Feasible Modalities Research Articles

Current Practices and Recent Advances in Perioperative Pain Management for Liver Transplantation Living Donors and Recipients.

Analgesia in liver transplantation patients has been traditionally considered a secondary priority where perioperative management principally focused on survival rates in these critically ill patients. With recent advancements in both surgical and medical management, posttransplant survival rates have steadily improved. Outcome measurements are no longer limited to short-term mortality rates and hospital length of stay but are also measured by patient-centered outcomes, such as pain control and quality of life. As living donor liver transplantation has increased access to transplantation, it has also added a different patient population to manage in the perioperative period. For healthy patients undergoing living donor hepatectomies, it is important to reduce the impact of the surgery with proper perioperative pain management. We performed a literature search for articles related to perioperative pain management for liver transplantation living donors and recipients to identify current practices and recent advances. Neuraxial techniques, peripheral nerve blocks, and enteral and parenteral medications were all found to be feasible analgesia modalities for patients undergoing either liver transplant or donor hepatectomy. Patients may also benefit from nonpharmacological interventions and preoperative counseling. No particular perioperative analgesic modality was deemed superior to any other. For liver transplant living donors and recipients, perioperative pain management should emphasize the application of sustainable patient-centered pain control protocols.

Periprocedural Assessment of Paravalvular Regurgitation After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Using Diastolic Delta and Videodensitometry.

Paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) is a common complication after transcatheter aortic valve replacement, posing an increased risk of heart failure and mortality. Accurate intraprocedural quantification of PVR is challenging. Both hemodynamic indices and videodensitometry can be used for intraprocedural assessment of PVR. We compared the predictive value of the isolated versus combined use of the hemodynamic index diastolic delta (DD) and videodensitometry for the incidence of relevant PVR 1 month after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. In this prospective cohort study, patients underwent periprocedural PVR assessment by DD and videodensitometry (using left ventricular outflow tract-aortic regurgitation [LVOT-AR]). Cardiac magnetic resonance served as reference modality for PVR assessment. Relevant PVR was defined as cardiac magnetic resonance-regurgitant fraction >20%. Fifty-one patients were enrolled in this study. Mean age was 80.6±5.2 years and 45.1% of patients were men. Mean LVOT-AR and cardiac magnetic resonance-regurgitant fraction were 8.2%±7.8% and 11.7%±9.6%, respectively. The correlation between DD and LVOT-AR was weak (r=-0.36). DD and LVOT-AR showed a comparable accuracy to predict relevant PVR (area under the curve 0.82, 95% CI: 0.69-0.95 versus area area under the time-density curve 0.80, 95% CI: 0.62-0.99). The combination of DD and LVOT-AR improved the prediction of relevant PVR (area under the time-density curve, 0.90, 95% CI: 0.81-0.99), and resulted in an increased concordance (86.3%) and positive predictive value (75%) compared with DD alone (76.5% and 40%, respectively), or LVOT-AR alone (82.3% and 50%, respectively). DD and videodensitometry are both accurate and feasible modalities for the assessment of PVR after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. The synergistic use of both techniques increases the predictive value for relevant PVR after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT04281771.

Strategies for Improving Firefighter Health On-Shift: A Review.

The fire service suffers from high rates of cardiovascular disease and poor overall health, and firefighters often suffer fatal and non-fatal injuries while on the job. Most fatal injuries result from sudden cardiac death, while non-fatal injuries are to the musculoskeletal system. Previous works suggest a mechanistic link between several health and performance variables and injury risk. In addition, studies have suggested physical activity and nutrition can improve overall health and occupational performance. This review offers practical applications for exercise via feasible training modalities as well as nutritional recommendations that can positively impact performance on the job. Time-efficient training modalities like high-intensity interval training and feasible modalities such as resistance training offer numerous benefits for firefighters. Also, modifying and supplementing the diet and can be advantageous for health and body composition in the fire service. Firefighters have various schedules, making it difficult for planned exercise and eating while on shift. The practical training and nutritional aspects discussed in this review can be implemented on-shift to improve the overall health and performance in firefighters.

Epidemiology, Characteristics, and Prognostic Factors of Primary Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumors in the Spinal Canal: A Systematic Review.

Primary atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RTs) in the spinal canal are rare central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms that are challenging to diagnose and treat. To date, there has been no standard treatment regimen for these challenging malignant tumors. Thus, we conducted this research to explore potential prognostic factors and feasible treatment modalities for improving the prognosis of these tumors. Articles were retrieved from the PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase databases, using the keywords "atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor," "rhabdoid tumor," "spine," "spinal," "spinal neoplasm", and "spinal cord neoplasm." All eligible cases demonstrated SMARCB1-deficient expression validated by pathological examination. We collected and analyzed data related to clinical presentation, radiological features, pathological characteristics, treatment modalities and prognosis via Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. Thirty-six articles comprising 58 spinal AT/RT patients were included in the study. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 18 and 22 months, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated significant survival improvements for OS in the nonmetastasis, male, radiotherapy and intrathecal chemotherapy groups as well as for PFS in the chemotherapy and radiotherapy groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that chemotherapy and radiotherapy were prognostic factors for improved PFS, and that intrathecal chemotherapy reduced the risk of mortality. Spinal AT/RTs are uncommon malignant entities with a dismal survival rate. Although our review is limited by variability between cases, there is some evidence revealing potential risk factors and the importance of systematic chemotherapy, intrathecal chemotherapy and radiotherapy in spinal AT/RT treatment modalities.

Neovascularization restructuring patterns in diabetic patients with coronary in stent restenosis an in-vivo optical coherence tomography study

Abstract Background Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have an increased risk of in stent restenosis (ISR). Neovascularization (NV) is considered as a unique phathophysiological factor of ISR in diabetic patients. However, the structures of in vivo human coronary NV and their relationship with ISR, especially in diabetic patients remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the NV structure differentiation between patients with and without DM after coronary stent implantation using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods We included 136 patients with ISR (70 patients in DM group and 66 patients in non-DM group) who underwent optical coherence tomography during coronary angiography follow-up. NVs were manually segmented and three-dimensional (3D) rendering of OCT images was performed. NVs >1 mm were classified into longitudinal running and coral tree types according to their 3D structures. Results The popularity of the coral tree pattern NV in the DM group was 2.14-fold higher than in the non-DM group(p=0.012). 47.14% of patients in the DM group and 51.51% of patients in the non-DM group presented longitudinal NV (p = 0.610). The number of coral tree NV was relatively higher in DM patients than in the non-DM patients (p=0.019). However, the number of longitudinal NV showed no difference between the two group (p=0.872). The normalized NV volume of the DM group was significantly larger than the non-DM group (p=0.008). Normalized NV volume and DM were risk factors for coral tree NV formation in ISR lesions after adjustment for other factors. Conclusions NV with particular restructuring patterns, including longitudinal running and coral tree patterns, could be found in ISR lesions. NV with a coral tree pattern, which is leakier and more immature, is more frequently found in patients with DM. Accurate and feasible imaging modalities for NV might offer promising opportunities to evaluate NV and prevent progression of ISR in diabetic patients.Longitudinal running NV by OCT in neointA coral tree pattern NV in the non-calci

Quality of life and swallowing outcomes after early proactive swallowing rehabilitation by either transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation or exercise-based swallowing training in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy.

Exercise-based swallowing training (EBST) and transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation (TNMES) are common modalities used to treat late dysphagia after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We aimed to investigate and compare the efficacies of EBST and TNMES as proactive treatments administered early after radiotherapy. Patients with early post-radiotherapy NPC (n = 120) underwent either TNMES or EBST. Flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), quality of life (QOL), and swallowing function questionnaires were completed before the intervention as well as immediately, 6, and 12 months after the intervention. Outcome measures included the scores for the swallowing function score (SFS), penetration and aspiration scale (PAS), dynamic imaging grade of swallowing toxicity (DIGEST), functional oral intake scale (FOIS), swallowing performance status scale (SPSS), pharyngeal motor impairment (PMI), pharyngeal function impairment (PFI), and functional assessment after cancer therapy-nasopharyngeal (FACT-NP) questionnaire. Three months after radiotherapy, 31 and 34 patients underwent TNMES and EBST, respectively, and completed swallowing assessments at all four assessment timepoints. All patients showed post-radiotherapy impairments in the SFS, PAS, DIGEST, PMI, and PFI. Compared with the EBST group, the TNMES group showed significant improvements in the PFI and PMI scores, with small-to-medium effect sizes. Additionally, compared with the EBST group, the TNMES group demonstrated a trend toward slightly better improvements in the PAS, DIGEST, FOIS, and SPSS scores immediately and 6 months after the intervention. The SFS scores improved from baseline in both groups; however, the TNMES group showed an earlier improvement. Finally, the TNMES group showed better QOL according to the FACT-NP than the EBST group. Proactive TMNES and EBST are safe and feasible modalities for improving swallowing in patients with NPC when administered early after radiotherapy. Although TNMES showed better results than EBST, these results should be interpreted with caution given the study limitations. 1B.

In the era of outpatient ventricular assist devices, is it time to reconsider the practice of bridging older children to transplant on outpatient inotropes?

ObjectiveVentricular assist devices (VADs) and inotropes are feasible modalities to bridge children to heart transplant (HT) in outpatient settings. However, it is unclear which modality yields superior clinical status at HT and posttransplant survival. MethodsThe United Network for Organ Sharing was used to identify patients aged 18 years or younger, weighing >25 kg, from 2012 to 2022 who were outpatients at HT (n = 835). Patients were grouped by bridging modality at HT: VAD (n = 235 [28%]), inotropes (n = 176 [21%]), or neither (no support) (n = 424 [50%]). ResultsVAD patients were of similar age (P = .260) but heavier (P = .007) and more likely to have dilated cardiomyopathy (P < .001) than their inotrope counterparts. VAD patients had similar clinical status at HT but superior functional status (performance scale >70%) (59% vs 31%) (P < .001). Overall posttransplant survival in VAD patients (1-year and 5-year survival, 97% and 88%, respectively) was comparable to patients with no support (93% and 87%, respectively) (P = .090) and those on inotropes (98% and 83%, respectively) (P = .089). One-year conditional survival was superior for VAD vs inotrope (2-year and 6-year survival, 96% and 91%, respectively vs 97% and 79%, respectively) (P = .030) and 5-year conditional survival for VAD patients was superior to inotrope (7-year and 10-year survival, 100% and 100%, respectively vs 100% and 88%, respectively) (P = .022) and no support (100% and 83%, respectively) (P = .011). ConclusionsConsistent with prior studies, short-term outcomes for pediatric patients bridged to HT in the outpatient setting with VAD or inotropes is excellent. However, compared with outpatients bridged to HT on inotropes, outpatient VAD support allowed for better functional status at HT and superior late posttransplant survival.

A Randomized Controlled Study of Robot-Assisted versus 3D Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy in Patients with Carcinoma Prostate.

A prospective randomized comparative study was performed from 1st January 2020 to 30th June 2021. All patients included were diagnosed with localized/locally advanced ca prostate. 60 patients fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomized into 2 groups. Groups A and B included patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy and 3D laparoscopic transperitoneal radical prostatectomy, respectively. Various demographic, intraoperative, postoperative, and follow-up parameters were collected. Outcomes were evaluated in the form of the trifecta (continence, potency, and BCR-free status) and pentafecta rates (trifecta with no perioperative complications and negative surgical margins) in between the two groups. The mean operative time in Group A was 137.83 mins ± 17.27 compared to 148.20 mins ± 26.16 in Group B. Trifecta rates in Group A and Group B were 43.3%, 63.3%, and 76.6% and 40%, 53.3%, and 70% at 1, 3, and 6 months. Pentafecta rates in Group A and Group B were 36.6%, 53.3%, and 70% and 33.3%, 40%, and 53.3% at 1, 3, and 6 months. Complication rates were 10% in Group A and 13.3% in Group B, respectively. Only one patient in our study (Group B) had a positive surgical margin. We conclude from our comparative study, that both robot-assisted and 3D laparoscopic transperitoneal radical prostatectomy are feasible and efficacious treatment modalities for achieving acceptable trifecta and pentafecta rates in managing ca prostate with earlier continence and shorter urethrovesical anastomosis time in the robotic arm.

The Fourth Trimester: a Time for Enhancing Transitions in Cardiovascular Care.

Purpose of ReviewThe “fourth trimester” concept, defined as the first 12 weeks after delivery (and beyond), is a critical window of time for clinicians to intervene to optimize women’s cardiovascular health after pregnancy. A timely and comprehensive postpartum cardiovascular assessment should be performed in all women following delivery in order to (1) follow up medical conditions present prior to conception, (2) evaluate symptoms and signs of common postpartum complications, and (3) identify risk factors and prevent future adverse cardiovascular outcomes. In this review, we aim to discuss major maternal cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus, postpartum weight retention, and postpartum depression, as well as lactation as a potential protective risk modifying factor. Additionally, we will review effectiveness of outpatient interventions to enhance transitions in cardiovascular care during the fourth trimester.Recent FindingsA seamless hand-off from obstetric to primary care, and potentially cardiology, is needed for early detection and management of hypertension, weight, glycemic control, stress and mood, and long-term cardiovascular risk. Additionally, the use of telemedicine, blood pressure self-monitoring, remote activity monitoring, and behavioral health coaches are potentially feasible modalities to augment clinic-based care for cardiovascular risk factors and weight management, but additional studies are needed to study their long-term effectiveness.SummaryDevelopment of a comprehensive postpartum care plan with careful consideration of each patient’s risk profile and access to resources is critical to improve maternal morbidity and mortality, reduce health disparities, and achieve long-term cardiovascular health for women. Supporting postpartum well-being of women during this transition period requires a multidisciplinary approach, especially primary care engagement, and planning should start before delivery.

Feasibility and acceptability of a remotely delivered, home-based, pragmatic resistance ‘exercise snacking’ intervention in community-dwelling older adults: a pilot randomised controlled trial

BackgroundVery few older adults meet current muscle strengthening exercise guidelines, and several barriers exist to supervised, community-based resistance exercise programs. Older adults therefore require access to feasible resistance exercise modalities that may be performed remotely. This pilot study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of undertaking a four-week home-based resistance ‘exercise snacking’ intervention (performed either once, twice, or thrice daily) when delivered and monitored remotely in older adults. MethodsThirty-eight community-dwelling older adults [mean ± SD age 69.8 ± 3.8 y, 63% female] were randomised to complete resistance ‘exercise snacks’ (9-minute sessions) either once (n = 9), twice (n = 10), or thrice (n = 9) daily, or allocated to usual-activity control (n = 10). Exercise adherence and adverse events were assessed using an exercise diary, and acceptability of the intervention was explored using an online questionnaire. Physical function [balance, 5-times sit-to-stand (STS), and 30-second STS tests] was assessed remotely at baseline and follow-up using videoconferencing.ResultsThe intervention was feasible and safe, with 100% participant retention, high adherence (97, 82, and 81% for once, twice, and thrice daily, respectively), and only two adverse events from a total of 1317 ‘exercise snacking’ sessions. The exercise intervention was rated as enjoyable (75% reported their enjoyment as ≥4 on a 5-point Likert scale), easy to perform, and most (82%) planned to continue similar exercise at home. We also found it was feasible to assess measures of physical function via videoconferencing, although effect sizes for 4-week changes in both 5-STS (d range, 0.4–1.4) and 30-STS (d range, 0.7–0.9) following the exercise intervention were similar to controls (d = 1.1 and 1.0 for 5-STS and 30-STS, respectively).ConclusionsResistance ‘exercise snacking’ may be a feasible strategy for engaging older adults in home-based resistance exercise when delivered and monitored remotely. The findings of this pilot feasibility trial support the need for longer-term studies in larger cohorts to determine the effectiveness of resistance ‘exercise snacking’ approaches for improving physical function in older adults.Trial registrationThe trial was retrospectively registered on 10/11/2021 with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) (ACTRN12621001538831).

Mental health training needs of physicians in Bangladesh: Views from stakeholders

Bangladesh is a lower-middle-income country with a high burden of mental health conditions and inadequate health systems. Prior research in similar settings has found that training physicians in mental health literacy can contribute to reducing the mental health treatment gap and strengthening the mental health care pathway. This study explores the need for mental health training for physicians by gathering stakeholders’ perspectives and proposes recommendations for designing a mental training program in the context of Bangladesh.Key informant interviews were conducted among psychiatrists (n ​= ​9), and mental health entrepreneurs (n ​= ​7); one focus group discussion was conducted with psychologists (n ​= ​8); and one-on-one interviews were held with physician (n ​= ​17). Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, all interviews were conducted online, recorded and transcribed. Transcriptions were analyzed thematically, utilizing both an inductive and deductive approach.The data analysis from forty-one stakeholders generated three major themes and eight subthemes. Stakeholders perceived that the inadequate mental health system and low mental health awareness among physicians significantly contribute to the mental health treatment gaps. Stakeholders emphasized the need to include mental health training for physicians to increase skills related to identification and management of mental health conditions. Stakeholders suggested some basic components for the training content, feasible modalities to deliver the training, and implementation challenges. Recommendations included utilizing online training, ensuring interesting and practical content, and incorporating certification systems. At a systems level, stakeholders recommended including a mental health curriculum in undergraduate medical education, capacity building of other healthcare workers and increasing awareness at the policy level.There is clear agreement among stakeholders that implementing mental health training for physicians will promote universal health coverage and reduce the mental health treatment gap in Bangladesh. These findings can support creation of policies to strengthen the care pathway in countries with limited resources.

Time to Reconsider Bridging Older Children on Outpatient Inotrope in an Era of Outpatient VADs

<h3>Purpose</h3> Both ventricular assist devices (VADs) and inotropes are feasible modalities used to bridge children to heart transplant (HT) in the outpatient setting. However, it is unclear which modality, if either, yields superior functional status at time of HT and post-transplant survival (PTS). <h3>Methods</h3> The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database was used to identify patients (age ≤18 & >25 kg) who were listed for HT in 2012-2020 and were admitted from outpatient setting for HT. Patients were grouped as (a) inotrope only, (b) VAD only, (c) neither at HT. Primary outcome of interest included no-to-mild functional limitation at HT (Performance Scale >70%) and PTS. <h3>Results</h3> A total of 691 patients were included: 196 (28%) VAD-only, 168 (24%) inotrope only, 327 (47%) neither. Patients on VAD were heavier, more likely to be male, and more likely to have dilated cardiomyopathy than the other groups. Patients were more likely to be bridged on inotrope in the Midwest; conversely, they were more likely to be bridged on VAD in the West. Patients with VAD-only had superior functional status at HT (Table). Overall, PTS in VAD-only patients was comparable to patients with no support (p=0.266) and comparable to inotrope-only (p=0.279). VAD-only patients showed better 2-year conditional survival, compared to inotropes-only (p=0.05) (Figure). <h3>Conclusion</h3> As expected, short term outcomes for pediatric patients bridged to HT in the outpatient setting with VAD or inotropes is excellent. However, compared to outpatients bridged to HTx on inotropes, outpatient VAD support allowed for better clinical status at HT and superior long-term transplant survival.

Robot-Assisted Partial Cystectomy versus Open Partial Cystectomy for Patients with Urachal Cancer

Introduction: Localized urachal cancer (UrC) can be treated with an open partial cystectomy (OPC) with en bloc resection of the urachal remnant and umbilicus. Robot-assisted partial cystectomy (RAPC) is an alternative approach, of which its safety and efficacy for UrC remains to be determined. In the present study, we analyze these outcomes after RAPC, compared with OPC. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 55 cN0M0 UrC patients who underwent RAPC (n = 8) or OPC (n = 47) between 1994 and 2020. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were assessed using Kaplan-Meier methods. Positive surgical margins (PSM), port-site recurrences (PSR) versus wound recurrences were compared. Complications were recorded using the Clavien-Dindo classification. Results: Median follow-up was 40 months (IQR 21–95). Two-year OS and RFS for RAPC were 73% (95% confidence intervals (CI); 56–89 months) and 60% (95% CI; 42–78 months), respectively, versus 90% (95% CI; 85–95 months) and 66% (95% CI; 59–73 months) for OPC. PSM rate was 13% in both groups. PSR occurred in 2/8 (25%) patients after RAPC. No wound recurrences occurred after OPC. Postoperative complications occurred in 2/8 (25%) patients after RAPC, versus 5/47 (11%) after OPC (p = 0.27). Conclusion: Both RAPC and OPC seem feasible surgical modalities to treat localized UrC with comparable survival. The PSR rate of 25% after RAPC should prompt us to be cautious to recommend RAPC as no such recurrences were seen using OPC.

MIPO vs. intra-medullary nailing for extra-articular distal tibia fractures and the efficacy of intra-operative alignment control: a retrospective cohort of 135 patients.

Definitive treatment of distal extra-articular fractures of the tibia is challenging and both minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) and intramedullary nailing (IMN) are considered to be feasible surgical modalities with their own implant-specific merits and demerits. This retrospective study was designed to compare MIPO versus IMN in terms of fracture healing, complications, functional and radiological outcomes and to assess the efficacy of intra-operative alignment control to reduce the rate of malalignment after definitive fixation of distal extra-articular fractures of the tibia. All consecutive adult patients with extra-articular distal meta- or diaphyseal tibia fractures that were treated between January 2012 and September 2019 either with MIPO or IMN were included. Outcome measures included fracture healing, complications (infection, malalignment, subsequent surgeries), functional and radiological outcomes. Intra-operative alignment control encompassed bilateral draping of the lower extremities. A total of 135 patients were included out of which 72 patients (53%) were treated with MIPO and 63 patients (47%) underwent IMN. There was a significantly higher incidence of non-union for fractures treated with IMN (13 (22%) vs. 4 (6%), p = 0.04). There was no significant difference between both groups in terms of rotational malalignment (3% vs. 10%) and angular malalignment (4% vs. 5%). A significantly higher rate of infection was found after MIPO after correction of significant differences in baseline characteristics. No differences were found in subsequent surgeries or functional outcomes. Both MIPO and IMN are reliable surgical techniques. IMN is associated with higher rates of non-union, whereas MIPO results in a higher risk for infection. The incidence of malalignment was surprisingly low endorsing the utility of the intra-operative alignment control.

Postoperative Radiotherapy in the Management of Advanced or Recurrent Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

To evaluate outcome and prognostic factors of postoperative radiotherapy for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).In this retrospective study, 80 patients who received postoperative radiotherapy for DTC from January 2000 to December 2019 were analyzed. The median follow-up duration was 7.5 years (range, 0.6-18.7 years).Thirty-three (41.3%) patients had recurrent tumor and 21 (26.3%) patients still had gross disease even after radical surgery. Cervical node metastasis was present in 54 (67.5%) patients, while 7 (8.75%) patients were presented with distant metastasis. The median total dose and fraction size were 63.0 Gy and 2.0 Gy, respectively. The 5-year locoregional recurrence free survival (LRFS) was 80.7% and the five-year overall survival (OS) was 89.1%. Multivariate analysis showed age ≥ 55 (HR 6.11; 95% CI 1.51-25.25), male (HR 3.22; 95% CI 1.02-11.11), gross residual disease after surgery (HR 2.80; 95% CI 1.01-7.77) and esophageal invasion (HR 5.50; 95% CI 1.38-21.93) were significantly associated with worse LRFS. However, only the age ≥ 55 (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03-1.18) and the presence of gross residual disease (HR, 4.56; 95% CI, 1.02-20.31) were significant prognostic factors for OS. No severe toxicity was reported.Postoperative radiotherapy can be one of the feasible and safe modalities for advanced or recurrent DTC, since the locoregional control was comparable to other studies despite unfavorable clinicopathologic elements of the study population. The age ≥55 and gross residual disease significantly affect both locoregional control and overall survival. However, due to the lack of a control in this study, there is a limitation to definitely confirm the efficacy of adjuvant RT and therefore a further study is necessary to find those who can benefit from it.

MIPO vs. nail for extra-articular distal tibia fractures and the effect of intra-operative alignment control

Abstract Objective Definitive treatment of distal extra-articular fractures of the tibia is challenging and both minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) and intramedullary nailing (IMN) are considered feasible surgical modalities with their own implant-specific merits and demerits. This retrospective study was designed to compare MIPO versus IMN in terms of fracture healing, complications, functional and radiological outcomes and to assess the efficacy of intra-operative alignment control in order to reduce the rate of malalignment after definitive fixation of distal extra-articular fractures of the tibia. Methods All consecutive adult patients with extra-articular distal meta- or diaphyseal tibia fractures that were treated in a level 1 trauma center in Switzerland between January 2012 and September 2019 either with plating or IMN were included. Outcome measures included fracture healing, complications (infection, malalignment, subsequent sur-geries), functional and radiological outcomes. Intra-operative alignment control encompassed bilateral draping of the lower extremities. Results A total of 135 patients were included out of which seventy-two patients (53%) were treated with MIPO and 63 patients (47%) underwent IMN. There was a significantly higher incidence of non-union for fractures treated with an IMN (13 (22%) vs. 4 (6%), p = 0.037). There was no significant difference between both groups in terms of rotational malalignment (4% vs. 9%) and angular malalignment (4% vs. 5%). The incidence of malalignment in both groups was lower than reported in literature. A significantly higher rate of infection was found after MIPO (13% vs. 6%, p = 0.028). No differences were found in subsequent surgeries or functional outcomes. Conclusion Both MIPO and IMN are reliable surgical techniques. IMN is associated with higher rates of non-union whereas MIPO results in a higher risk for infection. The incidence of malalignment was surprisingly low endorsing the utility of the intra-operative alignment control.

COVID-19: a new deep learning computer-aided model for classification.

Chest X-ray (CXR) imaging is one of the most feasible diagnosis modalities for early detection of the infection of COVID-19 viruses, which is classified as a pandemic according to the World Health Organization (WHO) report in December 2019. COVID-19 is a rapid natural mutual virus that belongs to the coronavirus family. CXR scans are one of the vital tools to early detect COVID-19 to monitor further and control its virus spread. Classification of COVID-19 aims to detect whether a subject is infected or not. In this article, a model is proposed for analyzing and evaluating grayscale CXR images called Chest X-Ray COVID Network (CXRVN) based on three different COVID-19 X-Ray datasets. The proposed CXRVN model is a lightweight architecture that depends on a single fully connected layer representing the essential features and thus reducing the total memory usage and processing time verse pre-trained models and others. The CXRVN adopts two optimizers: mini-batch gradient descent and Adam optimizer, and the model has almost the same performance. Besides, CXRVN accepts CXR images in grayscale that are a perfect image representation for CXR and consume less memory storage and processing time. Hence, CXRVN can analyze the CXR image with high accuracy in a few milliseconds. The consequences of the learning process focus on decision making using a scoring function called SoftMax that leads to high rate true-positive classification. The CXRVN model is trained using three different datasets and compared to the pre-trained models: GoogleNet, ResNet and AlexNet, using the fine-tuning and transfer learning technologies for the evaluation process. To verify the effectiveness of the CXRVN model, it was evaluated in terms of the well-known performance measures such as precision, sensitivity, F1-score and accuracy. The evaluation results based on sensitivity, precision, recall, accuracy, and F1 score demonstrated that, after GAN augmentation, the accuracy reached 96.7% in experiment 2 (Dataset-2) for two classes and 93.07% in experiment-3 (Dataset-3) for three classes, while the average accuracy of the proposed CXRVN model is 94.5%.

Cerebrovascular reactivity: a new frontier for measuring cognitive health in models of accelerated ageing?

Cerebrovascular reactivity: a new frontier for measuring cognitive health in models of accelerated ageing?

Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices and the Aortic Valve: Interactions, Issues, and Surgical Therapy.

Concomitant valve disease is common in patients undergoing continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) implantation. In this review, we characterize the epidemiology and management of aortic valve disease following CF-LVAD. Studies suggest that 20-40% of patients have mild or greater aortic insufficiency (AI) at baseline and that AI progresses following CF-LVAD implantation. AI, either pre-existing or de novo, can have deleterious effects on LVAD efficacy and clinical outcomes. Surgical methods to correct AI in patients supported with CF-LVAD include central oversewing of the aortic valve, complete closure of the aortic valve, patch closure of the ventriculo-aortic junction, or aortic valve replacement with a bioprosthesis. Transcatheter options have recently emerged as feasible modalities to address AI. CF-LVADs contribute to the progression of aortic insufficiency (AI) and its development de novo. Prompt recognition, assessment, and treatment are important. Aortic valve repairs and replacements, now including TAVR, are the primary surgical methods to correct AI.

Evaluation of coronary artery disease in patients with atrial fibrillation by cardiac computed tomography for catheter ablation: CADAF-CT trial

Almost all institutions routinely perform cardiac computed tomography (CT) before radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) to evaluate the cardiac anatomy. The ideal timing of the CT image acquisition is different between for RFCA of AF and for evaluation of coronary artery lesions (CALs). Thus, the aim of this study was to assess whether 64- or 320-line routine cardiac CT scans before RFCA of AF could evaluate both coronary artery lesions and pulmonary veins (LA-PVs) anatomy at the timing of the image acquisition of the LA-PVs in patients with AF who underwent RFCA of AF. The CALs were evaluated in 606 consecutive patients who underwent RFCA of AF assessed by the ideal timing of the CT image acquisition for RFCA of AF, and myocardial ischemia (MI) was also evaluated in patients with severe coronary stenosis (≥ 50%) and unevaluable CALs due to their severe coronary calcification and banding artifact by additional examinations combined with exercise stress testing, 201Tl scintigraphy, and/or fractionated flow reserve measurements. This study revealed that, in patients with AF who underwent RFCA of AF, (1) both 64- and 320-line cardiac CT scans for RFCA of AF could evaluate CALs in 93% of those patients, (2) the prevalence of MI was 9%, (3) significant relationships between the CHADS2 score and prevalence of MI were observed (p = 0.003), and (4) the positive predict values of MI in patients with severe coronary stenosis (≥ 50%) and unevaluable CALs also significantly increased in accordance with the CHADS2 score (p = 0.003). The evaluation of CALs and MI by routine cardiac CT for RFCA of AF combined with the additional examinations may be one of the most feasible modalities for patients with AF.