Irish journal of medical science
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Analysis of the results of treatment of localised prostate cancer with radiation and surgery has identified patients who are at high risk of developing metastatic dissemination. High histologic grade, serum prostate specific antigen above 20 ng/ml, extension beyond the capsule of the prostate, and involvement of lymph nodes are highly predictive of metastatic risk. Antiandrogen therapy has high rates of activity in the treatment of overt metastatic disease prompting its assessment as an adjuvant treatment added to radiation therapy. ⋯ The current evidence indicates that a large survival benefit ensues when antiandrogen therapy is added to radiation for appropriately selected patients. This adjuvant approach is likely to become the standard of care. Strategies for further enhancement of adjuvant therapy are discussed.
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To our knowledge, only a few epidemiological reports on the prevalence of hepatitis E antibodies in Saudi blood donors have been published. Men of several nationalities, donating blood at King Khalid National Guard Hospital (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) were selected (n = 593) for this study examining the seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in the local male donor population and testing the relationship of the antibody to HEV (anti-HEV) to donor characteristics using Odds Ratio (OR) and Chi-square statistic. The prevalence of anti-HEV in the group examined was 16.9 per cent (100/593). ⋯ Donors who were 40 yr and over had significantly higher seroprevalence than those donors who were 30 yr or younger (OR = 2.5, p = 0.006). There was a significant association between anti-HEV and anti-HCV with donors who were positive to anti-HCV having about 5 times the risk of HEV than those who were anti-HCV negative (p = 0.02). These findings demonstrate the high seroprevalence rate of anti-HEV among male blood donors in Saudi Arabia.
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The potential deleterious effects of doctors' long and arduous shifts have received relatively scant attention. This study addressed the effect of a 32 h on-call shift on 16 pre-registration medical house officers in St. James's Hospital, Dublin. ⋯ The total mood disturbance score, which has been shown to correlate well with general psychological well-being, deteriorated significantly after the 32 h shift, p < 0.005. Two of the simple tests of alertness and concentration (Trail-making test and Stroop Color-Word test) also showed a significant fall-off in performance with sleep deprivation, p < 0.05, although the remaining tests (Delayed Story Recall, Critical Flicker Fusion and Three Minute Grammatical Reasoning Test) were not significantly impaired by the 32 h shift. This study shows that prolonged periods of duty without sleep adversely affect junior doctors, both in their psychological well-being and in their ability to carry out simple tasks.
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Review Case Reports
Perianal hidradenoma papilliferum occurring in a male: a case report.