Upsala journal of medical sciences
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The esophageal-tracheal Combitube (ETC) was developed for the management of difficult airways but can also be used for general anaesthesia. ⋯ We conclude that the Combitube may be used for short procedures requiring general anaesthesia, but the high rate of minor complications limits its value when other alternatives such as a laryngeal mask airway are available. The tested method appears safe regarding major complications, but minor complications are common. Adherence to recommended cuff volumes, experience with the ETC and limiting its use to surgeries lasting less than 2 h might reduce the rate of complications.
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Stress-related biomarkers have the potential to provide objective measures of whether interventions directed at people with dementia (PWD) and their family caregivers (FCG) are successful. The use of such biomarkers has been limited by logistical barriers to sample collection. ⋯ This study demonstrates that music intervention was associated with lower morning saliva cortisol concentrations for FCGs.
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Increased cup-disc ratio (CDR) is a hallmark of open-angle glaucoma (OAG), an age-related neurodegenerative disease of significant importance for public health. There are few studies on the distribution of CDR in the Nordic populations. ⋯ In this study, the distribution of CDR was fairly close to that of other European-derived populations. As expected, OAG increased the risk of having a CDR in the upper quartile. The CDR increased with age.
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Persistent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in immunocompromised patients remains a major medical challenge. Diagnosing the syndrome is difficult as symptoms may mimic other diseases and treatment guidelines are lacking. We describe a case series of four patients with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection that all had an underlying B-cell deficiency due to rituximab treatment (in one case in combination with epcoritamab). ⋯ After a confirmed diagnosis, the other three patients cleared the infection when they were finally treated with antivirals. Increasing clinicians' awareness of this condition is important as it might be treatable once diagnosed. Further studies are warranted to define the condition and treatment strategy with greater precision.
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Intrarenal hypoxia has been suggested a unifying pathway to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and increased mitochondria leak respiration, which increases mitochondrial oxygen usage and is one important mechanism contributing to the development of the hypoxia. Previous studies indicate that angiotensin II (Ang II) effects on mitochondria function could be dose dependent. We investigated how moderate and high levels of Ang II affect kidney mitochondria function and pathways of leak respiration. ⋯ In conclusion, Ang II dose-dependently affects mitochondrial function and leak respiration. Thus, Ang II has the potential to directly affect cellular metabolism during conditions of altered Ang II signaling.