Necrotizing Fasciitis Secondary to Mycotic Femoral Aneurysm: A Narrative Review of Diagnosis and Management Strategies.

This comprehensive literature review aims to investigate the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic tools, and treatment options for necrotizing fasciitis secondary to mycotic femoral aneurysm, a rare and potentially lethal infectious disease, particularly focusing on any changes throughout the years for an update of the current literature. The pathophysiology of necrotizing fasciitis and mycotic femoral aneurysms is a complex and multifaceted process that typically involves bacterial infections as a common precursor to the onset of these conditions. This can potentially lead to the formation of an aneurysm. As the infection progresses, it can spread from the aneurysm to surrounding soft tissues, resulting in significant tissue damage, obstructed blood circulation, and ultimately culminating in cell death and necrosis. Clinical manifestations of these conditions are diverse and encompass a range of symptoms, such as fever, localized pain, inflammation, skin changes, and other indicators. It is worth noting that skin color can influence the presentation of these conditions, and in patients with diverse skin tones, certain symptoms may be less noticeable due to a lack of visible discoloration. Imaging, laboratory findings, and clinical presentation are important components of the diagnosis of mycotic aneurysms. CT scans are a reliable tool for identifying specific features of infected femoral aneurysms, and elevated inflammatory laboratory results can also suggest a mycotic aneurysm. In the case of necrotizing fasciitis, clinicians should maintain a high level of suspicion as this condition is rare but life-threatening. Clinicians will need to view the big picture when an infection may be caused by necrotizing fasciitis, considering CT imaging, blood work, and clinical presentation of the patient without delaying surgical intervention. By incorporating the diagnostic tools and treatment options outlined in this review, healthcare professionals can improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden of this rare and potentially lethal infectious disease.

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Gallstones: A Systematic Review.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is steatosis of the liver that resembles alcohol-induced liver injury but is a metabolic disorder. Most patients are obese with increased triglyceride levels due to increased intake of fatty food, which can cause excess fat to build up in the liver. At the same time, continuous ingestion of fatty foods can lead to gallstones (GS) due to the overproduction of cholesterol. NAFLD and GS have been seen to coincide, and there might be a relationship between them. This systematic review analyzes the incidence of NAFLD and GS to determine a bidirectional relationship. A comprehensive literature review was done using ProQuest, PubMed, and ScienceDirect, and included only experimental studies and meta-analyses. The search included the keywords 'gallstones and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease' and 'cholelithiasis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease'. Our initial search included 10,665 articles and was narrowed down to 19 through extensive inclusion and exclusion criteria. There is a bidirectional relationship between the incidence of NAFLD and GS, where an increase in either can lead to an increase in the other. Both NAFLD and GS share similar risk factors leading to the development of each disease. On average, there's an increase in the prevalence of gallstones in NAFLD patients, and patients with GS were also more likely to have NAFLD. There was a prevalence of NAFLD in those with asymptomatic gallstones as well, indicating that the risk factors are crucial in the development of both. As a result, some research is determining whether an evaluation of the liver should be routine during cholecystectomy due to the increased risk of developing NAFLD.

Colostrum and Preterm Babies: A Systematic Review.

Colostrum from mothers is rich in immunomodulating bio-factors such as immunoglobulins (IgA), lactoferrin, and oligosaccharides and supports gut microbial and inflammatory processes. The support in these processes may provide some relief for infants who are born pre-term. Pre-term infants are more likely to develop necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), late-onset sepsis (LOS), and ventilator-acquired/associated pneumonia (VAP). Due to the components of colostrum, there may be incentives towards early administration for preterm infants. An extensive literature review was done using ProQuest, ScienceDirect, and PubMed. Only meta-analyses and experimental studies were used. The search included the keywords 'colostrum and preterm' and 'colostrum and necrotizing enterocolitis'. The initial search generated 13,543 articles and was narrowed to 25 articles through comprehensive inclusion and exclusion criteria. There were significantly higher levels of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in pre-term infants given colostrum and a decrease in Moraxellaceae and Staphylococcaceae. Salivary secretory IgA increased following oral colostrum administration in pre-term infants along with downregulation of interleukin (IL)-1b and IL-8. It was also observed that tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a, and interferon-gamma (IFN-g) were significantly higher in the control group. There was no significant difference in the incidence of LOS, NEC, or VAP between pre-term infants receiving colostrum and those who did not. Secondary outcomes such as time to full enteral feeding were improved in pre-term infants receiving oral colostrum in addition to reduced hospital stays. Lastly, there was no difference in mortality between pre-term infants that received colostrum compared to those who did not.

Anticoagulants and Dementia: A Systematic Review.

Many patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) develop dementia. Most AF patients are also prescribed some antithrombotic medication to reduce the incidence of stroke, as clots can form within the left atrium. Some research has found that, excluding patients who have experienced strokes, anticoagulants may serve as protective agents against dementia in AF. This systematic review aims to analyze the incidence of dementia in patients who were prescribed anticoagulants. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using the databases PubMed, ProQuest, and ScienceDirect. Only experimental studies and meta-analyses were chosen. The search included the keywords "dementia and anticoagulant" and "cognitive decline and anticoagulants". Our initial search generated 53,306 articles, which were narrowed down to 29 by applying strict inclusion and exclusion algorithms. There was a decreased risk of dementia in patients who had been prescribed oral anticoagulants (OACs) in general, but only studies investigating direct oral anticoagulants OACs (DOACs) suggested that they were protective against dementia. Vitamin K antagonist (VKA) anticoagulants showed conflicting results, with some studies indicating they might increase the risk for dementia, while others suggested that they are protective against it. Warfarin, a specific VKA, was mainly shown to reduce the risk of dementia but was not as effective as DOACs or other OACs. Lastly, it was found that antiplatelet therapy may increase the risk of dementia in AF patients.