International journal of clinical practice
-
Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Nov 2021
Observational StudyClinical impact of monitoring frequency per day as a prospective audit and feedback strategy for patients receiving antimicrobial agents by injection.
Implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programmes improve antimicrobial therapies and thus result in better patient outcomes and safety. The impact of prospective audit and feedback (PAF) is likely dependent on how frequently it is conducted, and how quickly after antibiotic prescription it is initiated. To our knowledge, however, no report has yet investigated the impact of an increase in monitoring frequency per day on PAF strategy. Here, we evaluated the clinical impact of an increase in monitoring frequency per day as a PAF strategy in patients receiving antimicrobial injections. ⋯ An increase in monitoring frequency from once daily to twice daily significantly shortened the time to intervention for inappropriate antimicrobial therapy, with a concomitant reduction in clinical failure and hepatotoxicity.
-
Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Nov 2021
Thiol levels in mild or moderate COVID-19 patients: A comparison of variant and classic COVID-19 cases.
Various variants of the COVID-19 have started to attract attention recently. The clinical course of these variants and possible predictive parameters are being investigated. This study aimed to examine the relationship between thiol levels, which are indicators of oxidative stress, and variant COVID-19 types. ⋯ It seems possible to use thiol as a sensitive, specific and cost-effective marker to suspect variant COVID-19 cases. Since this study is probably the first example in this subject, it would form a basis for further studies.
-
Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Nov 2021
Multi-parameter-based Radiological Diagnosis of Chiari Malformation using Machine Learning Technology.
The known primary radiological diagnosis of Chiari Malformation-I (CM-I) is based on the degree of tonsillar herniation (TH) below the Foramen Magnum (FM). However, recent data also shows the association of such malformation with smaller posterior cranial fossa (PCF) volume and the anatomical issues regarding the Odontoid. This study presents the achieved result regarding some detected potential radiological findings that may aid CM-I diagnosis using several machine learning (ML) algorithms. ⋯ Our study indicates the potential usefulness of ML-guided PCF measurements, other than TH, that may be used to predict and diagnose CM-I accurately. Combining two or three preferable osseous structure-based measurements may increase the accuracy of radiological diagnosis of CM-I.
-
Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Nov 2021
Accuracy and Safety of Dry Needling Placement in the Popliteus Muscle: A Cadaveric Study.
The popliteus muscle attaches posteriorly to the joint capsule of the knee. Although it is an important rotational stabiliser and has been implicated in various knee pathologies, research on its treatment with dry needling is scarce. ⋯ The results from this cadaveric study support the notion that needling of the popliteus can be accurately and safely conducted by an experienced clinician. Future studies investigating the clinical effectiveness of these interventions are needed.
-
Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Nov 2021
Visceral obesity enhances inflammatory response after laparoscopic colorectal resection.
C-reactive protein (CRP) is used for monitoring postoperative inflammation (POI) and detecting infectious complications. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of visceral obesity (VO) on acute POI measured through CRP after elective laparoscopic colorectal resection. ⋯ VO is not associated to increased complications after laparoscopic colorectal resection. Nevertheless, it is independently associated to higher CRP in the overall population and in patients without infectious complications. Consequently, CRP values on POD3 higher than cut-offs commonly adopted in the clinical practice should be carefully evaluated in VO patients to assess the occurrence of infectious complications.