Irish journal of medical science
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To provide safe and effective patient care, records must be kept in a high-quality manner. Clinical audits should be conducted on a frequent basis to ensure that high standards of record-keeping are upheld. An audit and re-audit of the surgical inpatient records' documentation were conducted as part of a retrospective, descriptive study to see if it aligns with the hospital's stated policy. ⋯ Record-keeping must be considered as an integral part of medical practice; current documentation work demonstrates that when performed appropriately, audit can actually affect the quality of clinical records. The audit itself can increase awareness of the need for practice improvement. The distribution of findings, instruction, training, and local action planning are all essential for developing practice.
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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurological condition that affects millions of individuals around the world and for which there are few effective therapies. Dementia is characterized by the formation of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, which is followed by neurotoxicity, which results in memory loss and mortality. ⋯ As the disease-modifying drugs are most effective in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, biomarkers for early detection of disease and their development are crucial. This review discusses the diagnostic utility, benefits, and limitations of traditional techniques such as neuroimaging, cognitive testing, positron emission tomography, and biomarkers, as well as the novel techniques such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, immunotherapy, and blood test approaches for early detection, understanding, and treatment of AD.
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The aim of this retrospective review was to analyse the frequency of patients presenting with flashes and/or floaters (F/F) on bright versus dark days to the eye emergency department of a tertiary referral hospital (the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital) over a 3-year period. The diagnostic and clinical outcomes of F/F presentations were also analysed. ⋯ This study established that F/F presentations were more likely to present during bright days when compared with dark days. The diagnosis of PVD was more common during bright days, and RDs were diagnosed significantly more frequently on dark days. Although incident solar radiation was correlated with greater floaters/PVD presentation, causation is unlikely, and the duration of PVD may have been longer in patients presenting on bright days (i.e. pseudo-sudden symptoms).
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A randomized controlled trial on the effects of different music genres on physiologic parameters and emotion.
Listening to music has psychophysiological effects on individuals' body and emotions, and it is known as one of the most influential stimuli to create emotions. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of different music genres on some physiological parameters and emotion. ⋯ The results of the present study showed that statistically and clinically, there was no difference between silent music and other types of music, including pop, rock, western classical, and Persian traditional, in reducing physiological parameters. Different genres of music had no additional impact on emotion when compared to silence.
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Copeptin, the C-terminal portion of provasopressin, has been regarded as a marker of non-specific stress response and a potentially prognostic biomarker of cardiovascular diseases. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to summarize the predictive role of baseline copeptin for the prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). ⋯ A high plasma level of copeptin is associated with higher risks of mortality and MACEs in patients with CAD. Measuring copeptin may be helpful for risk stratification in patients with CAD.