of IS and PCS with FGF23 in a CKD-based cohort. ⋯ Results indicated that only IS but not PCS correlated independently with FGF23 in worsening CKD. IS may be an independent factor involved in regulation of bone-mineral metabolism.