Medicine
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Possible challenges in dosing non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and limited evidence in Saudi Arabia make it difficult to assess their appropriateness. This study aimed to assess the appropriateness of prescribing rivaroxaban and apixaban in hospitalized patients with newly diagnosed NVAF. This single-center, descriptive, retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia between December 2018 and December 2019. ⋯ There was a significant negative correlation between the drugs underdosing and creatinine clearance, r = -0.223, P = .001. The findings in our present study showed that majority of the patients received appropriate dosing of rivaroxaban and apixaban in hospitalized patients with NVAF. Healthcare providers should update themselves with the recent dosing recommendations for the non-vitamin K-antagonist oral anticoagulants in NVAF to further improve the dosing appropriateness in hospitalized patients with NVAF.
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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common cause of dementia and frailty. Therefore, it is important to develop biomarkers that can diagnose these changes to improve the likelihood of monitoring and treating potential causes. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between biomarkers and AD, identify journal publications and collaborators, and analyze keywords and research trends using a bibliometric method. ⋯ This was the first study to provide an overview of the current status of development, hot spots of study, and future trends in biomarkers for AD. These findings will provide useful information for researchers to explore trends and gaps in the field of biomarkers and AD.
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Hypertension remains a major risk factor for myocardial infarction, heart failure, end-stage renal disease, and stroke. Multiple genes are involved in the process of hypertension with an additional dimension of interaction with the environment. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of publications in the field of hypertension and epigenetics over the past 10 years to summarize the current status of the field and analyze the trends in the field. ⋯ This study summarizes the global research trends in hypertension and epigenetics. Publications in this field have increased year by year in the last decade and the field of research on hypertension and epigenetics has good prospects for growth.
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To evaluate the diagnostic value of exfoliated tumor cells (ETCs) numbers combined with DNA methylation levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in lung cancer. ⋯ ETCs counting in combination with SHOX2 and RASSF1A methylation assays in BALF samples has demonstrated excellent sensitivity for lung cancer diagnosis and is an effective complementary tool for clinical diagnosis of lung cancer.
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Intestinal obstruction caused by enteroliths is an uncommon medical condition. Timely detection of the presence of enteroliths and identification of their origin can guide clinical treatment. This study aimed to present the Computed Tomography (CT) features of enterolithic ileus confirmed by surgery in 7 patients. ⋯ Simultaneously, cholecystitis and secondary cholecystoduodenal fistula were observed in all 3 patients with gallstones. Compared to gallstones, primary enteroliths tend to be higher positioned, less dense, and accompanied by gas. CT examination is very important, as it allows accurate identification, location, diagnosis, and identification of complications of the different types of enteroliths to provide a basis for surgery.