Mathewsvad3978
Objective To assess the interobserver agreement of the most widely used classification systems (Schatzker, AO Foundation-Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO-OTA), and Luo) and investigate the impact of multiplane CT scans on their reliability. Methods Twelve raters (seven consultants and five senior trainees) were invited to classify 25 cases of tibial plateau fracture randomly selected out of a large database. Initially, they were asked to classify the fracture according to Schatzker, AO-OTA, and Luo based on plain anteroposterior (AP) X-ray and axial CT images. This procedure was applied for 25 cases consecutively. Next, the raters are given access to the multiplanar CT views of the same cases and were requested to reclassify each case. The interobserver agreement was calculated using the Fleiss kappa coefficient. Results An overall fair inter-rater agreement was observed for the Schatzker classification based on the plain AP X-ray (k=0.361) with a slight improvement after three-dimensional (3D) plane CT views (X-ray k=0.361; 3D CT k=0.364). For the AO-OTA classification, the relevant values were 0.204 and 0.231 based on plain X-ray and multiplanar CT, respectively. Finally, the Luo classification achieved the highest scores among the three classification systems (k=0.498), but its inter-rater agreement can still be characterized as moderate. No statistically significant improvement in the interobserver agreement was found for any classification even if only the consultants' subgroup was included in the data analysis. Conclusion All three classification systems failed to achieve a substantial agreement among the raters, with only a nonsignificant improvement after providing advanced imaging. This finding reflects the intrinsic weaknesses of the classification systems themselves rather than the disagreement on the fracture pattern due to unsatisfactory imaging.Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet drug used for secondary prevention of myocardial infarction, and it is also used in patients with cerebrovascular ischemia. Patients with acute myocardial infarction tend to be on dual antiplatelet therapy for 12 months followed by aspirin lifelong to prevent the risk of stent thrombosis. The most common side effects of clopidogrel are bleeding, neutropenia, and rash; however, arthritis is also one of the rare side effects. We present a case of a 53-year-old patient who had a recent myocardial infarction and was commenced on dual antiplatelet therapy in the form of aspirin and clopidogrel. He started to have severe joint pain, particularly in his knees and shoulders, and was not able to mobilize anymore only three weeks after starting the medications. His clopidogrel was stopped and the patient showed dramatic improvement within three to four days after discontinuation with complete resolution one week later.Crohn's disease (CD) is an immune-mediated inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. While the etiology is not fully elucidated, the intestinal microbiome is believed to initiate and maintain immune activation in CD. The intestinal microbiome is highly responsive to its environment, including host dietary patterns. As such, dietary interventions have the potential to modulate intestinal microbiome composition and function and improve disease outcomes. We present a retrospective chart review of an adult male with complicated Crohn's disease who was non-responsive to medical management. The patient began the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) in February 2017 and maintained it for 42 months. The patient tolerated the SCD well and has been asymptomatic for 40 months on the SCD. Selleck Etomoxir Stool fecal calprotectin (FCP) decreased from 493 ug/g at baseline to 70 ug/g at month three and remained in the normal range thereafter. Endoscopy with biopsy at month 12 showed normal histology in the colon and terminal ileum. Magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) showed resolution of prior jejunal inflammation. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) associated healthcare costs were $42,688 in the 12 months preceding the intervention and $2,797/year with SCD. This represented a 94% reduction in healthcare insurance costs and a 91% reduction in out-of-pocket patient expenses. This case highlights the rapid and sustainable benefits of the SCD intervention in Crohn's disease from both a clinical and economic standpoint.Background This study aims to investigate the prevalence and pattern of idiopathic osteosclerosis (IO) and condensing osteitis (CO) in the jaws of a Saudi Arabian subpopulation with regards to gender, age, shape, localization, and tooth relationship. Methodology Digital panoramic and periapical radiographs with clinical data of 1,000 patients at King Abdulaziz University Dental Hospital were analyzed to determine the incidence of IO and CO lesions in relation to age, gender, location in the jaws, and dental status of the associated tooth. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used for data analysis. Results Out of the 752 patients (495 females, 257 males), IO was identified in 66 (8.8%) patients, while 44 (5.9%) patients had CO. IO occurred more in females (68.2%) than males (31.8%). CO had a statistically significant higher rate of occurrence in females (81.8%) than males (18.2%) (P ≤ 0.05). IO and CO lesions were observed to be higher in individuals in their third decade, and 100% were in the mandibular molar area. Almost half of the identified IO (48.5%) had a rounded shape radiopacity, while CO mostly appeared irregular (63.6%). Conclusions The prevalence of IO and CO in the studied Saudi subpopulation was low. Both lesions were more frequent in females in their third decade and were primarily found in the mandibular molar region.COVID-19, a multi-system disease, could potentially play a role in thyroid dysfunction. New reports show a prevalence of COVID-related thyroiditis. Recent studies suggest that there may be a higher risk of thyroiditis in the setting of SARS-CoV-2, and several cases of Graves' disease have been reported in individuals with SARS-CoV-2, although the incidence of such findings and their relationship to COVID-19 is unknown. In this report, we present Graves' hyperthyroidism in a 48-year-old African American male who was admitted to the hospital for complaints of cough, fatigue, and palpitations. He tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and was found to have suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and an elevated free T4. The patient had no prior history of thyroid disease. Initially, it was thought to be a case of viral thyroiditis, and he was discharged on prednisone. However, he was found to have positive thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI) and a diffuse increase in flow on doppler ultrasound of the thyroid. Subsequently, he was started on anti-thyroid medications with significant improvement. What is unique about this case is that, unlike other described cases in the literature where there was a relapse of a known Graves' disease after COVID-19 disease, our patient did not have a history or symptoms of thyroid disease prior to this event, which should raise the concern about possible activation of Graves' disease after SARS-CoV-2 infection through an autoimmune pathway. In our opinion, physicians, particularly endocrinologists, must be aware of this condition and keep it in mind as a potential differential diagnosis when encountering a similar clinical scenario.Tropical diseases such as malaria, dengue, intestinal helminths, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, and filariasis have an essential influence on the reproductive health of patients. Various cases of pregnancy loss in unexplained circumstances are a result of underdiagnosed tropical diseases. Term pregnancy complicated by tropical diseases is a challenge for the treating clinicians as these infections tend to mimic HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low Platelets) syndrome and increase the chances of perinatal complications and maternal mortality. Except for tropical diseases, ever since the conception of the COVID-19 pandemic, the differentials for fever pregnancy have become extensive, and the treating clinicians need to solve the puzzle of the etiology behind these symptoms that are non-specific and might be due to both COVID-19 and tropical Infections. Prophylactic treatment for malaria is pivotal in pregnancy as immunity is decreased during pregnancy, making the patient susceptible to developing malaria-related complications. Dengue is one of the most common mosquito-borne infections found around the globe. Complications of dengue during pregnancy include pregnancy loss as well as vertical transmission of infection to the fetus. Leptospirosis, even though rare, has a wide range of complications in pregnancy ranging from fetal loss to congenital infection and oligohydramnios, thereby requiring close monitoring and prompt management during pregnancy. We report a case series of three cases where patients presented during the period of pregnancy with fulminant hepatic failure, which turned out to be a consequence of tropical diseases. All the cases were treated successfully and discharged in stable condition.
Hypertension is the persistent rise of systemic arterial blood pressure. Among diabetic patients, hypertension is one of the important public health challenges. The frequency of hypertension among diabetic patients is almost twice than that of non-diabetic patients. This study aims to determine the determinants of hypertension among type 2 diabetes patients in Karachi, Pakistan.
This was a cross-sectional study conducted in diabetic clinics of a tertiary care hospital from August 2020 to August 2021. The source population included all adult patients with type 2 diabetes at the follow-up clinic of Liaquat National Hospital and Aga Khan Hospital. Data collection was done using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. REDCapsoftware (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN) was used for the data collection.
A total of 610 patients were included in the study. The mean age of participants was 57.37 (±11.32) years. The overall prevalence of hypertension among diabetic patients was 39.84%. Age, physical activity, family history of hypertension, smoking status, BMI, sedentary lifestyle, stress level, and serum creatinine were independent determinants of hypertension among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
In this study, age, physical activity, family history of hypertension, smoking status, BMI, sedentary lifestyle, stress level, and serum creatinine are independent determinants of hypertension among type 2 diabetes patients. The findings of the study call for strategies that can target these predictors, and clinicians need to start educating their patients about hypertension and ways to prevent it.
In this study, age, physical activity, family history of hypertension, smoking status, BMI, sedentary lifestyle, stress level, and serum creatinine are independent determinants of hypertension among type 2 diabetes patients. The findings of the study call for strategies that can target these predictors, and clinicians need to start educating their patients about hypertension and ways to prevent it.Well delineated precipitating factors of migraine or incapacitating headaches are well known in the literature. Few peculiar and under-recognized precipitants are crying, shouting, straining in stools, urination, orgasm, childbirth, powerlifting. We present a case of a young student whose laughing aloud is a potent headache precipitant and is consistently reproducible despite normal brain imaging. It is worth mentioning here that laugh-induced headache has recently been assigned a place in the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-III) in 2018. The proposed pathophysiology in our case could be loud laugh induced Valsalva maneuver raising intra-abdominal and intra-thoracic pressure momentarily causing venous congestion of head presenting as episodic headache. Another plausible explanation related to craniospinal pressure dissociation and the concept of dural elasticity and compliance needs to be explored if the symptoms persist and repeat scans show no pathology. Momentarily rise of intracranial pressure due to vigorous laugh could press the tonsils or distal cerebellar portion to herniate down transiently, causing symptoms and may be back to normal position once the laugh ceases.