Irish journal of medical science
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Subjective tinnitus is an unpleasant perception of sound without any external acoustic stimulus. It can be manifested in the form of various phantom sounds, which most often resemble ringing, whistling, squeaking, noise, chirping, or buzzing. The sounds are heard solely by the sufferer and can occur in the middle of the head, but also in the ears-on one or both sides. ⋯ The study concluded that tinnitus may be a symptom indicating the presence of high-frequency hearing loss as hearing loss occurs in an increasingly wider frequency range with age, so HFA should be a routine audiological test in patients with tinnitus.
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Smartwatches have gained tremendous attention in recent years and have become widely accepted by patients, despite not being intended for medical diagnosis. ⋯ Apple Watch 6 is an accurate and reliable method for measuring SpO2 levels in emergency patients who presented with acute exacerbation of COPD. However, tachypneic patients may encounter challenges due to the potential need for multiple attempts to measure their oxygen saturation.
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Reconfiguration of the Irish acute hospital sector resulted in the establishment of a Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) in Mallow General Hospital (MGH). We developed a protocol whereby certain patients deemed to be low risk for clinical deterioration could be brought by the National Ambulance Service (NAS) to the MAU following a 999 or 112 call. ⋯ Our results have demonstrated the safety, feasibility and effectiveness of this pathway. With increased resourcing, upscaling of this initiative is possible and should be considered.
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Cases of intoxication are increasing day by day and these patients are presenting to emergency departments. These patients are usually individuals with poor self-care, inadequate oral intake, and unable to meet their own needs, and may have significant dehydration due to the agents they have taken. The caval index (CI) is a recently used index to determine fluid requirement and response. ⋯ In our study, we found that CI can be used as an index to assist emergency clinicians in determining and monitoring fluid requirement in cases of intoxication presenting to the emergency department.
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Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder which is caused due to T-cell mediated destruction of β cells of pancreas leading to insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia. The prevalence has been increasing in many countries especially Europe and America. ⋯ The US. FDA approved the first cell therapy drug, Donislecel for brittle T1D which may be a crucial achievement in treatment of the autoimmune disorder.