Larkin Community Hospital

About: Larkin Community Hospital is a healthcare organization based out in South Miami, Florida, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Odds ratio & Medicine. The organization has 381 authors who have published 300 publications receiving 1618 citations.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Brief Overview of the Treatment

Abstract: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory, systemic autoimmune disease, affecting the joints with varying severity among patients The risk factors include age, gender, genetics, and environmental exposure (cigarette smoking, air pollutants, and occupational) Many complications can follow, such as permanent joint damage requiring arthroplasty, rheumatoid vasculitis, and Felty syndrome requiring splenectomy if it remains unaddressed As there is no cure for RA, the treatment goals are to reduce the pain and stop/slow further damage Here, we present a brief summary of various past and present treatment modalities to address the complications associated with RA

Vitamin D insufficiency as a potential culprit in critical COVID-19 patients.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: As an immune modulator, vitamin D has been implicated in the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outcome. We aim to systematically explore the association of vitamin D serum levels with COVID-19 severity and prognosis. METHODS: The standardized mean difference (SMD) or odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) were applied to estimate pooled results from six studies. The prognostic performance of vitamin D serum levels for predicting adverse outcomes with detection of the best cutoff threshold was determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Decision tree analysis by combining vitamin D levels and clinical features was applied to predict severity in COVID-19 patients. RESULTS: Mean vitamin D serum level of 376 patients, was 21.9 nmol/L (95% CI = 15.36-28.45). Significant heterogeneity was found (I2 = 99.1%, p < .001). Patients with poor prognosis (N = 150) had significantly lower serum levels of vitamin D compared with those with good prognosis (N = 161), representing an adjusted standardized mean difference of -0.58 (95% Cl = -0.83 to -0.34, p < .001). CONCLUSION: Serum vitamin D levels could be implicated in the COVID-19 prognosis. Diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency could be a helpful adjunct in assessing patients' potential of developing severe COVID-19. Appropriate preventative and/or therapeutic intervention may improve COVID-19 outcomes.

Understanding the Impact of Omega-3 Rich Diet on the Gut Microbiota

Abstract: Background. Recently, the importance of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of several disorders has gained clinical interests. Among exogenous factors affecting gut microbiome, diet appears to have the largest effect. Fatty acids, especially omega-3 polyunsaturated, ameliorate a range of several diseases, including cardiometabolic and inflammatory and cancer. Fatty acids associated beneficial effects may be mediated, to an important extent, through changes in gut microbiota composition. We sought to understand the changes of the gut microbiota in response to an omega-3 rich diet. Case Presentation. This case study investigated changes of gut microbiota with an omega-3 rich diet. Fecal samples were collected from a 45-year-old male who consumed 600 mg of omega-3 daily for 14 days. After the intervention, species diversity was decreased, but several butyrate-producing bacteria increased. There was an important decrease in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Akkermansia spp. Gut microbiota changes were reverted after the 14-day washout. Conclusion. Some of the health-related benefits of omega-3 may be due, in part, to increases in butyrate-producing bacteria. These findings may shed light on the mechanisms explaining the effects of omega-3 in several chronic diseases and may also serve as an existing foundation for tailoring personalized medical treatments.

Narcotic Use and Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract: Background Although the United States is in the midst of a narcotic epidemic, risk factors for use and the impact of perioperative narcotic use on total knee arthroplasty (TKA) outcomes is ill-defined. Methods A national database was queried for patients who underwent primary TKA from 2007 to 2015. Patients taking narcotics in the preoperative, and for a prolonged period of time postoperatively, were identified. The risk factors for prolonged narcotic use were analyzed with a regression analysis, in addition to evaluating preoperative and prolonged postoperative use as independent risk factors for short-term and long-term complications. Results In total, 113,337 patients met inclusion criteria, of which 31,733 patients were prescribed narcotics preoperatively and 35,770 patients were prescribed narcotics more than 3 months postoperatively. There are several independent risk factors for prolonged narcotic use postoperatively, the most significant being the number of narcotic prescriptions prescribed preoperatively. Preoperative narcotic use was independently associated with an increased risk of emergency room visits, readmission, infection, stiffness, and aseptic revision. Prolonged postoperative use was also associated with significantly increased rates of infection, stiffness, and aseptic revision. Conclusion Preoperative and prolonged narcotic use following TKA was associated with an increased risk of short-term and long-term complications following TKA. The liberal use of narcotics in the perioperative period should be considered a modifiable risk factor when considering elective TKA.

Comparative accuracy of the Clearing Technique, CBCT and Micro-CT methods in studying the mesial root canal configuration of mandibular first molars

Abstract: AIMS To compare the accuracy of the clearing technique and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the assessment of root canal configurations using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging system as the reference standard. METHODOLOGY Thirty-two mesial roots of mandibular first molars, selected on the basis of micro-CT scans (voxel size: 19.6 μm) and presenting several canal configurations, were evaluated using 2 CBCT scanners (voxels sizes: 120 μm and 150 μm) followed by the clearing technique. Two examiners analysed the data from each method and classified the anatomical configuration of the mesial canal according to Vertucci's system. Data were compared using Fisher's exact and chi-square tests. Reliability for each assessment was verified by the kappa test, and significance level was set at 5%. RESULTS Kappa value indicated a high level of agreement between the examiners. Detection of type I configurations was significantly lower in cleared teeth (P 0.05). In mesial roots with variable anatomical configurations, CBCT and the clearing method were significantly less accurate than the reference standard (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Within the tooth population studied, accuracy of identifying mesial root canal configuration was influenced greatly by the evaluation method and the type of anatomy. Detection of type I configurations in cleared teeth was significantly lower, whilst type II configurations were detected in all specimens by both methods. In mesial roots with variable anatomical configurations, neither CBCT nor clearing methods were accurate for detecting the actual root canal anatomy.