Irish journal of medical science
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The demand for intensive care unit (ICU) beds in the surgical population has increased in recent years. This is due to increased complexity of operative interventions, development of critical care services and improved availability of technologies. The number of beds in ICUs nationwide remains limited. In model three hospitals, this is further impacted by a lack of high dependency unit (HDU) facilities and difficulty with transfer of patients to tertiary centres. ⋯ This study demonstrates the need to protect sufficient numbers of ICU beds for delivery of emergency surgical care. It highlights the potential utility of an HDU in this setting. The introduction of such a facility would impact cost savings and increase access for those requiring definitive ICU level care.
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Serum amyloid A (SAA) is secreted by liver hepatocytes in response to increased inflammation whereupon it associates with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and alters the protein and lipid composition of HDL negating some of its anti-atherogenic properties. ⋯ We have identified novel genetic variants in the SAA genes associated with SAA levels, a biomarker of inflammation and chronic disease. The utility of SAA as a biomarker for inflammation and chronic disease may be influenced by underlying genetic variation in baseline levels.
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Understanding the impact of a publication by using bibliometric indices becomes an essential activity not only for universities and research institutes but also for individual academicians. This paper aims to provide a brief review of the current bibliometric tools used by authors and editors and proposes an algorithm to assess the relevance of the most common bibliometric tools to help the researchers select the fittest journal and know the trends of published submissions by using self-evaluation. ⋯ Since there is a journal performance market and an article performance market, each one with its patterns, an integrative use of these metrics, rather than just the impact factor alone, might represent the fairest and most legitimate approach to assess the influence and importance of an acceptable research issue, and not only a sound journal in their respective disciplines.
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Emergency department (ED) frequent attenders (FAs) have a higher rate of adverse outcomes compared to infrequent attenders. ⋯ This retrospective review is the most detailed assessment of Irish FAs undertaken to date. Further studies are required to examine the Irish hospitals most at need of Case Management Strategy Programmes which we postulate could minimise the risk of adverse outcomes for these patients and improve overall ED efficiency.
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To investigate cardiac manifestations and the risk factors in Han Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). ⋯ Cardiac involvement is common in Han Chinese SLE patients and associated with age and disease activity. PAH and myocarditis are the risk factors of mortality in SLE.