Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre
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We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection and estimate viral shedding duration in respiratory specimens. ⋯ Predictors for prolonged RT-PCR positivity included increasing age, ARDS, and low white blood cell count. The findings of this study may aid in better understanding of the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection and molecular testing dynamics.
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Luckenschadel skull is a skull that is radiologically characterized by lacunae in the cranial vault. To date, although the association between neurological abnormalities and scoliosis is well recognized, no relationship between idiopathic scoliosis and a lacunar skull has been defined. We explored the incidence and time courses of lacunar skulls in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. ⋯ We conclude that the lacunar skull is very common in children with idiopathic scoliosis who lack any other neurological pathology. The lacunar skull does not disappear even in adolescence. Although previous publications have stated that lacunar skull disappears over time in radiographic images, we observed that it became more noticeable over time in children with scoliosis.
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Kuwait and countries in the Arabian Gulf region face an alarming prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) that strain their health systems and threaten their economies. To quantify a key dimension of the burden, we estimated the risk of hospital utilization in Kuwait associated with diagnoses of the most prevalent NCDs, excluding cancer, using a generalizable approach suitable for cross-country disease burden comparisons and assessments of prevention effectiveness. ⋯ We estimated the substantial burden on curative services associated with NCDs in Kuwait through a standardized approach to compare hospital utilization rates associated with various NCDs; this approach is generalizable to more than 70 countries that participated in the World Health Survey.
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The aim of this study was to identify the intensity of COVID-19 symptoms during the pandemic wave during July-September 2021 and to identify factors associated with having moderate and severe symptoms of COVID-19 among affected students in the University of Belgrade. ⋯ Students who are vaccinated against COVID-19 are at lower risk of developing moderate and severe symptoms of the disease.
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Resolvin D1 (RvD1) can play a determining role in inflammatory cell migration and reduce the expression of inflammatory cytokines to enhance cardioprotection. The aim of this study was to compare serum RvD1 levels in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and individuals with normal coronary arteries (NCAs) and to evaluate the association between serum RvD1 levels and prognostic markers of STEMI. ⋯ Serum RvD1 levels were found to be lower in the group with STEMI compared to the control group. Levels of RvD1 at admission were associated with poor prognostic markers of STEMI.