Major cardiovascular events after COVID-19, event rates post-vaccination, antiviral or anti-inflammatory therapy, and temporal trends: Rationale and methodology of the CORONA-VTE-Network study.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with excess risk of cardiovascular and thrombotic events in the early post-infection period and during convalescence. Despite the progress in our understanding of cardiovascular complications, uncertainty persists with respect to more recent event rates, temporal trends, association between vaccination status and outcomes, and findings within vulnerable subgroups such as older adults (aged 65 years or older), or those undergoing hemodialysis. Sex-informed findings, including results among pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as adjusted comparisons between male and female adults are similarly understudied.

Efficacy and safety of CD24Fc in hospitalised patients with COVID-19: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study.

Background: Non-antiviral therapeutic options are required for the treatment of hospitalised patients with COVID-19. CD24Fc is an immunomodulator with potential to reduce the exaggerated inflammatory response to tissue injuries. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CD24Fc in hospitalised adults with COVID-19 receiving oxygen support.

D-Dimer elevation and adverse outcomes.

D-Dimer is a biomarker of fibrin formation and degradation. While a D-dimer within normal limits is used to rule out the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism among patients with a low clinical probability of venous thromboembolism (VTE), the prognostic association of an elevated D-dimer with adverse outcomes has received far less emphasis. An elevated D-dimer is independently associated with an increased risk for incident VTE, recurrent VTE, and mortality.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) for prevention of recurrent pneumonia in the Neuromyelitis Optica patient.

Introduction: Traumatic spinal cord injury patients with quadriplegia associated respiratory compromise are at an immediately increased risk of developing pneumonia, but the onset of pneumonia risk and use of prevention strategies in the patient with quadriplegia due to Neuromyelitis Optica has not been described.

Case Report: This is a case of a Neuromyelitis Optica patient with quadriplegia, dysphagia and tracheostomy that suffered recurrent fevers due to respiratory infections. The non-specific presentation and test results led to extensive testing, while the frequent recurrence resulted in the patient residing in the acute care hospital 201 days and outside of this hospital only 118 days during the period of August 2011 to June 2012.

Randomized trial of physician alerts for thromboprophylaxis after discharge.

Background: Many hospitalized Medical Service patients are at risk for venous thromboembolism in the months after discharge. We conducted a multicenter randomized controlled trial to test whether a hospital staff member's thromboprophylaxis alert to an Attending Physician before discharge will increase the rate of extended out-of-hospital prophylaxis and, in turn, reduce the incidence of symptomatic venous thromboembolism at 90 days.

Methods: From April 2009 to January 2010, we enrolled hospitalized Medical Service patients using the point score system developed by Kucher et al to identify those at high risk for venous thromboembolism who were not ordered to receive thromboprophylaxis after discharge.

Toxin assay is more reliable than ICD-9 data and less time-consuming than chart review for public reporting of Clostridium difficile hospital case rates.

Objective: Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) is common and has a 6.1% mortality. Governmental agencies have recommended surveillance, but reporting increases health care costs.

Telling her story: narrating a Japanese lesbian community.

This article explores queer Japanese women's narratives of their own histories and the history of the "Japanese lesbian community," which has been constructed as a space outside the heterosexual mainstream, a space where queer women can find at least temporary refuge. It begins with the acknowledgment that the evolution and the shape of the community, along with the identities of the women who comprise it, are shifting and contested. This article specifically looks at the long history of the lesbian bar scene as well as more recent history of lesbian dance parties; the early role of lesbian feminism and activism; lesbian community-based and commercial publications, paying special attention to the critical role translation has played in Japanese lesbian discourse and the construction of multiple lesbian identities; and, finally, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) pride events and film festivals, through which the larger LGBT community has been gaining increasing visibility.

Antibiotic timing and errors in diagnosing pneumonia.

Background: The percentage of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) whose time to first antibiotic dose (TFAD) is less than 4 hours of presentation to the emergency department (ED) has been made a core quality measure, and public reporting has been instituted. We asked whether these time pressures might also have negative effects on the accuracy of diagnosis of pneumonia.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of adult admissions for CAP for 2 periods: group 1, when the core quality measure was a TFAD of less than 8 hours; and group 2, when the TFAD was lowered to less than 4 hours.

Implementation of electronic data capture systems: barriers and solutions.

Although increasing in pace, the conversion to Electronic Data Capture (EDC) has been a slow progression. The use of EDC systems should confer improved data integrity, cost savings and a shorter time to study database closure. This will reduce the time to market and cost of new medications.

Authorship versus "credit" for participation in research: a case study of potential ethical dilemmas created by technical tools used by researchers and claims for authorship by their creators.

The distinction between authorship and other forms of credit for contribution to a publication has been a persisting controversy that has resulted in numerous guidelines outlining the expected contributions of those claiming authorship. While there have been flagrant, well-publicized deviations from widely accepted standards, they are largely outnumbered by cases that are not publicity-worthy, and therefore remain known to only those directly involved with the inappropriate conduct. We discuss the definition and ethical requirements of authorship, offer a case example of the authorship debate created by a technical tool at our institution, and review parallels that support and dispute the authorship claims of our software developers.

Repeat needle biopsies combined with clinical observation are safe and accurate in the management of a solitary pulmonary nodule.

Background: Sixty percent of removed solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) are benign. An approach that reduces the unnecessary excision of benign nodules is consistent with the oncologic objective of organ preservation.

Methods: A prospective observational study was performed at a lung cancer referral center in which consecutive patients were evaluated who presented with SPNs measuring < 4 cm on computed tomography (CT) scans.

An approach to the diagnosis and treatment of cryofibrinogenemia.

Cryofibrinogenemia is a rarely symptomatic disorder that is underrecognized due to the infrequency with which it causes symptoms. Although completely reversible, this disorder can be life threatening when untreated. In this review, the classification, pathophysiology, and clinical presentation of cryofibrinogenemia are described, based on case reports and prospective observational data.

Diagnosis of primary bone tumors with image-guided percutaneous biopsy: experience with 110 tumors.

Purpose: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of image-guided percutaneous biopsy in 110 primary bone tumors of varying internal compositions.

Materials And Methods: One hundred ten consecutive patients with primary bone tumors underwent biopsy with computed tomography (CT) or fluoroscopy. Ninety-one patients underwent surgical follow-up and 19 received medical treatment and underwent subsequent imaging studies.