Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Pediatric Acute Drug Intoxications: A Retrospective Analysis.

Background/objectives: Acute drug intoxications (ADIs) are a significant concern in pediatric healthcare, contributing to both accidental and intentional morbidity. This study aimed to analyze the demographic, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of pediatric ADI cases to identify trends and inform preventive strategies.

Methods: This retrospective study included 120 cases of pediatric ADI admitted to the Second Pediatric Clinic of Craiova County Emergency Clinical Hospital in 2022 and 2023.

Rasch-Built Overall Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Disability Scale as a Novel Tool to Measure Disease Progression.

A valuable outcome measure to monitor amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease progression is crucial in clinical trials. Rasch-Built Overall Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Disability Scale (ROADS) is a novel questionnaire assessing ALS disability. Currently, there are no studies on the relationship between ROADS and ALS survival.

The Diagnosis and Treatment of Branch Retinal Vein Occlusions: An Update.

Branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) is a common retinal vascular condition and a significant contributor to vision loss worldwide, particularly in middle-aged and elderly populations. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and clinical features of BRVO, alongside recent advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. BRVO is approximately four times more prevalent than central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and often leads to significant vision impairment.

A Qualitative Descriptive Study of Rural Primary Healthcare Professionals' Capacity for Disaster Health Management Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: Rural areas face additional challenges in preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters. This study aimed to understand how rural primary healthcare professionals (PHCPs) perceive their roles, involvement, and capacity in disaster health management.

Methods: For this qualitative descriptive research, semi-structured interviews were carried out with convenience and purposive samples of rural PHCPs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paternal Depression and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the lives of families worldwide. Findings suggest a substantial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health. Yet, much less is known about the impact of COVID-19 on paternal mental health.

Explaining the Correlates of the Multi-Theory Model (MTM) of Health Behavior Change in Visual (Structural) Colorectal Cancer Screening Examinations.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks third in terms of global cancer prevalence and is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality. Although CRC rates are decreasing in the United States, inequalities still exist despite the effectiveness of invasive screening methods, such as colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and computed tomography (CT) colonography in detecting colorectal cancer. Many current interventions promoting CRC screening do not utilize a modern theory-based approach, which has led to the low utilization of these screening methods.

Phenotypic Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Isolates from Clinical UTI Samples and Municipal Wastewater in a Grenadian Community.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health threat. This study investigated antibiotic resistance in isolates from municipal wastewater (86 isolates) and clinical urinary tract infection (UTI) cases (34 isolates) in a Grenadian community, using data from January 2022 to October 2023. Antibiogram data, assessed per WHO guidelines for Critically Important antimicrobials (CIA), showed the highest resistance levels in both clinical and wastewater samples for ampicillin, followed by amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and nalidixic acid, all classified as Critically Important.

Health Associations of Positive Childhood Experiences: A Scoping Review of the Literature.

We report the results of a scoping review of the literature investigating associations between positive childhood experiences (PCEs) and selected health outcomes to identify which have the highest level of research activity based on the indexed academic literature. Yielded articles underwent title/abstract (Ti/Ab) and full text screening utilizing inclusion/exclusion criteria. The review was guided by PCE categories from the Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences framework: relationships, environment, engagement, and emotional growth.

Experienced Versus Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence and Psychological Maladjustment: The Role of Adaptive and Avoidant Coping.

The present questionnaire study explores the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV), coping strategies, and psychological maladjustment for both female and male college students, as well as considering the effects of perpetrated IPV. College students are at risk for experiencing and perpetrating IPV, and coping skills may act as important risk and protective factors. In total, 333 (247 women, 86 men) undergraduate college students completed an online survey for research participation credit.

Socio-Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Substance Intoxication Receiving a Psychiatric Assessment in the Emergency Department of the Maggiore Della Carita Hospital, Novara, Italy.

Patients intoxicated with alcohol or other substances are often assessed and assisted in the context of the Emergency Department (ED) by emergency physicians, who usually require a psychiatric assessment. This study aims to analyse the characteristics of a sample of patients receiving a psychiatric consultation in the ED setting of the Maggiore della Carità University Hospital in Novara, Italy, in the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2023, to find out whether and how patients screening positive for alcohol/drugs differ from those screening negative. Socio-demographic and clinical history information and clinical data related to the ED psychiatric consultations were extracted from the PsNet database, a collection of data extracted from the application that serves as the electronic medical record for patients accessing the ED.

A Scoping Review of the Current Knowledge of the Social Determinants of Health and Infectious Diseases (Specifically COVID-19, Tuberculosis, and H1N1 Influenza) in Canadian Arctic Indigenous Communities.

Social determinants of health (SDHs) and the impact of colonization can make Canadian Arctic Indigenous communities susceptible to infectious diseases, including the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This scoping review followed the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews and studied what is known about selected pandemics (COVID-19, tuberculosis, and H1N1 influenza) and SDHs (healthcare accessibility, food insecurity, mental health, cultural continuity, housing, community infrastructure, and socioeconomic status (SES)) for Canadian Arctic Indigenous communities. Original studies published in English and French up to October 2024 were located in databases (PubMed, Medline, and CINAHL), , and through reference tracking.

Influence of Coping, Esteem, and Resilience on Caregiver Distress in Pancreatic Cancer Patient-Caregiver Dyads.

Through survey and analysis of pancreas cancer patient-caregiver dyads, we aimed to identify patient and caregiver characteristics that influence and determine the impact of caregiver coping strategies, self-esteem, and resilience on caregiver distress. This was a cross-sectional, observational study including pancreatic cancer patients and their caregivers. Demographics of patients and caregivers were collected.

Fetal Safety in MRI During Pregnancy: A Comprehensive Review.

As medical imaging continues to expand, concerns about the potential risks of ionizing radiation to the developing fetus have led to a preference for non-radiation-based alternatives such as ultrasonography and fetal MRI. This review examines the current evidence on the safety of MRI during pregnancy, with a focus on 3 T MRI and contrast agents, aiming to provide a comprehensive synthesis that informs clinical decision-making, ensures fetal safety and supports the safe use of all available modalities that could impact management. We conducted a comprehensive review of studies from 2000 to 2024 on MRI safety during pregnancy, focusing on 3 T MRI and gadolinium use.

Advances in Cardiovascular Multimodality Imaging in Patients with Marfan Syndrome.

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a genetic disorder affecting connective tissue, often leading to cardiovascular complications such as aortic aneurysms and mitral valve prolapse. Cardiovascular multimodality imaging plays a crucial role in the diagnosis, monitoring, and management of MFS patients. This review explores the advancements in echocardiography, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), cardiac computed tomography (CCT), and nuclear medicine techniques in MFS.

Clinical Dental Midline Shift Is Not a Predictor of the Side of Shorter Hemimandible: A Cone Beam Computed Tomography Diagnostic Study.

: Interincisive midline deviation is frequent. Determining the cause (dental versus skeletal) is crucial for treatment planning. This study assessed the null hypothesis that neither clinical dental midline shift nor the temporomandibular disorder (TMD)-affected side correlate with maxillary/mandibular asymmetry.

Classifying Food Items During an Eating Occasion: A Machine Learning Approach with Slope Dynamics for Windowed Kinetic Data.

Background: Wearable devices equipped with a range of sensors have emerged as promising tools for monitoring and improving individuals' health and lifestyle.

Objectives: Contribute to the investigation and development of effective and reliable methods for dietary monitoring based on raw kinetic data generated by wearable devices.

Methods: This study uses resources from the NOTION study.

Foodborne Event Detection Based on Social Media Mining: A Systematic Review.

Foodborne illnesses represent a significant global health challenge, causing substantial morbidity and mortality. Conventional surveillance methods, such as laboratory-based reporting and physician notifications, often fail to enable early detection, prompting the exploration of innovative solutions. Social media platforms, combined with machine learning (ML), offer new opportunities for real-time monitoring and outbreak analysis.

Causal association among smoking, bitter beverage consumption, and risk of osteoporosis: a two-sample mendelian randomization-based study.

Objectives: Two-sample MR methods were employed to analyze the impact of smoking and bitter beverage consumption on the risk of osteoporosis and osteoporosis with pathological fractures, in order to assess the causal association.

Methods: Publicly available genome-wide association study summary data were analyzed using MR methods. The exposures investigated were smoking (smoking per day, smoking initiation, and lifetime smoking index) and bitter beverages (coffee, tea, bitter alcoholic beverages, bitter non-alcoholic beverages, and total bitter beverages).

Antibiotic exposure is associated with minimal gut microbiome perturbations in healthy term infants.

Background: The evolving infant gut microbiome influences host immune development and later health outcomes. Early antibiotic exposure could impact microbiome development and contribute to poor outcomes. Here, we use a prospective longitudinal birth cohort of n = 323 healthy term African American children to determine the association between antibiotic exposure and the gut microbiome through shotgun metagenomics sequencing as well as bile acid profiles through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

High clinical burden of classical homocystinuria in the United States: a retrospective analysis.

Background: Classical homocystinuria (HCU) is a rare genetic metabolic disorder resulting in elevated homocysteine and methionine levels. The clinical characteristics and associated complications of HCU are well documented. However, there is limited published research on the clinical burden of patients with HCU, especially stratified by total homocysteine (tHcy) levels.

Efficacy comparison of optimal natural orifice specimen extraction for robotic middle rectal cancer resection in women: transanal or transvaginal orifice.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the optimal natural orifice specimen extraction (NOSE) method for robotic-assisted mid-rectal cancer resection in women.

Methods: This retrospective propensity score-matched (PSM) study was to analyze the clinical data prospectively collected from female rectal cancer patients who underwent either robotic-assisted transvaginal specimen extraction (RATV) or robotic-assisted transanal specimen extraction (RATA) at our center between June 2016 and December 2022. The main outcome measures were urinary, anal, and sexual function.

Achillea millefolium capsule improved liver enzymes and lipid profile compared to placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind randomized clinical trial.

Background: The therapeutic properties of Achillea Millefolium (AM) in regulating blood lipids and liver enzymes have been proven in studies. Considering the abnormal lipid levels and elevated liver enzymes in diabetic patients, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of AM on the lipid profile and serum level of liver enzymes in type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients.

Methods: In this 90-day double-blind clinical trial study, 60 eligible diabetic patients were enrolled and divided into intervention and control (each 30 patients) groups.

Proteinuria and the risk of Incident atrial fibrillation according to glycemic stages: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and proteinuria each independently raise the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to investigate the relationship between proteinuria and the risk of incident AF across glycemic stages.

Methods: A cohort of 4,044,524 individuals without prior AF and type 1 DM was selected from the 2009 Korean National Health Insurance Service health checkup data.

Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) and mortality among survivors of liver cirrhosis: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Cirrhosis is a medical condition marked by persistent liver damage, which leads to the development of fibrous tissue and compromised liver function. In the present study, we decided to investigate the possibility of a connection between the consumption of fermentable olig-, di-, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) and mortality rates in cirrhotic patients by utilizing data obtained from a prospective cohort study.

Methods: This cohort study enrolled 166 ambulatory patients from two hospitals in Tehran, Iran, between 2016 and 2018, and followed them up for 5 48 months until April 30, 2022.

Prevalence and drivers of malaria infection among asymptomatic and symptomatic community members in five regions with varying transmission intensity in mainland Tanzania.

Background: Despite implementation of effective interventions in the past two decades, malaria is still a major public health problem in Tanzania. This study assessed the prevalence and drivers of malaria infections among symptomatic and asymptomatic members of selected communities from five regions with varying endemicity in mainland Tanzania.

Methods: A cross-sectional community survey was conducted in five districts, including one district/region in Kagera, Kigoma, Njombe, Ruvuma and Tanga from July to August 2023.