Exploring the Association Between Minimum Wage Policy, Income Inequality, and Obesity Rates in US Counties.

Objective: To examine the interaction between minimum wage policy, income inequality, and obesity rates among U.S. counties, and how this relationship is shaped by policy, place, and racial/ethnic composition in a county.

Cigarette Smoking, Mental Health, Depression, Maryland Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey, 2020.

Background: Smoking cessation is linked to improved mental health that encompasses the overall well-being and psychological functioning of an individual.

Objective: Examine relationships between smoking, mental health, and social connectedness among adults in Maryland, US in 2020.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study used data from the Maryland 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey of adults during the onset of COVID-19.

Consensus Statement: Technical Standards for Thoracoabdominal Normothermic Regional Perfusion.

Background: Thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP) has emerged as a powerful technique for optimizing organ procurement from donation after circulatory death donors. Despite its rapid adoption, standardized guidelines for TA-NRP implementation are lacking, prompting the need for consensus recommendations to ensure safe and effective utilization of this technique.

Methods: A working group composed of members from The American Society of Transplant Surgeons, The International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and The American Association for Thoracic Surgery was convened to develop technical guidelines for TA-NRP.

Consensus Statement: Technical Standards for Thoracoabdominal Normothermic Regional Perfusion.

Background: Thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP) has emerged as a powerful technique for optimizing organ procurement from donation after circulatory death donors. Despite its rapid adoption, standardized guidelines for TA-NRP implementation are lacking, prompting the need for consensus recommendations to ensure safe and effective utilization of this technique.

Methods: A working group composed of members from The American Society of Transplant Surgeons, The International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and The American Association for Thoracic Surgery was convened to develop technical guidelines for TA-NRP.

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement following endoscopic third ventriculostomy failure in the treatment of pediatric hydrocephalus.

Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) failure on subsequent risk of ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) placement.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed to identify pediatric patients receiving ETV followed by a VPS at Oklahoma Children's Hospital between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2021. A control group of patients receiving a VPS alone was also gathered.

Percutaneous endovascular intervention for left ventricular assist device outflow graft obstruction: A single-center experience.

Background: Outflow graft obstruction (OGO) is an uncommon yet life-threatening complication in patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). In this retrospective, single-center case series, we identify the baseline demographics and presenting features of patients who develop LVAD OGO and the procedural details and outcomes surrounding percutaneous endovascular intervention (PEI).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients with LVADs at our institution between January 2010 and February 2023 who developed OGO and were treated with PEI.

Pediatric neurosurgery through the lens of time-driven activity-based costing: a pilot study.

Objective: Time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) is a method used in cost accounting that has gained traction in health economics to identify value optimization initiatives. It measures time, assigns value to time increments spent on a patient, and integrates the cost of material and human resources utilized in each episode of care. In this study, the authors report the first use of TDABC to evaluate costs in a pediatric neurosurgical practice.

Arteriovenous malformation with unique drainage through the emissary vein of the foramen ovale: illustrative case.

Background: As part of the laterotrigeminal venous system (LTVS), the emissary vein of the foramen ovale (EVFO) is an underrecognized venous structure communicating between the cavernous sinus and pterygoid plexus. The sphenobasal sinus is an anatomical variation of the sphenoparietal sinus that drains directly into the EVFO. The authors present the case of a ruptured arteriovenous malformation (AVM) with a unique drainage pattern through the sphenobasal sinus and EVFO.

A systematic review of the power of standardization in pediatric neurosurgery.

In the current neurosurgical field, there is a constant emphasis on providing the best care with the most value. Such work requires the constant optimization of not only surgical but also perioperative services. Recent work has demonstrated the power of standardized techniques in limiting complication while promoting optimal outcomes.

Early Assessment of Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy Risk Among Recipients of Hepatitis C Virus-infected Donors in the Current Era.

Background: Transplantation of hearts from hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive donors has increased substantially in recent years following development of highly effective direct-acting antiviral therapies for treatment and cure of HCV. Although historical data from the pre-direct-acting antiviral era demonstrated an association between HCV-positive donors and accelerated cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) in recipients, the relationship between the use of HCV nucleic acid test-positive (NAT+) donors and the development of CAV in the direct-acting antiviral era remains unclear.

Methods And Results: We performed a retrospective, single-center observational study comparing coronary angiographic CAV outcomes during the first year after transplant in 84 heart transplant recipients of HCV NAT+ donors and 231 recipients of HCV NAT- donors.

Establishment and characterization of patient-derived xenograft of a rare pediatric anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) bearing a CDC42SE2-BRAF fusion.

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare subset of primary pediatric glioma with 70% 5-year disease free survival. However, up to 20% of cases present with local recurrence and malignant transformation into more aggressive type anaplastic PXA (AXPA) or glioblastoma. The understanding of disease etiology and mechanisms driving PXA and APXA are limited, and there is no standard of care.

Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Bacteremia and Concomitant Left Ventricular Assist Devices and Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices.

Infection remains a common cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with both left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and cardiac implanted electronic devices (CIEDs) with limited data describing outcomes in patients who have both devices implanted. We performed a single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study of patients with both a transvenous CIED and LVAD who developed bacteremia. Ninety-one patients were evaluated.

Influence of the living Pareto chart and data transparency on patient outcomes in neurosurgery.

Objective: Quality improvement (QI) tools are increasingly being used to calibrate healthcare quality. Achieving healthcare quality is essential, as there is a movement toward value-based healthcare delivery. Visual management, such as a living Pareto chart, is a strategy for improvement within the QI framework.

Comparing the Effectiveness of Ultrasonic Instruments Over Manual Instruments for Scaling and Root Planing in Patients With Chronic Periodontitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Periodontal disease is a chronic, complex, and infectious condition that affects the periodontium. Its progressive form can be identified by the loss and destruction of the periodontal ligament and the alveolar bone, respectively. Periodontal disease, one of the most prevalent oral cavity diseases, is responsible for tooth loss.

Early Blood Pressure Variables Associated With Improved Outcomes in VA-ECLS: The ELSO Registry Analysis.

Background: As utilization of veno-arterial extracorporeal life support (VA-ECLS) in treatment of cardiogenic shock (CS) continues to expand, clinical variables that guide clinicians in early recognition of myocardial recovery and therefore, improved survival, after VA-ECLS are critical. There remains a paucity of literature on early postinitiation blood pressure measurements that predict improved outcomes.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to help identify early blood pressure variables associated with improved outcomes in VA-ECLS.

Surgeons' Perspectives on Valve Surgery in People With Drug Use-Associated Infective Endocarditis.

Background: Hospitalizations for drug-use associated infective endocarditis (DUA-IE) have led to increasing surgical consultation for valve replacement. Cardiothoracic surgeons' perspectives about the process of decision making around operation for people with DUA-IE are largely unknown.

Methods: This multisite semiqualitative study sought to gather the perspectives of cardiothoracic surgeons on initial and repeat valve surgery for people with DUA-IE through purposeful sampling of surgeons at 7 hospitals: University of Alabama, Tufts Medical Center, Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Rhode Island Hospital-Brown University.

Simultaneous ex vivo normothermic preservation of liver and heart grafts from a donation after circulatory death donor.

Normothermic machine perfusion of organs is growing in popularity and has been used for both abdominal and thoracic organ preservation before transplantation. The use of normothermic machine perfusion for donation after cardiac death organs can reduce cold ischemia time and help prevent ischemia-related complications. We present a successful case of a donation after cardiac death procurement with both liver and heart allografts preserved by normothermic machine perfusion.