Turku University Hospital

Population pharmacokinetics of methylprednisolone in neonates and paediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass

<title>Abstract</title> <bold>Purpose</bold> Methylprednisolone is commonly used during paediatric cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass to attenuate the systemic inflammatory response. However, developmental differences in drug disposition and procedural factors such as ci...

Joint-RPCA: domain-aware multi-omics integration for systems microbiology

Integrating multi-omics data is essential for microbiome research, as microbial communities are shaped by and respond to interdependent processes, including taxonomic composition, metabolite production and utilization, and gene expression. However, accurately capturing ecosystem-...

Longitudinal associations between sleepiness and sleep disturbances across pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: Although sleep disturbances increase during pregnancy, sleepiness does not appear to follow a similar trajectory. Given that the relationship between sleep disturbances and sleepiness during pregnancy is understudied, we examined their associations to determine whether...

Longitudinal dynamics of serum IL-33 and sST2 across age and sex in a healthy Finnish cohort before and after Tdap booster vaccinations

Background Interleukin-33 (IL-33) and soluble ST2 (sST2) are critical regulators of tissue-derived inflammation, and their dysregulation is usually implicated in various inflammatory disorders. Despite this, how these circulating proteins behave over time in healthy individuals r...

The Effect of Repeated Bilateral Deep Parasternal Intercostal Plane Catheter Boluses on Analgesia After Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Median sternotomy for cardiac surgery is associated with significant postoperative pain. We evaluated whether repeated ropivacaine boluses via bilateral deep parasternal intercostal plane (DPIP) catheters improve analgesia after cardiac surgery. METHODS: In this rando...

Interpositional Arthroplasty with Iliotibial Band Autograft Fixation to the Proximal Phalanx: Clinical Outcomes in Advanced Hallux Rigidus

Background and Objectives: Hallux rigidus is a degenerative condition of the first metatarsophalangeal joint that causes pain and limitation of motion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of a modified interpositional arthroplasty technique using an ilioti...

Pathogens in the Nasopharynx Before and After Antibiotic Treatment for Acute Otitis Media

BACKGROUND: Limited data exist on whether the timing or duration of treatment for acute otitis media (AOM) affects nasopharyngeal carriage. We studied the eradication of pathogens (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis) in relation to timing (...

Prediction of platinum-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in muscle-invasive bladder cancer using a multifaceted approach

Abstract Radical cystectomy (RC), preceded by platinum-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), is recommended for eligible patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Although NAC improves survival, many patients do not respond; in non-responders, it may delay surgery and...

Clinical impact of second radiotracer injection after failed lymphoscintigraphy in breast cancer sentinel lymph node biopsy: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract Background Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the standard method for axillary staging in breast cancer. To ensure the identification of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), lymphoscintigraphy (LS) is often used. However, failure of LS remains a clinical challenge. A second tr...

Long-term type 2 diabetes risk prediction using machine learning with childhood, adolescent, and genetic factors

Abstract Late diagnosis of type 2 diabetes increases patient morbidity and healthcare burden, yet current prediction models use adult risk factors to estimate 5–10-year risk. In this manuscript, we evaluate long-term prediction of type 2 diabetes over 38 years using childhood fac...

Nurse leaders’ perceptions of integrating the nurse practitioner role in Finland’s wellbeing services counties: A qualitative study

Background In Finland, Nurse Practitioner (NP) role integration remains fragmented amid ongoing health and social care reform. Leadership is a key determinant of role development, yet evidence on how nurse leaders advance NP role integration remains limited. Purpose To examine nu...

Intracapsular tonsillectomy in adults with obstructive sleep apnoea and large tonsils

PURPOSE: Conventional (extracapsular) tonsillectomy is a well-established treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in adults with tonsillar hypertrophy. Our objective was to determine whether an intracapsular tonsillectomy (ICTE) with a 90% removal of tonsils could be suffici...

Integrated serum and synovial biomarker profiling reveals inflammatory and cartilage remodeling signatures in age-restricted knee osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex disease characterized by inflammation, cartilage degeneration, and tissue remodeling. Although many biomarkers have been investigated, the combined biological significance of systemic and local biomarkers is not fully understood. This study a...

Co-teaching strategies and experiences in nursing education: An integrative review of pedagogical practices

Background Co-teaching refers to instruction jointly planned and implemented by two or more teachers to achieve shared learning goals. It supports multidisciplinary learning and the development of students' collaboration skills. Although co-teaching is used in nursing education,...

Laparoscopic suture pectopexy for advanced stage vaginal vault prolapse: a feasible alternative to synthetic mesh (Biyik’s modification)

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of using a nonabsorbable suture instead of synthetic mesh in laparoscopic pectopexy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Women diagnosed with symptomatic Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) stage III and IV vag...