Clinical medicine (London, England)
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We present the largest study of the frequency and nature of visual complications in a cohort of 350 patients consecutively diagnosed with giant cell arteritis (GCA). ⋯ We recorded a visual loss frequency of 13.7% in the largest cohort of patients with GCA examined from a single centre. Although improvement in vision was rare, a dedicated fast-track pathway reduced visual loss. Headache could result in earlier diagnosis and protect against visual loss.
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Acute thrombosis and thrombocytopenia pose challenges to the clinician. Thrombocytopenia is naturally viewed as a risk factor for bleeding, and an association with acute thrombosis appears paradoxical. ⋯ This review supports the attending clinician to recognise and manage conditions that are part of the thrombotic thrombocytopenic syndrome through four illustrative clinical cases. Common themes linking the underlying pathology and treatment are explored to highlight the continued relevance of this rare, but often devastating, presentation.
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ChatGPT, which can automatically generate written responses to queries using internet sources, soon went viral after its release at the end of 2022. The performance of ChatGPT on medical exams shows results near the passing threshold, making it comparable to third-year medical students. It can also write academic abstracts or reviews at an acceptable level. ⋯ However, sophisticated tasks such as understanding the human anatomy are still a limitation of ChatGPT. ChatGPT can simplify radiological reports, but the possibility of incorrect statements and missing medical information remain. Although ChatGPT has the potential to change medical practice, education and research, further improvements of this application are needed for regular use in medicine.
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The study tests the hypothesis that a higher acute systemic inflammatory response was associated with a larger decrease in blood hemoglobin levels in patients with Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection. ⋯ A higher acute systemic inflammatory response is associated with larger decreases in blood haemoglobin levels in patients with COVID-19. This represents an example of anaemia of acute inflammation, and a potential mechanism by which severe disease can increase morbidity and mortality.