Misdiagnosis of Heart Failure: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a chronic disease associated with a significant burden to patients, families, and health services. The diagnosis of HF can be easily missed owing to similar symptoms with other conditions especially respiratory diseases.

Methods And Results: We conducted a systematic review to determine the rates of HF and cardiomyopathy misdiagnosis and explored the potential causes.

Patient, Clinician, and Healthcare Perspectives in Evaluating Care Pathways for Stable Chest Pain.

Chest pain is one of the most common reasons for patients to present to healthcare professionals. One of the main challenges with the management of chest pain is the wide differential diagnosis, ranging from minor chest trauma to potentially life-threatening acute myocardial infarction. In a patient-centered health service pathway, the aim is to assess, investigate, diagnose, and treat patients in the safest and most accurate, time, and cost-efficient manner.

Role of Primary Afferents in Arthritis Induced Spinal Microglial Reactivity.

Increased afferent input resulting from painful injury augments the activity of central nociceptive circuits both neuron-neuron and neuron-glia interactions. Microglia, resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of chronic pain. This study provides a framework for understanding how peripheral joint injury signals the CNS to engage spinal microglial responses.

Menopausal symptoms inversely associated with quality of life: findings from a 5-year longitudinal cohort in Chinese breast cancer survivors.

Objective: This study assessed menopausal symptoms (MPS) after breast cancer in relation to quality of life (QoL) during the first 5 years of survival.

Methods: An ongoing prospective study enrolled 1,462 Chinese women with early-stage breast cancer. They were longitudinally followed up at four time-points, namely baseline, 18-, 36-, and 60-month after diagnosis.

Distribution of High-Sensitivity Troponin Taken Without Conventional Clinical Indications in Critical Care Patients and Its Association With Mortality.

Objectives: To describe the distribution of high-sensitivity troponin in a consecutive cohort of patients in critical care units, regardless of clinical indication, and its association with clinical outcomes.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: Single-center teaching hospital.

Updates on bacterial resistance and empirical antibiotics treatment of complicated acute appendicitis in children.

Objective: Through historical comparison with our previous study published 10 years ago, this paper aims to provide latest analysis of local bacteriology of acute complicated appendicitis and evaluate the effects of early escalation of potent antibiotics on course of postoperative recovery.

Methods: A 5-year retrospective review of all children receiving emergency laparoscopic appendicectomies for acute appendicitis from December 2014 to November 2019 was conducted.

Results: 257 cases of acute appendicitis were included, 126 were complicated appendicitis (38 gangrenous, 88 ruptured).

Effect of a theory-driven educational intervention on the level of knowledge, attitudes, and assessment practices regarding breakthrough cancer pain (BTCP) management among medical nurses in Hong Kong.

Purpose: To examine the effect of an educational intervention intended to improve medical nurses' adherence to breakthrough cancer pain (BTCP) assessment practices and their level of knowledge, attitudes and perceived assessment practices regarding BTCP management.

Methods: Nurses working in a regional hospital were recruited to this quasi-experimental study. The intervention group received a 3-h educational workshop and one session of individual clinical instruction, whilst the control group did not receive any intervention.

Methods to disinfect and decontaminate SARS-CoV-2: a systematic review of studies.

Background: Cleaning is a major control component for outbreaks of infection. However, for the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, there is limited specific guidance regarding the proper disinfection methods that should be used.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the literature on cleaning, disinfection or decontamination methods in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2.

Hong Kong's subtropical scleractinian coral communities: Baseline, environmental drivers and management implications.

We surveyed 41 sites to provide an updated baseline of Hong Kong coral communities. Five community types were identified, among them the most common one inhabited oceanic waters and dominated by both massive and upward-plating corals. The 41 sites had 2.

RNA G-quadruplexes (rG4s): genomics and biological functions.

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are non-classical DNA or RNA secondary structures that have been first observed decades ago. Over the years, these four-stranded structural motifs have been demonstrated to have significant regulatory roles in diverse biological processes, but challenges remain in detecting them globally and reliably. Compared to DNA G4s (dG4s), the study of RNA G4s (rG4s) has received less attention until recently.

Pre-diagnosis and early post-diagnosis dietary soy isoflavone intake and survival outcomes: A prospective cohort study of early stage breast cancer survivors.

Background: There is concern that the estrogen-like effects of soy isoflavones may stimulate mammary tumor growth and interfere with the efficacy of breast cancer treatment. This study aimed to examine prospectively the associations of dietary soy isoflavone intake with all-cause mortality and breast cancer (BC) specific mortality and recurrence among BC survivors.

Design: The study included 1460 Chinese women with early-stage incident BC.

Tibial cutting guide (resector) holding pins position and subsequent risks of periprosthetic fracture in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: a finite element analysis study.

Background: Periprosthetic fracture of the tibia after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty has been reported to be associated with excessive pin holes created for stabilization of the cutting guide. However, fractures have also been reported in cases using two pins as in the method suggested by the manufacturer. It is currently unclear whether variations in pinhole positions make a difference in proximal tibial fracture risk.

Identification of optimal contemporary antiemetic prophylaxis for doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide chemotherapy in Chinese cancer patients: post-hoc analysis of 3 prospective studies.

Objective: Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) are common with doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide (AC) chemotherapy. Recommended antiemetic regimens incorporate neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist (NK1RA), 5-hydroxytryptamine type-3 receptor antagonist (5HT3RA), corticosteroid, and dopamine antagonists. This post-hoc analysis compared results of 3 prospective antiemetic studies conducted among Chinese breast cancer patients who received (neo)adjuvant AC, in order to identify optimal antiemetic prophylaxis.

International evidence on state ownership and trade credit: Opportunities and motivations.

Recent events, most notably the Global Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, have made it increasingly apparent that liquidity is synonymous with corporate survival. In this paper, we explore how governments can fulfill an important need as suppliers of liquidity. Building on the financing advantage view of state ownership, we theorize how state-owned enterprises (SOEs) may provide capital by offering trade credit to customer firms.

Percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with cancer and readmissions within 90 days for acute myocardial infarction and bleeding in the USA.

Aims: The post-discharge outcomes of patients with cancer who undergo PCI are not well understood. This study evaluates the rates of readmissions within 90 days for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and bleeding among patients with cancer who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods And Results: Patients treated with PCI in the years from 2010 to 2014 in the US Nationwide Readmission Database were evaluated for the influence of cancer on 90-day readmissions for AMI and bleeding.

Social capital and chemsex initiation in young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men: the pink carpet Y cohort study.

Background: Young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (YMSM) are especially vulnerable to the risks associated with sexualized substance use, or 'chemsex'. Engaging in chemsex established as a major risk factor for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) acquisition, and is thus a public health issue of increasing urgency. This paper attempts to explore the association between measures of social capital and patterns of sexualized substance use among a sample of YMSM in Singapore.

Percutaneous coronary intervention and 30-day unplanned readmission with chest pain in the United States (Nationwide Readmissions Database).

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) improves anginal chest pain in most, but not all, treated patients. PCI is associated with unplanned readmission for angina and non-specific chest pain within 30-days of index PCI. Patients with an index hospitalization for PCI between January-November in each of the years 2010-2014 were included from the United States Nationwide Readmissions Database.

Effect of primary percutaneous coronary intervention on in-hospital outcomes among active cancer patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction: a propensity score matching analysis.

Aims: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) is the gold standard, guideline-recommended revascularization strategy in patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, there are limited data on its use and effectiveness among patients with active cancer presenting with STEMI.

Methods And Results: All STEMI hospitalizations between 2004 and 2015 from the National Inpatient Sample were retrospectively analysed, stratified by cancer type.

Location of death among patients presenting with cardiovascular disease to the emergency department in the United states.

Background: In-hospital deaths are an important outcome and little is known about deaths in the emergency department (ED). Among patients who died of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), we assessed causes of death, temporal trends and the relative distribution of deaths in the ED versus hospital.

Methods: Using the United States Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, we conducted a retrospective study of patients presenting to the ED with a primary diagnosis of CVD between 2006 and 2014.