What is the relationship between changes in the size of economies and mortality derived population health measures in high income countries: A causal systematic review.

Context: The economy has been long recognised as an important determinant of population health and a healthy population is considered important for economic prosperity.

Aim: To systematically review the evidence for a causal bidirectional relationship between aggregate economic activity (AEA) at national level for High Income Countries, and 1) population health (using mortality and life expectancy rates as indicators) and 2) inequalities in population health.

Methods: We undertook a systematic review of quantitative studies considering the relationship between AEA (GDP, GNI, GNP or recession) and population health (mortality or life expectancy) and inequalities for High Income Countries.

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy for diabetic foot ulcers: a feasibility study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of delivering extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) to patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). It also aimed to explore any potential clinical effect of ESWT on wound healing and investigate whether ESWT offers any patient-reported benefits.

Method: In this single-centre, mixed methods feasibility study, patients with a DFU who met the eligibility criteria underwent ESWT three times over a seven-day period.

Caffeine: benefits and drawbacks for technical performance.

Surgical and minimally-invasive procedures, including cardiac and radiological, have high-stake patient outcomes. Working pressures, altering shift rotas, and ever-increasing demands have led to worsening sleep patterns for surgeons and allied professionals. Sleep deprivation alone has harmful consequences in relation to clinical outcomes and the physical and mental health of the surgeon, and to offset fatigue, some surgeons use legal stimulants such as caffeine and energy drinks.

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy compared with standard care for diabetic foot ulcer healing: An updated systematic review.

Emerging evidence suggests that extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) may improve time to DFU healing. The aim of this review was to appraise the evidence on role of ESWT in DFU healing and impact of different ESWT doses. Databases were searched for trials comparing ESWT plus standard care to standard care alone in participants with DFUs.

Ophthalmology training in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 12% of the global population, and 4.3 million are blind and over 15 million are visually impaired. There are only 2.

The surgical waiting time initiative: A review of the Nigerian situation.

The concept of surgical waiting time initiative (SWAT) was introduced in developed countries to reduce elective surgery waiting lists and increase efficiency of care. It was supplemented by increasing popularity of day surgery, which shortens elective waiting lists and minimises cancellations. It is established in Western countries, but not in developing countries like Nigeria where it is still evolving.

Biomedical techniques in translational studies: The journey so far.

Biomedical techniques have wide clinical application in many fields of medicine such as oncology, rheumatology, immunology, genomics, cardiology and diagnostics; among others. This has been made possible with the use of genetic engineering and a number of techniques like Immunohistochemistry (IHC), Fluorescent Microscopy, Cell Culture, Genetically Modified (GM) Cells, Monoclonal Antibodies (MAbs), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Western blotting. The aim of this literature review is to explore the foundations and bases of the commonly used biomedical techniques, as well as their applications in biomedical research and clinical medicine in general.

Effects of indomethacin on expression of PTEN tumour suppressor in human cancers.

Background: Previous studies reported that Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), chemicals, and food supplements can be used to up-regulate the PTEN mRNA and protein expression, suggesting that these substances may be used in prevention and/or treatment of various human cancers like spinal, brain, colon, breast, prostate, bladder and endometrial cancers.

Aim: This was to study expression and sub-cellular localisation of PTEN protein, and review the effect(s) of indomethacin on PTEN's expression in cultured Human Endometrial Cancer (HEC 1B) cell line, which is known to express significant amounts of the wild-type PTEN.

Materials And Methods: This involves culture and incubation of artificial HEC 1B cells.

Phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10.

Phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) is a tumor suppressor gene deleted or mutated in many human cancers such as glioblastoma, spinal tumors, prostate, bladder, adrenals, thyroid, breast, endometrium, and colon cancers. They result from loss of heterozygosity (LOH) for the PTEN gene on chromosome 10q23. Previous studies reported that various drugs, chemicals, and foods can up-regulate PTEN mRNA and protein expression in different cell lines, and they may be useful in the future prevention and/or treatment of these cancers.

A review of tip apex distance in dynamic hip screw fixation of osteoporotic hip fractures.

Fractured neck of femur is a common problem seen in elderly osteoporotic females, mostly in Western countries, among which are the extra-capsular fractures such as intertrochanteric and pertrochanteric fractures also known as peritrochanteric fractures, and commonly treated with dynamic hip screw (DHS) or compression hip screw (CHS). The DHS is based on tension band principle and allows the screw to slide within the barrel to enable compression of the fracture when the patient begins to bear weight. This principle only works in the presence of intact medial wall and so cannot be successful in a reverse oblique fracture of the proximal femur.

Radiation-induced femoral head necrosis.

There are very few cases of radiation-induced femoral head necrosis described in the literature, therefore, this case will add new knowledge and highlights important aspects in the diagnosis and management of this uncommon condition. Our patient was 74 years old and presented with left hip and groin pain for 8 months, with no previous history of trauma or osteoarthritis. However, he had been treated for metastatic prostate cancer, to the pelvis and roof of the left acetabulum, with androgen ablation, and radiotherapy 5 years before presentation.

Childhood moyamoya disease and moyamoya syndrome: a pictorial review.

Moyamoya disease is an uncommon chronic cerebrovasculopathy, characterized by progressive stenosis of the terminal portion of the internal carotid artery and its main branches, in association with the development of compensatory collateral vessels at the base of the brain. The etiology is unknown, and was originally considered exclusive to East Asia, with particular prevalence in Japan. Moyamoya disease is increasingly diagnosed throughout the world, and represents an important cause of childhood stroke in Western countries.

Adverse effects of fluorescein angiography in hypertensive and elderly patients.

Purpose: To evaluate adverse effects in patients undergoing fundus fluorescein angiography (FA), and to assess the level of these adverse effects in hypertensive and elderly patients.

Method: We carried out a retrospective study of 358 patients undergoing FA. They were assessed for adverse effects and their relationship to medical history, pre- and post-FA blood pressure and age.

Bleeding and re-thrombosis in primary antiphospholipid syndrome on oral anticoagulation: an 8-year longitudinal comparison with mitral valve replacement and inherited thrombophilia.

The aim of this study was to compare bleeding and re-thrombosis in primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS), mitral valve replacement (MVR) and inherited thrombophilia (IT) at different oral anticoagulation intensities. It entailed a prospective 8-year follow-up on 67 patients with PAPS, 89 with IT and 24 with MVR. Anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies detected by Elisa and lupus anticoagulant by clotting assays.