scholarly journals The Impact of Heart Disease on the Characteristics of Pulmonary Tuberculosis: The Extent of Pulmonary Involvement, Evolution under Treatment & Treatment Outcome

Author(s):  
Anass Benali ◽  
Anass Benali ◽  
Ismail Abderrahmani Rhorfi ◽  
Hicham Souhi ◽  
Hanane El Ouazzani ◽  
...  

Methods: We report a retrospective study analysing the characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis with heart disease and in tuberculosis patients with no obvious history, treated in the pulmonology department between 2017 and June 2020. Results: Tuberculosis patients with heart disease present more extensive forms than patients without a history (p <0.001), with more occurrence of treatment failure and sequelae (p = 0.01), and more risk of death compared to the control group without heart disease but without significant difference compared to the literature. While the two groups did not differ in terms of cure and negativation of bacteriological tests after two months of treatment (p> 0.05). Conclusion: Heart disease has a significant impact on the history of pulmonary tuberculosis therefore they affect the quality of life of patients.

Author(s):  
Syoof Khowman Alramahy ◽  
Akram Hadi Hamza

This study was carried out to study of some immunological aspects among the pulmonary Tuberculosis patients infected with causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A Total of 200 sputum samples were collected from patients attending the consultant Clinic for Chest and Respiratory disease center, Diwaniya. Control group (No=15) also included. According to acid fast stain of sputum, the patients were classified as positive (No=91,45.5%) and negative (No=109,54.5, Lowenstein Jensen medium used for the cultivation of samples, on which 70% of sputum samples where positive culture for this microorganism. The grown microorganism were identified as M. tuberculosis, based on positive A.F.B, Niacin producers ,negative for catlase at 68c. The mean IgG level was l184.053±76.684 mg/100 ml in tuberculosis group compared with 1016.533 ± 44.882 mg/100ml in control group, rendering the statistical difference significant. For IgA and IgM levels, they were at mean of 315.880±38.552 mg/100 ml and 119.527±8.464 mg/100 ml in control group compared with 396.358±38.776 mg/100 ml and 134.207±11.696 mg/100 ml in patients group respectively with significant difference


2004 ◽  
Vol 122 (6) ◽  
pp. 252-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tathiana Pagano ◽  
Luciana Akemi Matsutani ◽  
Elisabeth Alves Gonçalves Ferreira ◽  
Amélia Pasqual Marques ◽  
Carlos Alberto de Bragança Pereira

CONTEXT: Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by chronic, diffuse musculoskeletal pain, and by a low pain threshold at specific anatomical points. The syndrome is associated with other symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, morning stiffness and anxiety. Because of its chronic nature, it often has a negative impact on patients' quality of life. OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of life and anxiety level of patients with fibromyalgia. TYPE Of STUDY: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Rheumatology outpatient service of Hospital das Clínicas (Medical School, Universidade de São Paulo). METHODS: This study evaluated 80 individuals, divided between test and control groups. The test group included 40 women with a confirmed diagnosis of fibromyalgia. The control group was composed of 40 healthy women. Three questionnaires were used: two to assess quality of life (FIQ and SF-36) and one to assess anxiety (STAI). They were applied to the individuals in both groups in a single face-to-face interview. The statistical analysis used Student's t test and Pearson's correlation test (r), with a significance level of 95%. Also, the Pearson chi-squared statistics test for homogeneity, with Yates correction, was used for comparing schooling between test and control groups. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between the groups (p = 0.000), thus indicating that fibromyalgia patients have a worse quality of life and higher levels of anxiety. The correlations between the three questionnaires were high (r = 0.9). DISCUSSION: This study has confirmed the efficacy of FIQ for evaluating the impact of fibromyalgia on the quality of life. SF-36 is less specific than FIQ, although statistically significant values were obtained when analyzed separately, STAI showed lower efficacy for discriminating the test group from the control group. The test group showed worse quality of life than did the control group, which was demonstrated by both FIQ and SF-36. Even though STAI was a less efficient instrument, it presented significant results, showing that fibromyalgia patients presented higher levels of anxiety, both on the state and trait scales. Thus, patients with fibromyalgia had higher levels of tension, nervousness, preoccupation and apprehension, and higher propensity towards anxiety. CONCLUSION: The three instruments utilized showed efficiency in evaluating fibromyalgia patients. FIQ was found to be the most efficient instrument for discriminating and assessing the impact of fibromyalgia on their quality of life. It can be concluded that such patients have a worse quality of life and higher levels of anxiety.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han Nguyen ◽  
Khan Mai Xuan ◽  
Tuan Nguyen Chi ◽  
Tung Nguyen Thanh ◽  
Quyet Do

Abstract Background: According to the Global Tuberculosis Report 2019, Vietnam is one of the 20 countries with the highest TB prevalence in the world. Pulmonary tuberculosis has a significant effect on lung functions, causing many obstacles in daily activities and affects the quality of patient’s lives.Methods: The case-series study conducted on 43 newly-diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients at the Department of Tuberculosis - Military Hospital 103 within 4 months. The aims of the current study were to evaluate the validity of the Vietnamese version of the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire and to investigate the relationship between SGRQ scores and the clinical and subclinical symptoms in new pulmonary tuberculosis patients.Results: The results indicate that Vietnamese version of the SGRQ has high reliability with Cronbach's alpha of Total score was 0.9451, Cronbach's alpha of all domains was above 0.6, of which the Symptom domain was 0.6635, the Impact domain was 0.9069, the Activity domain was 0.9121. The study also showed that SGRQ score was proportional to the aggregate size of all cavities on chest X-ray (r = 0.3772) and inversely proportional to BMI (r = -0.2843), MGIT days to positivity (r = -0.1635).Conclusions: The Vietnamese version of the SGRQ is a highly reliable and valuable questionnaire in assessing symptoms and life effects in new PTB patients. We recommend it as symptom measurement and quality of life evaluation in patients with new PTB in future studies.Trial registration: The study protocol was approved by the Ethical Review Board Committee of Vietnam Military Medical University (IRB No. 250/2020/QĐ-HVQY) and by the local ethics committee of Military hospital 103. All participants had provided written informed consents for this study.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cassandra Alighieri ◽  
Evelien D'haeseleer ◽  
Kim Bettens ◽  
Katrien Bonte ◽  
Hubert Vermeersch ◽  
...  

Abstract Background. To date, there seems to be no consensus on the long-term quality of life outcomes in patients living with a cleft of the lip and/or palate (CL/P) with regard to well-being and functioning. Some studies report a substantial influence of having a cleft while other studies report no influence of living with a cleft. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of living with a CL/P on esthetics, employment and functioning in Dutch-speaking adolescents and adults with a CL/P. Methods. 30 Patients with a CL/P (19 men and 11 women) were included in the study. The mean age of the participants was 26.93 years (SD = 11.688 years, range = 15 – 66 years). An age and gender matched control group was included consisting of 30 participants (19 men and 11 women) without a CL/P with a mean age of 26.87 years (SD = 11.729 years, range = 16-67 years). Esthetics, employment and functioning were assessed using different standardized self-report questionnaires. Results. No statistically significant difference in educational level, employment, monthly net income, marital status and having children was found between participants with and without a CL/P. In addition, the quality of life scores did not differ between the two groups. Within the group of individuals with a CL/P, the findings revealed that the proportion of participants who reported an influence of the CL/P on daily functioning, general well-being, social contacts, family life, applying for a job, work, education and leisure time differed by age. Older individuals experienced more influence of their CL/P compared to younger individuals. With regard to esthetics, the findings revealed that participants without a CL/P were less satisfied with the appearance of their jaws compared to participants with a CL/P. Conclusion. In general, the findings of our study revealed no significant differences between adolescents and adults with and without a CL/P with regard to employment and functioning. Considering age within the group of participants with a CL/P, however, the results demonstrated that older individuals were more likely to experience a negative impact of their cleft on well-being and functioning. These findings suggest that older individuals with a CL/P might benefit from additional socio-emotional support, for example peer contacts and support groups or psychological guidance. Longitudinal research on this topic is highly needed to determine possible fluctuations in the impact of living with a CL/P.


Author(s):  
Hamed Ghaemi ◽  

The present article reports a study carried out to investigate whether or not awareness of ST culture has any impact on the translation quality of translator trainees. 20 Iranian graduated from English translation took part in this study. They were divided into two groups, one experimental and one control groups. After homogenizing the participants through a TOEFL test, a translation pre-test was given to them and then cultural backgrounds of ST were taught to the experimental group who were later required to use the taught material in their classroom translation practice during one academic semester. The control groups were run traditionally as widely practiced in Iranian graduated translation classes. A translation post-test was given to all the groups at the end of the semester. The statistical results demonstrate a significant difference between the pre- and post- tests in the experimental group as compared with the control group.


2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine Sauvé ◽  
Raymond O Powrie ◽  
Lucia Larson ◽  
Maureen G Phipps ◽  
Sherry Weitzen ◽  
...  

Objective: This study was undertaken to evaluate whether or not an educational pamphlet could improve knowledge without increasing anxiety in women with preeclampsia. Methods: One hundred women recruited from an inpatient setting with suspected or proven preeclampsia were asked to answer a questionnaire assessing demographics, knowledge (primary outcome), anxiety and satisfaction (secondary outcomes) after being randomized to an intervention group (who received a pamphlet) or a control group (who did not received a pamphlet). The pamphlet and questionnaire, both designed by a multidisciplinary team, were read and answered at the same time. Results: Baseline and demographic characteristics were similar between the two groups. Knowledge about the symptoms of pre-eclampsia was excellent in both groups (61% to 100% correct answers). Women in both groups were well aware that preeclampsia in the past ( P = 0.22) and a family history of preeclampsia ( P = 0.57) were risk factors. There was a significant difference in knowledge about the risk of some fetal complications, including death (90% versus 39%, P < 0.01) and all maternal complications ( P < 0.05) favouring the intervention group. Despite increased knowledge about preeclampsia and its risks, anxiety was not greater in the intervention group. Overall, there was a trend towards less knowledge in vulnerable subgroups (non-white, low income and schooling levels), but the improvement of knowledge with the pamphlet was equivalent. Baseline anxiety was higher in the vulnerable groups, but was generally not increased by the pamphlet. Conclusion: An educational pamphlet for women with suspected preeclampsia was able to increase knowledge without increasing anxiety.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmood moosazadeh ◽  
Tahoora Mousavi

Abstract BackgroundThe coagulation markers, pro-inflammatory cytokines (such as IL-2R, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-a) and Lymphopenia are associated with the severity of COVID-19 disease. The use of anti-inflammatory agents such as corticosteroids (CS) or Tosilizumab (TCZ) has been suggested for the treatment of advanced stage of COVID-19 and reduction of mechanical ventilators and mortality. The aim of this meta-analysis is to determine the role of combination therapy with Tocilizumab and steroid in COVID-19 patient. Material and methodsRelevant studies were found using online international databases and suitable studies were selected and assessed by two independent researchers. The quality of all papers were determined by a checklist. Heterogeneity assay among the primary studies was evaluated by Cochran's Q test and I2 index. The statistical analyses were done using Stata ver. 14 package (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA) software. Publication bias was estimated through the Egger's test and the impact of each study on the overall estimate was assessed by sensitivity analysis.Result 6 studies were entered into this meta-analysis. The results of these studies showed that the risk of death for COVID-19 patients treated with the combination of corticosteroids and Tocilizumab compared to Tocilizumab or [C1] control group was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.36-1.50) and 0.48(95% CI: 0.31-0.74) respectively. ConclusionThis meta-analysis showed that the risk of death in COVID-19 patients who treated with Corticosteroids and Tocilizumab was lower than Tocilizumab and control group (26% and 52% respectively).


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL4) ◽  
pp. 1350-1356
Author(s):  
Kavya S ◽  
Priya Joy ◽  
Gangadharan V

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease which has affected millions of people around the world. Ten million new TB cases were identified globally in 2018, with an estimated 1.2 million deaths.  Lung function impairment often occurs due to the destruction of the lung parenchyma. This causes ventilatory abnormalities, often of obstructive type. Radiological lesions are also a common consequence of pulmonary tuberculosis. This study aims to analyse the various clinical features and assess the spirometric and radiological findings in post TB patients. This is a prospective observational study. All patients visiting the Chest Medicine OPD of Saveetha Medical College and Hospital who had a history of treated pulmonary tuberculosis and were above 18 years of age were included in this study. Patients who had no signs of active Tuberculosis underwent spirometry, and a chest x-ray was taken. Clinical presentation, spirometric parameters and radiological lesion were analysed. Among the 76 patients included in this study, 73.7% were male with most patients aged between 51 to 60 years. 64.5% of the study population were smokers. Dyspnoea (94.73%) was found to be the most common presenting complaint. Obstructive pattern (49%) was found to be the most common type of spirometric pattern with 68.42% having small airway disease. Based on the Wilcox classification, Degree II (47.37%) was the most common extent of the radiological lesion. It was found that there is a statistically significant difference between smokers and non-smokers in post-bronchodilator FEV1 (p=0.037) and FEF25-75 values (p=0.010). This study reveals the presence of post tuberculosis lung impairment in the population with varying presentations and severity. Hence, further studies and interventions are required to improve the quality of life of post tuberculosis patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Xuepei Li ◽  
Jianqiang Lin ◽  
Zidong Chen ◽  
Guangming Jin ◽  
Danying Zheng

Purpose. To determine the changes in vision-related quality of life and psychological distress after cataract surgery in monocular patients and to compared these with a control group of age- and gender-matched binocular patients. Methods. We enrolled 40 monocular patients and 40 binocular patients who underwent cataract surgery from August 2017 to December 2018. All participants undertook eye examinations and answered questionnaires (the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire, Self-rating Anxiety Scale, and Self-rating Depression Scale) before and after cataract surgery. Result. The monocular patients had significantly worse mean CDVA than the binocular patients before and after surgery. However, there was no significant difference between the increases gained by the two groups. Mean composite VFQ-25 scores of the monocular group were significantly lower than those of the binocular group before and after surgery, but the improvement experienced by the monocular group was statistically larger than the binocular group (37.20 ± 12.84 vs. 19.11 ± 5.13, P < 0.001 ). Mean standard SAS scores of monocular patients were significantly higher than those of binocular controls before and after surgery, while monocular patients experienced a significant greater decline of SAS scores (−9.41 ± 5.39 VS −3.84 ± 1.61, P < 0.001 ). Mean standard SDS scores of the monocular group were significantly higher than those of the control group before and after surgery, but the monocular group experienced a significantly greater decline of SDS scores following cataract surgery (−11.91 ± 6.38 VS −4.78 ± 1.79, P < 0.001 ). There was a significant correlation between the preoperative logMAR CDVA and both the postoperative logMAR CDVA (r = 0.63, P < 0.001 ) and the changes in the logMAR CDVA (r = −0.881, P < 0.001 ) for monocular patients. Linear regression analyses suggested that higher postoperative VFQ-25 scores had significant associations with better preoperative CDVA and the absence of systemic comorbidity (both P < 0.05 ). Age and ocular comorbidity were significantly associated with postoperative SAS scores (both P < 0.05 ). Age and systemic comorbidity remained significant impact factors for SDS scores (both P < 0.05 ). Conclusion. Monocular patients reported greater improvement in vision-related quality of life and greater decline in the level of anxiety and depression than binocular control subjects, despite having similar CDVA gains after cataract surgery. We argue that it is not a better choice for monocular patients to delay cataract surgery until the cataract is very advanced. A clear understanding of the impact of cataract surgery on vision-related quality of life and psychological distress in monocular patients is needed by ophthalmologists when making surgery decision.


Author(s):  
Gaohong Wu ◽  
Haifeng Geng ◽  
Yue Jiang ◽  
Wei Song ◽  
Xueping Zhu ◽  
...  

To evaluate the efficacy of fish oil for protection against coronary heart disease (CHD), we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the use of fish oil for protection against CHD. We retrieved relevant articles published from January 1966 to January 2020 by searching the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Web of Science databases. RCTs of fish oil in preventing CHD were selected. The study quality was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool with RevMan 5.3 software. The first selection involved 350 citations. After screening and evaluation of suitability, 19 RCTs adjusted for clustering were included in the meta-analysis. All selected manuscripts considered that fish oil was effective in preventing CHD, secondary outcome measures included angina, sepsis and death. Compared with the control group, fish oil may confer significant protection against CHD (odds ratio = 0.84; 95% confidence interval: 0.72–0.98). There was no significant difference in the incidence of secondary outcomes between the observation group and the control group (P &gt; 0.05). The above results show that fish oil plays an important role in reducing CHD and cardiovascular events. However, because of the suboptimal quality of the studies included into the meta-analysis, these results do not justify adding fish oils systematically to the heavy pharmaceutical assortment already recommended in CHD patients.


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