The American journal of the medical sciences
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Review Case Reports
An Unusual Presentation of Adult-Onset Still's Disease in a Patient with Recurrent Pleural and Pericardial Effusions.
Adult-Onset Still's Disease (AOSD) usually presents with a salmon-colored skin rash and arthralgias. However, it can also be present with pleural and pericardial effusions. These effusions are often misdiagnosed as having an infectious etiology because AOSD usually present with fever, leukocytosis, elevated inflammatory markers, procalcitonin and CRP. ⋯ Patient was found to have an extremely high ferritin levels, whereby a diagnosis of AOSD was made after excluding infection, malignancy and other rheumatological disorders based on the Yamaguchi criteria. AOSD is a rare disease with unusual presentation and diagnosis is often delayed. This case aimed to raise awareness among physicians of the multifaceted presentation of AOSD.
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Coronaviruses disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the most crucial threat, the world has ever witnessed. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of this disease pandemic. The World Health Organization has confirmed the continuing epidemic as a worldwide public health crisis. ⋯ Studies on unveiling the natural route of COVID-19 infection and related pathophysiology, the biology of pulmonary airways pose a more rational restorative approach in the management of COVID-19. Thus, based on the existing facts, we methodically reviewed the efforts put forth by various research institutes, pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms in pulmonary delivery to prevent and control the COVID-19. This article would be valuable for the healthcare community, which is efficiently dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 crisis.
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Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a severe and common complication in critically ill patients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. At present, there is not a tool to predict the prognosis of critically ill patients with AKI and treated with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). ⋯ We developed a four-marker-based prognostic tool that could effectively predict each individual's 28-day mortality for patients with AKI and treated with CRRT.
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Hypertriglyceridemia induced acute pancreatitis (HIAP) is the third common cause of acute pancreatitis. HIAP can result in recurrent attacks of severe AP with significant morbidity and mortality. Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) could be primary or secondary. Although genetic causes of HTG are well studied, the prevalence of secondary causes of HTG in patients presenting with HIAP is not well characterized. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of risk factors for secondary hypertriglyceridemia among patients presenting with HIAP in a tertiary referral center in a large metropolitan area. ⋯ In our cohort of HIAP, 55 out of 57 patients had secondary causes for HTG. Identifying secondary causes of HTG during acute hospitalization is important to tailor outpatient treatment in order to prevent future admissions with HIAP.
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Observational Study
The Effects of Long-Term Tai-Chi Practice on Blood Pressure under Normal Conditions.
Tai-Chi is a popular form of mind-body activity that is suitable for people of all ages. Accumulating evidence have shown that Tai-Chi can help ameliorate cardiovascular diseases. However, the benefits of long-term practice of Tai-Chi on blood pressure control remains unclear. A total of 898 villagers of Chenjiagou were enrolled in this study based on certain inclusion and exclusion criteria. ⋯ The long-term practice of Tai-Chi was associated with better blood pressure, at least partly through the improvement of BMI and mental state. However, the short-term practice of Tai-Chi may not provide significant benefits on blood pressure in the long term.