Irish journal of medical science
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Chronic kidney disease is common, with a projected increase to 5.4 million people in need of kidney replacement therapy by 2030. As many as 61.7% of patients on hemodialysis have secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). This has been associated with high cardiovascular morbidity. The present study investigates the effect of SHPT treatment success on cardiovascular morbidity in patients with CKD KDIGO stages G3b, 4, and 5. ⋯ SHPT is common (82%) in advanced CKD (≥G3b) patients and insufficiently controlled in one-third of patients. Insufficient control of SHPT is associated with higher cardiovascular morbidity, lower LVEF, increased LVH, and a higher incidence of ACS. Thus, increased focus on SHPT control in CKD patients may have a beneficial impact on cardiovascular outcomes.
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Fleadh Cheoil Na hÉireann, the world's largest Irish music festival, was held in Mullingar in August 2023, gathering a crowd of nearly 600,000 people. Our aim was to assess the impact on presentations to the local emergency department (ED). ⋯ Our study shows that the Fleadh led to an increase in all-cause ED visits as well as an increase in COVID-19 cases. Our study plays an important role in informing health service preparation for future host towns of the Fleadh.
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Cardiac arrest patients presenting with non-shockable rhythms have a low probability of survival, and epinephrine is one of the few pharmaceutical options for this group. The recommended 1.0 mg adult dose is extrapolated from early animal studies and lacks adjustment for patient weight. Although several prior studies have investigated "low-" and "high-" dose epinephrine, none have identified a benefit to either strategy. ⋯ Among patients with a low likelihood of survival, the optimal dose of epinephrine for attaining ROSC with a single bolus of epinephrine was 0.013 mg/kg. These findings should inspire further investigation into optimal dosing strategies for epinephrine.
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Vitiligo is an inflammatory, autoimmune disorder. Its pathogenesis is unclear. A neutrophil activation marker (calprotectin) is a protein complex present in many different types of cells and may be used as an indicator of inflammation. ⋯ Elevated levels of serum calprotectin in non-segmental vitiligo patients relative to healthy individuals with high sensitivity indicated that it may have a role in the vitiligo pathophysiology and can act as a marker for disease monitoring.
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Both macroscopic and histological lesions are frequently detected at upper endoscopy in elderly patients. We assessed the prevalence of main endoscopic and histological alterations in elderly (> 65 years old) patients. ⋯ We found that the frequency of erosive and neoplastic lesions remained high in elderly patients, whilst the prevalence of both H. pylori infection and peptic ulcer was decreased.