Brit J Hosp Med
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The COVID-19 illness trajectory involves persistent cardio-renal inflammation, activation of the haemostatic pathway and lung involvement. Results of a study carried out by the authors' team demonstrate a link between post-COVID-19 syndrome (people who have long COVID) and multisystem disease, which partly explains the lingering impairments in patient-reported health-related quality of life, physical function and psychological wellbeing after COVID-19. This article discusses what hospital physicians need to be aware of when considering the likelihood of myocarditis in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome and the implications in the longer term.
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The current diagnosis of acute kidney injury relies on the measurement of serum creatinine levels and urine output. However, both measures are subject to considerable limitations; for example, change in serum creatinine levels ideally requires a knowledge of baseline function that is often not available. Furthermore, creatinine levels are influenced by many factors including diet, drug therapy, muscle mass, gender and ethnicity, which may lead to underestimation of the extent of renal dysfunction. ⋯ Many studies have focused on the identification of candidate molecules that may enable the early detection of individuals at risk of developing acute kidney injury, including constitutive proteins associated with kidney damage, as well as molecules upregulated in response to injury, non-renal products that may be filtered, reabsorbed or secreted by the kidney, and markers of renal stress. Such biomarkers may also aid stratification for adverse events, such as the need for kidney replacement therapy or progression to chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease. This article discusses some of these novel biomarkers and assesses the role they may have in the understanding, management, diagnosis and prognostication of acute kidney injury.
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This article discusses the place of routine use of depth of anaesthesia monitoring in patients receiving volatile anaesthesia. Benefits include reducing the probability of accidental awareness or excessive depth of anaesthesia, and creating training opportunities to improve familiarity with its use, but these must be weighed against the costs, as it may not be advantageous from a cost-benefit perspective.
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Anaemia affects a third of surgical patients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia and can be absolute or functional. Patients may require treatment with oral or intravenous iron.