Irish journal of medical science
-
Migration due to environmental factors is an international crisis affecting many nations globally. Pregnant people are a vulnerable subgroup of migrants. ⋯ Maternity healthcare providers are likely to provide care for environmental migrants over the coming years. Environmental disasters and migration as individual factors have complex effects on perinatal health, and environmental migrants may be at risk of specific perinatal complications. Obstetricians and maternity healthcare workers should be aware of these challenges and appreciate the individualised and specialised care that these patients require.
-
The most reliable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) marker of cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (MS) is brain atrophy. However, 1-year volumetric changes prior to cognitive assessment were never studied as potential predictors of cognition, which we aim to assess with this pilot work. ⋯ Our work reveals novel 1-year regional brain volume changes as potential predictors of cognitive deficits in MS. This suggests a possible role of these regions in such deficits and might contribute to uncover cognitively deteriorating patients, whose detection is still unsatisfying in clinical practice.
-
Identify the impact of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on the vitamin D status of individuals in the west of Ireland. ⋯ Vitamin D levels were higher in the 5-month period of October-February 2020-2021, and this precipitated a decline in deficiency at both thresholds, indicating that lockdown coincided with enhanced vitamin D status. We postulate that it may be attributable to changes in diet and/or supplementation, or increased sun exposure, but further confirmatory studies are required.
-
In comparing the repeatability of the internal diameter and hemodynamic parameters of the dorsalis pedis artery measured by immersion ultrasound and contact ultrasound, the factors affecting the accuracy and repeatability of measurement were analyzed. This study aimed to provide a better method for ultrasound evaluation of the dorsalis pedis artery before flap transplantation. ⋯ The repeatability of water immersion ultrasound is better than that of contact ultrasound in the measurement of the dorsalis pedis artery. Water immersion ultrasound can improve the near-field resolution of superficial tissues and increase the display of the lengths of blood vessels in images, thereby suggesting its superiority in ultrasound examination of dorsalis pedis arteries.
-
The study aimed to determine the variability in the stages of diabetic nephropathy by examining specific biochemical functions associated with the target organ. As a result, various biochemical parameters were assessed in all of the groups under investigation. ⋯ Soluble α-Klotho levels in the sera of diabetic patients were shown to be lower and significantly linked to patients with diabetic nephropathy. This implies that klotho levels may be influenced by ACR in addition to playing a significant role in insulin resistance.