Comment: Reply to editorial letter on Limited value of a patient-reported triage algorithm in an outpatient epilepsy clinic.

This is a reply to the letter to the editor regarding the article "Limited value of a patient-reported triage algorithm in an outpatient epilepsy clinic" Dan Med J 2022;69(7):A12210915.

Limited value of a patient-reported triage algorithm in an outpatient epilepsy clinic.

Introduction: The hypothesis of this study was that the patient-reported outcome (PRO) triage algorithm may be used as a screening tool to discriminate between patients who do and do not need a visit in the outpatient epilepsy clinic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of the triage algorithm by comparing it to an assessment made by a neurologist subspecialised in epilepsy.

Methods: A neurologist reviewed the answers to the PRO questionnaires, and, based on the severity of the answers, the neurologist assessed whether or not the patients should be reclassified into another triage colour group.

Exercise Training Stabilizes RyR2-Dependent Ca Release in Post-infarction Heart Failure.

Dysfunction of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) is an almost ubiquitous finding in animal models of heart failure (HF) and results in abnormal Ca release in cardiomyocytes that contributes to contractile impairment and arrhythmias. We tested whether exercise training (ET), as recommended by current guidelines, had the potential to stabilize RyR2-dependent Ca release in rats with post-myocardial infarction HF. We subjected male Wistar rats to left coronary artery ligation or sham operations.

is an opportunistic pathogen: recurrent bacteraemia in an immunocompromised patient without diarrhoea.

Introduction: is attracting increasing interest due to its possible pathogenic properties. Researchers have described cases in which is isolated in stool samples from patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, mostly diarrhoea. The relevance of adding our case to the literature lies in its description of recurrent bacteraemia in a patient without diarrhoea.

Arrhythmia initiation in catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia type 1 depends on both heart rate and sympathetic stimulation.

Aims: Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia type 1 (CPVT1) predisposes to ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VTs) during high heart rates due to physical or psychological stress. The essential role of catecholaminergic effects on ventricular cardiomyocytes in this situation is well documented, but the importance of heart rate per se for arrhythmia initiation in CPVT1 is largely unexplored.

Methods And Results: Sixteen CPVT1 patients performed a bicycle stress-test.

Estimating the cost of vaccine development against epidemic infectious diseases: a cost minimisation study.

Background: The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations was established in 2016, to develop vaccines that can contribute to preparedness for outbreaks of epidemic infectious diseases. Evidence on vaccine development costs for such diseases is scarce. Our goal was to estimate the minimum cost for achieving vaccine research and development preparedness targets in a portfolio of 11 epidemic infectious diseases, accounting for vaccine pipeline constraints and uncertainty in research and development preparedness outcomes.

Risk factors for exertional rhabdomyolysis with renal stress.

Background: Exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis denotes the exertional damage of myocytes with leakage of sarcoplasmic content into the circulation. The purpose of this study was to determine important risk factors for the development of exertional rhabdomyolysis in a temperate climate and to study the renal effects of myoglobinuria.

Methods: A cluster of eight military recruits was admitted to hospital due to exertional rhabdomyolysis with myoglobinuria.

Occupational skin diseases: actual state analysis of patient management pathways in 28 European countries.

Background: Work-related skin diseases (WSD) are caused or worsened by a professional activity. Occupational skin diseases (OSD) need to fulfil additional legal criteria which differ from country to country. OSD range amongst the five most frequently notified occupational diseases (musculoskeletal diseases, neurologic diseases, lung diseases, diseases of the sensory organs, skin diseases) in Europe.

Military small arms fire in association with acute decrements in lung function.

Objective: After introduction of unleaded ammunition, Norwegian Armed Forces received reports of acute respiratory symptoms in soldiers after exposure to fumes from firing the standard weapon, HK416. The aim of the present study was to examine lung function before and after exposure to fumes from HK416 in a double-blinded standardised study design using three different types of ammunition.

Methods: Fifty-four healthy, non-smoking male volunteers (19-62 years) fired the weapons for 60 min with either leaded, unleaded or 'modified' unleaded ammunition.

100 kBq m-3 Radon Activity Concentration in the Atmosphere of a Bathroom Supplied with Groundwater From A Gneissic Rock Area with Consanguineous Intrusions.

Inhalation of escaping radon from groundwater comprises the largest part of radiological hazard from groundwater radionuclides in the uranium and thorium series. Groundwater containing 1.5 mg dm uranium and 3 kBq dm radon activity concentration supplied an ordinary bathroom of 15 m in a home.

Enhanced susceptibility of obese mice to glycidamide-induced sperm chromatin damage without increased oxidative stress.

Diet-induced obesity is known to impair male reproduction and may aggravate the male reproductive toxicity of the food contaminant acrylamide. Exposure of male mice to acrylamide induces paternally mediated pre- and post-implantation losses because of spermatozoal toxicity and these effects are potentiated in mice fed a high-fat diet. Glycidamide - an acrylamide metabolite - is the primary mediator of reproductive effects in males.

Exercise training prevents ventricular tachycardia in CPVT1 due to reduced CaMKII-dependent arrhythmogenic Ca2+ release.

Aims: Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia type 1 (CPVT1) is caused by mutations in the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) that lead to disrupted Ca(2+) handling in cardiomyocytes and ventricular tachycardia. The aim of this study was to test whether exercise training could reduce the propensity for arrhythmias in mice with the CPVT1-causative missense mutation Ryr2-R2474S by restoring normal Ca(2+) handling.

Methods And Results: Ryr2-R2474S mice (RyR-RS) performed a 2 week interval treadmill exercise training protocol.

Beta-Adrenoceptor Stimulation Reveals Ca2+ Waves and Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ Depletion in Left Ventricular Cardiomyocytes from Post-Infarction Rats with and without Heart Failure.

Abnormal cellular Ca2+ handling contributes to both contractile dysfunction and arrhythmias in heart failure. Reduced Ca2+ transient amplitude due to decreased sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ content is a common finding in heart failure models. However, heart failure models also show increased propensity for diastolic Ca2+ release events which occur when sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ content exceeds a certain threshold level.

Inflammation in induced sputum after aluminium oxide exposure: an experimental chamber study.

Introduction: Workers in aluminium production are exposed to a complex mixture of particles and gases potentially harmful to the airways, among them aluminium oxide (Al2O3). With the use of an exposure chamber, we aimed to examine the effects of short-term controlled exposure to Al2O3 on lung function and inflammatory markers in healthy volunteers.

Methods: 15 men (age 19-31) were exposed in random order to clean air or Al2O3 particles (3.

No Effect of 2 mA Anodal tDCS Over the M1 on Performance and Practice Effect on Grooved Pegboard Test and Trail Making Test B.

Previous studies suggest that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can facilitate motor performance and learning. In this double-blind experiment, 60 healthy human subjects (29 females) were randomized into three groups (active tDCS, sham tDCS, and no-treatment control group) in order to investigate the effect of a 20 min session of 2 mA tDCS over the motor cortex contralateral to the dominant hand on practice effect and performance on the Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT) and Trail Making Test (TMT). Performance was operationalized as the time to complete the tests before, during, and after stimulation.

Routine disc diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Clostridium difficile and association with PCR ribotype 027.

Reduced susceptibility to metronidazole and vancomycin in Clostridium difficile has been reported, which emphasises the need for simple antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods. The aim of this study was to apply a published disc diffusion method and zone diameter breakpoint correlates to the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) epidemiological minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) cut-off values in a routine setting. Metronidazole and vancomycin zone diameters from 2702 isolates were recorded.

Health effects after firing small arms comparing leaded and unleaded ammunition.

A number of Norwegian soldiers have reported health problems after live-fire training using the HK416 rifle. The objective of this study was to characterize gaseous and particulate emissions from three different types of ammunition, and record the health effects after exposure to emissions from live-firing. Fifty-five healthy, non-smoking men (mean age 40 years) were recruited and divided randomly into three groups, one for each type of ammunition.

Occupational hazard exposure and general health profile of welders in rural Delhi.

Background: Welding is a common industrial process associated with various health hazards. The aspect of duration of hazard exposure among welders at their workplace has been studied to limited extent in India.

Objective: To assess the duration of occupational hazard exposure and its association with symptoms among the welders.

Effects of individualized exercise training in patients with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia type 1.

Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) in patients with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia type 1 (CPVT1) are triggered at an individual and reproducible heart rate (HR) during exercise. Long-term effects of exercise on arrhythmia threshold in CPVT1 are not known. To investigate whether exercise training (ET) is feasible in patients with CPVT1, 13 patients with CPVT1 and confirmed genetic mutations performed bicycle exercise testing with maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) measurements at baseline and after 13 weeks.

Long-term cardiac mortality after hypofractionated radiation therapy in breast cancer.

Purpose: To explore very-long-term mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD) after locoregional radiation therapy of breast cancer (BC) in relation to degree of hypofractionation and other treatment variables.

Methods And Materials: Two hypofractionated regimens used for locoregional radiation therapy for BC from 1975 to 1991 were considered. Patients received 4.