Respiratory function in healthy long-term meditators: a systematic review.

Background: There is a paucity of data on effects of long-term meditation on respiration. This systematic review summarized selected respiratory function parameters in healthy long-term meditators (LTMs) at rest, during meditation and their associations with meditation practice variables.

Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE (Ovid), Scopus, Proquest Dissertation and Thesis Global databases, CENTRAL, and Google Scholar was performed from year 1950 to August 15th, 2023.

Respiratory function in healthy long-term meditators: A cross-sectional comparative study.

Purpose: Respiratory function is thought to improve with long-term meditation. This study aimed to assess respiratory function in a cohort of healthy long-term meditators and non-meditators in Sri Lanka.

Methods: Respiratory function of healthy, skilled long-term meditators (n = 20) practicing Buddhist meditation consistently >3 years, and age-sex matched non-meditators (n = 20) were assessed by assessing resting respiratory rate, spirometry, breath-holding time and six-minute-walk distance.

A Case of Common Carotid Artery Occlusion: A Unique Pattern of Occlusion and Lessons Learned.

Common carotid artery occlusion (CCAO) is a rare cause of cerebrovascular events. For patients with neurological deficits due to emboli from an occluded common carotid artery, ligation of the ipsilateral internal carotid may appear as a simple therapeutic option, provided there is adequate collateral circulation. Here, we describe a patient with an unusual pattern of CCAO, who underwent ligation of the internal carotid artery after a successful test occlusion with a hypotensive challenge.

Infected Aortic Aneurysm with Infective Spondylitis in a Patient with Pre-Aortic Confluence of the Iliac Veins: An Unusual Triple Combination.

It is uncommon for infective spondylitis to coexist with an infected aneurysm of the adjacent abdominal aorta. Also, pre-aortic confluence of the iliac veins or marsupial vena cava is a rare anatomical variant, which increases the potential for venous injury and hemorrhage during an emergency operation. Herein, we report the case of a 57-year-old male with these three pathologies, who was successfully treated with emergency open surgery.

Atherosclerotic Renal Artery Stenosis: A Review.

Renal artery stenosis (RAS) is associated with hypertension and renal impairment. Atherosclerosis is the leading etiologic factor which accounts for >90% of the cases. Those with atherosclerotic RAS (ARAS) tend to have concomitant atherosclerosis in other vascular beds, so they are at a high risk of adverse coronary and cerebrovascular events.

Acute poisoning with acetamiprid: a case report.

Background: Acetamiprid is a potent new first-generation neonicotinoid insecticide in agricultural practices. It is well described that it has low toxicity among animals and is lethal if consumed in large amounts. However, toxicity in humans is rarely reported in literature.

Spontaneous Transection of the Superficial Femoral Artery with Devastating Outcomes: A Case Report.

Non-traumatic, simultaneous pseudoaneurysms of the bilateral superficial femoral arteries (SFAs) are extremely rare. Spontaneous transection of the SFA is another unique pathology. Here, we present a patient with end stage kidney disease who was diagnosed with bilateral, simultaneous SFA pseudoaneurysms.

Aortoenteric Fistula after Endovascular Aneurysm Repair.

Aortoenteric fistula is a rare complication following endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. However, there is a significant morbidity and mortality associated with this complication. Patients can present with gastrointestinal hemorrhage, fever, or nonspecific features of chronic infection.

Clinico-pathological characteristics and outcome of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma presenting to a tertiary care urology unit in Sri Lanka.

Introduction: Upper urinary tract urothelial cancers account for 5% of urothelial tumours. In the West, the majority affect the pelvicalyceal system, with pyelocalyceal to ureteric ratio of 3:1. This study aims to describe the clinico-pathological features and outcome of upper urinary tract urothelial cancer treated surgically in a tertiary care unit in Sri Lanka.

Effectiveness of corticosteroid in the treatment of dengue - A systemic review.

Corticosteroids are used therapeutically for a broad spectrum of diseases including autoimmune, allergic and inflammatory diseases. However in trials, the evidence for using corticosteroids in dengue is inconclusive and the quality of evidence is low. This systemic review is conducted to review clinical trials on dengue and steroid therapy to identify the current strength and weakness of evidence for the use of corticosteroids.

Descriptive Epidemiology of Congenital Clubfoot Deformity in Sri Lanka.

A retrospective descriptive study was conducted, based on database of Sri Lanka Clubfoot Program, under theInternational Clubfoot Registry. Patients with Clubfoot deformity treated at Orthopaedic unit of Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital (LRCH), Sri Lanka were evaluated from June 2012 to March 2015. There were a total of 354 patients with male: female ratio of 2.