G-protein-coupled receptor 41 in cardiomyocytes: Effect of butyrate on intracellular Ca and sarcomere shortening.

G-protein-coupled receptor 41 (GPR41) is a Gα-coupled receptor activated by short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Here, we tested that GPR41 is also expressed in cardiomyocytes and exerts a direct negative inotropic effect when activated by SCFA butyrate. Primary cardiomyocytes were isolated from wild-type (WT) and GPR41 knockout (GPR41) adult mice and intracellular Ca concentration and cell shortening were measured using the IonOptix system.

Use of preoperative erythropoietin-stimulating agents is associated with decreased thrombotic adverse events compared to red blood cell transfusion in surgical patients with anaemia.

Background And Objectives: Preoperative red blood cell (RBC) transfusions increase post-operative venous thromboembolic (VTE) events. Erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs) increase VTE risk in cancer patients; we aimed to assess ESA versus RBC-associated VTE risks in a broad population of surgical patients.

Materials And Methods: We queried TriNetX Diamond Network from 2006 to 2023, comparing patients with anaemia within 3 months preoperatively who received preoperative ESAs with or without intravenous (IV) iron to patients who received preoperative RBCs.

Ethical considerations in lung re-transplantation.

Purpose Of Review: Patients undergoing re-transplantation constitute a growing proportion of annual lung transplants. It is necessary to consider ethical considerations of re-transplantation in parallel with clinical progress.

Recent Findings: Most clinical data demonstrate patients undergoing re-transplantation have worse survival outcomes; however, there is limited discussion of the ethical principles surrounding re-transplantation.

Preemptive airway management planning: A retrospective evaluation of the pediatric difficult airway consultation service.

Background/aims: The pediatric Difficult Airway Consultation Service (pDACS) was created in 2017 to identify patients with potentially difficult airways and create airway management plans prior to airway management.

Methods: Consults were either nurse-initiated, physician-initiated, or both nurse-and-physician-initiated and were examined for demographic and clinical factors. If a child had difficult airway risk factors, a consult note with airway management recommendations was completed.

A Game-Based Tool for Reducing Jargon Use by Medical Trainees.

Introduction: Physicians can be unaware that many US adults have intermediate or lower health literacy. Avoiding medical jargon in patient communication can improve poor outcomes associated with lower health literacy, but physicians may struggle to do so as health literacy education is neither standardized nor universal at US allopathic medical schools. As with other skills-based proficiencies in medical education, repeat exposure and active learning help build competency.