Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde
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Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd · Jan 2012
Review[Appropriate and inappropriate use of indwelling urinary catheters].
Many hospitalized patients receive a urinary catheter during their stay. In 21-54% of patients, however, there is no appropriate indication for this. The most significant complication caused by the use of urinary catheters is the development of a urinary tract infection (UTI), one of the most common nosocomial infections. ⋯ The duration of the presence of a catheter is the major risk factor for catheter-associated UTI. Reducing the number of inappropriate catheterisations is an effective way of preventing catheter-related UTIs. Inappropriate use of indwelling urinary catheters can be reduced by maintaining strict guidelines on justifiable indications for inserting a urinary catheter, verifying daily whether the indication still applies, and by timely removal of the catheter when it is not or no longer needed.
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Measurement of cardiac troponins (cTnT and cTnI), the only cardiac specific biomarkers available, is the gold standard in diagnosing acute coronary syndrome. Due to the recent introduction of more sensitive methods i.e. the high-sensitivity troponin assays, the diagnostic cut-off concentrations have very recently been established. We describe two male patients who presented at the emergency department with acute chest pain, but in whom clear evidence for a myocardial infarction in the ST segment of the EKG was lacking. ⋯ Case 2 shows that the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction should be accompanied by a typical rise or fall of troponin concentrations. The latest insights into high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays are discussed in this article. We focus specifically on sensitivity and specificity, reference values obtained from a healthy control group, and the reference change value required to detect acute myocardial infarction.
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Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd · Jan 2012
Review[Neuromodulation as a treatment for overactive bladder syndrome].
Neuromodulation is used as a treatment for overactive bladder syndrome, if conservative management is ineffective or only partially effective. Sacral neuromodulation is now a minimally invasive treatment as a result of improvements in surgical technique, and it has good long-term results. ⋯ Intravesical injection therapy with botulinum toxin, along with sacral neuromodulation, has been included in the treatment algorithm of overactive bladder syndrome if this does not respond to conservative therapy. When choosing for a neuromodulation therapy, the side-effects and complications of the treatments should be considered alongside the specific patient situation and evidence for effectiveness and long-term effectiveness.
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Since 2011, cobalt and chromium blood levels are measured in patients with a metal-on-metal hip implant (MoM prosthesis). In this article we discuss the health risks that are related to chronically elevated blood cobalt concentrations induced by abnormal wear and corrosion of the MoM prosthesis. Only a few patients who have systemic symptoms of poisoning, besides local symptoms around the failing MoM prosthesis, have been described in the literature. ⋯ In patients with a normal kidney function, the cobalt blood levels rapidly decrease and symptoms of cobalt intoxication subside. Chelation therapy should be restricted to those patients who are unable to undergo removal of the prosthesis immediately due to their medical condition. This can for example be because of a severe cobalt-induced cardiomyopathy.
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Not all questions concerning therapeutic effects in medical research can be answered satisfactorily by standard trials. The stepped wedge cluster design is a special form of randomised study in which an intervention at group level is implemented in stages. ⋯ The statistical analysis of cluster trials should account for the fact that individuals within clusters may show many similarities. Ethical aspects of stepped wedge design should be considered carefully, especially when obtaining individual informed consent is not possible.