Measuring family engagement in intensive care: Validation of the FAME tool.

Introduction: Engaging family members in patient care in the intensive care unit (ICU) is a recommended practice by critical care societies. However, there are currently no validated tools to measure family engagement in the ICU setting. The objective of this study was to validate the FAMily Engagement (FAME) tool in the ICU.

Design and evaluation of a sensor-instrumented clutch mechanism for quasi-passive back exosuits.

Objective: We designed, built, and evaluated a new sensor-instrumented clutch to expand the capabilities of quasi-passive back exos (exoskeletons and exosuits) to include force sensing, posture sensing, and versatile mode switching. Quasi-passive back exos provide workers with lifting assistance, which can reduce their back injury risk. Central to their design is a clutch mechanism that enables the exo to assist when engaged and be unobstructive when disengaged.

Differences Between Ischemic and Non-Ischemic Cardiomyopathy in Heart Failure Related Cardiogenic Shock.

Background: Heart failure-related cardiogenic shock (HF-CS) accounts for a growing proportion of cardiogenic shock (CS) related admissions to contemporary cardiac intensive care units. Limited data exists comparing non-ischemic (NICM) and ischemic cardiomyopathies (ICM) in this setting.

Methods And Results: We sought to examine the differences in patient characteristics, in-hospital treatments, and outcomes among individuals admitted with ICM and NICM HF-CS.

Importance of Surgical Margins in Patients with Early-Stage Merkel Cell Carcinoma.

Introduction: The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommends excision of the primary tumor using 1-2-cm surgical margins and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) as the initial management of early-stage Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). However, there is no clear consensus on the appropriate size of the surgical margins and/or the use of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). Our aim was to demonstrate that, independent of the type of surgery, obtaining negative surgical margins is associated with enhanced overall survival (OS).

Surgical Management of Thick Primary Cutaneous Melanoma in the US.

Background: There remains significant variability in the surgical management of thick melanoma patients with clinically node-negative disease. We evaluated factors influencing overall survival (OS) in these patients, focusing on the surgical management of the primary tumor and nodal basin.

Methods: Using the National Cancer Database, we identified 7647 patients diagnosed between 2012 and 2017 with thick melanoma (> 4 mm, T4) and clinically node-negative disease.