Arch Med Sci
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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia. Gait and postural difficulties supersede tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia as drivers of disease burden in patients with advanced PD. The aim of this study was to describe the effects of deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus on gait ability and balance performance in patients with PD. ⋯ Surgical therapy is an effective treatment to improve gait ability and balance performance in Parkinson's patients.
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Non-union of the tibia complicated by osteomyelitis is one of the most challenging problems in orthopaedic surgery. There remains a significant amount of debate and controversy regarding the optimal medical management of infected tibial non-union. There are few articles which have reported the outcomes of treatment for infected non-union of tibia from single-stage reconstruction with open bone grafting plus vacuum-assisted closure (VAC). ⋯ Open bone grafting combined with VAC in a one-stage procedure can be a feasible alternative to the treatment of infected tibial non-union, especially for those wounds which are not good candidates for microsurgery; however, further studies are required to confirm the likely benefits.
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In this study, we sought to determine whether myocardial contractile reserve (CR) assessed by dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) can identify patients who experience nearly complete normalization of left ventricular (LV) function after the implantation of a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) pacemaker. ⋯ Contractile reserve assessed by DSE can identify patients with dilated cardiomyopathy who are likely to experience near normalization of LV function following CRT.
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Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality in stroke patients. The purpose of our survey was to establish the current methods of VTE prophylaxis practiced by Polish neurologists. We also aimed to determine whether there is enough variation in practice to justify the development of an evidence-based guideline for VTE prevention. ⋯ The LMWH is the predominant VTE prophylaxis strategy for stroke patients practiced by Polish neurologists. Due to the variation of methods used in VTE prophylaxis it might be reasonable to further specify this section of stroke treatment guidelines.
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The 1-, 3- and 6- month biodegradable polymer matrix depot formulations of leuprorelin acetate (Eligard(®)/Depo-Eligard(®), Astellas Pharma Inc/BV) were shown to reduce testosterone and prostate-specific antigen levels and to be well tolerated in patients with advanced prostate cancer in several clinical trials. This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of the 1- and 3-month leuprorelin acetate depot formulations in daily clinical practice. ⋯ These data are consistent with efficacy and tolerability results from clinical trials. They confirm that the 1- and 3-month leuprorelin acetate depot formulations are well tolerated and reliably lower serum prostate-specific antigen and testosterone levels in routine clinical practice.