The Impact of the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis on the Surgical Management of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Rupture.

Objectives: The COVID-19 epidemic introduced significant systems- and disease-based uncertainty into Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) rupture management. The goal of this work was to evaluate whether short-term AAA rupture outcomes during COVID-19 were comparable to pre-COVID era outcomes and to explore the impact of COVID status and COVID era healthcare systems restrictions on AAA rupture outcomes.

Methods: The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) database was queried for all ruptured AAAs that underwent intervention from January 1, 2019 to August 31, 2022.

Outcomes of Popliteal Stent-Graft Placement at the Artery Hinge Point for Popliteal Artery Aneurysm.

Background: To assess whether stent-grafts crossing the hinge point (HP) in the popliteal artery are associated with increased complications and decreased patency rates, after endovascular treatment of the popliteal artery aneurysm.

Methods: This was a single-center, case-control study. Patients were allocated to either the HP group (subjects with stent-grafts crossing the HP) or the control group (subjects with stent-grafts above and/or below the HP) based on stent-graft location in the femoropopliteal artery.

Angiosarcoma of the abdominal aorta after endovascular aneurysm repair.

Primary aortic sarcoma is a rare diagnosis that carries a poor prognosis. This case report features a 68-year-old man, treated 4 years earlier with an endovascular aortic aneurysm repair, who presented with fever, low back discomfort, and abdominal pain. Given the concern for an infected endograft, the patient underwent explantation and replacement with a cadaveric aortoiliac cryograft.

Epidemiology of severe sepsis: 2008-2012.

Introduction: Severe sepsis continues to be a significant burden on society.

Methods: Using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes, we analyzed the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample in order to estimate epidemiologic trends of severe sepsis from the years 2008 to 2012. The 2010 US Census, which included 308,745,538 individuals, was used to calculate incidence per 100,000 persons.

Patient variables impacting hospital costs from 2008 to 2010.

Background: Studying the variables associated with the increased costs of health care provides valuable insight.

Methods: A review and analysis of the pertinent variables and information collected for 118.3 million hospital admissions recorded as Nationwide Inpatient Samples database was done for the years 2008 to 2010.

A single center experience with retrievable IVC filters.

Objective: To evaluate retrievable IVC filters in our institution and assess their retrieval following a well-structured follow up program.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Materials: The medical records of patients implanted with retrievable IVC filters were reviewed.

Tolerance through indifference: autoreactive B cells to the nuclear antigen La show no evidence of tolerance in a transgenic model.

Systemic autoimmune diseases are characterized by the production of high titer autoantibodies specific for ubiquitous nuclear self-Ags such as DNA, Sm, and La (SS-B), so the normal mechanisms of B cell tolerance to disease-associated nuclear Ags have been of great interest. Mechanisms of B cell tolerance include deletion, anergy, developmental arrest, receptor editing, and B cell differentiation to the B-1 subtype. However, recent studies in our laboratory have suggested that B cell tolerance to the nuclear autoantigen La is limited in normal mice, and tolerance may reside primarily in the T cell compartment.