European journal of internal medicine
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Oct 2008
ReviewObstructive sleep apnea syndrome is a systemic disease. Current evidence.
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a highly prevalent sleep disorder, characterized by repeated disruptions of breathing during sleep. This disease has many potential consequences including excessive daytime sleepiness, neurocognitive deterioration, endocrinologic and metabolic effects, and decreased quality of life. Metabolic syndrome is another highly prevalence emerging public health problem that represents a constellation of cardiovascular risk factors. ⋯ A variety of phenomena are implicated in this disease such as modifications in the autonomic nervous system, hypoxemia-reoxygenation cycles, inflammation, and coagulation-fibrinolysis imbalance. OSAS patients also present increased levels of certain biomarkers linked to endocrine-metabolic and cardiovascular alterations among other systemic consequences. All of this indicates that, more than a local abnormality, OSAS should be considered a systemic disease.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Oct 2008
Community acquired acute bacterial meningitis in children and adults: an 11-year survey in a community hospital in Israel.
We aimed to investigate the association between the presenting clinical manifestations of bacterial meningitis and the duration of time elapsed before lumbar puncture and start of antibiotic treatment. ⋯ The interval before diagnosis of community acquired ABM in both children and adults is longer for those patients who present to the emergency department with an atypical clinical picture, mostly, without fever and without nuchal rigidity. Until bacterial meningitis can be effectively prevented, we can expect this life-threatening infection to continue to cause diagnostic and medical difficulties.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Oct 2008
Prevalence of drug-drug interactions at hospital entry and during hospital stay of patients in internal medicine.
The aim of this study was to assess potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) at hospital admission, during hospitalization and at discharge and to evaluate the number of pDDIs created during hospitalization. ⋯ Although the number of major and moderate pDDIs per patient did not increase from hospital admission to discharge, it is important to realize that 47% of all major and moderate DDIs at hospital discharge were created during hospitalization. Prescribing drugs with a low risk for pDDIs as well as careful monitoring for adverse drug reactions are important measures to minimize harm associated with DDIs.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Oct 2008
Plasma visfatin levels in normal weight women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
The present study was designed to measure plasma visfatin levels in normal weight women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to assess possible correlations between visfatin and the hormonal or metabolic parameters of the syndrome. ⋯ Visfatin levels are positively associated with obesity in healthy women of reproductive age. Moreover, the present study indicates, for the first time, a possible involvement of increased visfatin levels in PCOS-associated metabolic and hormonal disturbances.