Short- and Long-Term Risk of Lead Dislodgement Events: Real-World Experience From Product Surveillance Registry.

Background: Lead dislodgement (LD) has been one of the most common early complications after cardiovascular implantable electronic device implant. However, limited data are available on the clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes of LD events. The aim of this study was to examine the risk factors, clinical significance, and management strategies of LD events after cardiovascular implantable electronic device implant.

Air Quality Monitoring During High-Level Biocontainment Ground Transport: Observations From Two Operational Exercises.

Objective: Stretcher transport isolators provide mobile, high-level biocontainment outside the hospital for patients with highly infectious diseases, such as Ebola virus disease. Air quality within this confined space may pose human health risks.

Methods: Ambient air temperature, relative humidity, and CO concentration were monitored within an isolator during 2 operational exercises with healthy volunteers, including a ground transport exercise of approximately 257 miles.

Field Report: Medical Response to Super Typhoon Haiyan.

This report describes the experience and observations during a humanitarian medical response 10 days after landfall of Typhoon Haiyan in the Leyte Island region of the Philippines. Loss of availability of local health care providers was observed to affect the ability of the local community to provide for immediate, post-event medical relief.

Anterior colporrhaphy: why surgeon performance is paramount.

Anterior compartment repair is one of the most challenging issues in reconstructive pelvic surgery. Previous studies using strict anatomic criteria suggested a high failure rate after anterior colporrhaphy, prompting increased use of augmented repairs in the past decade. More recent studies suggest anterior colporrhaphy may provide symptom relief similar to that seen with augmented repairs without the risks associated with placement of mesh.

Progressive reduction in abdominal hysterectomy rates: impact of laparoscopy, robotics and surgeon factors.

The objective of this study is to describe changes in rates of types of hysterectomy at a tertiary care community teaching hospital since the introduction of laparoscopic and robotic techniques and to determine the effect of surgeon characteristics on route of hysterectomy. This is a retrospective analysis of types of hysterectomies performed for benign disease during five different years (1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009) at a large community teaching hospital. Hospital discharge data was reviewed to identify all hysterectomies performed during the first six months of each year of the study.

Pelvic floor muscle function in women presenting with pelvic floor disorders.

Introduction And Hypothesis: This observational study was undertaken to determine knowledge, prior instruction, frequency of performance, and ability to perform pelvic floor muscle exercises in a group of women presenting for evaluation of pelvic floor disorders.

Methods: Three hundred twenty-five women presenting for evaluation of pelvic floor disorders were questioned concerning knowledge and performance of pelvic floor muscle exercises (PMEs) and then examined to determine pelvic floor muscle contraction strength.

Results: The majority of women (73%) had heard of PMEs, but only 42% had been instructed to perform them and 62.

Natural orifice hysterectomy.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) such as natural orifice surgery is perceived as a relatively recent development partly because many MIS techniques utilize new technology and devices. However, a natural orifice/MIS approach for hysterectomy (vaginal hysterectomy, VH) has existed for over a century. VH is typically thought of in the realm of the urogynecologist as a component of reconstructive pelvic surgery for pelvic organ prolapse.

A randomized trial comparing methods of vaginal cuff closure at vaginal hysterectomy and the effect on vaginal length.

Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the effect of horizontal versus vertical closure of the vaginal cuff during vaginal hysterectomy on vaginal length.

Study Design: Forty-three women were randomized to undergo horizontal (n = 23) or vertical (n = 20) vaginal cuff closure during vaginal hysterectomy at a community hospital. The primary outcome of vaginal length before and after surgery was compared by the Student t test and the paired t test.

Respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartoma: a case report.

Respiratory epithelial adenomatoid (READ) hamartoma is a recently described entity characterized by abnormal glandular formations arising from the epithelium of the nasal cavity. The etiology of the lesion is unclear and may be secondary to either sinonasal inflammation or developmental error. We present a case of a 54-year-old man with a unilateral nasal mass found to be consistent with READ hamartoma upon pathologic review.

Research subject privacy protection in otolaryngology.

Background: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations, which took effect on April 14, 2003, placed new constraints on the use of protected health information for research purposes.

Objective: To review practices of research subject privacy protection in otolaryngology in order to determine steps necessary to achieve compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations.

Study Design: Literature review.

Anaphylaxis.

Anaphylaxis is an amplified, harmful immunologic reaction that occurs after re-exposure to an antigen to which an organism has become sensitive. True anaphylaxis is a systemic reaction caused by antigen-specific cross-linking of IgE molecules or complement proteins on the surface of tissue mast cells and peripheral blood basophils, resulting in the immediate release of potent mediators. Immediate systemic reactions that resemble anaphylaxis but are not caused by an IgE-mediated immune response are referred to as anaphylactoid reactions.

Pericranial flap for closure of paramedian anterior skull base defects.

Objective: We sought to examine the position of a pericranial flap reconstruction of anterior skull base defects with respect to the original floor of the anterior cranial fossa.

Study Design: A retrospective chart and radiology review of 17 patients (1993-2001) with pericranial flap reconstruction for anterior skull base defects and 17 controls was performed.

Results: At 6 or more months after surgery, the new positions of the pericranial flaps ranged from 5 mm above to 11.

Povidone-iodine spray technique versus traditional scrub-paint technique for preoperative abdominal wall preparation.

Objective: The study was conducted to compare povidone-iodine spray and traditional scrub-paint techniques in reducing abdominal wall bacteria during preoperative preparation.

Study Design: Sixty patients scheduled to undergo vaginal surgery were recruited for study. Cultures of the abdominal skin were performed before and after preparation with two techniques: A traditional 5-minute iodophor soap scrub-paint on one half and povidone-iodine aqueous spray on the other.