Modeling Diagnostic Expertise in Cases of Irreducible Uncertainty: The Decision-Aligned Response Model.

Purpose: Assessing expertise using psychometric models usually yields a measure of ability that is difficult to generalize to the complexity of diagnoses in clinical practice. However, using an item response modeling framework, it is possible to create a decision-aligned response model that captures a clinician's decision-making behavior on a continuous scale that fully represents competing diagnostic possibilities. In this proof-of-concept study, the authors demonstrate the necessary statistical conceptualization of this model using a specific electrocardiogram (ECG) example.

New Approaches to Donor Selection and Preparation in Heart Transplantation.

Purpose Of Review: With increasing survival of patients with stage D heart failure, the demand for heart transplantation has increased. The supply of donor hearts remains relatively limited. Strategies have been investigated and new technologies have been developed to expand the current donor pool.

Exercise Training for Cancer Survivors.

Cardiovascular diseases are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors. Furthermore, some cancer therapies are now being increasingly recognized to have negative cardiovascular effects, or cardiotoxicity. Exercise therapy has been found to improve cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with cancer as well as attenuate the cardiotoxic effects of cancer therapy.

Impact of frequent premature ventricular contractions on pregnancy outcomes.

Objectives: To determine cardiac and fetal/neonatal event rates among pregnant women with premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and compare with control groups.

Methods: Prospective case-control cohort study: 53 consecutive pregnancies in 49 women referred to the St. Paul's Hospital between 2010 and 2016 with PVC burden >1% in women without underlying cardiac disease.

Spinal cord infarction remote from maximal compression in a patient with Morquio syndrome.

Morquio syndrome, or mucopolysaccharidosis type IV, is a rare enzyme deficiency disorder and results in skeletal dysplasia. Odontoid dysplasia is common among affected patients, resulting in atlantoaxial instability and spinal cord compression. Surgical treatments include decompression and prophylactic fusion, during which intraoperative neuromonitoring is important to alert the surgical team to changes in cord function so that they can prevent or mitigate spinal cord injury.

Endoscopic fenestration of cavum velum interpositum cysts: a case study of two symptomatic patients.

Introduction: Cavum velum interpositum (CVI) is commonly an incidental asymptomatic finding on imaging studies. Encystment can occur and, in most situations, is also asymptomatic. Clinical symptoms occurring in patients with CVI cysts have been reported infrequently with the result that the relationship of these symptoms and the cyst are usually unclear.