Potential for and challenges of menstrual blood as a non-invasive diagnostic specimen: current status and future directions.

Menstrual blood, which is often discarded as a waste product, has emerged as a valuable source of health information. The components of menstrual blood, such as endometrial cells, immune cells, proteins, and microbial signatures, provide insights into health. Studies have shown encouraging results for using menstrual blood to diagnose a variety of conditions, including hormonal imbalances, cervical cancer, endometriosis, chlamydia, diabetes, and other endocrine disorders. This review examines the potential of menstrual blood as a non-invasive diagnostic specimen, exploring its composition, promising applications, and recent advances. This review also discusses challenges to utilizing menstrual blood testing, including ethical considerations, the lack of standardized collection protocols, extensive validation studies, and the societal stigma around menstruation. Overcoming these challenges will open new avenues for personalized medicine and revolutionize healthcare for individuals who menstruate.

Carbon monoxide poisoning with an atypical presentation on MRI: Case report and literature review.

Introduction: Acute carbon monoxide poisoning can present with altered mentation, loss of consciousness, and other symptoms. Accurate diagnosis is based on a detailed history, clinical examination, and laboratory evidence. MRI is also crucial in detecting hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy due to CO poisoning and has established superiority over CT scans. We report an atypical MR imaging pattern seen in a patient post-CO exposure. Case presentation: We report a case of a 35-year-old South Asian man who presented to the emergency department with loss of consciousness for an undetermined time. GCS on arrival was 4/15. Detailed history, physical examination, and radiological investigations confirmed the diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning. He was treated with 100% oxygen. Conclusion: MRI should be included as a diagnostic workup for suspected CO poisoning patients to evaluate hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. This will not only aid in the correct diagnosis but will also help in guiding the correct management of the patients.