Medicina
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Background and objectives-Chronic viral hepatitis B and C infections are one of the leading causes of chronic liver impairment, resulting in liver fibrosis and liver cirrhosis. An early diagnosis with accurate liver fibrosis staging leads to a proper diagnosis, thus tailoring correct treatment. Both invasive and noninvasive techniques are used in the diagnosis and staging of chronic liver impairment. ⋯ The main parameters that showed most value are the ratio between 30 min and the peak of the dynamic curve (30/peak_dex (ratio)), and liver clearance corrected for body surface area and liver area (LCL_m2_dm2 (%/min/m2/dm2)). Conclusions-Our present study proves that conducting dynamic liver scintigraphies with [99mTc]Tc-mebrofenin has potential value in staging liver fibrosis. The benefits of this method, including whole liver imaging and direct imaging of the liver function, provide an advantage over presently used quantitative imaging modalities.
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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common sleep problems defined by cessation or decreased airflow despite breathing efforts. It is known to be related to multiple adverse health consequences. ⋯ A multidisciplinary approach, understanding diverse phenotypes of OSA, and shared decision-making are necessary for successful OSA treatment. Patient-centered care is an essential modality to support patient care that can be utilized in patients with OSA to help improve outcomes, treatment adherence, and patient satisfaction.
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Background and Objectives: Vitamin D (Vit. D) is known for its role in the skeletal system. Vit. ⋯ D has a positive influence on the process of bone regeneration. Conclusions: The overall results of the research showed that, indeed, Vit. D is beneficial for bone regeneration; however, most of the studies imply that a thorough research is still needed for finding the most effective mode of administration and the dose needed in order to achieve the desired effect.
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Background and objectives: Children are at greater risk of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), which can pose a higher risk of perioperative respiratory adverse events (PRAEs), than adults. The purpose of this study was to validate the COLDS score as a pre-anesthetic risk assessment tool for predicting the possibility of PRAEs. Materials and methods: Children aged under 18 years and undergoing elective surgery were retrospectively included. ⋯ Propensity-matched comparison revealed that each and every component of COLDS contributed to the higher COLDS score group. In addition to higher COLDS score, younger age and current URTI symptoms were found to be significant risk factors for PRAEs. Conclusions: This study validated the predictive power of COLDS score as a risk assessment tool for children with URTI undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia.
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Effect of β-Blocker Therapy on the Level of Soluble ST2 Protein in Pediatric Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
Background and Objectives: A prognosis for kids with pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy (PDCM) is urgently needed to identify high-risk patients. This study aimed to determine the association of levels and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) and medical therapy of β-blocker inhibitors with the risk of adverse events in PDCM. Materials and Methods: A total of 124 patients with PDCM were enrolled after admission from 2 centers in China and followed up for adverse events (death, cardiac transplantation, and heart-failure-related rehospitalization). ⋯ However, a significant association was not observed in patients with sST2 < median and use of β-blocker. These associations were consistent across different subgroups. Conclusions: A higher level of sST2 was associated with a higher risk of adverse events in patients with PDCM, and β-blocker treatment for children with high levels of sST2 can effectively avoid adverse events.