The Aortix device: Support in a tube.

The use of percutaneous mechanical support devices is becoming more embedded within the therapeutic armamentarium for patients presenting with decompensated heart failure, cardiogenic shock, and patients undergoing high risk PCI. The Aortix device offers a new approach to percutaneous support that appears to be safe to implement and overcomes some of the drawbacks of the extant devices. Further investigation remains warranted to evaluate its ultimate utility and place among the approach to the patient in need of circulatory support.

Waiting for Godot: Anticipating answers on embolic protection unlikely to arrive.

For symptomatic and asymptomatic patient with high or intermediate risk of CEA complications, CAS with the use of EPDs has a very low rate of in-hospital stroke and death There is no statistically significant difference in ipsilateral stroke/TIA and any stroke/TIA between the different device platforms Further efforts to assess differences between EPD devices would likely need to involve a surrogate endpoint due to the very low rates of clinical events.

Sites of colonization in hospitalized patients with infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase organisms: a prospective cohort study.

Background: The objective of this study was to determine whether patients infected with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing organisms are colonized at multiple body sites.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study at a tertiary care center in Beirut, Lebanon. Hospitalized patients with infections caused by ESBL-producing organisms were included.