Irish journal of medical science
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Direct Provision in Ireland provides basic needs of food and shelter to asylum seekers while their refugee status is processed. There are a number of issues associated with living conditions in these centres including overcrowding, nutrition and play facilities (1,2). This article outlines the protocol of contact tracing and management of latent tuberculosis infection in the paediatric setting after a confirmed adult case of tuberculosis within a Direct Provision centre in Ireland. ⋯ Sixteen children (20%) were treated for possible latent tuberculosis infection with isoniazid for 6-9 months; compliance was good with no side effects reported. This article highlights the risk to vulnerable populations, especially children, when residing in Direct Provision facilities. Initial migrant screening on entry is essential, in addition to improving living conditions and time spent by families in this living environment.
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In the era of active surveillance of low- and intermediate-risk prostatic cancer, a reconsideration of the implications of a biopsy report of ASAP and/or HGPIN may be timely. ⋯ The findings of this study suggest that a biopsy diagnosis of ASAP ± HGPIN, on either initial or surveillance biopsy, provides support for earlier repeat mpMRI and/or re-biopsy. This may assist in directing to early re-biopsy those patients likely to have intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer.
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During the COVID-19 crisis, a new nurse and doctor-led telephone triage model of care was evaluated as a method of prioritising essential visits to the ophthalmic accident and emergency department in the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital. This new method of service is known as "Telehealth" or "E-Health". ⋯ To reduce risk of transmission, the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated novel ways of interacting with patients and sharing healthcare information. Our new mode of service provision in the RVEEH portrays the effectiveness of Telehealth. This study gives us further scope to improve this model of care into the future.
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Inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 4 (ITIH4) plays vital roles in inflammatory and auto-immune diseases, but its correlations with disease risk and clinical features in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) need further investigation. The present study intended to explore the correlation of ITIH4 with disease activity and inflammation, as well as its change after treatment in IBD patients. ⋯ ITIH4 correlates with IBD susceptibility, active risk, inflammation level, and its elevation after treatment relates to clinical response in IBD patients.
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Nutrition is a basic need and is crucial for the persistence of good health. This awareness has increased since December 2019 during the pandemic that the world is still facing. The importance of nutrition in infectious diseases was emphasized but the relationship between the severity of symptoms and nutrition status of individuals was not examined. ⋯ Based on the nutrition status of the 337 patients included in the study, 87.2% (294) of the patients were in the low-risk group while 12.8% (43) were in the high-risk group in terms of malnutrition. In the analysis conducted to examine the effect of nutrition on the severity of disease, the relationship between NRS 2002 and dyspnea, cough, weakness, fever, and other symptoms was statistically significant. It was concluded that healthy nutrition is crucial during the pandemic, and it is necessary to consider nutrition improvement as a way to cope with emerging viral infections.