Isr Med Assoc J
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Case Reports
Quarantine-induced Stress Cardiomyopathy (Takotsubo syndrome) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a non-ischemic cardiomyopathy characterized by an acute reversible left ventricular dysfunction with typical apical ballooning, usually with subsequent complete spontaneous recovery. TTS may be triggered by several physical and emotional stressors. The name Covidsubo was recently adopted to describe this emerging entity. TTS during quarantine may be a reasonable outcome of the overwhelming stress and fear of this pandemic. However, according to the current literature, conflicting results have been reported regarding the incidence of this syndrome during the first wave of the pandemic, and further studies are needed. High index of suspicion is needed to identify patients during the next waves of the pandemic, particularly given the need for minimizing imaging modalities and contact with the patients. ⋯ The only prominent stressor in the two cases in this article was the stress accompanying quarantine.
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Review Historical Article
Research on Tuberculosis in Nazi Germany and the Cruelest Medical Experiments on Jewish Children: An Observational Review.
Germany was a scientifically advanced country in the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in medicine, with a major interest in research and the treatment of tuberculosis. From 1933 until 1945, Nazi Germany perverted scientific research through criminal experimentations on captured prisoners of war and on "subhumans" by scientifically untrained, but politically driven, staff. This article exposes a series of failed experiments on tuberculosis in adults, experiments without scientific validity. ⋯ Kurt Heißmeyer repeated the experiment on Jewish children, who were murdered for the sake of personal academic ambition. It is now 75 years since liberation and the murdered children must be remembered. This observational review raises questions of medical and ethical values.
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Observational Study
C-Reactive Protein Velocity and the Risk of New Onset Atrial Fibrillation among ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients.
Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) was shown to be associated with an increased risk for new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); however, the optimal time frame to measure CRP for risk stratification is not known. ⋯ CRPv might be an independent and rapidly measurable biomarker for new-onset AF following primary PCI in STEMI patients.
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Historical Article
The Kristallnacht Pogrom. The End of Jewish Medical Study in Germany: Who were the Last Jewish Medical Students in Berlin?
In April 1937 it was forbidden for German Jewish students to sit for examinations. However, a few Jewish medical students were able to continue studying at Berlin University. The order to expel all Jewish students from German Universities was published on the morning after Kristallnacht (November 1938) and was strictly imposed. ⋯ Each of those groups had different academic careers. The Americans were the last Jewish students allowed to study in Germany. It seems that they were less aware of the national socialist atmosphere in the medical faculty in Berlin during 1937-1938.