Internal and emergency medicine
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Male patients, especially the young, are at a higher risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism (RVTE) than females. Recent scientific reports show the use of D-dimer does not help predict RVTE risk in males. In the present report, we reviewed the data obtained in the DULCIS study (main report published in Blood 2014), focusing on D-dimer results recorded in non-elderly patients of both genders included in the study, and their relationship with RVTE events occurring during follow-up. ⋯ Following management procedure, anticoagulation was stopped in 53.7% of males and 69.5% of females, who had persistently negative D-dimer results. The rate of subsequent recurrent events was 1.7% (95% CI 0.5-4.5%) and 0.4% (95% CI 0-2.5%) patient-years in males and females, respectively, with upper limits of confidence intervals always below the level of risk considered acceptable by international scientific societies for stopping anticoagulation (< 5%). In conclusion, using sensitive quantitative assays with specifically designed cutoff values and serial measurements during and after discontinuation of anticoagulation, D-dimer testing is useful to predict the risk of RVTE and is of help in deciding the duration of anticoagulation in both male and female adult patients aged up to 65 years.
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Observational Study
Musculoskeletal injury quality outcome indicators for the emergency department.
High standards of care for musculoskeletal injuries presenting to emergency departments (ED) must be maintained despite financial constraints, the model of care in place, or the pressure to reach time-based performance measures. Outcome quality indicators (QIs) provide a tangible way of assessing and improving the outcomes of health-care delivery. This study aimed to develop a set of outcome QIs for musculoskeletal injuries in the ED that are meaningful, valid, feasible to collect, simple to use for clinical quality improvement and chosen by experts in the field. ⋯ Using the field study results, the expert panel voted 11 outcome QIs into the final set. These covered effectiveness of pain management, timeliness to discharge, re-presentations to the ED and unplanned visits to health professionals in the community, missed injuries, opioids side effects and the patient experience. An evidence-based set of outcome quality indicators is now available to support clinical quality improvement of musculoskeletal injury care in the ED setting.
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Observational Study
Lacunar stroke syndromes as predictors of lacunar and non-lacunar infarcts on neuroimaging: a hospital-based study.
Lacunar syndromes are usually caused by small ischemic lesions called lacunar infarcts. However, non-lacunar infarcts account for about 20% of lacunar syndromes. The aim of this study was to identify clinical predictors of lacunar syndromes led by non-lacunar infarcts. ⋯ On multivariate analysis, atrial fibrillation (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.09-2.31; p = 0.002) and higher NIHSS (OR 1.12 for each point increase, 95% CI 1.09-1.15; p < 0.001) were predictors of non-lacunar infarcts in all stroke cases, while lacunar syndromes were inversely associated with non-lacunar infarcts (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.11-0.20; p < 0.001). Atrial fibrillation was the only predictor of non-lacunar infarcts in patients with lacunar syndromes (OR 2.62, 95% CI 1.33-5.18; p = 0.005). 21% of patients with lacunar syndromes had non-lacunar infarctions. Atrial fibrillation turned out to be a predictor of lacunar syndrome due to non-lacunar infarct.
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The adverse consequence of low medication literacy is a major problem that threatens patients' health. The number of people with hypertension is increasing in China. We described the current situation of medication literacy of patients with hypertension in China and its related influencing factor. ⋯ In addition, our study also demonstrates that we can identify the medication literacy level of hypertensive patients using the Chinese version Medication Literacy Scale for Hypertensive Patients. High medication literacy is an important factor for hypertensive patients to improve medication adherence, so as to better control blood pressure. We should pay attention to the improvement of medication literacy and take corresponding measures.
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Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic disease with unknown etiology and poor prognosis. Little is known about the epidemiology of this disease; most of the studies are limited by small and restricted cohort studies. We aim to investigate the epidemiology of IPF in the Italian primary care setting using the Health Search Database (HSD) between January 2002 and June 2017. ⋯ The analyses on candidate determinants showed that patients aged 61 years or older, those suffering from GERD, and former smokers were statistically significantly at greater risk of incurring IPF. To our knowledge, this is one of the first European IPF epidemiological studies conducted in primary care. The increase of the incidence rates is likely due to a growing awareness for IPF among General Practitioners, while the increase of prevalence rates may be due to an increase of survival, a result of recent advances in the diagnosis, management and therapies for the disease.