Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre
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An increased left atrial volume index (LAVI) is related to increased mortality in hemodialysis patients. In the present study, we evaluated the association between the LAVI and the P wave peak time (PWPT), a newly introduced electrocardiographic parameter, in hemodialysis patients. ⋯ This study showed that a prolonged PWPTD2 was independently associated with an increased LAVI in hemodialysis patients. Therefore, measuring the PWPTD2 duration on an electrocardiogram may help define high-risk hemodialysis patients with increased LAVIs.
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Several cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers are used to distinguish between acute bacterial meningitis (BM) and viral meningitis (VM). We compared the ability of lactate and glucose (GL) in CSF and the CSF/blood GL ratio to distinguish between acute BM and VM with typical and atypical CSF characteristics. ⋯ The CSF lactate assay can be routinely used in laboratories as a rapid, automated, and easy method that is independent of lactate blood levels.
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This study was aimed at evaluating the intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) parameter alterations of liver metastases of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) during antiangiogenic bevacizumab combination therapy. ⋯ IVIM parameters, particularly the perfusion fraction, may quantitatively reflect the response to antiangiogenic treatment. The antiangiogenic response manifests after 3 months of therapy before the RECIST-related response.
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The group of Herreros Fernández developed a new, safe, quick, and successful technique for collecting midstream clean-catch urine(MS-CCU) in newborns based on bladder stimulation and lumbar paravertebral massage maneuvers. The purpose of this study was to compare the contamination rates of catheter specimen urine (CSU) and MS-CCU by a lumbar/sacral stimulation technique in newborns. ⋯ The contamination rate in MS-CCU cultures was two and a half times greater than in the CSU culture samples. Thus, MS-CCU cannot replace the catheter for the diagnosis of UTI.
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Comparative Study
Effects of Respiratory Rate on Heart Rate Variability in Neurologic Outpatients with Epilepsies or Migraine: A Preliminary Study.
Variation of spontaneous respiratory rates and influences of spontaneous and paced breathing rates on heart rate variability (HRV) were assessed in patients with epilepsy or migraine, and HRV parameters were compared between the groups. ⋯ An important and new finding is the wide variation of spontaneous respiratory rate in both groups, along with the significant negative correlation with the assessed HRV parameters. The reduction of HRV during slow breathing in epileptic patients may indicate a diminished cardiorespiratory coupling caused by a probable loss of sensitivity within the cardiovagal brainstem circuitry.