Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2020
Efficacy of methotrexate in polymyalgia rheumatica in routine rheumatology clinical care.
Current guidelines recommend methotrexate (MTX) as a glucocorticoid-sparing agent in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) who relapse or suffer glucocorticoid adverse effects, although there is no level 1 evidence to support this recommendation. ⋯ In this study of PMR patients in tertiary care, 31% were co-prescribed MTX, after prolonged disease duration. MTX was associated with improved inflammatory activity and reduced prednisolone dose, with a relatively high risk of adverse events.
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2020
Use of a limited-channel device for obstructive sleep apnoea diagnosis in a tertiary sleep disorders centre.
A major impediment to the provision of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) treatment is reliance on labour-intensive and costly laboratory-based polysomnography (PSG). ⋯ AL is useful in the diagnosis of moderate-severe OSA in patients referred to a tertiary sleep disorders centre. This could lessen reliance on PSG, expedite OSA care, lead to significant cost savings and make diagnosis of OSA more available in non-urban areas.
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2020
Characteristics of H7N9 avian influenza pneumonia: a retrospective analysis of 17 cases.
H7N9 avian influenza is an infection of public health concern, in part because of its high mortality rate and pandemic potential. ⋯ H7N9 virus infection causes human influenza-like symptoms, but may rapidly progress to severe pneumonia and even death. Clinicians should be alert to the possibility of H7N9 infection in high-risk patients. The presence of the IFITM3 rs12252-C genotype may predict severe illness.