Medicine
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Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common condition characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal fullness and epigastric pain. With the limitations of conventional Western medical treatments, symptoms often recur and lead to poor quality of life. Soyo-san (SYS) is a traditional herbal medicine that has been frequently used to treat indigestion. This protocol was designed to investigate the safety and efficacy of SYS for treating FD through a systematic review and meta-analysis. ⋯ This study will determine the safety and efficacy of SYS for the treatment of FD. REVIEW REGISTRY UNIQUE IDENTIFYING NUMBER:: reviewregistry969.
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Comparative Study
Retrospective cohort trial protocol of screw fixation compared with hemiarthroplasty for displaced femoral neck fractures in elderly patients.
There is limited evidence for the evaluation of the efficacy and safety of the hemiarthroplasty versus screw fixation in elderly patients with the displaced femoral neck fractures. Our current investigation aimed at assessing the complications, functional outcome, and revision rate of the patients (over 65 years old) who received internal fixation or hemiarthroplasty via a same senior surgeon. ⋯ It was assumed that hemiarthroplasty would result in fewer revisions or complications and better functional scores in comparison with internal fixation technique.
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Current demographics lead increasing older cancer patients to undergo complex medico-surgical procedures, with substantial risk of decompensations and deconditioning. The Prehabilitation & Rehabilitation in Oncology: Adaptation to Disease and Accompaniment of Patients' Trajectories (PROADAPT) project is currently being developed with the aim of improving care, through standardized care pathways guided by existing evidence and implementation programs. A working group will specifically focus on improvement of physical performances before such procedures. These interventions may have been developed in different contexts: before surgery in large, before carcinologic surgery or complex medical interventions (chemotherapy, radiotherapy), or in primary care for elderly patients to prevent sarcopenia and frailty. Post-surgical interventions are out of the scope of this review. The objective of this review is to summarize the level of evidence to support physical reconditioning interventions and identify areas where further work is required. ⋯ CRD42020100110.
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Patients with long term bed rest in intensive care unit after neurosurgery could experience splanchnic hypoperfusion. These patients have several other medical conditions that exacerbate splanchnic hypoperfusion during treatment and the splanchnic hypoperfusion could result in "stress-induced intestinal necrosis", which could cause massive hematochezia. We report here the experience of life-threatening hematochezia in 3 patients who underwent brain surgery in our institution. ⋯ Abdominal symptoms, such as hematochezia, should be actively managed in neurosurgical patients who are undergoing long-term bed rest in an intensive care unit under physiologically stressful medical conditions.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Evaluation of automated volumetric breast density software in comparison with visual assessments in an Asian population: A retrospective observational study.
This study aims to compare Quantra, as an automated volumetric breast density (Vbd) tool, with visual assessment according to ACR BI-RADS density categories and to determine its potential usage in clinical practice. Five hundred randomly selected screening and diagnostic mammograms were included in this retrospective study. Three radiologists independently assigned qualitative ACR BI-RADS density categories to the mammograms. ⋯ Hence, this study adds to the available evidence to support the potential use of Quantra as an adjunct tool for breast density assessment in routine clinical practice in the Asian population. We found 13.5% is the best cut-off value to stratify dense to non-dense breasts in our study population. Its application will provide an objective, consistent and reproducible results as well as aiding clinical decision-making on the need for supplementary breast ultrasound in our screening population.