Showing papers by "Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown published in 2010"
TL;DR: The ABCD2 score had predictive utility in patients with TIA suspected by nonspecialists, and low scores occurred in several patients with stroke recurrences, suggesting that caution is needed before using the score in isolation.
Abstract: Background and Purpose— Transient ischemic attack (TIA) etiologic data and the ABCD2 score may improve early stroke risk prediction, but studies are required in population-based cohorts. We investigated the external validity of the ABCD2 score, carotid stenosis, and atrial fibrillation for prediction of early recurrent stroke after TIA. Methods— Patients with TIA in the North Dublin city population (N=294 529) were ascertained by using overlapping hospital and community sources. The relations between individual ABCD2 items, carotid stenosis, atrial fibrillation, and early stroke were examined. Results— In confirmed TIA cases (n=443), carotid stenosis predicted 90-day stroke (hazard ratio=2.56; 95% CI, 1.27 to 5.15, P=0.003). Stroke risk rose with increasing grade of carotid stenosis, ranging from 5.4% (95% CI, 3.3% to 8.7%) with <50% stenosis to 17.2% (95% CI, 9.7% to 29.7%) with severe stenosis/occlusion (hazard ratio=3.3; 95% CI, 1.5 to 7.4, P=0.002). In confirmed TIA cases (n=443), the ABCD2 score perf...
118 citations
Journal Article•
University of California, Los Angeles1, University of California, Berkeley2, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul3, Federal University of Ceará4, Sao Paulo State University5, University of Ioannina6, Mid-Western Regional Hospital7, Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown8, University of Genoa9, Vilnius University10, Utrecht University11, Rio de Janeiro State University12, University of Copenhagen13, Al-Azhar University14, Assiut University15, University of Tartu16, University of Paris17, University of Burgundy18, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens19, Charité20, Semmelweis University21, University of Pisa22, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart23, Marche Polytechnic University24, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences25, Medisch Spectrum Twente26, Medical University of Białystok27, Medical University of Lublin28, Russian Academy29, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University30, Uppsala University31, Gazi University32, Istanbul University33, Imperial College Healthcare34, King's College London35, Vanderbilt University36, New York University37, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences38
TL;DR: Overall, women were younger, had longer disease duration, and higher DAS28 scores than men, but BMI was similar between genders, compared to the normal BMI range.
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether body mass index (BMI), as a proxy for body fat, influences rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity in a gender-specific manner. METHODS: Consecutive patients with RA were enrolled from 25 countries into the QUEST-RA program between 2005 and 2008. Clinical and demographic data were collected by treating rheumatologists and by patient self-report. Distributions of Disease Activity Scores (DAS28), BMI, age, and disease duration were assessed for each country and for the entire dataset; mean values between genders were compared using Student's t-tests. An association between BMI and DAS28 was investigated using linear regression, adjusting for age, disease duration and country. RESULTS: A total of 5,161 RA patients (4,082 women and 1,079 men) were included in the analyses. Overall, women were younger, had longer disease duration, and higher DAS28 scores than men, but BMI was similar between genders. The mean DAS28 scores increased with increasing BMI from normal to overweight and obese, among women, whereas the opposite trend was observed among men. Regression results showed BMI (continuous or categorical) to be associated with DAS28. Compared to the normal BMI range, being obese was associated with a larger difference in mean DAS28 (0.23, 95% CI: 0.11, 0.34) than being overweight (0.12, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.21); being underweight was not associated with disease activity. These associations were more pronounced among women, and were not explained by any single component of the DAS28. CONCLUSIONS: BMI appears to be associated with RA disease activity in women, but not in men.
60 citations
TL;DR: A pilot study of third year medical students studying microbiology in the RCSI establishes the importance of podcasts in complementing lectures, tutorials and e-learning to further student knowledge.
19 citations
TL;DR: The ratio of the lateral femoral condylar width in the sagittal plane to the PCL length is a useful index for diagnosing PCL attenuation and lengthening in the presence of a normal morphological MR appearance.
Abstract: Six patients with a clinical diagnosis of chronic posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) rupture, based on a positive posterior drawer test, had a normal appearance of the PCL on an MRI scan. It is postulated that the PCL had been ruptured but healed in a lengthened state. 12 volunteers with no history of knee trauma underwent an MRI scan of the knee. In this control group (n _ 12), there was a close correlation between the lateral femoral condylar width in the sagittal plane and the PCL length, with a ratio of 2:1 (95% confidence interval (CI) _ 1.817–2.095). In the clinically abnormal group (n _ 6), the ratio was 1.49:1 (95% CI _ 1.206–1.782) (p< 0.0005). In conclusion, the ratio of the lateral femoral condylar width in the sagittal plane to the PCL length is a useful index for diagnosing PCL attenuation and lengthening in the presence of a normal morphological MR appearance.
9 citations
TL;DR: Inpatients are very willing participants in bedside teaching of undergraduate medical students, and appreciated their role in educating future doctors but demonstrated less confidence in their personal contribution to the teaching process.
Abstract: The use of the bedside to teach the art of clinical medicine is controversial. Rising student numbers can limit patient availability. Studies examining inpatient attitudes to bedside teaching are few. We examined inpatients’ attitudes to bedside teaching of undergraduate medical students. The study was carried out in a 439-bed teaching hospital. A questionnaire, numerically scored (0–10), was prospectively administered to 102 consecutive patients involved in bedside teaching of undergraduate medical students. The results were available from 92 patients. Patients enjoyed the teaching process (mean score 9.13 ± 1.16) and benefited from a better understanding of their illness (7.11 ± 2.57). Patients appreciated their role in educating future doctors (mean score 9.52 ± 1.11) but demonstrated less confidence in their personal contribution to the teaching process (7.81 ± 1.89). Inpatients are very willing participants in bedside teaching of undergraduate medical students.
8 citations