Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Allopurinol as a preventive contrivance after acute ischemic stroke in patients with a high level of serum uric acid: a randomized, controlled trial.
To assess the clinical relevance (functional outcome) of a 3-month allopurinol regimen in patients with high serum uric acid (SUA) levels and acute ischemic stroke without considering the changes in SUA levels. ⋯ Allopurinol treatment was well tolerated and improved the 3-month functional status of patients with acute ischemic stroke who had high levels of SUA without considering the decreasing effect of allopurinol on SUA.
-
Many physicians in Kuwait have contributed to the development of the management of acute iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis utilizing open surgical thrombectomy for early thrombus removal. This concept is now accepted around the world, with new endovascular procedures replacing open surgery. Its development is described and the latest guidelines for early thrombus removal are presented.
-
The aim of this review was to explore the peer-reviewed literature to answer the question: 'Why are people afraid of the dentist?' ⋯ The evidence suggests that the aetiology of dental fear, anxiety or phobia is complex and multifactorial. The findings show that there are clear practical implications indicated by the existing research in this area: a better understanding of dental fear, anxiety and phobia may prevent treatment avoidance.
-
According to the first publication in 1993 by Rauscher et al. [Nature 1993;365:611], the Mozart effect implies the enhancement of reasoning skills solving spatial problems in normal subjects after listening to Mozart's piano sonata K 448. A further evaluation of this effect has raised the question whether there is a link between music-generated emotions and a higher level of cognitive abilities by mere listening. Positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging have revealed that listening to pleasurable music activates cortical and subcortical cerebral areas where emotions are processed. ⋯ Furthermore, music may modulate the immune response, among other things, evidenced by increasing the activity of natural killer cells, lymphocytes and interferon-γ, which is an interesting feature as many diseases are related to a misbalanced immune system. Many of these clinical studies, however, suffer from methodological inadequacies. Nevertheless, at present, there is moderate but not altogether convincing evidence that listening to known and liked music helps to decrease the burden of a disease and enhances the immune system by modifying stress.
-
Regenerative therapy is one of the most challenging and intriguing branches of modern medicine. Basic research has demonstrated the effectiveness of extracorporeal shockwaves (ESWT) in stimulating biological activities that involve intra-cell and cell-matrix interactions. ⋯ It is also feasible that shock waves could be used to treat various orthopaedic pathologies, removing the need for surgery. However, suitable translational studies need to be performed before ESWT can become a valid alternative to surgery.