Comparison of venous and calculated blood gas values to arterial values in critically ill patients.

Background: Arterial blood gas (ABG) values are important in the assessment of critically ill patients. However, arterial puncture may be challenging to perform in these patients. The venous-to-arterial conversion method (v-TAC) is used to convert venous blood gas values to calculated values meant to resemble arterial values.

Risk of developing hyperkalemia in patients with hypertension treated with combination antihypertensive therapy - a retrospective register-based study.

The risk of hyperkalemia in relation to different combinations of antihypertensive therapy remains to be elucidated. In this Danish register-based study, we aimed to investigate the risk of developing hyperkalemia in relation to different combinations of antihypertensive therapy. Using incidence density matching, we matched a hyperkalemic patient to five normokalemic patients on eGFR groups, age, sex, and time between study entry and date of potassium measurement.

Identifying microbiome-based changes and biomarkers prior to disease development in mother and child, with a focus on gestational diabetes mellitus: protocol for the DANish Maternal and Offspring Microbiome (DANMOM) cohort study.

Introduction: The human gut microbiota is associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), which imposes a risk of developing long-term health problems for mother and child. Most studies on GDM and microbiota have been cross-sectional, which makes it difficult to make any conclusions on causality. Furthermore, it is important to assess if a dysbiotic microbiota is passed from the mother to the child, and then being at risk of developing metabolic health problems later in life.

Health literacy and cognitive function in people with diabetic foot ulcer with focus on knowledge, attitude, and practice in relation to foot self-care.

Introduction: Preventative foot self-care is vital for avoiding diabetic foot ulcer episodes and lowering the risk of amputations. Yet, it demands high levels of health literacy and cognitive function.

Objective: To investigate health literacy and cognitive function in persons presenting with a diabetic foot ulcer.

Naïve Inflammatory Proteome Profiles of Glucocorticoid Responsive Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Rheumatic Arthritis Patients-Links to Triggers and Proteomic Manifestations.

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology, sharing symptoms with giant cell arthritis (GCA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The pathogenic inflammatory roots are still not well understood, and there is a lack of extensive biomarker studies to explain the disease debut and post-acute phase. This study aimed to deeply analyze the serum proteome and inflammatory response of PMR patients before and after glucocorticoid treatment.

[Not Available].

In the last decade, patients with chronic pain have expressed increasing interest in cannabis-derived products for adjuvant therapy when treatment is deemed refractory to conventional analgesics. At present, clinical evidence to support this treatment approach appears to be sparse. Not because clinical studies as such are lacking, but rather as a result of methodological bias in relation to study design, patient populations, and treatment protocols.

Impact of Low-Dose Dronabinol Therapy on Cognitive Function in Cancer Patients Receiving Palliative Care: A Case-Series Intervention Study.

Background: Cannabis may offer therapeutic benefits to patients with advanced cancer not responding adequately to conventional palliative treatment. However, tolerability is a major concern. Cognitive function is a potential adverse reaction to tetrahydrocannabinol containing regimens.

Assessment of neuropsychiatric manifestations in a cohort of intensive care unit survivors: A proof of concept study.

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and outcome of a neuropsychiatric evaluation protocol intended for adult intensive care unit survivors in a Danish regional hospital, in which a follow-up consultation was conducted 2 months after hospital discharge. Twenty-three participants were able to finalize the neuropsychiatric evaluation, and 20 (87%) among those were detected with neuropsychiatric manifestations, including cognitive impairment ( = 17; 74%) and fatigue ( = 17, 74%). This study finds a high prevalence of neuropsychiatric manifestations and fatigue, and evaluates a follow-up protocol for the ICU patient population.

Prospective pilot study on the relationship between seminal HIV-1 shedding and genital schistosomiasis in men receiving antiretroviral therapy along Lake Malawi.

Male genital schistosomiasis (MGS) is hypothesized to increase seminal shedding of HIV-1. This prospective pilot study assessed seminal HIV-1 RNA shedding in men on long-term ART with and without a diagnosis of MGS. Study visits occurred at 0, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months.

Increasing use of computed tomography scans in the North Denmark Region raises patient safety concern.

Purpose: Use of computed tomography (CT) scans raises safety concern as lifetime cumulative ionising radiation exposure is associated with risk of developing malignancies. This study aimed to investigate use of abdominal CT scans in the Danish health care sector.

Methods: Data on abdominal CT scans performed annually in the North Denmark Region between 2005 and 2018 were extracted from the regional registry with emphasis on patients with a medical history of a repeated abdominal CT scan within 28 days.

Safety and effectiveness of cannabinoids to Danish patients with treatment refractory chronic pain-A retrospective observational real-world study.

Background: Cannabinoids are considered a therapeutic option to patients suffering from treatment refractory chronic pain (TRCP) insufficiently relieved by conventional analgesics or experiencing intolerable adverse events (AEs) from those. This study aimed to explore safety and effectiveness of oral cannabinoids among patients with TRCP.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted among Danish patients with TRCP being prescribed oral cannabinoids.

Fecal calprotectin as a biomarker of intestinal inflammation in ICU patients with diarrhea - testing the pipette method against the collection pin and weighing methods.

Fecal calprotectin is an established biomarker in inflammatory bowel disease, but its role in assessment of intestinal inflammation in ICU patients is yet to be explored. ICU patients tend to acquire diarrhea, which complicates the extraction of fecal calprotectin using a collection pin for stool sampling. Pipetting is an alternative sampling method.

Cervical lesion proportion measure using a digital gridded imaging technique to assess cervical pathology in women with genital schistosomiasis.

Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) is characterized by a pattern of lesions which manifest at the cervix and the vagina, such as homogeneous and grainy sandy patches, rubbery papules in addition to neovascularization. A tool for quantification of the lesions is needed to improve FGS research and control programs. Hitherto, no tools are available to quantify clinical pathology at the cervix in a standardized and reproducible manner.

The effect of foot orthoses on gait biomechanics and pain among people with rheumatoid arthritis: A quasi-experimental study.

Background: Foot pain is frequent among people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Foot orthoses (FO) are commonly prescribed with the intention to reduce pain symptoms and improve function.

Research Question: How do a custom-made FO affect pain, gait biomechanics and daily activity among people with RA?

Methods: Twenty-five participants with RA and foot pain completed this quasi-experimental study using a control insole for four weeks and then a custom-made FO in the following four weeks.

Patient-reported outcome measures in the emergency department: a scoping review protocol.

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to identify and characterize validated patient-reported outcome measures used to assess adult patients' health status in the emergency department to support clinical decision-making and to develop individual care and treatment plans.

Introduction: In recent years, the workload in emergency departments has increased and patient management is characterized by a fast pace. The accelerated approach may lead to unintentional negligence by health care professionals of patient-reported signs and symptoms in the emergency department.

Different types of foot orthoses effect on gait mechanics in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Foot orthoses are a first line conservative treatment for foot impairments in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), however their effect on gait mechanics is poorly understood. We aimed to compare changes in lower limb and foot mechanics between two types of commonly used foot orthoses (FO) with a control. Twenty-seven patients with rheumatoid arthritis participated in this crossover study.

Pre- and postmenopausal women have different core urinary microbiota.

Recent studies suggest that alterations in the female urinary microbiota is associated to development of bladder disease. However, the normal microbiota composition and variation in healthy women are poorly described. Moreover, the effects of hormonal changes on microbiota during menopause is not well understood.

Biological therapy and international travel: A questionnaire survey among Danish patients with rheumatic disease.

Objective: To describe travel activities, preparations, and health problems encountered by patients with arthritis receiving biological therapy.

Methods: A travel survey was conducted in a Danish rheumatology outpatient clinic by distribution of a semistructured questionnaire to 300 consecutive patients with arthritis.

Results: Among the 273 (91%) patients returning the questionnaire, a history of traveling outside Denmark was reported by 203 (74%) respondents and outside Europe by 92 (34%).

A parametric study of effect of experimental tibialis posterior muscle pain on joint loading and muscle forces-Implications for patients with rheumatoid arthritis?

Background: Foot pain and deformities are commonly encountered in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Likewise, Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD) is commonly involved in development of foot and ankle abnormalities and has been reported with a prevalence in two-thirds of the RA patients.

Research Question: Redundancy in the physiological function between different muscles provides the central nervous system multiple options to perform the same movement but which muscles compensate for the impairment of the tibialis posterior (TP) muscle? And how does these changes affect ankle joint loading?

Methods: Experimental and computational disciplines were applied to investigate changes in muscle forces as result of induced pain in the right TP muscle.

Correction to: Mathematical arterialisation of peripheral venous blood gas for obtainment of arterial blood gas values: a methodological validation study in the clinical setting.

The corresponding author has identified a calculation mistake in the original publication of the article. The corrected value is given in this Correction. Under the Results section, the median (range) age of the patients in the methodological study should read 76 (26-86) years instead of 56 (26-86) years.

Tibialis posterior muscle pain effects on hip, knee and ankle gait mechanics.

Background: Tibialis posterior (TP) dysfunction is a common painful complication in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which can lead to the collapse of the medial longitudinal arch. Different theories have been developed to explain the causality of tibialis posterior dysfunction. In all these theories, pain is a central factor, and yet, it is uncertain to what extent pain causes the observed biomechanical alterations in the patients.

Mathematical arterialisation of peripheral venous blood gas for obtainment of arterial blood gas values: a methodological validation study in the clinical setting.

Arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis is an essential tool in the clinical assessment of acutely ill patients. Venous to arterial conversion (v-TAC), a mathematical method, has been developed recently to convert peripheral venous blood gas (VBG) values to arterialized VBG (aVBG) values. The aim of this study was to test the validity of aVBG compared to ABG in an emergency department (ED) setting.

[New psychoactive substances require a paradigm shift in drug testing in Denmark].

The emergence of an increasing number of new psychoactive substances (NPS) on the drug market requires a paradigm shift in drug testing. Immunoassay screening needs to be replaced with highly specific and sensitive analytical methods based on chromatography and mass spectrometry to produce accurate results, promote health and patient safety and collect data on the prevalence of NPS use, impact on public health and clinical aspects of NPS in Denmark. Development and implementation of new analytical methods currently present a major challenge for both clinical and forensic laboratories.