Clinical medicine (London, England)
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Case Reports
Unilateral upper cervical cord infarction in Opalski's syndrome caused by spontaneous vertebral artery dissection.
We report a case of a man with concurrent unilateral upper cervical cord infarction in Opalski's syndrome due to spontaneous vertebral artery dissection.
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Obesity research is advancing swiftly, but the increase in obesity prevalence is faster. Over the past three decades, researchers have found that biopsychosocial factors determine weight gain much more than personal choices and responsibility. Various genes have found to predispose people to obesity by interacting with our obesogenic environment. In this review, we discuss the impact of physical inactivity, excessive caloric intake, intrauterine environment, postnatal influences, insufficient sleep, drugs, medical conditions, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, psychosocial stress, endocrine disrupting chemicals and the gastrointestinal microbiome, on the occurrence of obesity.
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COVID-19 is still around, and in the most severe cases can rapidly progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome. When mechanical ventilation fails to improve oxygenation, we desperately shift our management to venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vv-ECMO). In this opinion article, we discuss which patients are the most suitable to select for this technique, reiterate previous observations in acute respiratory distress syndrome, and the options for the patients judged not fitting for ECMO.
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Case Reports
Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: an unusual complication in disseminated Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (TB-HLH) is a rare and life-threatening complication of tuberculosis infection. Early recognition and treatment of TB-HLH is crucial for improving outcomes. Treatment typically involves a combination of antituberculosis therapy and immunosuppressive therapy to control the immune system's overreaction. ⋯ The patient responded well to treatment and made a full recovery without any lasting complications. This case highlights the importance of promptly recognising HLH and identifying the underlying cause. In critically ill patients, it is crucial not to delay HLH-specific treatment while working up for differential diagnosis.
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People experiencing homelessness frequently die young, from preventable and treatable conditions. They experience significant barriers to healthcare and are often critically ill when admitted to hospital. A hospital admission is an opportunity to intervene and prevent premature mortality by providing compassionate care and facilitating access to safe onward accommodation and support. ⋯ There is an urgent need for a range of intermediate/step down and longer-term accommodation and support to enable safe appropriate discharge from hospital and start to address the huge inequity in health outcomes of this population. This paper includes recommendations for clinicians and commissioners.