Medical students' skills in research: unveiling their potentials. Shoulder MRI as a model.

OBJECTIVE: Medical research is an ever-growing discipline in medical practice and education. Unveiling the potential capabilities of medical students requires unusual research protocols. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a standard method for assessing medical conditions. Encouraging students to be part of medical research and/or decision-making is of paramount importance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty shoulder MRI series were selected randomly from the Jordan University Hospital database. Three medical students took five measurements in each MRI series. The measurements were repeated twice on two different days. A consultant orthopedic surgeon performed measurements on the selected series. The measurements of the students were compared to those of the consultant; interobserver and intraobserver reliability was calculated. RESULTS: Intraobserver reliability was determined from two readings per student; the ICC was 0.984 (p < 0.05). Interobserver reliability between measurements was 0.995 (p < 0.05). Finally, the absolute agreement between the students and consultant was assessed, and the k-value was 0.991 (p < 0.05), indicating that interobserver and intraobserver concordance was highly significant. CONCLUSIONS: The agreement between the students and the orthopedic surgeon was highly significant. The intraobserver and interobserver reliabilities were also highly significant. Findings of the current study show that MRI series measurements can be performed with high accuracy after proper instruction is given to readers, regardless of their level of training.

Could glutathione depletion be the Trojan horse of COVID-19 mortality?

OBJECTIVE: Since the emergence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the death toll has been increasing daily. Many risk factors are associated with a high mortality rate in COVID-19. Establishment of a common pathway among these risk factors could improve our understanding of COVID-19 severity and mortality. This review aims at establishing this common pathway and its possible effect on COVID-19 mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current review was executed in five consecutive stages starting from determining the risk factors of COVID-19 mortality and trying to find a common pathway among them depending on the available literature. This was followed by proposing a mechanism explaining how this common pathway could increase the mortality. Finally, its potential role in managing COVID-19 was proposed. RESULTS: This review identified this common pathway to be a low baseline of reduced glutathione (i.e., GSH) level. In particular, this review provided an in-depth discussion regarding the pathophysiology by which COVID-19 leads to GSH depletion, tissue damage, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. In addition, the current review demonstrated how GSH depletion could result in failure of the immune system and rendering the end organs vulnerable to damage from the oxidative stress. CONCLUSIONS: This preclinical study shows that GSH depletion may have a central role in COVID-19 mortality and pathophysiology. Therefore, elevating the GSH level in tissues may decrease the severity and mortality rates of COVID-19.