Virgin coconut oil mitigates ageing-associated oxidative stress and dyslipidaemia in male Wistar rats.

Background And Aim: Ageing often leads to the deterioration of physiological functions, including a decline in antioxidant defences, which can result in various health complications. Exogenous antioxidants have been recognised for their potential to alleviate these age-related health complications. Virgin coconut oil (VCO), known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-lipidemic efficacies, has gained recognition as a functional food with promising benefits.

Applications of leech therapy in medicine: a systematic review.

Background: Leech therapy (LT) is one of the most widely used treatment methods in traditional medicine. The present study aimed to systematically review clinical trials regarding the effects of LT on the prevention and healing of different diseases.

Methods: To identify all relevant published studies, we conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases without any temporal or geographical constraints until April 2023.

The efficacy of surgery over stereotactic radiosurgery in the management of tumor-related trigeminal neuralgia.

Tumor-related trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a deeply debilitating condition that severely impacts patient quality of life. Two principal treatment methods in use are open surgical resection of the causative tumor or the use of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). In this letter, we aim to evaluate the use of both treatment methods and highlight that in patients with commensurate anatomy, open surgical resection continues to provide greater rates of symptomatic relief, lower rates of recurrence, and complication compared to stereotactic radiosurgery.

Vaccine hesitancy educational interventions for medical students: A systematic narrative review in western countries.

Physician recommendations can reduce vaccine hesitancy (VH) and improve uptake yet are often done poorly and can be improved by early-career training. We examined educational interventions for medical students in Western countries to explore what is being taught, identify effective elements, and review the quality of evidence. A mixed methods systematic narrative review, guided by the JBI framework, assessed the study quality using MERSQI and Cote & Turgeon frameworks.

Advances in pharmacotherapy for heart failure and reduced ejection fraction: what's new in 2024?

Introduction: Updated guidelines for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and acute decompensation have improved outcomes, but ongoing efforts are focused on uncovering new evidence and developing novel therapies. This review examines the limitations of current treatments and the potential impact of emerging therapies.

Areas Covered: A literature search focused on studies investigating drugs for HFrEF.

Hostel support workers' experiences navigating healthcare alongside people experiencing homelessness: a qualitative study in the UK.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore how hostel support workers (HSWs) experience navigating healthcare alongside people experiencing homelessness (PEH). PEH experience poor health outcomes, increased mortality and face many barriers when accessing healthcare. HSWs have a dynamic and holistic role, working with PEH to navigate access to health and social care, whilst facilitating independence.

Consistency in the Assessment of Dried Blood Spot Specimen Size and Quality in U.K. Newborn Screening Laboratories.

In 2015, U.K. newborn screening (NBS) laboratory guidelines were introduced to standardize dried blood spot (DBS) specimen quality acceptance and specify a minimum acceptable DBS diameter of ≥7 mm.

Effectiveness of E-learning on "Sexual Health" among students of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences based on the Kirkpatrick model.

Background: Implementing educational programs such as E-learning is highly low-cost and highly effective. The aim was to design and implement a sexual health education program to enhance female students' knowledge based on the Kirkpatrick model.

Material And Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental intervention study conducted on 60 female students of the Medical Ethics course at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences based on the Kirkpatrick model.

Case report: Characterizing of free-floating pigmented vitreous cyst using swept-source optical coherence tomography.

Aim: A free-floating vitreous cyst is a rare eye disease. This study aimed to find diagnostic imaging methods and imaging features for vitreous cysts.

Methods: This article presents a case report along with a literature review of published cases of vitreous cysts.

Predictors of early recurrence of oesophagogastric adenocarcinoma after neoadjuvant FLOT.

Background: Although survival of patients with oesophagogastric adenocarcinomas has improved over the years, rates of cancer recurrence remain high. There is limited research on predictors of early recurrence (ER), especially in patients receiving FLOT chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate ER and survival rates and identify risk factors for ER.

Sternal haematoma infusion catheter: a novel technique for pain management in manubriosternal fractures in the emergency department.

Sternal fractures are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, with some patients requiring admission for pain management, often through systemic analgesia, which may be ineffective. Regional anaesthetic techniques are more challenging for sternal fractures than rib fractures and require experienced clinicians. Local anaesthetic techniques are becoming recognised as a modality to improve pain control and to reduce complications from opioid use, especially in the elderly.

The Transformative Impact of Stealth Assessment on Medical Education.

This Letter explores the transformative impact of stealth assessment on medical education and its potential to enhance learning outcomes. Stealth assessment, an innovative approach, subtly measures students' learning progress while the students interact with rich and engaging environments, seamlessly integrating assessment within authentic learning activities. By mirroring the testing scenario with the learning format, stealth assessment mitigates test-related anxiety and promotes continuous engagement in training.

Wound Irrigation in the Prevention of Surgical Site Infection in Elective Colorectal Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background Surgical site infection in colon surgery is associated with significant cost and increased length of hospital stay. Recently, there has been interest in the use of pulsed lavage to reduce the risk of surgical site infection in contaminated wounds. Although increasingly used and gaining popularity, its effectiveness in elective colorectal surgery has been poorly documented.