Irish journal of medical science
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COVID-19 infection led to a substantial overhaul of the symptomatic breast services within the UK. ⋯ Most patients were referred from GP as 'urgent' or 'urgent suspected cancer'. The cancer diagnosis rate reduced from 7 to 5% during the pandemic peak but the number of 'worried well' patients did not reduce. The total number of referrals reduced, which is predictive of increased demand in the future. The authors have suggested ways to meet this demand.
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Prolonged waiting lists increase costs as medical problems may become more expensive to fix. There are also hidden financial costs. Irish Clinical Genetic services have long out-patient waiting times. We noticed duplicate referrals (patients on the waiting list) being re-referred because the patient still had not been seen. These re-referrals waste consultant and administrative time, pose a clinical risk by distracting clinician time, and are costly to our health service. ⋯ National Treatment Purchase Fund data suggests that 271,560 patients are waiting > 12 months for both in- and out-patient public appointments on 1 January 2021. Assuming duplicate referrals are occurring across the Irish health system with equal frequency after 12 months of waiting (8% of total appointments), then we estimate a conservative cost of 757,392 € per quarter to the health service and an annual cost to the HSE of 3,029,568 €.
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This study aimed to explore the dysregulated long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression profile in psoriatic tissue vs. normal skin tissue via RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), then further sort candidate lncRNAs to be validated by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), in order to investigate the comprehensive linkage of lncRNA with psoriasis. ⋯ Our present study exhibits some evidence for the landscape of lncRNAs implicated in psoriasis.
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Melanoma is the fifth most common invasive cancer in Ireland, and incidence is increasing. Metastatic melanoma has been associated with poor overall survival historically. New systemic anti-cancer treatment (SACT) options for advanced melanoma have emerged in the last decade, and outcomes are improving. ⋯ Patients with metastatic melanoma commonly had metastases at the time of first presentation. Just over half of patients with metastatic melanoma received SACT. Early detection of melanoma is key. Further research on factors involved in late presentation, and those precluding systemic treatment, may contribute to improved outcomes in advanced melanoma.
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In this study, we investigated the effect of calcium and vitamin D (Ca/Vit D) supplementation on the clinical, hormonal, and metabolic profile of patients with low vitamin D levels. In addition, we investigated the effect of Ca/Vit D supplementation on asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) level in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). ⋯ Ca/Vit D supplementation can improve PCOS symptoms such as menstrual dysfunction, hirsutism, and hyperandrogenism. It may be effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with PCOS later in life by decreasing ADMA levels, which is an indicator of endothelial dysfunction.