Clinical medicine (London, England)
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Editorial Case Reports
Never forget the basics while seeking correct diagnosis and management.
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Motor neuron disease (MND) is an uncommon but invariably fatal condition, with a median survival of 24-48 months from symptom onset. Although there is no cure at the moment, early diagnosis is crucial to enable timely access to multidisciplinary care, and enrolment in clinical trials utilising investigational therapies. Unfortunately, diagnostic delays remain common, and the average delay between symptom onset and diagnosis is 12 months. ⋯ This rose to 49% when patients with bulbar onset disease were considered. 9% of cases saw three or more specialists. There was a statistically significant correlation between the number of specialist referrals and delays in neurology referral. We hope our findings will increase awareness of the importance of early neurology referral in the diagnosis of MND and promote the use of the MND Red Flag tool as a means of identifying patients in need of prompt neurological evaluation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Mandibular movement monitor provides faster, yet accurate diagnosis, for obstructive sleep apnoea: a randomised controlled study.
Many patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) remain undiagnosed and thus untreated, and in part this relates to delay in diagnosis. Novel diagnostic strategies may improve access to diagnosis. ⋯ Adults with high pre-test probability OSA were recruited from both northern Scotland and London. 40 participants (70 % male, mean±SD age 46.8 ± 12.9 years, BMI 36.9 ± 7.5 kg/m2, ESS 14.9 ± 4.1) wore a MM monitor and respiratory polygraphy simultaneously overnight and were randomised (1:1) to receive their treatment decision based on results from either device. Compared to respiratory polygraphy, MM monitor reduced time to treatment decision by 6 days (median(IQR): 13.5 (7.0-21.5) vs. 19.5 (13.7-35.5) days, P = 0.017) and saved an estimated 29 min of staff time per patient.
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Same-day emergency care (SDEC) in unplanned and emergency care is an NHS England (NHSE) priority. Optimal use of these services requires rapid identification of suitable patients. NHSE suggests the use of one tool for this purpose. ⋯ Score performance could not be compared due to heterogeneity between studies. No studies assessed clinical implementation. The current evidence to support the use of a specific tool for SDEC is limited and requires further evaluation.
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Inpatient treatment of hyperkalaemia with insulin and dextrose can be complicated by iatrogenic hypoglycaemia. We sought to assess the incidence of hypoglycaemia in hospitalised patients with renal disease and assess the impact of the introduction of a local guideline incorporating the use of sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (SZC) for patients with moderate hyperkalaemia. After establishing a significant burden of hypoglycaemia in the initial observation period, a requirement for hourly capillary blood glucose monitoring (for up to 6 h) following the administration of insulin for hyperkalaemia was incorporated into the guidelines. The two-fold introduction of SZC alongside changes in patient care after the administration of insulin/dextrose resulted in more appropriate use of insulin/dextrose, as well as a significant (73%) reduction in the iatrogenic burden of hypoglycaemia (P = 0.04).