Advantages of Syndromic Diagnostics: Detection of the Pathogens Causing Urethritis/Cervicitis with the STI CNM Real-Time PCR Kit from Vitro S.A.

The STI CNM Real-Time PCR Kit from Vitro S.A. (Spain) demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity, is cost-effective, and can detect the three main etiological agents of urethritis/cervicitis in a single multiplex PCR.

National Cancer Institute-funded grants focused on synchronous telehealth cancer care delivery: a portfolio analysis.

Background: Telehealth use increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains a complementary source of cancer care delivery. Understanding research funding trends in cancer-related telehealth can highlight developments in this area of science and identify future opportunities.

Methods: Applications funded by the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) between fiscal years 2016 and 2022 and focused on synchronous patient-provider telehealth were analyzed for grant characteristics (eg, funding mechanism), cancer focus (eg, cancer type), and study features (eg, type of telehealth service).

Continuous PENG block in an oncologic patient with bilateral femoral avascular necrosis.

The PENG block (pericapsular nerve group) is a recently described technique to address the innervation of the hip, one of the most complex anatomical regions to treat at the locoregional level. We present the case of a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia complicated by avascular necrosis of the bilateral femoral head and previous history of severe chronic pain with probable central sensitization to opioids and a severe thrombocytopenia due to myelotoxicity from chemotherapy treatment. Given the need for orthopaedic surgery to manage femoral necrosis and in anticipation of complex perioperative pain management, a multimodal strategy was planned including bilateral ultrasound-guided continuous PENG blocks to achieve proper pain control in the perioperative period and promote early recovery.

Pendelluft in hypoxemic patients resuming spontaneous breathing: proportional modes versus pressure support ventilation.

Background: Internal redistribution of gas, referred to as pendelluft, is a new potential mechanism of effort-dependent lung injury. Neurally-adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) and proportional assist ventilation (PAV +) follow the patient's respiratory effort and improve synchrony compared with pressure support ventilation (PSV). Whether these modes could prevent the development of pendelluft compared with PSV is unknown.

Pulsed radiofrequency in a paediatric patient with disabling ACNES.

Chronic abdominal pain is a highly prevalent entity in the paediatric population and represents a diagnostic challenge for professionals. It is frequently underdiagnosed, and must be treated by a multidisciplinary team after a detailed clinical evaluation has been performed to rule out other pathologies. Anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES) occurs when the anterior cutaneous abdominal nerves become pinched or trapped, causing intense, unilateral, circumscribed abdominal pain.

Feasibility of a brief mindfulness-based program for burnout in pain healthcare professionals.

Introduction: Stress inherent to health care, which is characterized by work overload and shortage of specialized staff, is associated with decreased quality of life and suboptimal patient care. Mindfulness-based programs have proved to be effective in reducing stress in healthcare providers. This study aims to assess the feasibility of an 8-week mindfulness program to reduce the burnout levels of the staff of a pain clinic in a tertiary public hospital.

Inflammatory biomarkers and pendelluft magnitude in ards patients transitioning from controlled to partial support ventilation.

The transition from controlled to partial support ventilation is a challenge in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients due to the risks of patient-self-inflicted lung injury. The magnitude of tidal volume (V) and intrapulmonary dyssynchrony (pendelluft) are suggested mechanisms of lung injury. We conducted a prospective, observational, physiological study in a tertiary academic intensive care unit.

Cardiac function in critically ill patients with severe COVID: A prospective cross-sectional study in mechanically ventilated patients.

Purpose: To evaluate cardiac function in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19.

Materials And Methods: Prospective, cross-sectional multicenter study in four university-affiliated hospitals in Chile. All consecutive patients with COVID-19 ARDS requiring mechanical ventilation admitted between April and July 2020 were included.

National Cancer Institute-Funded Social Risk Research in Cancer Care Delivery: Opportunities for Future Research.

Background: Cancer patients and survivors with food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation-related barriers face challenges in access and utilization of quality cancer care thereby adversely impacting their health outcomes. This portfolio analysis synthesized and described National Cancer Institute (NCI)-supported social risk research focused on assessing food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation-related barriers among individuals diagnosed with cancer.

Methods: We conducted a query using the National Institutes of Health iSearch tool to identify NCI-awarded extramural research and training grants (2010-2022).

Advances and Pitfalls of Specialized Pain Care through Public and Private Health Care Providers in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands: A Physician's Survey.

Optimal diagnosis and treatment of pain require a multidisciplinary approach that demands considerable coordination and forethought. A cross-sectional physician survey based on an online questionnaire was carried out to assess the adoption of multidisciplinary working patterns, compare the public and private models, and provide an update on the resources and organization of specialized pain care in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. Active pain practitioners identified through the Catalan Health Service and Pain Society databases were sent an invitation in December 2020.

Critical care echocardiography in prone position patients during COVID-19 pandemic: a feasibility study.

Purpose: Critical care echocardiography is a fundamental tool in the hemodynamic evaluation of critically ill patients and prone position ventilation might limit its application. We aim to evaluate the feasibility of transthoracic echocardiography to assess different measurements performed in prone vs supine position in patients during COVID-19 pandemic to answer our research question: What is the feasibility of classic echocardiographic measurements in COVID-19 patients in prone position ventilation?

Methods: Patients with covid-19 admitted to ICUs in four academic hospitals with respiratory failure and on mechanical ventilation were evaluated with critical care echocardiography. The first ultrasound assessment was compared between prone and supine patients recording feasibility of several echocardiographic measurements, using Fisher's exact test complementing with Crombach's Alpha.

An Intensive Care Unit Team Reflects on End-of-Life Experiences With Patients and Families in Chile.

Background: Deaths in the intensive care unit (ICU) represent an experience of suffering for patients, their families, and professionals. End-of-life (EOL) care has been added to the responsibilities of the ICU team, but the evidence supporting EOL care is scarce, and there are many barriers to implementing the clinical recommendations that do exist.

Objectives: To explore the experiences and perspectives of the various members of an ICU care team in Chile regarding the EOL care of their patients.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 alpha influences pancreatic cancer growth and metastasis.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 homeobox alpha (HNF1α) is a transcription factor involved in endodermal organogenesis and pancreatic precursor cell differentiation and development. Earlier studies have reported a role for HNF1α in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) but it is controversial. The mechanism by which it impacts PDAC is yet to be explored in depth.

Estimation of changes in cyclic lung strain by electrical impedance tomography: Proof-of-concept study.

Rationale: Cyclic strain may be a determinant of ventilator-induced lung injury. The standard for strain assessment is the computed tomography (CT), which does not allow continuous monitoring and exposes to radiation. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is able to monitor changes in regional lung ventilation.

Telemonitoring in Chronic Pain Management Using Smartphone Apps: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Usual Assessment against App-Based Monitoring with and without Clinical Alarms.

Background: The usefulness of mHealth in helping to target face-to-face interventions for chronic pain more effectively remains unclear. In the present study, we aim to test whether the Pain Monitor mobile phone application (app) is well accepted by clinicians, and can help improve existent medical treatments for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Regarding this last goal, we compared three treatment conditions, namely usual treatment, usual treatment with an app without alarms and usual treatment with an app with alarms.

Occupational Safety and Health in a Community of Shellfish Divers: A Community-Based Participatory Approach.

In artisanal fishing communities in Chile, the access to occupational safety and health (OSH) is limited by factors such as the informality of employment. Our objective was to analyze the working and health conditions of workers in a coastal town in Southern Chile, under a community-based participatory approach. We carried out two independent social dialogue workshops within the community.

Improving pain treatment with a smartphone app: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Chronic pain has become a major health problem across the world, especially in older adults. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of medical interventions is modest. Some have argued that assessment strategies should be improved if the impact of medical interventions is to be improved.

Energy distribution of the neutron flux measurements at the Chilean Reactor RECH-1 using multi-foil neutron activation and the Expectation Maximization unfolding algorithm.

We present a methodology to obtain the energy distribution of the neutron flux of an experimental nuclear reactor, using multi-foil activation measurements and the Expectation Maximization unfolding algorithm, which is presented as an alternative to well known unfolding methods such as GRAVEL. Self-shielding flux corrections for energy bin groups were obtained using MCNP6 Monte Carlo simulations. We have made studies at the at the Dry Tube of RECH-1 obtaining fluxes of 1.

Gedunin inhibits pancreatic cancer by altering sonic hedgehog signaling pathway.

Introduction: The lack of efficient treatment options for pancreatic cancer highlights the critical need for the development of novel and effective chemotherapeutic agents. The medicinal properties found in plants have been used to treat many different illnesses including cancers. This study focuses on the anticancer effects of gedunin, a natural compound isolated from Azadirachta indica.

Nimbolide inhibits pancreatic cancer growth and metastasis through ROS-mediated apoptosis and inhibition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

The mortality and morbidity rates of pancreatic cancer are high because of its extremely invasive and metastatic nature. Its lack of symptoms, late diagnosis and chemo-resistance and the ineffective treatment modalities warrant the development of new chemo-therapeutic agents for pancreatic cancer. Agents from medicinal plants have demonstrated therapeutic benefits in various human cancers.

Spontaneous uterine rupture caused by placenta percreta at 18 weeks' gestation after in vitro fertilization.

We report a case of spontaneous uterine rupture caused by placenta percreta at 18 weeks' gestation after in vitro fertilization. Spontaneous uterine rupture is an extremely infrequent obstetric complication that may compromise the lives of the fetus and the mother. We describe the case of a pregnant woman at 18 weeks' gestation who presented with sudden abdominal pain and severe hemoperitoneum.

Terlipressin for treating intraoperative hypotension: can it unmask myocardial ischemia?

After administration of terlipressin to treat hypotension related to induction of general anesthesia, profound hypertension occurred in association with myocardial ischemia and occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The authors emphasize cautious use of this drug because of such adverse events.

Comparison of two doses of aprotinin in patients receiving aspirin before coronary bypass surgery.

This study was designed to evaluate efficacy and tolerability of two different doses of aprotinin in patients receiving aspirin before undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Forty-two patients were randomized to receive either placebo (group I), or aprotinin in doses of 4,000,000 KIU (group II) or 6,000,000 KIU (group III). Drug efficacy was determined by measuring postoperative blood loss and transfusion of blood products.

[Minimally invasive coronary artery surgery].

Background: There is a growing interest to perform a left internal mammary artery (LIMA) graft to the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) on a beating heart through a minimally invasive access to the chest cavity.

Aim: To report the experience with minimally invasive coronary artery surgery.

Patients And Methods: Analysis of 11 patients aged 48 to 79 years old with single vessel disease that, between 1996 and 1997, had a LIMA graft to the LAD performed through a minimally invasive left anterior mediastinotomy, without cardiopulmonary bypass.