Do you mind the role of spinal sensory block duration in a crucial endocrine disorder of diabetes mellitus? A prospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: Diabetes mellitus, per se, is a global health concern, which is often accompanied by complications such as diabetic neuropathy. This prospective observational study purposed to assess the durations of spinal sensory block and motor blocks in individuals with and without diabetes mellitus who had undergone spinal anesthesia. METHODS: This study incorporated 80 cases, which were evenly divided into spinal sensory block without diabetes mellitus and spinal sensory block with diabetes mellitus. Various parameters were recorded at different time points, including heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, SpO2, and spinal block characteristics. Notable measures included maximum spinal sensory block onset time, time to reach the 10th thoracic vertebra (T10), maximal spinal sensory block, time for Bromage scores, and block regression while controlling for age-related variations. RESULTS: Patients in the diabetic group exhibited extended block durations, with significant differences in heart rate noted at specific time points. Regarding the spinal block characteristics, the "maximum onset of SSB" and the "time to reach the T10" were more prolonged in the SSBwDM without significance. Maximum sensory spinal sensory block did not differ. However, some cases in the SSBwDM displayed blocks extending up to the T6. The times to achieve Bromage motor block scores 1-3 were shorter in SSBwDM and lost significance regarding age. Notably, the regression time was longer in SSBwDM, which held significance for both parameters. CONCLUSION: Diabetic cases commonly encounter prolonged block durations post-subarachnoid intervention, potentially linked to nerve sensitivity, age-related changes, and glycemic control. As such, attenuated local doses for diabetic neuropathic cases may enhance early mobilization, attenuate thromboembolic events, and expedite gastrointestinal recovery.

Highlighting early detection of thyroid pathology and gestational diabetes effects on oxidative stress that provokes preterm delivery in thyroidology: Does that ring a bell?

OBJECTIVES: Ad fontes, the status of the thyroid gland, and metabolic disturbance lead to the alteration of oxygenation. In pregnancy, it is particularly crucial to possess all predictive parameters. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia, between 2017 and 2021 which study included a total of 99 women who had been admitted for preterm delivery and had undergone thyroid analysis, detected Hashimoto thyroiditis, and Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) 40 days after delivery and had pathological Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Response (HOMA IR) indices. In the group of urgent patients with preterm delivery, we looked after not only routine Doppler of the umbilical artery, but we measured specific ratios such as the Cerebroplacental ratio (CP). RESULTS: The mean maternal age was 32.23 ± 5.96 years and the mean gestational age was detected as 35.40 ± 2.39 weeks. The delivery was completed vaginally in 77 women (78%) and surgically in 22 (22%). The Mean APGAR score was 8.44 ± 1.18, the mean birth weight was 2666.87 ± 622.17g and the cases undergoing cesarean section had significantly higher values of pulsatility index (1.85 ± 0.27 vs. 1.34 ± 0.31) and CP (1.22 ± 0.26 vs. 0.47 ± 0.17). CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of Doppler sonography for blood flow assessment helps to form a complete clinical description of the patient, particularly in conditions where oxidative stress became provocative by the thyroid gland antibodies and gestational diabetes in Thyroidology.

First management of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 akin to the vital head and neck region and thyroid gland bed: trust, but be careful whom (you trust)?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. METHODS: A total of 48 patients who underwent percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy, with 24 COVID-19 patients (Group C) and 24 non-COVID-19 patients (Group N), were included in the study. Patients' demographic features including age and gender, time to intubation, duration of intubation, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation scores, comorbidities, duration of opening tracheostomy, complications, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay in the intensive care units, and mortality were recorded and compared between the groups. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding age and gender (p=0.558 and p=0.110, respectively). Time to intubation was significantly more prolonged, and intubation follow-up duration was significantly shorter in Group C compared to Group N (p=0.034 and p=0.002, respectively). The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation score was statistically significantly higher in Group N compared with Group C (p=0.012). The most common comorbidity was hypertension in 29 (60.4%) patients, followed by cerebrovascular disease in 19 (39.6%) patients. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding mortality (p=0.212). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy can be performed safely in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. However, COVID-19 patients may have a longer time to intubation and shorter intubation follow-up duration than non-COVID-19 patients. The study also found a higher incidence of complications in COVID-19 patients undergoing percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy. These results emphasize the importance of careful patient selection, meticulous technique, and close postoperative monitoring in patients undergoing percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy, particularly in those with COVID-19.

Revisiting ab initio carcinoembryonic antigen and CA19-9 tumor markers in colorectal carcinoma in association with anatomotopographic location and staging of disease.

OBJECTIVE: This study purposed to evaluate preoperative two tumor markers, namely, carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen (CA)19-9, in colorectal cancer for anatomotopographic location with disease stage and to assess their utility for diagnostic staging purposes. METHODS: The study retrospectively incorporated patients who had undergone surgery for colorectal cancer at our department in 2015-2018 and in whom carcinoembryonic antigen and CA19-9 tumor markers had been preoperatively analyzed. The obtained data were then statistically processed using R-project. RESULTS: A total of 155 patients had been incorporated, of whom 96 (62%) were men and 59 (38%) were women. Rectum was the most common location (74 patients, 48%), and the least represented stage was IV (18, 12%). The marker carcinoembryonic antigen was obtained in all 155 cases, while CA19-9 was in 105. The median carcinoembryonic antigen was 3 (0.34-1104.25), and the median CA19-9 was 12 (0.18-840.00). A significance was recognized between median carcinoembryonic antigen and disease stage (p-value=0.016), with stages I, II, and III (medians 2, 3, and 2) different from stage IV (median 13), while no significance for CA19-9 was recognized (p-value=0.343). No significance between either marker and location (carcinoembryonic antigen: p=0.276; CA19-9: p=0.505) was detected. The testing was performed at a significance level of alpha=0.05. CONCLUSION: This study revealed a significance between the marker carcinoembryonic antigen, but not CA19-9, and the disease stage, while no relationship of either of these markers with tumor location was found. Herewith, the study confirmed that higher carcinoembryonic antigen values may suggest the finding of more advanced forms of colorectal cancer and thus a worse prognosis of this malignant phenomenon.

Revisiting ab initio carcinoembryonic antigen and CA19-9 tumor markers in colorectal carcinoma in association with anatomotopographic location and staging of disease

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This study purposed to evaluate preoperative two tumor markers, namely, carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen (CA)19-9, in colorectal cancer for anatomotopographic location with disease stage and to assess their utility for diagnostic staging purposes. METHODS: The study retrospectively incorporated patients who had undergone surgery for colorectal cancer at our department in 2015-2018 and in whom carcinoembryonic antigen and CA19-9 tumor markers had been preoperatively analyzed. The obtained data were then statistically processed using R-project. RESULTS: A total of 155 patients had been incorporated, of whom 96 (62%) were men and 59 (38%) were women. Rectum was the most common location (74 patients, 48%), and the least represented stage was IV (18, 12%). The marker carcinoembryonic antigen was obtained in all 155 cases, while CA19-9 was in 105. The median carcinoembryonic antigen was 3 (0.34-1104.25), and the median CA19-9 was 12 (0.18-840.00). A significance was recognized between median carcinoembryonic antigen and disease stage (p-value=0.016), with stages I, II, and III (medians 2, 3, and 2) different from stage IV (median 13), while no significance for CA19-9 was recognized (p-value=0.343). No significance between either marker and location (carcinoembryonic antigen: p=0.276; CA19-9: p=0.505) was detected. The testing was performed at a significance level of alpha=0.05. CONCLUSION: This study revealed a significance between the marker carcinoembryonic antigen, but not CA19-9, and the disease stage, while no relationship of either of these markers with tumor location was found. Herewith, the study confirmed that higher carcinoembryonic antigen values may suggest the finding of more advanced forms of colorectal cancer and thus a worse prognosis of this malignant phenomenon.

Helicobacter Pylori and Celiac Disease Antibody Positivity Have a Higher Prevalence in Patients With Distal Gastrectomy: A Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study.

Aims and objectives Distal gastrectomy was a widely used therapeutic option for peptic ulcer and gastroesophageal reflux disease until quite recently. The consequences of anatomical and physiological changes following surgery in the gastric mucosa have been the object of interest for the scientist. In this study, we aimed to determine whether Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and celiac disease were more common in patients with a history of distal gastrectomy. Materials and methods This is an observational retrospective study conducted at Giresun University Faculty of Medicine. The medical files of 35 patients with dyspepsia who had a history of distal gastrectomy for benign etiologies (antrectomy group) and 50 patients with dyspepsia (control group) were retrospectively analyzed. Results There were more males and older patients in the antrectomy group. Concerning the lab parameters, platelets, lymphocyte, and albumin levels were significantly lower, and urea, creatinine, anti-Endomisium Ig A (anti-EMA), and anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA (anti-tTGA) antibody positivity were significantly higher in the antrectomy group. Gastric biopsy results revealed a higher positivity of HP, atrophy, neutrophil, and lymphocytes in the antrectomy group. Correlation analysis revealed an inverse correlation between albumin and anti-EMA/atrophy positivity whereas a positive correlation between anti-EMA and HP/atrophy positivity. Conclusions HP infection and coeliac disease (CD) could be the problems that distal gastrectomy patients with dyspepsia can face during their follow-up. Concerning the pre-malignant potential of HP, its screening and eradication should be performed to prevent the malignant transformation of the remnant gastric tissue.

A needful, unique, and in-place evaluation of the injuries in earthquake victims with computed tomography, in catastrophic disasters! The 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes: part II.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the computed tomography findings associated with very recent catastrophic 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake-related injuries and their anatomotopographic distribution in the adult population. METHODS: The incorporated computed tomography scans of 768 adult cases who had been admitted to the hospital and had undergone computed tomography imaging after these tragic disasters had been examined on the Teleradiology Reporting System of the Turkish Ministry of Health. To this end, the injuries were classified into six categories: head, thoracic, spinal, pelvic, extremity, and abdominal injury, with three age groups (18-34, 35-64, and ³65 years) and four different imaging intervals (<24, 24-48, 49-72, and >72 h). RESULTS: This study incorporated 316 (41.1%) cases on the first day, 57 (7.5%) on the second day, 219 (28.5%) on the third day, and 176 (22.9%) on the fourth day after the earthquake or later. Of the 768 cases, 109 (14.2%) had a head injury, 100 (13.0%) had a thoracic injury, 99 (12.9%) had a spinal injury, 51 (6.6%) had a pelvic injury, 41 (5.4%) had an extremity injury, and 11 (1.4%) had an abdominal injury. CONCLUSION: In these regrettable earthquake disasters, we determined a high ratio of head injuries, which was closely followed by thoracic and spinal injuries, in our preliminary outcomes for the pediatric population, Part I. The frequency of abdominal injuries was low among individuals who experienced the earthquake. Last but not least, we have noticed a higher likelihood of spinal injury in individuals older than 65 years in the studied population.