P R Health Sci J
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The Zika virus epidemic and the possible devastating teratogenic effects of the virus represent a challenge. Health authorities have the responsibility to create programs that provide adequate preventive, medical and psychological services to the affected population. The estimated risk of microcephaly in infants of mothers infected with Zika virus is 1 to 13% when the infection occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy. ⋯ The discussion rests on the assumption that there are lives that are not worth living. Most people focus on the most severely affected patients, but few consider that the spectrum of disabilities associated with congenital Zika infection is broad. The rights of children with disabilities and their dignity as individuals should be respected.
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This letter provides an overview of the application of big data in health care system to improve quality of care, including predictive modelling for risk and resource use, precision medicine and clinical decision support, quality of care and performance measurement, public health and research applications, among others. The author delineates the tremendous potential for big data analytics and discuss how it can be successfully implemented in clinical practice, as an important component of a learning health-care system.
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The objective of this project was to develop a community-academic coalition partnership to conduct community-based participatory research (CBPR) to address health disparities in older adults with chronic conditions living in the Quebrada Arriba community. ⋯ The steps used to build the QACAP provided an effective structure to create the coalition and captured the results of coalition activities. Partners' time to build trust and developing a sufficient understanding of local issues, high interest of the community members, flexibility of the partners, capitalization on the partners' strengths, and the shared decision building process were key contributors of this coalition's success.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Dexmedetomidine reduces Catheter-Related Bladder Discomfort: A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo- Controlled, Double-Blind Study.
To evaluate the efficacy of dexmedetomidine in preventing catheterrelated bladder discomfort (CRBD) in a postanesthesia care unit (PACU). ⋯ Dexmedetomidine (0.5 μg/kg IV) administration during surgery reduced the incidence and severity of CRBD in the PACU without causing significant side effects.
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as damage to the brain resulting from an external force. TBI, a global leading cause of death and disability, is associated with serious social, economic, and health problems. ⋯ Functional nuclear medicine imaging and neurophysiological parameters can be used to characterize brain damage, as the former provides direct visualization of brain function, even in the absence of overt behavioral manifestations or anatomical findings. We report the case of a 30-year-old Hispanic male veteran who, after 2 traumatic brain injury events, developed cognitive and neuropsychological problems with no clear etiology in the presence of negative computed tomography (CT) findings.