Medicina
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Background and Objectives: Reduction of health inequalities is a highly important task in public health policies worldwide. In Lithuania, inequalities in life expectancy (LE) by education level are among the greatest, compared to other European countries. However, studies on inequalities in LE by level of education over a long-term period are quite scarce in Lithuania. ⋯ During 2001 and 2014, the highest number of years of LE30 lost in both education groups was due to cardiovascular diseases. Conclusions: Throughout the period of 2001-2014, life expectancy in Lithuania in the post-secondary education group was statistically significantly longer and was increasing more rapidly compared to the up-to secondary education group. Inequalities in life expectancy by level of education significantly increased among both males and females.
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In burn medicine, the percentage of the burned body surface area (TBSA-B) to the total body surface area (TBSA) is a crucial parameter to ensure adequate treatment and therapy. Inaccurate estimations of the burn extent can lead to wrong medical decisions resulting in considerable consequences for patients. These include, for instance, over-resuscitation, complications due to fluid aggregation from burn edema, or non-optimal distribution of patients. ⋯ Instead, adequate documentation is ensured by electronic documentation systems. An illustrative software already being used worldwide is "BurnCase 3D". It allows for an accurate burn size assessment and a complete medical documentation.
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Background and Objectives: Considering atherosclerosis as one of the more challenging threats to healthcare worldwide, any novel therapy that counteracts the risks for developing it, provides new opportunities for the management of this process. Material and methods: We performed an experimental research in which we induced a hypercholesterolemia via a cholesterol-rich diet. Our aim was to demonstrate the antiatherogenic potential of two essential amino acids (valine and leucine). ⋯ In R2, the average triglycerides in group III were significantly lower than in group IV (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our data provides evidence that valine and leucine have a direct impact on the lipid metabolism parameters by lowering the level of triglycerides. The comparison of the two essential amino acids indicates that valine acts more promptly and rapidly than leucine.
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Background and Objectives: Symptomatic adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) with lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS) is a common complication after spinal intervention, particularly interbody fusion. Stand-alone posterior expandable cages enable interbody fusion with preservation of the previous operation site, and screw-related complications are avoided. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the clinicoradiologic outcomes of stand-alone posterior expandable cages for ASD with LSCS. ⋯ Conclusions: A stand-alone expandable cage technique should only be considered for older adults and patients with previous extensive fusion. Although this technique is less invasive, improves the local radiologic factors, and yields favorable clinical outcomes with low revision rates, it does not improve the sagittal balance. For more widespread application, the strength of the cage material and high subsidence rates should be improved.
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Background and Objectives: The potential role of lung ultrasound (LUS) in characterizing lung involvement in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still debated. The aim of the study was to estimate sensitivity of admission LUS for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 lung involvement using Chest-CT (Computed Tomography) as reference standard in order to assess LUS usefulness in ruling out COVID-19 pneumonia in the Emergency Department (ED). Methods: Eighty-two patients with confirmed COVID-19 and signs of lung involvement on Chest-CT were consecutively admitted to our hospital and recruited in the study. ⋯ LUS sensitivity was higher in detecting a typical Chest-CT pattern (60%) and abnormalities showing a middle-lower zone predominance (79%). Conclusions: As admission LUS may result falsely negative in most cases, it should not be considered as a reliable imaging tool in ruling out COVID-19 pneumonia in patients presenting in ED. It may at least represent an expanded clinical evaluation that needs integration with other diagnostic tests (e.g., nasopharyngeal swab, Chest-CT).