Surgical stabilization of traumatic rib fractures is associated with reduced readmissions and increased survival.

Background: Surgical stabilization for rib fractures (SSRF) in trauma patients remains controversial, with guidelines currently suggesting the procedure for only select patient groups. How surgical stabilization for rib fractures affect hospital readmission in patients with traumatic rib fractures is unknown. We hypothesized that surgical stabilization for rib fractures would not decrease the risk of readmission.

Surgical stabilization of rib fractures is associated with improved survival but increased acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Background: How the surgical stabilization of rib fractures after trauma affects the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome and impacts survival has yet to be determined in a large database. We hypothesized that surgical stabilization of rib fractures would not decrease the incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Methods: The National Trauma Data Bank was queried for all traumatic rib fractures in 2016.

A Case of CIED-Associated Endocarditis and Septic Emboli Requiring Lead Extraction, AngioVac Suction, and Pulmonary Endarterectomy.

Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (CIED)-associated infective endocarditis complicated by septic emboli and acute on chronic pulmonary hypertension is rare. We present a case where pulmonary thromboendarterectomy was required for treatment. A 55 year-old man with a history of myocardial infarction and ischemic cardiomyopathy status-post ICD placement 8 years prior presented with bacteremia, infected ICD, and tricuspid valve vegetation.

Bortezomib sensitizes thyroid cancer to BRAF inhibitor and .

Although overall survival rate for patients with thyroid cancer (TC) is high, there is an alarming 10-year recurrence rate of up to 30% conferring a ~50% survival among these high-risk patients. The BRAF mutation is estimated to be present in over 50% of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) cases besides being associated with carcinogenesis and poor prognosis. We assessed the status of NF-κB, Ki-67, cyclin D1 and BRAF in TC tissues and TC cell lines using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis.

Assessment of the quality and content of national and international guidelines on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy using the AGREE II instrument.

Objectives: High-quality evidence-based clinical practice guidelines can guide diagnosis and treatment to optimise outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality and content of national and international guidelines on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Data Sources: The MEDLINE database, the National Guideline Clearinghouse and several international databases were searched for appropriate guidelines from the past 10 years.

Novel biomarkers for heart failure.

Heart failure (HF) has proven to be a major burden on the health system. The continuing prevalence of the condition and its rising associated costs and care, has amplified the need for earlier diagnosis, better risk stratification and cost-effective treatment to cut rates of hospitalization. Biomarkers seem poised to undertake such tasks, with biomarker management of patients with HF quickly evolving over the past several years.

Heart failure biomarkers.

Biomarker testing in patients with heart failure (HF) is rapidly expanding. With high-quality research indicating its diagnostic and prognostic capabilities, biomarkers are excellent adjuncts to manage patients with HF. Their superiority lies mainly in their reflection of ongoing pathophysiological events at a cellular level.

Diversification of de-agrarianization? Income diversification, labor, and processes of agrarian change in southern and northern Malawi, mid-1930s to mid-1950s.

This article investigates the links between market-oriented activities and subsistence production among peasant farmers in the Thyolo and Mzimba districts in Malawi from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s. The two districts were chosen because of their differences in terms of land-labor ratios, quality of soils, and structure of market engagement. Exploring the different paths of agrarian change in these two districts demonstrates that they were dependent on the structure of market engagement and its effects on the supply and flexibility of labor.