Medicine
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The studies concerning Saudis' perceptions and awareness of telepharmacy, as well as their readiness to use this service, are critical for policymakers to devise measures to increase the acceptability of telepharmacy. The present study aimed to assess their knowledge, perceptions, and willingness to use telepharmacy services in Riyadh. The present study was a cross-sectional survey conducted between March 2024 and June 2024. ⋯ Most of the respondents (78.52%) said that they like using telepharmacy services wherever possible, and 81.98% of them agreed that telepharmacy improves medication adherence. The findings of this study demonstrated a fair knowledge, positive perception, and high willingness to use telepharmacy among the general population in Riyadh. Interventions to increase knowledge of telepharmacy in Riyadh need to target less educated people.
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Continuing medical education (CME) is the foremost among the learning strategies that enhance knowledge and skills within the medical profession. This study aimed to evaluate primary healthcare professionals' CME in Abha City. A total of 267 primary health care (PHC) professionals. ⋯ Participants' skills improvement was highest among those aged > 40 years, among males, non-Saudis, those with Doctorate degrees, physicians, and those with > 10 years' experience. PHC professionals find CME courses valuable for knowledge enhancement, with lectures, videos, and presentations preferred. Information sources include internet, textbooks, and colleagues, but time constraints and workloads hinder attendance.
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Observational Study
Preoperative prediction of microvascular/nerve invasion in locally advanced gastric cancer by differentiation and enhanced CT features.
The purpose of the article is to determine whether differentiation and enhanced CT features can preoperatively predict microvascular/nerve invasion in locally advanced gastric cancer. Retrospective analysis of the CT and pathological data of 325 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer confirmed by pathology in our hospital from July 2011 to August 2023. The patient's age, gender, tumor location, T stage, N stage, TNM stage, differentiation, Lauren classification, as well as tumor thickness, tumor longest diameter, plain CT value, arterial CT value, venous CT value, arterial phase enhancement rate, and venous phase enhancement rate were assessed. ⋯ Multivariate analysis suggested that TNM stage and differentiation were independent risk factors for microvascular/nerve invasion. The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the diagnostic efficacy of the combined parameter of TNM stage and differentiation was better than that of the single parameter, in which area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.819 (95%CI: 0.770-0.867), 66.7%, and 83.8%, respectively. Differentiation and enhanced CT are helpful in predicting whether microvascular/nerve invasion occurs in locally advanced gastric cancer before operation, especially the combined parameters of TNM stage and differentiation.
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Observational Study
Retrospective cohort study on the safety and efficacy of paclitaxel-coated balloon in the treatment of diabetic subpatellar artery disease.
Paclitaxel can inhibit smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration, and reduce the risk of vascular restenosis after balloon dilation. Our study investigated the safety and efficacy of paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) treatment for diabetic subpatellar artery disease. In this study, 140 patients with diabetic subknee arterial disease treated in our hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 were selected as the study objects, and were divided into the control group (conventional balloon interventionization angioplasty) and the observation group (PCB interventionization angioplasty), with 70 cases in each group according to the differences in previous balloon interventionization. ⋯ The improvement rate of walking impairment and 6 minutes walking distance in the observation group were significantly better than those in the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P < .05). There was no significant difference in the occurrence of adverse events between the 2 groups after operation (P > .05). For diabetic patients with subknee arterial disease, PCB treatment can ensure safety and improve clinical symptoms, and has good practical value.
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Observational Study
Study on the predictive value of APACHE II score and neurogenic dysphagia in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) poses a growing challenge in clinical treatment globally. Early identification of high-risk patients is essential to control infection spread and improve treatment outcomes. This retrospective study analyzed 152 patients with K pneumoniae infections at the Second People's Hospital of Hefei City, Anhui Province, dividing them into carbapenem-resistant and non-carbapenem-resistant groups. ⋯ Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.824 (95% confidence interval: 0.749-0.898) for the APACHE II score, with an optimal threshold of 14.5 points. A new predictive model combining neurogenic dysphagia with APACHE II scores improved classification performance, as demonstrated by Net Reclassification Improvement (NRI = 0.0967, 95% confidence interval: -0.0477 to 0.2410) and reclassification probability analysis, correctly reclassifying 24.32% of individuals into a higher risk category. The findings highlight the combined predictive value of APACHE II scores and neurogenic dysphagia for early identification and intervention in high-risk CRKP patients.