Publications by authors named "Clarissa Tjoakarfa"

Eating epilepsy is a rare disorder, characterised by reflex seizures induced by food intake. It is highly heterogenous, with clinical signs and EEG findings varying between patients. However, common features do emerge from the reported literature.

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Background: The use of forced air warming devices in the operating room has been shown to cause disruption of laminar airflow and a potential for increase in surgical site contamination. In contrast, conductive warming devices such as reflective blankets do not disrupt airflow and therefore have no potential for this increase in surgical site infection. However, some studies have shown them to be inferior to forced air warming devices in maintaining normothermia.

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Redo-sternotomy and aortic valve replacement in patients with advanced liver disease is rare and associated with a prohibitive morbidity and mortality. Refractory coagulopathy is common and a consequence of intense activation of the coagulation system that can be triggered by contact of blood with the cardiopulmonary bypass circuitry, bypass-induced fibrinolysis, platelet activation and dysfunction, haemodilution, surgical trauma, hepatic decompensation and hypothermia. Management can be further complicated by right heart dysfunction, porto-pulmonary hypertension, poor myocardial protection, and hepato-renal syndrome.

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The lack of functional dystrophin protein in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) renders muscle fibers highly fragile and susceptible to damage during contractions. Contraction-mediated injury is a major contributor to the progressive degeneration and etiology of muscle wasting in DMD. The prevailing understanding is that large fibers are highly susceptible to contraction damage and are affected preferentially, whereas smaller fibers are relatively spared in DMD.

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