Background: Rapid blood glucose estimation is required to prescribe treatments and to make dose adjustments in diabetic patients. However, measuring plasma glucose levels is time consuming. Therefore, the use of glucometers has greatly increased. Objectives: To measure the correlation between capillary and venous blood glucose levels. Methods: Seventy patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were enrolled in the present study and informed written consent was obtained from all participants. Demographic characteristics and clinical information was noted. Capillary and venous glucose levels were determined. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21 was used for data analysis. Results: Mean age of patients was 52 ± 12 years. It included 29% men; 71% women; 9% smokers; and 90% poor. Mean venous glucose was 11.73 ± 4.64 mmol/L and mean capillary glucose 12.57 ± 5.21 mmol/L. These findings demonstrated a significant intermethod mean difference of 0.84 mmol/L (P < 0.001). Inter-glucose difference was not significant at glucose levels near normal. However, it increased gradually with rise in glucose measurements and was significant at elevated glucose levels. Both concordance correlation coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficient demonstrated positive correlation and more consistency between glucose estimations. A Bland and Altman plot presented excellent agreement between glucometrically and photometrically determined glucose levels. Conclusion: A positive correlation coefficient showed strong association between capillary and venous glucose measurements.
Introduction: Various scales helped physicians to decide the site of care of pneumonia patients, but had certain limitations. Literature review suggested that serum albumin and B/A ratio predict the site of care but more evidences were required. Therefore, the study was aimed to evaluate the role of serum albumin and B/A ratio in the prediction of intensive care need among patients with community acquired pneumonia.
Methodology: The cross-sectional analytical study enrolled 134 adult inpatients with pneumonia from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan during September 2014 to December 2016. Serum albumin, creatinine and urea levels were estimated; and BUN, B/A ratio and CURB-65 scores were calculated to predict the need of ICU.
Results: Overall mean age was 50 ± 21 years, and 54.5% patients were females. The patients (19.4%) who required treatment in ICU had significantly lower albumin levels (p = 0.001); elevated BUN levels (p = 0.003), B/A ratio (p = 0.001) and CURB-65 score (p = 0.038); and longer hospital stay (p = 0.002). Hypoalbuminemia showed significant association with the requirement of ICU (OR: 7.956; p = 0.001). The optimal cut-off point of serum albumin to predict ICU need was 3.4 g/dL (50% sensitivity; 89% specificity). Low serum albumin was revealed as a good predictor of requiring treatment in ICU (AUC 0.718).
Conclusions: Hypoalbuminemia was a good predictor of requiring ICU treatment. Elevated B/A ratio and BUN levels showed significant association with ICU need. Serum albumin estimation before hospitalization might be used independently or additional with established criteria to decide the site of care.
No increased risk of POAG was found in patients with endothelial dystrophy. Increased prevalence of OHT/SG was shown with PK versus DSEK; possible mechanisms include mechanical closure of Schlemm's canal by running suture and prolonged steroid use.
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