International journal of general medicine
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The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has recently received emergency approval from the US FDA. The mRNA technology was used to manufacture the Pfizer vaccine; however, as a pioneering technology that has never been used in the manufacture of vaccines, many people have concerns about the vaccine's side effects. Thus, the current study aimed to track the short-term side effects of the vaccine. ⋯ Most of the side effects reported in this study were consistent with Pfizer's fact sheet for recipients and caregivers. Further studies are required to determine the long-term side effects.
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To compare the preliminary postoperative outcomes of percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (Endo-TLIF) and minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) in the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis. ⋯ Compared with MIS-TLIF, Endo-TLIF technique showed relatively faster recovery and better outcomes in terms of early curative effect, especially in 6 months after operation. However, intraoperative repeated fluoroscopy could result in highly cumulative radiation and longer operation time.
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Acyclovir (ACV) neurotoxicity is a neuropsychiatric condition induced by the anti-herpetic drugs ACV and valacyclovir (VACV). It is presumed that elevated blood levels of ACV and its metabolite 9-carboxymethoxymethylguanine are involved in the development of ACV-induced encephalopathy; age and renal dysfunction are risk factors. Here, we report a case of encephalopathy caused by the administration of VACV for herpes zoster prophylaxis in a patient with renal dysfunction owing to multiple myeloma. ⋯ VACV is often prescribed to patients with multiple myeloma receiving BD therapy to prevent herpes zoster. ACV-induced encephalopathy is commonly observed in patients with renal dysfunction; especially among patients with multiple myeloma with Bence-Jones proteinuria, renal tubules are easily damaged and plasma ACV concentrations are likely to increase and induce ACV-induced encephalopathy. Careful monitoring of the level of consciousness is necessary during preventive ACV therapy in patients with renal dysfunction.
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Since consistent evidence on the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not available, this overview aims to summarize and critically evaluate the methodological and evidence quality of systematic reviews (SRs) on this topic. ⋯ Acupuncture appears to be an effective therapeutic method for COPD, but the credibility of the results is limited owing to the generally low methodological quality and evidence quality of the included SRs. Further rigorous and comprehensive studies are required to provide robust evidence and draw definitive conclusions.
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To assess the performance of models for early prediction of acute kidney injury (AKI) in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) setting. ⋯ LightGBM demonstrated the best capability for predicting AKI in the first 72 h of ICU admission. LightGBM and XGBoost showed great potential for clinical application owing to their high recall value. This study can provide references for artificial intelligence-powered clinical decision support systems for AKI early prediction in the ICU setting.