The Libyan journal of medicine
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Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is associated with poor prognosis and risk of acute heart failure after liver transplantation or interventional procedures. We aimed to assess the relationship between the severity of cardiac impairment and hepatic disease. Eighty patients and eighty controls underwent echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging and speckle tracking measures. ⋯ Left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly lower in decompensated patients as compared to compensated patients(p = 0.02).. We did not identify any association between severity of liver disease and cardiac dysfunction. Therefore, a transthoracic echocardiography should be performed in all cirrhotic patients before interventional and surgical procedures regardless of the severity of liver disease.
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The aim of this study was to investigate whether dexmedetomidine - administered before ischemia - has protective effects against lower extremity ischemia reperfusion injury that induced by clamping and subsequent declamping of infra-renal abdominal aorta in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. ⋯ We found that dexmedetomidine - 100 μg/kg intraperitoneally - administered 30 minutes before ischemia in diabetic rats ameliorates lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress, and I-R-related renal injury. We suggest that dexmedetomidine administration in diabetic rats before I/R has renoprotective effects.
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The aim of the present study was to locate the ophthalmic artery by using the edge of the internal carotid artery (ICA) as the reference depth to perform a reliable non-invasive intracranial pressure measurement via a multi-depth transcranial Doppler device and to then determine the positions and angles of an ultrasonic transducer (UT) on the closed eyelid in the case of located segments. High tension glaucoma (HTG) patients and healthy volunteers (HVs) undergoing non-invasive intracranial pressure measurement were selected for this prospective study. The depth of the edge of the ICA was identified, followed by a selection of the depths of the IOA and EOA segments. ⋯ The difference in the located depths of the segments between groups was not statistically significant. The results showed a significant difference in the measured UT angles in the case of the identified edge of the ICA and selected ophthalmic artery segments (p = 0.0002). We demonstrated that locating the IOA and EOA segments can be achieved using the edge of the ICA as a reference point.
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Nitrite has been found to protect liver graft from cold preservation injury. However, the cell signaling pathway involved in this protection remains unclear. Here, we attempt to clarify if the NOS pathway by using the NOS inhibitor, L-NAME (L-NG-Nitroarginine methyl ester). ⋯ Despite NOS inhibition by L-NAME, nitrite can still provide hepatic protection during cold I/R preservation. This suggests that nitrite acts through a NOS-independent pathway.
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Observational Study
Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of an Arabic language version of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire in Lebanon.
Patients' positive illness perceptions (IPs) significantly contribute to treatment success. The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ) is widely used in various diseases for assessing IPs. It was developed in English-speaking countries and studies on it in Arab countries are scarce. ⋯ We confirm that the Brief IPQ-Ar is appropriate for exploring IPs in cardiac disease patients whose first language is Arabic. Further research should be conducted to test this Arabic version in other types of diseases.