Plos One
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The primary aims were to determine the rate of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) in patients with nasally placed feeding tubes (NPFT) and the factors significantly associated with pDDIs. The secondary aim was to assess the change in pDDIs for patients between admission and discharge. ⋯ Patients with a NPFT are at high risk of pDDIs. Drug interaction screening tools and computerized clinical decision support systems could be effective risk mitigation strategies for this patient group.
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The earliest changes in the brain due to Alzheimer's disease are associated with the neural networks related to memory function. We investigated changes in functional and structural connectivity among regions that support memory function in prodromal Alzheimer's disease, i.e., during the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage. ⋯ MCI-related changes in white matter structure were found in the fornix, left parahippocampal cingulum, left retrosplenial cingulum and left subgenual cingulum. Functional connectivity decreases were observed in the MCI group within the DMN-a sub-network, between the hippocampus and sub-areas -a and -c of the DMN, between DMN-c and DMN-a, and, in the right hemisphere only between DMN-c and both the thalamus and limbic-a. No relationships between white matter tract 'integrity' (mean diffusivity) and within sub-network functional connectivity were found. Graph theory revealed that changes in the MCI group was mostly restricted to diminished between-neighbour connections of the hippocampi and of nodes within DMN-a and DMN-b.
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To provide a Portuguese version of the Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile (MDP), investigating its validity and reliability in Brazilian patients with COPD. ⋯ The Portuguese version of the MDP is the first valid and reliable instrument to assess dyspnea multidimensionally in Portuguese-speaking patients with COPD.
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Clinical Trial Observational Study
Association between change in self-efficacy and reduction in disability among patients with chronic pain.
This study aimed to investigate whether changes in psychosocial factors and pain severity were associated with reduction in disability due to pain among patients with chronic pain. We hypothesized that increased self-efficacy would reduce disability. ⋯ These findings suggest improved self-efficacy is associated with reduced disability in patients with chronic pain, independent of reduction in pain intensity. Focusing on improvement in self-efficacy may be an effective strategy in chronic pain treatment in addition to pain relief.
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The aim of this study was to investigate whether frequent drinking, use of drugs with addiction potential and the possible combination of frequent drinking and use of prescribed drugs with addiction potential were associated with all-cause mortality in older adults. ⋯ Neither frequent drinking nor the possible combination of frequent drinking and use of prescribed drugs with addiction potential were associated with all-cause mortality in older women and men. Use of prescribed drugs with addiction potential was associated with higher odds of mortality in men. This finding should lead to more caution in prescribing drugs with addiction potential to this group.