Articles: mortality.
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Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a widespread and often fatal clinical syndrome marked by the acute onset of pulmonary edema and inflammatory-mediated disruptions in alveolar-capillary permeability resulting in impaired gas exchange and tissue oxygenation with subsequent acute respiratory failure that accounts for 10.4% of all intensive care unit admissions worldwide and boasts a mortality rate of 38.5%. The current treatment for ARDS remains largely supportive. This is largely because of the many challenges of achieving a stable and sustainable animal model that recreates the pathophysiology of ARDS experimentally in a controlled setting to allow research to elucidate potential treatments of ARDS moving forward. ⋯ In conclusion, we demonstrated a viable animal model of human ARDS that is maintained for a prolonged period, suitable for continuous monitoring of the progression, and evaluation of potential future treatments and procedures to reduce patient morbidity and mortality. To carry out this two-hit model, lung injury was induced through a combination of bronchoalveolar lavage and oleic acid administration and the disease process of ARDS is subsequently tracked through clinically relevant parameters such as respiratory mechanics, cytokine response, aretrial blood gas (ABG) changes, and observation of postmortem histopathologic changes. This promising new model has the capacity to successfully replicate human ARDS which is a well-known and notoriously multifactorial pathogenic process to reproduce experimentally for an extended period of time. The "two-hit model" is a viable and appropriate model for the research of novel treatments for ARDS.
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External causes of death, such as accidents, substance use, and suicide, contribute substantially to mortality during adolescence and early adulthood and show marked sex differences. Individuals born preterm are at increased risk of mental disorders, and impaired cognitive and executive functions, potentially increasing their vulnerability to death from external causes. We investigated sex-specific associations between gestational age at birth and mortality from external causes during late adolescence and early adulthood. ⋯ Mortality from external causes overall was higher in preterm than full term born among both males and females. A clear sex difference was seen for suicide, where preterm birth was a risk factor in females, but not in males.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of Bone Mineral Density Between Veterans and Non-Veterans and Its Impact on Fracture Risk Assessment.
Background and Objectives: Osteoporosis poses significant health risks, especially among veterans, due to lifestyle factors. This study compares bone density and fracture risks between male veterans and non-veterans. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 1427 veterans from the Taichung Veterans General Hospital osteoporosis database (2010-2022), matched 1:1 by age and gender with non-veterans. ⋯ Importantly, veterans exhibited a trend toward more hip fractures compared with non-veterans (27.0% vs. 23.6%, p = 1.017), suggesting a potential difference despite not reaching statistical significance. Conclusions: In the present study, we found that veterans have higher rates of comorbidities, and higher mortality after a fracture event, highlighting the need for targeted medical interventions to address these differences. Further intervention to prevent avoidable fractures and the provision of adequate care for long-term osteoporosis management remain critical issues.
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Background and Objectives: Cardiac transplantation represents the option for patients with end-stage heart failure (HF), providing the best survival rate. However, the postoperative complications of transplant patients remain a challenge for clinicians. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of preoperative chronic HF treatment on the occurrence of in-hospital complications. ⋯ Moreover, Carvedilol therapy represented a protective factor against early AKI. Pre-transplant Spironolactone was associated with lower event rates of AGR, in contrast to ACEI treatment. Prospective studies with larger cohorts are needed in order to draw drastic conclusions.