The use of the Alvarado scoring system, which includes clinical examination findings and laboratory values, is helpful in ruling out appendicitis. Scores range from 1 to 10, with higher scores indicating a greater risk of appendicitis. When the score is less than 4, appendicitis is uncommon, and imaging and other interventions can be avoided.
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The clinical characteristics of mold infections of the CNS warrant assessment for possible biopsy and neurosurgical intervention. A definitive diagnosis almost invariably requires a biopsy, with prompt inspection of the specimen by means of wet-mount preparation with calcofluor white stain, culture, and histologic analysis (with Gomori methenamine silver stain and periodic acid–Schiff stain). In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analysis may be helpful if cultures of biopsy specimens are negative.
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Disseminated intravascular coagulation is a clinicopathological diagnosis of a disorder that is defined by the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) as “an acquired syndrome characterized by the intravascular activation of coagulation with loss of localization arising from different causes”. This condition typically originates in the microvasculature and can cause damage of such severity that it leads to organ dysfunction. It can be identified on the basis of a scoring system developed by the ISTH.
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Cierny and Mader classified osteomyelitis based on the affected portion of the bone, the physiologic status of the host and the local environment. This classification lends itself to the treatment and prognosis of osteomyelitis; stage 1 (medullary osteomyelitis) can usually be treated with antibiotics alone, while stages 2, 3 and 4 (superficial, localized and diffuse osteomyelitis) usually require aggressive debridement, antimicrobial therapy and subsequent orthopedic reconstruction.
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The Rockall score is an established and useful system to assess upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). The Rockall system has been shown to represent an accurate and valid predictor of rebleeding and death, performing better in the latter than in the former. Rockall scores are designed to combine information such as the subject’s age, occurrence of shock assessed from systolic blood pressure readings and pulse rate, presence and severity of comorbid conditions, diagnosis and endoscopic stigmata of recent bleeding.
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In 2004, the ADQI group and representatives from three nephrology societies established the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN). Its intentions are to facilitate international, interdisciplinary and intersocietal collaborations and to ensure progress in the field of AKI, including the development of uniform standards for the definition and classification of AKI. As part of this process, the RIFLE nomenclature and classification was modified to a staging/classification system differentiating between AKI stage I, II and III. In addition, a 48-hour time window for the diagnosis of AKI was introduced to ensure that the process was acute.
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Multiple systems organ failure is said present when more than one of the system dysfunctions detected by test values exceeding the threshold values.
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The Tumor, Node, Metastasis (TNM) staging system for lung cancer is an internationally accepted system used to characterize the extent of disease. The TNM system combines features of the tumor into disease stage groups that correlate with survival and are linked to recommendations for treatment.
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Components of NAFLD Activity Score (NAS) and Fibrosis Staging
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The European Respiratory Society (ERS) diagnostic criteria for COPD include the following symptoms: coughing, sputum production and/or dyspnoea, as well as a history of exposure to risk factors for COPD. The diagnosis is confirmed by a post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC < 0.7 in spirometry, as sign of the airflow limitation that is not fully reversible.
Continue reading “GOLD Staging System for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COPD) Severity”
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