Irish journal of medical science
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Sleep-related laryngospasm (SRL) has been defined as the sustained closure of the vocal cords during sleep. Studies have suggested that it is a rare manifestation of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). Difficulties in diagnosing SRL and LPR have led to the condition being under-recognised in the clinical setting. ⋯ SRL is a largely unknown and under-diagnosed condition. We believe this study provides supportive evidence for the causal relationship between LPR and SRL.
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Virtual clinics were introduced to our practice in March 2020. We aimed to assess outcomes from virtual clinics and to assess staff views on them and their barriers to implementation nationally. ⋯ If virtual clinics are to play a long-term role in oncology, it is essential to monitor clinic quality and plan visits proactively.
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We audited use of acute hospital beds in Connolly Hospital over a 3-month period (January-March 2020) which coincided with increased provision of step-down (nursing home) beds. Our results show both ineffective and inefficient baseline uses of these acute beds. Increased step-down beds improve patient care by reducing the trolley count, shortening average length of stay and reducing waiting lists. These data confirm that more step-down beds are a high priority for our Health Service to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our hospitals i.e. better care at less cost.
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Bronchiectasis is usually caused by recurrent bacterial infections and is characterized by irreversible dilation of the bronchi. In this study, we aimed to give an overview of the genetic backgrounds of patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) that have been suspected to an underlying ciliary dysfunction or inborn error of immunity (IEI). ⋯ This study presents an overview of the underlying ciliary and immune dysfunctions and their genetic mutations in NCFB in a highly consanguine population. This would give us a better understanding of the etiologies and the known and novel genetic mutations in NCFB in Iran and, in turn, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
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Among various methods for estimating blood loss, the gravimetric method is the most accurate; however, its use in routine practice is complicated. Although several equations have been proposed for this purpose, there is no consensus on the most suitable. ⋯ For use in clinical practice, haematological index-based equations, regardless of whether they consider fluids administered, do not show sufficiently strong correlations with gravimetric estimates of intraoperative blood loss.