Airway Management in Microvascular Reconstruction of the Head and Neck: Current Practice Patterns.

Objective: To identify current airway management practice patterns during free tissue transfer (FTT) reconstruction of head and neck defects.

Methods: A 27-question survey distributed to American Head and Neck Society (AHNS) members. Correlation between surgeon and patient variables with likelihood to perform tracheotomy and tracheotomy technique were evaluated.

Reporting Guidelines for the Early-Phase Clinical Evaluation of Applications Using Extended Reality: RATE-XR Qualitative Study Guideline.

Background: Extended reality (XR), encompassing technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality, has rapidly gained prominence in health care. However, existing XR research often lacks rigor, proper controls, and standardization.

Objective: To address this and to enhance the transparency and quality of reporting in early-phase clinical evaluations of XR applications, we present the "Reporting for the early-phase clinical evaluation of applications using extended reality" (RATE-XR) guideline.

The microcirculation in cardiogenic shock.

Cardiogenic shock is a life-threatening condition characterized by inadequate cardiac output, leading to end-organ hypoperfusion and associated mortality rates ranging between 40 and 50%. The critical role of microcirculatory impairments in the progression of organ failure during shock has been highlighted in several studies. Traditional therapies have often focused on stabilizing macrocirculation, neglecting microcirculatory dysfunction, which can result in persistent tissue hypoxia and poor outcomes.

Sublingual microcirculatory assessment on admission independently predicts the outcome of old intensive care patients suffering from shock.

Shock is a life-threatening condition. This study evaluated if sublingual microcirculatory perfusion on admission is associated with 30-day mortality in older intensive care unit (ICU) shock patients. This trial prospectively recruited ICU patients (≥ 80 years old) with arterial lactate above 2 mmol/L, requiring vasopressors despite adequate fluid resuscitation, regardless of shock cause.

Early Flowering and Maturity Promote the Successful Adaptation and High Yield of Quinoa ( Willd.) in Temperate Regions.

Quinoa ( Willd.) can offer an alternative for staple food considering its tolerance to abiotic stresses and high seed quality. However, its cultivation in temperate regions has not been successful due to its photoperiod sensitivity and low seed yield.

Mitochondrial Creatine Kinase 2 (Ckmt2) as a Plasma-Based Biomarker for Evaluating Reperfusion Injury in Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background/objectives: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI), characterized by irreversible heart muscle damage and impaired cardiac function caused by myocardial ischemia, is a leading cause of global mortality. The damage associated with reperfusion, particularly mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, has emerged as a crucial factor in the pathogenesis of cardiac diseases, leading to the recognition of mitochondrial proteins as potential markers for myocardial damage. This study aimed to identify differentially expressed proteins based on the type of cardiac injury, in particular those with and without reperfusion.

Prognostic Impact of Admission Time in Infarct-Related Cardiogenic Shock: An ECLS-SHOCK Substudy.

Background: The outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) and the efficacy and safety of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) may be affected by the timing of hospital admission.

Objectives: The present ECLS-SHOCK substudy sought to investigate the prognostic impact of on-hours vs off-hours admission and the efficacy of ELCS according to the timing of hospital admission time in AMI-CS.

Methods: Patients with AMI-CS enrolled in the multicenter, randomized ECLS-SHOCK trial from 2019 to 2022 were included.

Multicenter exploration of specialist palliative care in patients with left ventricular assist devices - a retrospective study.

Background: The number of advanced heart failure patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) is increasing. Despite guideline-recommendations, little is known about specialist palliative care involvement in LVAD-patients, especially in Europe. This study aims to investigate timing and setting of specialist palliative care in LVAD-patients.

A Bayesian reanalysis of the CULPRIT-SHOCK trial.

Aims: The optimal revascularization strategy for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), cardiogenic shock (CS), and multivessel disease remains controversial. The CULPRIT-SHOCK trial compared culprit lesion-only vs. immediate multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), providing important data but leaving efficacy questions unresolved.

Management of cardiogenic shock: state-of-the-art.

The management of cardiogenic shock is an ongoing challenge. Despite all efforts and tremendous use of resources, mortality remains high. Whilst reversing the underlying cause, restoring/maintaining organ perfusion and function are cornerstones of management.

Thromboinflammation is associated with clinical outcome after ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Platelets are crucial in thrombus formation during ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In addition, they also play an important role in postischemic thromboinflammation, which is determined by the interplay between activated platelets and neutrophils. The latter form neutrophil extracellular traps, which are detectable in plasma as citrullinated histone H3-deoxyribonucleic acid-DNA complexes.

[Ethical aspects in the context of extracorporeal life support systems (ECLS): consensus paper of the DGK, DGTHG and DGAI].

Extracorporeal life support systems (ECLS) are life-sustaining measures for severe cardiovascular diseases, serving as bridging treatment either until cardiovascular function is restored or alternative treatment, such as heart transplantation or the implantation of permanent ventricular assist devices is performed. Given the insufficient evidence and frequent urgency of implantation without initial patient consent, the ethical challenges and psychological burden for patients, relatives and the interprofessional intensive care team are significant. As with any treatment, an appropriate therapeutic goal for ECLS treatment based on the indications and patient informed consent is mandatory.

[Monitoring of cardiovascular emergencies in the emergency department].

In the emergency department, patients with potential or confirmed cardiovascular diseases constitute a significant portion of the overall patient population. Monitoring for cardiovascular surveillance of these patients, until and during the diagnostics and acute therapy often presents an interdisciplinary and interprofessional challenge. This is partly due to the limited number of monitoring spaces in emergency departments.

The Role of Preoperative Imaging for Midline Congenital Upper Lip Sinus Tracts.

Objective: To describe 3 cases of midline congenital upper lip sinus (MCULS) and review current literature to inform risk of intracranial involvement in the context of this rare congenital facial anomaly.

Materials And Methods: A limited case series with chart review is presented. A literature search was conducted to review proposed theories of the embryology of MCULS and to determine the relative frequency of cephalic extension.

Feasibility, Accuracy, and Reproducibility of Aortic Valve Sizing for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Using Virtual Reality.

Background: Detailed visualization and precise measurements of aortic valve dimensions are critical for the success of transcatheter aortic valve implantation and for the prevention of complications. Currently, multislice computed tomography is the gold standard for assessment of the aortic annulus and surrounding structures to determine the prosthesis size. New technologies such as virtual reality (VR) not only enable 3-dimensional (3D) visualization with the potential to improve understanding of anatomy and pathology but also allow measurements in 3D.

Extra domain A-containing fibronectin in pulmonary hypertension and treatment effects of a function-blocking antibody.

Aims: Pulmonary vascular and right ventricular (RV) remodelling processes are important for development and progression of pulmonary hypertension (PH). The current study analysed the functional role of the extra domain A-containing fibronectin (ED-A+ Fn) for the development of PH by comparing ED-A+ Fn knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice as well as the effects of an antibody-based therapeutic approach in a model of monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PH, which will be validated in a model of Sugen 5416/hypoxia-induced PH.

Methods And Results: PH was induced using MCT (PH mice).