Postgraduate medicine
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Postgraduate medicine · Aug 2017
ReviewManagement of allergic rhinitis in the era of effective over-the-counter treatments.
Allergic rhinitis (AR) may be regarded as a trivial issue unworthy of the doctor's time, and with the availability of many different over-the-counter (OTC) treatments, up to two thirds of patients self-manage AR before seeking medical care. Yet, AR can have a significant impact on health-related quality of life and is associated with a greater detriment to work productivity than other chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. For many patients, the impact on quality of life is greater than suggested by reported symptoms and should also be a focus of treatment. ⋯ To address this gap in communication, HCPs must be proactive in identifying, assessing, and advising patients with AR, including best strategies to assess allergen trigger symptoms, which treatments are appropriate, and when and how to use them. Proper use of delivery devices is especially important. This article reviews the primary care management of AR in the context of the availability of effective OTC medicines.
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Postgraduate medicine · Jun 2017
Review Case ReportsCombination of subxiphoid and intercostal uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for bilateral lung lesions: report of two cases and review of the literature.
Uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is carried out to reduce postoperative pain after treatment of thoracic diseases. Here, we report a novel method that combines a subxiphoid and intercostal uniportal VATS approach that can be used to treat bilateral pulmonary lesions simultaneously. The first case is a 50-year-old female with bilateral pulmonary lesions who received left lower lobectomy associated with right middle lobe wedge resection synchronously; the other case is a 14-year-old male who was admitted for resection of bilateral lung metastases as a result of previous osteosarcoma. ⋯ Less postoperative pain, faster postoperative recovery, and a better aesthetic effect are possible superiorities of this method if patients are selected carefully. Our results show that the combining of a subxiphoid approach with intercostal uniportal VATS is a feasible and efficient surgical procedure for bilateral pulmonary lesions, with good outcomes. Moreover, this procedure is more suitable for patients with bilateral pulmonary lesions.
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Postgraduate medicine · Jun 2017
Meta AnalysisCalprotectin levels in rheumatoid arthritis and their correlation with disease activity: a meta-analysis.
We evaluated the relationship between calprotectin levels and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the correlation between plasma/serum calprotectin and RA activity. ⋯ Our meta-analysis demonstrates that circulating and synovial fluid calprotectin levels are high in patients with RA, and that circulating calprotectin levels positively correlate with RA activity.
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Postgraduate medicine · Jun 2017
Assessing outcomes of educational videos in group visits for patients with chronic pain at an academic primary care clinic.
This study evaluates the impact of pain education group visits on patients with chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP). The primary outcome of the study was to evaluate patients' functional status and secondary outcomes included knowledge, behavior, and satisfaction, before and after participation in the pain education group visits. ⋯ Group visits providing patient education about CNCP may benefit patients' knowledge about this clinical condition, and was received with high patient satisfaction. Further investigation is needed to evaluate longer-term knowledge retention, sustainability of improvements resulting from the intervention, and longer-term effects of the intervention on functional status.
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Postgraduate medicine · May 2017
ReviewSGLT2 inhibitor/DPP-4 inhibitor combination therapy - complementary mechanisms of action for management of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a progressive disease with multiple underlying pathophysiologic defects. Monotherapy alone cannot maintain glycemic control and leads to treatment failure. Ideally, a combination of glucose-lowering agents should have complementary mechanisms of action that address multiple pathophysiologic pathways, can be used at all stages of the disease, and be generally well tolerated with no increased risk of hypoglycemia, cardiovascular events, or weight gain. ⋯ Two classes of glucose-lowering agents that meet these criteria are the sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. This article reviews the rationale for combination therapy with these agents, and evidence from clinical trials with empagliflozin and linagliptin or dapagliflozin and saxagliptin in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Both combinations have been approved as single-pill formulations.