Adv Clin Exp Med
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Hyponatremia is a clinically relevant disorder. Ten to twenty per cent of patients in hospitals are affected by it. ⋯ They provide physicians with the first specific and effective therapy of this hyponatremia. This opens up new avenues for clinical research into the symptoms, findings and consequences of hyponatremia.
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The spine as a motor organ is very often exposed to the action of forces released by an injury. The most frequent cause of spine and spinal cord injuries are traumas which are the result of accidents, and untreated osteoporosis or neoplasms as well. ⋯ The most common causes of spine injuries in patients are pathologic injuries (28.5%), traffic collisions (27.7%) and falls from heights (20.0%). To the largest degrees, spine injuries concerned the thoracic segment (in 34.6%), cervical segment (32.3%) and lumbar (23.8%). Complications occurring after spine injuries included pain of a damaged spine segment (61.1%), pain in other location (36.6%) and gastroenterological complications (17.6%). In the case of complications after spine and spinal cord injuries, gastroenterological complications predominate (in 42.9% patients) along with complications of the urinary system (38.1%) and pain of the injured spine segment (38.1%).
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Determination of serum mast cell tryptase (MCT) is becoming more widely used in diagnosing allergic reactions involving mast cells. It can help evaluate the allergenic effects of drugs administered during anesthesia and the perioperative period. ⋯ Patients with elevated MCT levels should undergo further testing to find out the causative agent of a potential allergic reaction. Patients with normal tryptase concentration should also undergo further diagnosis if they manifest clinical symptoms of a severe anaphylactic reaction.
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Endotoxins can cause serious organ damage and death by triggering the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta in bacterial infections. ⋯ EPO might have renoprotective effects against the inflammatory process and cell apoptosis during endotoxemia.
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Editorial Review
Imaging of degenerative spine disease--the state of the art.
The authors review the current state of imaging of degenerative spinal disease (DSD), which is one of the most common disorders in humans. The most important definitions as well as short descriptions of the etiopathology and clinical presentation of DSD are provided first, followed by an overview of conventional and advanced imaging methods that are used in DSD. ⋯ The imaging method of choice is magnetic resonance, including advanced techniques--especially diffusion tensor imaging. Other imaging methods (plain radiography, computed tomography, vascular studies, scintigraphy, positron emission tomography, discography) play a supplementary role ).