Articles: patients.
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Extracranial carotid artery aneurysms (ECAAs) are extraordinarily rare, representing approximately 0.4%-4% of all extracranial artery aneurysms. As medical technology has advanced, new approaches for ECAAs treatment can be performed. Nevertheless, there is currently no consensus on the best therapeutic approach due to the information scarcity. ⋯ ECAAs are a rare clinical condition. However, a great percentage of patients could present with ischemic symptoms. Similarly, cardiovascular risk factors present as the most prevalent comorbid conditions associated with these vascular aberrancies. With this systematic review, we seek to provide insight into extracranial carotid aneurysms, identifying areas of opportunity in both the diagnosis and management of this pathology and the standardization of clinical reporting and case classification. These findings underscore the need for future research to improve the understanding and approach to this complex clinical condition.
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Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines exhibit diverse side effects, taste and saliva secretory disorders have remained poorly understood despite their negative impact on the overall quality of life. The present study aimed to characterize oral adverse effects following COVID-19 vaccination and assess their similarities with oral symptoms in COVID-19 patients. A literature search was conducted in databases, including PubMed, LitCovid, and Google Scholar, to retrieve relevant studies. ⋯ Considering that oral adverse effects following COVID-19 vaccination share some characteristics with oral symptoms in COVID-19 patients, it is speculated that the spike protein derived from COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection may be pathophysiologically responsible for taste and saliva secretory disorders. This is because such spike protein has the potential to interact with ACE2 expressed on the relevant cells, produce proinflammatory cytokines, and form antiphospholipid antibodies. Our results do not deny the advantages of COVID-19 vaccination, but attention should be paid to post-vaccination oral effects in addition to COVID-19 oral symptoms.
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Pol. Arch. Med. Wewn. · Dec 2024
ReviewDiagnosis of sepsis: which clinical and laboratory biomarkers are useful?
The quest for a definitive diagnostic tool for sepsis has spanned decades, yet it remains elusive. The diagnostic workup of sepsis is inherently complex, involving dozens of biochemical, hematologic, and immunologic parameters, alongside complex microbiological diagnostics. Over the past decade, the integration of omics technologies has further complicated this diagnostic landscape. ⋯ This work provides an overview of selected diagnostic biomarkers that are deemed readily applicable in routine clinical practice, extending applicability beyond highly specialized university hospitals. Verifying the reliability and clinical utility of diagnostic parameters generally takes several years, and often is more challenging in patients with sepsis, as compared with other cohorts, because of the complexity of this condition. Nevertheless, the integration of new technologies, the expanded use of bedside diagnostics, and advancements in omics technologies are propelling us toward the realization of personalized medicine and theranostics.
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Calcific aortic stenosis (AS) restricts the aortic valve opening during systole due to calcification and fibrosis of either a congenital bicuspid or a normal trileaflet aortic valve. In the US, AS affects 1% to 2% of adults older than 65 years and approximately 12% of adults older than 75 years. Worldwide, AS leads to more than 100 000 deaths annually. ⋯ Calcific AS is a common chronic progressive condition among older adults and is diagnosed via echocardiography. Symptomatic patients with severe AS have a mortality rate of up to 50% after 1 year, but treatment with SAVR or TAVI reduces mortality to that of age-matched control patients. The type and timing of valve replacement should be built on evidence-based guidelines, shared decision-making, and involvement of a multidisciplinary heart valve team.
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Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder that may be managed with therapies like scalp electroacupuncture (SEA). The combination of SEA and medication could potentially offer a new approach for managing PD symptoms. The systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the combined impact of SEA and medication on PD through a comprehensive analysis of randomized clinical trials, focusing on outcomes like effective rate and various scores (total Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), UPDRS III, and Webster). ⋯ The intervention (SEA + medication) has shown significant effectiveness compared to the control (medication) in terms of the effective rate, total UPDRS, and UPDRS III in PD patients. However, it did not show a significant effect on the Webster score.