Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Feb 2024
Review Meta AnalysisEfficacy and safety of prophylactic anticoagulation in patients with primary nephrotic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is associated with an increased incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE), approximately 10%. We performed a systematic review to evaluate the efficacy and safety of prophylactic anticoagulation in patients with NS. ⋯ Our findings suggest that prophylactic anticoagulation in adult patients with primary NS may reduce the risk of VTE, even if it may be associated with a not negligible bleeding risk.
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The first dedicated tracheobronchial silicone stent was designed by the French pulmonologist Jean-Paul Dumon. The most common indications for stenting are to minimise extrinsic airway compression from mass effect, maintain airway patency due to intrinsic obstruction or treat significant nonmalignant airway narrowing or fistulae. Silicone stents require rigid bronchoscopy for insertion; however, they are more readily repositioned and removed compared with metallic stents. ⋯ Airway stenting provides effective palliation for patients with severe symptomatic obstruction. Drug-eluting and three-dimensional printing of airway stents present promising solutions to the challenges of the physical and anatomical constraints of the tracheobronchial tree. Biodegradable stents could also be a solution for the treatment of nonmalignant airway obstruction.
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Internal medicine journal · Feb 2024
Clinical TrialA pilot study on the effectiveness of a language-specific (Chinese) pulmonary rehabilitation programme for individuals with chronic pulmonary disease: a 2-year prospective cohort study in Sydney, Australia.
Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves dyspnoea, fatigue and healthcare-related quality of life (QoL) in patients with chronic lung disease (CLD). Non-English-speaking background (NESB) patients face language and cultural barriers that hinder their access to PR programmes, contributing to health disparities. Our trial aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of a Chinese language-specific PR programme on lung function, functional exercise capacity and QoL measures. ⋯ Our study demonstrates that a language-specific PR programme is feasible, improving outcomes in NESB patients with CLD. The improvement in 6MWT and QoL measures was comparable to English-based programmes. Ensuring equal access to healthcare programmes, regardless of cultural background or language barriers, is crucial in promoting health equity.
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Internal medicine journal · Feb 2024
Observational StudyThe lingering symptoms of post-COVID-19 condition (long-COVID): a prospective cohort study.
Longer-term symptoms (long COVID) may be present in seemingly recovered patients for several months and can be debilitating. ⋯ Long-term COVID-19 symptoms exist among recovered patients up to 12 months after contracting the virus. Fatigue is a primary contributor, while chronic pain became more problematic after 6 months. Vaccination was a factor in preventing long-term symptoms and aiding faster recovery from symptoms. Further work exploring additional contributors to symptom prevalence would assist in developing appropriate follow-up care.
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Internal medicine journal · Feb 2024
Learning outcomes from a systematic review workshop series for junior doctors.
Systematic reviews provide the highest level of evidence about a topic. Ten-week workshops in conducting systematic reviews were held with hospital doctors in 2019 and 2020. ⋯ The skills learnt from the systematic review workshop series impacted not only participants' research knowledge and skills, and plans to conduct future research, but also facilitated looking up medical literature in daily clinical work, supporting evidence-based clinical practice.