Advances in medical sciences
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Ultrasound guided lateral quadratus lumborum block enhanced recovery in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery.
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of lateral quadratus lumborum block (QLB) on postoperative pain and recovery in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery. ⋯ Ultrasound-guided lateral QLB significantly reduced perioperative opioid consumption, alleviated postoperative pain, shortened the time to first ambulation and anal flatus, and enhanced postoperative recovery of the patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery.
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Review Case Reports
Lung ultrasound in the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection - A case series and review of the literature.
COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and spreading worldwide has become a serious challenge for the entire health care system as regards infection prevention, rapid diagnosis, and treatment. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a dynamically developing diagnostic method used in intensive care, cardiology and nephrology, it can also be helpful in diagnosing and monitoring pneumonia. ⋯ We present 4 case reports of COVID-19 involving the lungs, in which transthoracic lung ultrasound was successfully utilized as a constituent of bedside diagnostics and a review of the literature concerning potential use of LUS in COVID-19 diagnostics. The possibility to perform this examination repeatedly, its non-invasiveness and high sensitivity make it an important element of care provided for patients with viral pneumonia.
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There are few effective biomarkers for neuroendocrine tumors. Precision oncology strategies have provided liquid biopsies for real-time and tailored decision-making. This has led to the development of the first neuroendocrine tumor liquid biopsy (the NETest). The NETest represents a transcriptomic signature of neuroendocrine tumor (NETs) that captures tumor biology and disease activity. The data have direct clinical application in terms of identifying residual disease, disease progress and the efficacy of treatment. In this overview we assess the available published information on the metrics and clinical efficacy of the NETest. ⋯ The NETest exhibits clinically competent metrics as an effective biomarker for neuroendocrine tumors. Measurement of NET transcripts in blood is a significant advance in neuroendocrine tumor management and demonstrates that blood provides a viable source to identify and monitor tumor status.
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Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is one of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA) - associated vasculitis. The disease is characterized by necrotizing inflammation of small vessels causing tissue ischemia in a variety of organs. The aim of the present study was an evaluation of inflammation, coagulation and fibrinolysis biomarkers, and their possible associations with various clinical and laboratory parameters in GPA patients. ⋯ In patients with GPA elevated levels of d-dimer are associated with disease activity and inflammation rather than with the risk of venous thromboembolism. The value of d-dimer as a biomarker of venous thromboembolism episodes in patients with small vessel vasculitis is low.
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Dyspeptic symptoms present a severe problem in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients. The aim of the study was to analyze an association between gastric myoelectric activity changes and dyspeptic symptoms in gastrointestinal cancer patients. ⋯ GI cancers affect the gastric myoelectric activity, decreasing normogastria and slow wave coupling. These patients do not show adequate gastric motility response to food. Impaired gastric electric motility may result from cancer-induced autonomic disturbances.