Brit J Hosp Med
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Case Reports
The Importance of Early Recognition of Rare Ischaemic Complications of GCA to Prevent Permanent Vision Loss.
Scalp and tongue necrosis are rare ischemic manifestations of giant cell arteritis (GCA). Early recognition of these conditions is crucial to preventing permanent visual loss (PVL). We present two cases of scalp and tongue necrosis, respectively, where a delay in diagnosis resulted in irreversible vision loss and severe complications. These cases highlight the importance of educating non-rheumatologists about these manifestations to ensure prompt steroid treatment, which can prevent vision loss and reduce morbidity in GCA patients.
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Aims/Background We aimed to investigate the impact of postoperative chemotherapy (POCT) on survival in patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Methods This study included 786 PCNSL patients, of which 605 received chemotherapy after surgery, and 181 did not. Data from the SEER registry database (2007-2020) were used to analyze PCNSL. ⋯ For patients with PCNSL, those with tumours located in the infratentorial region (HR = 0.231; 95% CI: 0.078-0.682; p = 0.046), supratentorial region (HR = 0.250; 95% CI: 0.163-0.383; p < 0.0001), overlapping brain regions (HR = 0.201; 95% CI: 0.056-0.727; p = 0.0058), and those who underwent biopsy (HR = 0.740; 95% CI: 0.463-1.182; p = 0.003), subtotal resection (STR) (HR = 0.490; 95% CI: 0.265-0.906; p = 0.0064), or gross total resection (GTR) (HR = 0.613; 95% CI: 0.292-1.287; p = 0.0003) had better prognoses in the postoperative chemotherapy group compared to the non-chemotherapy group. Conclusion POCT significantly improves the prognosis of PCNSL patients and identifies the characteristics of the benefiting population. This information aids clinical practitioners in designing personalized treatment plans for individuals and advancing precise treatment.
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Aims/Background The prevalence of pressure injuries (PIs) is a widely used clinical indicator of patient safety and quality of care. Nurses' understanding of pressure injury (PI) can significantly impact the treatment outcomes for patients. This study, based on latent profile analysis (LPA), reveals the characteristics associated with PI knowledge levels among clinical nurses in district and county tertiary medical institutions. ⋯ Conclusion The PI knowledge level of nursing staff at the district and county tertiary general hospitals requires urgent improvement. Nursing managers should prioritize the management level and quality of PI training among clinical nursing staff. Precise training programs can be developed based on different categories of nursing staff to enhance their PI knowledge, thereby effectively improving the quality of healthcare for inpatients.
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Aims/Background In light of the increased utilization of digital technology among the elderly population, understanding the relationship between e-health literacy, self-identity, social capital, and educational participation motivation has become crucial. This study aims to investigate these relationships and explore the mediating effects of self-identity and social capital on the elderly population. By shedding light on these aspects, the study seeks to contribute to the existing knowledge base and inform intervention strategies to enhance the elderly individuals' overall well-being and engagement with digital health resources. ⋯ Specifically, self-identity and social capital acted as complete mediators, with a mediating effect value of 0.61, between e-health literacy and educational participation motivation. Additionally, the chained mediating effect of self-identity and social capital was also significant. Conclusion This study demonstrated that e-health literacy and educational participation motivation are closely intertwined, with self-identity and social capital acting as the mediators in this association, in the elderly population, providing valuable guidance for enhancing the health and quality of life and offering insightful references for the development and implementation of relevant policies.
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Aims/Background Establishing an intraosseous infusion (IO) pathway can rapidly open an urgent route of drug administration for critically ill patients. This study aims to assess different puncture sites on the efficacy of manual intraosseous infusion. Methods Upon applying computed tomography (CT), we compared compact bone thickness and CT values at the same individual's proximal humerus and proximal tibia puncture sites (n = 40). ⋯ Results The compact bone thickness and CT values at the proximal humerus were significantly lower than those at the proximal tibia. The cadaveric experiments further confirmed that the proximal humerus was superior to the proximal tibia as an insertion site, indicating the proximal humerus is a more suitable insertion site for manual bone marrow puncture needles. Conclusion Selection of the puncture site markedly influences the effectiveness of manual intraosseous infusion, with the proximal humerus potentially offering better puncture efficacy than the proximal tibia.