Medicine
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Case Reports
Severe disseminated Nocardia brasiliensis pneumonia with normal immune function: A case report.
Members of the genus Nocardia brasiliensis are Gram-positive, aerobic bacteria and exist ubiquitously in most environments. In recent years, the incidence of Nocardia brasiliensis has increased significantly and become a global concern. It may be predominantly caused pulmonary infections in immunocompromised hosts. Interestingly, however, we found that it can be present not only on immunocompromised hosts, but also to infect patients with a normal immune system. ⋯ Our report highlights when cold pus appears in soft tissues such as the lower limbs, neck, nose, scalp, etc, should prompt timely evaluation and biopsy for definitive diagnosis. Be alert to a normally immunocompetent, disseminated Nocardia brasiliensis infection. Early recognition and effective treatment are necessary conditions for successful results. This would allow for better disease prognostication while enabling physicians to develop more effective treatment strategies.
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To investigate nurse practitioners' roles and competencies among rheumatology nurses in China, an online, cross-sectional survey was conducted between July 7 and 14, 2020 among the national cooperation group of nursing experts on management of rheumatic and immune diseases. A total of 796 valid questionnaires were returned and participants' mean total scores on the Nurse Practitioners' Roles and Competencies Scale (NPRCS) was 2.51 (SD = 0.55), indicating a medium level. ⋯ Training should focus on medical assistance, leadership reform, and clinical research. The current study can provide a reference for an improved training framework of nursing practitioners in the rheumatology field.
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Case Reports
Lhermitte-Duclos disease with excessive calcification in a septuagenarian: A case report.
Lhermitte-Duclos disease (LDD), or dysplastic cerebellar gangliocytoma (DCG), is a rare tumor originating from the cerebellar cortex. LDD is a benign neuroglial tumor with uncertain prognosis. Over 200 cases have been reported in the literature mostly in the form of case reports. Thus, we present a spectacular case of LDD with excessive calcification in a female septuagenarian. ⋯ We postulate that the calcification of LDD is age-related and the pathogenesis of disease often observed in young adulthood.
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This study aims to identify multimorbidity patterns and examine whether health poverty vulnerability (HPV) varies among adults aged 45 years or more. Data from 4338 participants were extracted from a Chinese cross-sectional study. Latent class analysis was used to identify multimorbidity patterns based on 11 self-reported chronic diseases. ⋯ Although the multimorbidity pattern-induced HPV has been significant improved on extreme poverty, it still poses a very serious challenge with regard to low- to middle-income countries' poverty line. The sensitivity analysis proved the robustness of the results. Policymakers should focus on adults with 3 multimorbidity patterns, namely, registered poor households, age ≥75 years, and catastrophic health expenditure, to adopt targeted interventions to prevent and eliminate HPV.
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To investigate the influencing factors of in-hospital acute heart failure (AHF) in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), and to construct and validate a risk prediction nomogram model. Three Hundred Thirty patients with AECOPD admitted to our hospital from June 2020 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed as a training set for the construction of the model. Three Hundred Twenty-five AECOPD patients admitted to the Second People's Hospital of Hefei from 2006 to June 2023 were also collected as the validation set for the validation of the model. ⋯ The clinical decision curve also showed good clinical net benefit of the nomogram model. Body mass index, mmRC grade, neutrophils, lymphocytes, hemoglobin, creatinine, PO2, PCO2, and Homocysteine are risk factors for in-hospital AHF in AECOPD patients, and nomogram models constructed based on the above factors have some predictive value for in-hospital AHF in AECOPD patients. It is also vital for nursing staff to strengthen nursing care.