Clinics
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Controlled Clinical Trial
The role of fecal calprotectin in investigating inflammatory bowel diseases.
Invasive and non-invasive tests can be used to evaluate the activity of inflammatory bowel diseases. ⋯ In conclusion, fecal calprotectin was found to be strongly associated with colorectal inflammation indicating organic disease. Fecal calprotectin is a simple and non-invasive method for assessing excretion of macrophages into the gut lumen. Fecal calprotectin values can be used to evaluate the response to treatment, to screen asymptomatic patients, and to predict inflammatory bowel disease relapses.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Short-term effects of positive expiratory airway pressure in patients being weaned from mechanical ventilation.
To investigate the feasibility and the cardiorespiratory effects of using positive expiratory airway pressure, a physiotherapeutic tool, in comparison with a T-tube, to wean patients from mechanical ventilation. ⋯ Our study demonstrated that, in weaning patients from mechanical ventilation, the use of a fixed level of Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure caused an increase in work of breathing that was not accompanied by any other significant cardiorespiratory changes. Therefore, we have to be cautious when using Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure as a physiotherapeutic tool during weaning from mechanical ventilation.
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Mechanical ventilation with positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) improves oxygenation and treats acute pulmonary failure. However, increased intrathoracic pressure may cause regional blood flow alterations that may contribute to mesenteric ischemia and gastrointestinal failure. We investigated the effects of different PEEP levels on mesenteric leukocyte-endothelial interactions. ⋯ High intrathoracic pressure was harmful to mesenteric microcirculation in the experimental model of rats with normal lungs and stable systemic blood pressure, a finding that may have relevance for complications related to mechanical ventilation.
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To present the characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with retinoblastoma. ⋯ In this population, retinoblastoma was diagnosed too late and most eyes were consequently enucleated. In cases with bilateral disease, half of the eyes were preserved.