Assessment of spinal cord injury using ultrasound elastography in a rabbit model in vivo.

The effect of the mechanical micro-environment on spinal cord injury (SCI) and treatment effectiveness remains unclear. Currently, there are limited imaging methods that can directly assess the localized mechanical behavior of spinal cords in vivo. In this study, we apply new ultrasound elastography (USE) techniques to assess SCI in vivo at the site of the injury and at the time of one week post injury, in a rabbit animal model.

Laparoscopic versus ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block in colorectal surgery: a non-inferiority, multicentric randomized double-blinded clinical trial.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess if laparoscopic-assisted transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block (L-TAPB) is as efficient as ultrasound-guided TAP block (U-TAPB) in postoperative pain control.

Method: In all, 112 patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic colon resection from February 2018 to December 2021 at two Swiss hospitals were included and randomized in a 1:1 ratio before surgery with either L-TAPB or U-TAPB. The primary end-point was the non-inferiority of the L-TAPB compared to U-TAPB with regard to the total opioid consumption within the first 24 h after surgery.

Nasogastric tube in mechanical ventilated patients: ETCO2 and pH measuring to confirm correct placement. A pilot study.

Introduction: Nasogastric tube (NGT) placement is a procedure commonly performed in mechanically ventilated (MV) patients. Chest X-Ray is the diagnostic gold-standard to confirm its correct placement, with the downsides of requiring MV patients' mobilization and of intrinsic actinic risk. Other potential methods to confirm NGT placement have shown lower accuracy compared to chest X-ray; end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) and pH analysis have already been singularly investigated as an alternative to the gold standard.

Electrospun electroconductive constructs of aligned fibers for cardiac tissue engineering.

Myocardial infarction remains the leading cause of death in the western world. Since the heart has limited regenerative capabilities, several cardiac tissue engineering (CTE) strategies have been proposed to repair the damaged myocardium. A novel electrospun construct with aligned and electroconductive fibers combining gelatin, poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid and polypyrrole that may serve as a cardiac patch is presented.