Irish journal of medical science
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It is difficult to predict the expected survival after lumbar instrumented surgery for metastases owing to the difference among different cancer origins and the relatively short survival after surgery. ⋯ The postoperative survival period of patients with lumbar metastatic spinal tumors according to different primary cancers after instrumented fusion was ˃1 year overall, with differences according to different primary origins. This result may provide information regarding the expected postoperative survival after instrumented surgery for lumbar spinal metastases.
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Plain film abdomens (PFA) are frequently used in the emergency department to help guide the management of patients presenting with abdominal symptoms. A plain film abdomen contributes minimally to clinical scenarios due to low sensitivity and specificity. Is a PFA useful in the emergency setting or does it serve to further complicate decision making? ⋯ Plain film abdomen requests are over utilised in the emergency department. PFAs are not sensitive for detecting acute pathology and should not be used to decide if a patient requires further imaging or a full clinical assessment.
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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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Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has a critical role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF drugs is the mainstay of neovascular AMD treatment. Blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is shown to be a biomarker of inflammation in AMD. We aimed to investigate the role of NLR in predicting favorable short-term anti-VEGF treatment results in neovascular AMD patients. ⋯ NLR can provide additional prognostic information for the identification of patients with a good initial response to anti-VEGF therapy.
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The aim of our study was to describe the epidemiology of Carbon monoxide poisoning in the Emergency Department. ⋯ Our current study has showed an increase of Carbon Monoxide poisoning in contrary to our study performed in the previous decade. Fortunately, we did find a lower rate of cases with severe poisoning. Beside the implementation of safer standards for residential heating systems, customized public education is advised in order to lower rates of poisoning in the future. A predicted heavy snow fall should be considered a trigger for a public health warning regarding the risk of CO poisoning.