Postgraduate medical journal
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Physicians continuously make tough decisions when discharging patients. Alerting on poor outcomes may help in this decision. This study evaluates a machine learning model for predicting 30-day mortality in emergency department (ED) discharged patients. ⋯ Although not frequent, patients may die following ED discharge. Machine learning-based tools may help ED physicians identify patients at risk. An optimised decision for hospitalisation or palliative management may improve patient care and system resource allocation.
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Increasing evidence indicated that infection factors play important roles in stroke development. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection was positively associated with atherosclerosis and hypertension which are stroke risk factors. Therefore, we aimed to explore the relationship between HCMV infection and stroke using the data of US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). ⋯ We found a strong association between HCMV and stroke in women from the nationally representative population-based survey. This provide additional motivation for undertaking the difficult challenge to reduce the prevalence of stroke.
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Cataract surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures performed worldwide, yet many medical students and doctors remain uncertain as to what a cataract is or what the operation involves. This protocol provides a simple 10-step approach on how to teach medical students and non-specialist doctors the stages involved in cataract surgery, in a low cost wet lab-based environment, without the need for expensive surgical simulators or operating microscopes.
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Established over 2000 years ago, horoscopes remain a regular feature in contemporary society. We aimed to assess whether there could be a link between zodiac sign and medical occupation, asking the question-did your specialty choose you? ⋯ Personality types vary in different specialties. There may be links to zodiac signs which warrant further investigation.