42,479 papers found

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tropical tree found in southern Thailand and northern states of the Malay Peninsula. Kratom is commercially available and used as an alternative to treat opioid withdrawal. Mitragynine is the major indole alkaloid found in kratom leaves. This review aimed to su…

OBJECTIVES: The clinical role of sputum Gram stain for rapid etiologic pathogen diagnosis in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains an unresolved controversy. Variability in protocols and reporting of diagnostic performance in different studies has hampered assessments of clinical utility and interpre…

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To understand the effects of non-blast-related TBI on peripheral auditory function in adults, as measured through basic and advanced audiological assessments. BACKGROUND: Despite numerous studies demonstrating hearing loss post TBI there has been no systematic investigation of the prevalence, nature…

UNLABELLED: Background/Aims/Objectives: Women with recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) are commonly referred to urology outpatient clinics. However, there is no clear consensus in existing guidelines as to if, or how, these should be investigated. The primary outcome was to evaluate all available literature to de…

OBJECTIVE: Cervical metastases in papillary thyroid carcinoma are associated with increased recurrence. However, their effect on survival remains controversial. This study evaluated literature on the prognostic value of lymph node ratio for loco-regional recurrence and survival in metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma…

BACKGROUND: Art is a characteristic of mankind, which requires superior central nervous processing and integration of motor functions with visual information. At the present time, a significant amount of information related to neurobiological basis of artistic creation has been derived from neuro-radiological cognitive…

CONTEXT: Spinal cord injury commonly results in neuromuscular weakness that impacts respiratory function. This would be expected to be associated with an increased likelihood of sleep-disordered breathing. OBJECTIVE: (1) Understand the incidence and prevalence of sleep disordered breathing in spinal cord injury. (2) U…

INTRODUCTION: Crohn's disease (CD) is an idiopathic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract traditionally treated by the step-wise use of corticosteroids, antimetabolites and TNF-α antagonists. However, recent evidence indicates that the early introduction of drug combinations might be a superior stra…

BACKGROUND: As a direct result of the thoracic anatomy, heavy bleeding is possible during nearly all central resections in thoracic surgery. OBJECTIVE: Description of the incidence of intraoperative bleeding including avoidance strategies and treatment concepts. Presentation of special anatomical features of pulmonary…

BACKGROUND: Fungal endocarditis (FE) remains an uncommon but life-threatening complication of invasive fungal infections. As data on neonatal FE are scant, we aimed to review all published experience regarding this serious infection. METHODS: Neonatal FE cases published in PubMed (1971-2013) as single cases, or case s…

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of endoscopic carpal tunnel release (ECTR) and open carpal tunnel release (OCTR) using a meta-analysis of data from randomized controlled trials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electronic searches of the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, Issue 11 of 12, Nov 2012…

BACKGROUND: Studies of the impact of respiratory muscle training (RMT) on central neurodegenerative pathologies have been aimed at improving pulmonary function. However, there is no certainty about the effectiveness of RMT in patients affected by these groups of disorders. The purpose of this review was to assess the e…

INTRODUCTION: Force application to a tooth during orthodontic treatment evokes a biological response of the dental pulp. The aim of this systematic literature review was to investigate the relationship between orthodontic force level and pulp reaction in humans. METHODS: Electronic search was made of publications in P…

OBJECTIVES: To give a comprehensive and focused overview on the current knowledge of the causal relations of metabolic syndrome and/or central obesity with kidney stone formation. METHODS: Previous reports were reviewed using PubMed, with a strict focus on the keywords (single or combinations thereof): urolithiasis, n…

BACKGROUND: Women who are overweight or obese during pregnancy are at increased risk of a number of adverse pregnancy outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To review the literature systematically to assess the benefits and harms of an exercise intervention for pregnant women who are overweight or obese. SEARCH STRATEGY: A literature…

BACKGROUND: Because of disparate taxonomic arrays for classification, the American Academy of Pain Medicine has proposed categorizing pain on a neurobiologic basis as eudynia (nociceptive pain), Greek for "good pain," or maldynia (maladaptive pain), Greek for "bad pain." The latter has been viewed as maladaptive becaus…

BACKGROUND: Permanent and reliable vascular access is of utmost importance for patients (with chronic renal failure) in need of haemodialysis. Autogenous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) on the forearm are robust and have the benefits of providing long-term access with relatively few complications. The main problem is insuf…

BACKGROUND: Occlusal dysesthesia (OD) is a debilitating condition characterized by persistent occlusal discomfort in the absence of detectable occlusal abnormalities. Despite decades of clinical recognition, OD remains poorly understood, frequently misdiagnosed and inconsistently managed. OBJECTIVE: To map the existin…

BACKGROUND: Periodontitis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory disease with recognized systemic implications. Its potential link to female reproductive disorders, including infertility, endometriosis, and recurrent implantation failure (RIF), has attracted growing attention, though the evidence remains heterogeneous and…

Balamuthia mandrillaris, a free-living amoeba, can cause Balamuthia amebic encephalitis (BAE), a rare and often fatal cerebral infection. The reported mortality rate is >90%, largely attributable to the absence of specific clinical manifestations, sensitive diagnostic methods, and effective therapeutic interventions. W…