TheScientificWorldJournal
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TheScientificWorldJournal · Jan 2012
Sequential organ failure assessment score for evaluating organ failure and outcome of severe maternal morbidity in obstetric intensive care.
To evaluate the performance of Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score in cases of severe maternal morbidity (SMM). ⋯ Total maximum SOFA score proved to be an effective tool for evaluating severity and estimating prognosis in cases of SMM. Maximum SOFA score may be used to conceptually define and stratify the degree of severity in cases of SMM.
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TheScientificWorldJournal · Jan 2012
High-sensitivity troponin T and copeptin in non-ST acute coronary syndromes: implications for prognosis and role of hsTnT and copeptin in non-STEACS.
High-sensitivity TnT (hsTnT) has been proposed to improve the diagnosis and stratification in acute coronary syndromes. Copeptin has been proposed for a rapid and accurate rule out of acute myocardial infarction, but some doubts exist about its use out of the first hours from admission. Abnormalities of serum hsTnT and copeptin levels in non-STEACS and negative TnT, could have prognostic implications. ⋯ hsTnT levels increased in non-STEACS, were predictive of adverse events and could be important for recommending an invasive management. We cannot confirm a predictive role of copeptin out of the first hours from admission.
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TheScientificWorldJournal · Jan 2012
18FDG uptake in sinonasal inverted papilloma detected by positron emission tomography/computed tomography.
Inverted papilloma (IP) is a benign but locally aggressive sinonasal tumour. Aggressive surgical treatment has thus been traditionally recommended because of the risk of transformation in squamous carcinoma. CT and MRI are used to evaluate bone destruction and soft-tissue extension before surgery but may be ineffective to differentiate an inverted papilloma from squamous cell carcinoma. ⋯ Seven of the twelve cases exhibited uptake of (18)FFDG with an SUV(max) ranging from 1 to 8.1. Histopathologic diagnosis after surgery confirmed the diagnosis of IP in five cases; all these cases had an SUV(max) > 3. The five cases, which exhibited absence of (18)FDG uptake, had a histological diagnosis of absence of IP.
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TheScientificWorldJournal · Jan 2012
The incidence and prognostic value of hypochloremia in critically ill patients.
Little is known on the clinical effects of chloride on critically ill patients. We conducted this retrospective, observational study in 488 critically ill patients to investigate the incidence of chloride abnormalities, effects of hypochloremia in acid-base disorders, and association between chloride and clinical outcome. The study involved retrieval of arterial blood gas analyses, biochemical and demographical data from electrical records as well as quantitative acid-base analyses. ⋯ However, multiple regression analysis showed that chloride was not an independent factor of poorer outcome. In conclusion, the acid-base characteristics of the hypochloremic patients were alkalemia coexisting with higher SIDa. And although it was not an independent prognostic factor, hypochloremia was related to poorer outcome in critically ill settings.
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TheScientificWorldJournal · Jan 2012
Analysis of the volumes of the posterior cranial fossa, cerebellum, and herniated tonsils using the stereological methods in patients with Chiari type I malformation.
The aim of this study was to determine the posterior cranial fossa volume, cerebellar volume, and herniated tonsillar volume in patients with chiari type I malformation and control subjects using stereological methods. ⋯ The posterior cranial fossa volume in patients with chiari type I malformation was significantly smaller than the volume in the control subjects (P < 0.05). In the chiari type I malformation group, the cerebellar volume was smaller than the control group, but this difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). In the chiari type I malformation group, the ratio of cerebellar volume to posterior cranial fossa volume was higher than in the control group. We also found a positive correlation between the posterior cranial fossa volume and cerebellar volume for each of the groups (r = 0.865, P < 0.001). The mean (±SD) herniated tonsillar volume and length were 0.89 ± 0.50 cm(3) and 9.63 ± 3.37 mm in the chiari type I malformation group, respectively. Conclusion. This study has shown that posterior cranial fossa and cerebellum volumes can be measured by stereological methods, and the ratio of these measurements can contribute to the evaluation of chiari type I malformation cases.