Postgraduate medicine
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Postgraduate medicine · May 2021
Serum electrolyte/metabolite abnormalities among patients with acute myocardial infarction: comparison between patients with and without diabetes mellitus.
Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) in a setting of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with significant metabolic changes and worse outcomes. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and the prognostic significance of electrolyte/metabolite disturbances among AMI patients with vs. without DM. Methods: Patients admitted to a tertiary medical center with AMI throughout 2002-2012 were screened. ⋯ The prognostic significance of the different categories of the investigated variables is very similar among diabetics and nondiabetics, except increased and decreased uric acid levels [<4.5 (men); <4.0 (women) and ≥9.0 (men); ≥9.4 (women)] which are associated with worse outcomes among diabetics while hyperglycemia (Glucose ≥213 mg/dL) and increased Potassium levels (Potassium ≥4.4mEq/L) which comprise significantly worse prognosis among nondiabetics. Conclusions: Patients with DM admitted with AMI are at greater risk for electrolyte/metabolite abnormalities which are associated with increased risk for in-hospital mortality. The latter association is similar among patients with and without DM except for hyperglycemia and increased potassium levels (stronger among nondiabetics).
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Postgraduate medicine · May 2021
Case ReportsSupraventricular tachycardia with the use of phentermine: case report and review of literature.
Case: A 34-year-old woman with no significant past medical history presented to the hospital with sudden onset of palpitations with associated dyspnea and chest discomfort. She denied any similar previous episodes. ⋯ However, the patient had been taking phentermine for weight loss. Discussion: The exact mechanism is not clear; however, we postulate that the sympathomimetic effects of phentermine likely contribute to SVT induction through enhanced AV nodal conduction or increased atrial ectopy. Conclusions: The only medication she was taking at home was phentermine, and the palpitations did not recur after discontinuation of the drug during follow-up. It is important to collect a thorough medication history when patients present with AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) or other SVT.
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Postgraduate medicine · May 2021
Case ReportsComplications after tibial tubercle traction and femoral neck fractures in children: A case report.
Background: Genu recurvatum and femoral neck fracture in children are very rare, and relevant literaturewas reported. However, there were no reports on avascular necrosisafter internal fixation of femoral neck fractures in children, and genu recurvatum and tibial dysplasia after tibial tubercle traction. Case presentation: In this case, a 32-year-old female patient suffered from a femoral neck fracture at the age of 10. The tibial tubercle traction was applied in the conservative treatment, and closed reduction and internal fixationwere adopted after the failure of the conservative treatment. When the patient came to our hospital for the treatment of hip and knee joint pain for 20 years, the doctor discovered that the patient had severe genu recurvatum and avascular necrosis. ⋯ Meanwhile, tibial traction should be avoided for children with lower extremity fractures, because it may damage the tibial growth plate, thus leading to the early closure of the metaphyseal region in children, and genu recurvatum. The modified surgery for the treatment of genu recurvatum is simple to operate and can avoid patella Baja, so it has a strong healing ability in the osteotomy area. The results of the surgery technique were ideal in this case. P.
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Postgraduate medicine · May 2021
Comparison of pediatric patients with non-infectious idiopathic uveitis and non-infectious uveitis associated with an underlying systemic disease: from a referral center in Turkey.
Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the demographic, clinical, treatment, and outcome features of pediatric noninfectious uveitis patients at a Turkish tertiary center. Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study included 101 pediatric patients with noninfectious uveitis. Location of uveitis, laterality, age at onset of uveitis, complications of uveitis, duration of follow-up, associated systemic diseases, laboratory findings, medications used, and status of uveitis at the time of data collection were obtained from the patients' files. ⋯ Ocular complications were observed in 22.8% of the patients at presentation or during the follow-up. Conclusion: Herein a large retrospective cohort of noninfectious pediatric uveitis has been described. The findings indicate that noninfectious idiopathic uveitis is characterized by more symptomatic, later onset, and fewer complications than noninfectious uveitis associated with an underlying systemic disease.
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Postgraduate medicine · May 2021
Evaluation of the cost-utility of a prescription digital therapeutic for the treatment of opioid use disorder.
Background: The opioid epidemic continues to generate a significant mental and physical health burden on patients, and claims the life of almost 150 Americans daily. Making matters worse, an increase in relapses and/or opioid-related deaths has been reported in more than 40 U. S. states since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ Results: The addition of reSET-O to TAU decreases total health care costs by -$131 and resulted in post-treatment utility values within population norms, with a corresponding gain of 0.003 QALYs. reSET-O when used adjunctively to TAU was economically dominant (less costly, more effective) vs. TAU alone. Conclusion: reSET-O is an economically-dominant adjunctive treatment for OUD and is associated with an overall reduction in total incremental cost vs TAU.