Empirical antibiotic therapy improves outcomes in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19: An emulated targeted trial within a prospective, multicentre cohort study.

Background: Bacterial pulmonary superinfections develop in a substantial proportion of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients and are associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation requirements and an increased mortality. Albeit recommended, evidence supporting the use of empirical antibiotics at intubation is weak and of low quality. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of empirical antibiotics, administered within 24hours of endotracheal intubation, on superinfections, duration of mechanical ventilation, and mortality in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19.

Postoperative Pain and Opiate Requirement is Increased Following Second-Side Surgery Among Patients Undergoing Staged Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Background: Primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) continues to grow exponentially, with a significant subset of patients requiring staged bilateral procedures. The optimal interval between staged procedures and effective strategies to minimize postoperative pain to enhance rehabilitation and mobility remain poorly understood.

Methods: 160 consecutive patients undergoing staged bilateral TKA between August 2017 and January-2021 was retrospectively reviewed.

Enhancing mass vaccination programs with queueing theory and spatial optimization.

Background: Mass vaccination is a cornerstone of public health emergency preparedness and response. However, injudicious placement of vaccination sites can lead to the formation of long waiting lines or , which discourages individuals from waiting to be vaccinated and may thus jeopardize the achievement of public health targets. Queueing theory offers a framework for modeling queue formation at vaccination sites and its effect on vaccine uptake.