Irish journal of medical science
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Observational Study
A cross-section observational study on the seroprevalence of antibodies to COVID-19 in patients receiving opiate agonist treatment.
The HSE National Drug Treatment Centre is an inner city drug treatment centre in Dublin which provides opiate agonist treatment (OAT) to approximately 565 patients, many of whom have complex care needs. ⋯ These findings indicate (a) possible low level of exposure to COVID-19 among this patient cohort or (b) that those patients who have been exposed have not developed or maintained detectable antibody levels, nor developed symptoms of the disease. Public health measures could explain the low level of COVID-19 in this cohort. The findings are also consistent with the possibility of a protective effect of OAT medications on development of the disease.
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As genomic profiling of constitutional and tumour-derived DNA becomes increasingly critical in cancer risk estimation, prognostication and treatment, there is a growing need for clinicians involved in cancer care to up-skill in Cancer Genetics. In the Republic of Ireland (ROI), this is particularly crucial, given a paucity of vocationally trained Clinical Geneticists per capita compared to other European countries. ⋯ This study demonstrates an unmet need in dedicated Cancer Genetics training for postgraduate specialty trainees in ROI.
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It is necessary to identify critical patients requiring hospitalization early due to the rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. ⋯ MEWS and TREWS calculated at emergency services are effective in predicting 28-day mortality in patients requiring hospitalization due to COVID-19.
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Tokyo guidelines (TG13/18) are used for the severity assessment of acute cholangitis (AC). Lactate is a clinical marker of tissue hypoxia and disease severity, independent from blood pressure. ⋯ The blood lactate level is associated with the severity of AC. In addition to TG13/18 guidelines, blood lactate level can be a useful biomarker in the severity grading of AC.