Morinharrison5729

The World Health Organisation has warned of the increase in antibiotic resistance, estimating that by 2050 it could become the leading cause of death worldwide. Several studies and literature reviews show a correlation between antibiotic use and bacterial resistance, with unnecessary broad-spectrum antibiotics, such as amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and azithromycin, being one of the main causative factors. An interview-based survey of 2160 participants was conducted to assess the prevalence in the practice of self-medication with antibiotics among dental patients in the Dominican Republic. A series of open-ended questions regarding self-medication and class of antibiotics were put to the patients. Over a third of the study population (39.7%) admitted to the practice of antibiotic self-medication. Most of the respondents (58.4%) who indulged in self-medication were females, and it was prevalent in the older adults between 32-42 years old (36%). There was a negative correlation between age and self-medication practice (p less then 0.001) observed with point biserial correlation test. Binary logistic regression analysis found an odds ratio of 0.97 (p less then 0.001). The most consumed antibiotics were amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (52%), amoxicillin (31.1%), and azithromycin (10.1%). It is imperative to educate patients about the harmful effects of self-medication and to stress the need for governments to implement stricter laws on non-prescription drug availability.

Retinal artery occlusion (RAO) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction, but whether different RAO subtypes such as central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) or branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) carry similar risk of these events is unclear. Our aim was to determine whether the risk of cardiovascular events differs between CRAO and BRAO.

This single-center, retrospective study included 131 patients hospitalized in our clinic in 2010-2020 with CRAO or BRAO confirmed by ophthalmic examination. Data on demographics, previous ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction, comorbidities, the results of echocardiographic and ultrasound carotid artery examinations and laboratory tests were assessed. Data on ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and all-cause mortality occurring after RAO were obtained from the Polish National Health Service, which collects data on all publicly funded hospitalizations. Using these data, Kaplan-Meier analyses ess the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events, especially ischemic strokes, to implement appropriate prophylaxis and reduce mortality.Postoperative recovery can be impaired by many conditions, some of which are difficult to diagnose clinically. These include type 2 neurological complications such as hypoactive subtype of postoperative delirium (PD) and early postoperative cognitive dysfunction (ePOCD). Hope for their timely detection may lie with novel biomarkers. Plasma concentrations of microRNA-1-3p, microRNA-21-5p, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neuroserpin (NSP), phosphorylated axonal neurofilament subunit H (pNfH) and visinin-like protein 1 (VILIP-1) were investigated in 30 patients undergoing elective off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Blood samples were collected at the start and end of a surgery as well as 24 h postoperatively. Associations between the studied biomarkers' perioperative expression and type 2 neurological complications were analyzed. PD was associated with postoperative expression of GFAP; ePOCD was associated with postoperative expression of microRNA-21-5p and GFAP as well as intraoperative expression of NSP. The predictive accuracy of these molecules was found acceptable, with all their areas under the curve (AUC) values above 0.7. Multivariable regression indicated that microRNA-21-5p, GFAP and NSP were the only significant predictors of ePOCD. Evaluation of a multi-marker model including these three molecules revealed its outstanding predictive accuracy for ePOCD (AUC = 0.95). The use of microRNA-21-5p, GFAP and NSP for monitoring postoperative recovery warrants further research considering their potential to predict PD and ePOCD.The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical usefulness of assaying the fibroblast growth factor (FGF-23), Klotho, osteocalcin, N-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX), and sclerostin levels in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) as markers of bone damage as well as for surgical treatment success. Seventeen patients with hypercalcemic PHPT and normal kidney function were studied. In all patients, PTH (parathormone), serum calcium, and creatinine were performed before and six months after parathyroidectomy (PTX). The studied group included patients whose PTH and calcium concentrations normalized post-operatively and with confirmed histopathological diagnosis. The control group consisted of nine age-matched healthy volunteers. The PHPT patients had elevated concentrations of FGF-23, osteocalcin, and NTX and reduced levels of sclerostin, as compared to the control group. After PTX, osteocalcin, NTX, and sclerostin levels normalized. The plasma values of FGF-23 decreased significantly, but remained higher than in healthy subjects. Serum Klotho protein levels did not differ significantly in the two groups. These results suggest that osteocalcin and NTX may potentially be considered as markers of PHPT progression. Additionally, serum normalization of osteocalcin, NTX, and sclerostin might be considered as indicators of PTX success. On the other hand, FGF-23 can represent a parameter reflecting the degree of calcium-phosphate imbalance in PHPT patients, but its usefulness in monitoring the effects of PTX requires further research. The clinical utility of assaying Klotho in PHPT remains to be confirmed.Dementia is an important health issue worldwide, and non-pharmacological strategies for the management of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are considered to be important. This review analyzes the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for BPSD. Thirteen electronic databases were comprehensively searched to find clinical studies using acupuncture on BPSD, published up to December 2020. Five randomized controlled clinical trials and two before-after studies, mainly on Alzheimer's disease (AD), were included. Meta-analysis suggested that the total effective rate based on BPSD symptoms in the acupuncture combined with psychotropic drugs group was significantly higher than that in the psychotropic drugs group (risk ratio, 1.27; 95% confidence interval, 1.11 to 1.45; I2 = 51%). selleck chemicals In terms of other outcomes related to BPSD, acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy, but not as monotherapy, was associated with significant benefits in most included studies. However, the included studies did not have optimal methodological quality.