Upsala journal of medical sciences
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Electronic medical records (EMRs) are adopted for storing patient-related healthcare information. Using data mining techniques, it is possible to make use of and derive benefit from this massive amount of data effectively. We aimed to evaluate validity of data extracted by the Customized eXtraction Program (CXP). ⋯ Utilisation of the CXP software can be considered as an effective way to extract relevant EMR data without significant errors. Hence, by extracting from EMRs, CXP accurately identifies patients and has the capacity to facilitate research studies and clinical trials by finding patients with the requested code as well as funnel down itemised individuals according to specified inclusion and exclusion criteria. Beyond this, medical procedures and laboratory data can rapidly be retrieved from the EMRs to create tailored databases of extracted material for immediate use in clinical trials.
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The burden of disease from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic is large; however, suicide affects the population year after year. From a public health perspective, it is important to not neglect contributors to the total burden of disease. The aim of this paper is to compare years of life lost (YLL) to suicide with those lost to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). ⋯ YLL to suicide affects Sweden year after year, foremost attributable to the younger age groups, whereas YLL to COVID-19 is foremost attributable to the elderly. On average, each suicide generates four times more YLL than a COVID-19 death. Enormous efforts and resources have been put on tackling the pandemic, and without these, the burden would probably have been much larger. However, from a public health perspective, it is important to not neglect other contributors to the total burden of disease where national efforts also may have an impact.
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Observational Study
Effects of lipid-lowering treatment intensity and adherence on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with a recent myocardial infarction: a Swedish register-based study.
Oral lipid-lowering treatment (LLT) is the standard of care for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, insufficient treatment intensity and poor adherence can lead to suboptimal treatment benefit, rendering patients at increased risk of CVD. ⋯ The proportion of post-MI patients with high LLT intensity and adherence has increased in recent years, with little change after transfer from specialist to primary care. The combination of LLT intensity and adherence is important for preventing future cardiovascular events.
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Disordered gaming and problem gambling (DG/PG) are associated with a range of functional impairments as well as psychiatric comorbidity. With the proliferation of digital gaming apps aimed at children and adolescents, which involve in-game purchases, there is increasing evidence that DG/PG are on the rise in this age range. The behavior can be detected in youth presenting at school-based health clinics and community psychiatric clinics. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of several recommended treatments for adults, but little evidence is available for the efficacy of this approach in adolescents with DG/PG. ⋯ This study provides preliminary evidence for the acceptability and feasibility of a CBT-based intervention for DG/PG in adolescents. Preliminary data suggest that the treatment may be effective for DG but not PG. Further studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of this approach for both conditions.
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Observational Study
Impact of COVID-19 on patients treated with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A retrospective cohort study.
To describe how coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects patients with hematological malignancies treated with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). ⋯ ASCT patients have a higher risk of severe outcome of COVID-19 compared to the normal population. However, the risks of death, inpatient care, oxygen therapy, and intensive care seem lower in this study compared to previous studies, possibly due to fewer mildly ill patients in other studies. The risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 appears to be comparable to that in the general population. This study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic is not a strong argument for refraining from ASCT in the case of hematological malignancy.