Rambam Maimonides medical journal
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Rambam Maimonides Med J · Jul 2020
ReviewHydroxychloroquine and Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Systematic Review of a Scientific Failure.
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) emerged early in the course of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as a possible drug with potential therapeutic and prophylactic benefits. It was quickly adopted in China, Europe, and the USA. We systematically reviewed the existing clinical evidence of HCQ use for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. ⋯ There is no evidence supporting HCQ for prophylaxis or treatment of COVID-19. Many observational trials were methodologically flawed. Scientific efforts have been disappointingly fragmented, and well-conducted trials have only recently been completed, more than 7 months and 600,000 deaths into the pandemic.
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Rambam Maimonides Med J · Jan 2020
ReviewCannabis and Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Rheumatic Diseases.
Chronic pain is a common complaint among patients, and rheumatic diseases are a common cause for chronic pain. Current pharmacological interventions for chronic pain are not always useful or safe enough for long-term use. Cannabis and cannabinoids are currently being studied due to their potential as analgesics. ⋯ However, data on long-term efficacy and safety of cannabinoid and cannabis use are still lacking. Cannabinoids and cannabis are commonly investigated as analgesic agents, but in recent years more evidence has accumulated on their potential immune-modulatory effect, supported by results in animal models of certain rheumatic diseases. While results that demonstrate the same effect in humans are still lacking, cannabinoids and cannabis remain potential drugs to alleviate the pain associated with rheumatic diseases, as they were shown to be safe and to cause limited adverse effects.
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Rambam Maimonides Med J · Oct 2019
Are Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratios Associated with Mortality in Pediatric Trauma Patients? A Retrospective Study.
There are very limited data on the prognostic capacity of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) for the systemic inflammatory response in pediatric trauma (PT) patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic ability of NLR and PLR on mortality in pediatric trauma patients. ⋯ Acquiring the NLR and PLR at the time of admission could be a useful predictor for mortality in PT patients.
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Rambam Maimonides Med J · Jul 2019
A Comparison of Manual versus Electric Bicycle Injuries Presenting to a Pediatric Emergency Department.
The use of electric bicycles (E-bikes) has dramatically increased over the last decade. E-bikes offer an inexpensive, alternative form of transport, but also pose a new public health challenge in terms of safety and injury prevention. ⋯ Pediatric E-bike injuries tend to be more severe than those sustained during manual bicycle riding. Further research into bicycle and other road and pavement users could lead to enhanced regulation regarding E-bike usage.
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Rambam Maimonides Med J · Jan 2017
Fever Phobia as a Reason for Pediatric Emergency Department Visits: Does the Primary Care Physician Make a Difference?
Fever is a source of considerable parental anxiety. Numerous studies have also confirmed similar anxiety among health care workers. This study analyzed caregiver knowledge of fever, and beliefs concerning children with a febrile illness, with an emphasis on the referring physician. ⋯ Caregivers in this study had limited knowledge of fever and its management in children, even if referred by their primary care physician. We suggest that there is a need for aggressive educational interventions to reduce parents' fever phobia, in clinics as well as in pediatric emergency departments, and that this need may extend to the education of medical personnel as well.