Role of eXtended Reality use in medical imaging interpretation for pre-surgical planning and intraoperative augmentation.

Purpose: eXtended Reality (XR) technology, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), is a growing field in healthcare. Each modality offers unique benefits and drawbacks for medical education, simulation, and clinical care. We review current studies to understand how XR technology uses medical imaging to enhance surgical diagnostics, planning, and performance.

Trametinib alters contractility of paediatric Noonan syndrome-associated hypertrophic myocardial tissue slices.

Aims: No curative treatment is available for RASopathy-associated childhood-onset hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (RAS-CM). Preclinical data and individual reports suggest a beneficial effect of small molecules targeting the RAS-mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (MAPK) pathway in severely affected RAS-CM patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biophysical effects of trametinib, rapamycin and dasatinib on cultivated myocardial tissue slices of a paediatric RAS-CM patient using biomimetic cultivation chambers (BMCCs) and to correlate the findings with clinical data.

Evaluating EHR-Integrated Digital Technologies for Medication-Related Outcomes and Health Equity in Hospitalised Adults: A Scoping Review.

The purpose of this scoping review is to identify and evaluate studies that examine the effectiveness and implementation strategies of Electronic Health Record (EHR)-integrated digital technologies aimed at improving medication-related outcomes and promoting health equity among hospitalised adults. Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), the implementation methods and outcomes of the studies were evaluated, as was the assessment of methodological quality and risk of bias. Searches through Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and CINAHL Plus yielded 23 relevant studies from 1,232 abstracts, spanning 11 countries and from 2008 to 2022, with varied research designs.

Workplace Violence Against Nurses in Psychiatric Hospitals in Oman: A cross-sectional multi-centre study.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of workplace violence (WPV) against nurses in Oman's psychiatric hospitals and explore associated factors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between October and December 2021 and included all tertiary mental healthcare hospitals in Oman (Al Masarra Hospital and Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman). The participants completed a sociodemographic survey and a questionnaire on WPV in the health sector.

Adjunctive virtual reality pain relief after traumatic injury: a proof-of-concept within-person randomized trial.

In this study, we hypothesized that immersive virtual reality (VR) environments may reduce pain in patients with acute traumatic injuries, including traumatic brain injuries. We performed a randomized within-subject study in patients hospitalized with acute traumatic injuries, including traumatic brain injury with moderate pain (numeric pain score ≥3 of 10). We compared 3 conditions: (1) an immersive VR environment (VR Blu), (2) a content control with the identical environment delivered through nonimmersive tablet computer (Tablet Blu), and (3) a second control composed of donning VR headgear without content to control for placebo effects and sensory deprivation (VR Blank).

EGFR and MMP-9 are associated with neointimal hyperplasia in systemic-to-pulmonary shunts in children with complex cyanotic heart disease.

Systemic-to-pulmonary shunt malfunction contributes to morbidity in children with complex congenital heart disease after palliative procedure. Neointimal hyperplasia might play a role in the pathogenesis increasing risk for shunt obstruction. The aim was to evaluate the role of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and matrix-metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) in the formation of neointimal within shunts.

A Neonatologist-Driven Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in a Neonatal Tertiary Care Center in Oman.

Objective: The overuse of antimicrobials in neonates is not uncommon and has resulted in a global health crisis of antibiotic resistance. This study aimed to evaluate changes associated with a neonatologist-driven antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) in antibiotic usage.

Study Design: We conducted a pre-post retrospective cohort study in a tertiary care hospital in Oman.

Coexisting Thyroiditis and Carditis in a Patient With Lyme Disease: Looking for a Unifying Diagnosis.

Background/objective: Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne infection in the United States, causes multisystem inflammation. We describe a patient who presented with symptoms of Lyme disease, carditis, and thyroiditis.

Case Report: A 53-year-old woman developed fatigue and dyspnea on exertion 1 month after returning from a trip to Delaware.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis and COVID-19: A Case Series From an Inner-City Community Teaching Hospital in New York.

Introduction: Throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, studies have repeatedly shown that COVID-19 outcomes are more severe in the elderly and those with comorbidities, with diabetes being a significant risk factor associated with more severe infection. Here, we present the clinical characteristics of 25 patients with pre-existing type 2 diabetes mellitus who presented with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and COVID-19 in a community hospital in Brooklyn, New York, and identify possible predictors of mortality.

Methods: This retrospective case series recruited patients from March 1st to April 9th, 2020, with lab-confirmed COVID-19 and met DKA criteria on admission (based on American Diabetes Association diagnostic criteria for DKA).

Educational Intervention for Management of Acute Trauma Pain: A Proof-of-Concept Study in Post-surgical Trauma Patients.

Objective: Despite years of research and the development of countless awareness campaigns, the number of deaths related to prescription opioid overdose is steadily rising. Often, naive patients undergoing trauma-related surgery are dispensed opioids while in the hospital, resulting in an escalation to long-term opioid misuses. We explored the impact of an educational intervention to modify perceptions of opioid needs at the bedside of trauma inpatients in post-surgery pain management.

Translation and psychometric validation of the Arabic version of Summary of the Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) among pregnant women with gestational diabetes.

Background And Purpose: There is a lack of validated tools to assess adherence to gestational diabetes (GDM) management plan among women with GDM. This study aimed to translate the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activity (SDSCA) into Arabic, culturally adapt it, and test its psychometric properties among women with GDM.

Methods: A multiphase study was used to translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of SDSCA using the following steps: (1) cultural and linguistic validation; (2) content and face validity testing; (3) construct validity testing; and (4) internal validity testing.

Pain Control and Anxiolysis After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Using Immersive Virtual Reality: A Case Report.

Debilitating headache persists after acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Despite high prevalence, little is known regarding optimal treatment strategies for SAH-related headache. Nonpharmacologic adjunctive therapies are emerging as tools to help treat pain and limit opioid exposure in the hospital.

Evaluation Challenges for the Application of Extended Reality Devices in Medicine.

Augmented and virtual reality devices are being actively investigated and implemented for a wide range of medical uses. However, significant gaps in the evaluation of these medical devices and applications hinder their regulatory evaluation. Addressing these gaps is critical to demonstrating the devices' safety and effectiveness.

Criteria-led discharge for simple appendicitis in children: A pilot study.

Aim: Criteria-led discharge (CLD) protocols have been suggested to increase efficiency of discharge from hospital following surgical interventions. Our aim was to assess the feasibility, clinical outcomes and parental satisfaction following the introduction of a pilot CLD for simple appendicitis (SA) in children.

Methods: A prospective pilot cohort study was conducted including paediatric patients with SA who were managed with CLD and a control group who were managed with standard discharge procedures.

Use of Ultrasound to Assess Hemodynamics in Acutely Ill Patients.

Early diagnosis of AKI and preventive measures can likely decrease the severity of the injury and improve patient outcomes. Current hemodynamic monitoring variables, including BP, heart and respiratory rates, temperature, and oxygenation status, have been used to identify patients at high risk for AKI. Despite the widespread use of such variables, their ability to accurately and timely detect patients who are high risk has been questioned.

Trends in the Epidemiology and Outcomes of Pneumocystis Pneumonia among Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Hospitalizations.

Introduction: Pneumocystis Pneumonia (PCP) is a common opportunistic infection among people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study’s objective was to assess temporal trends in PCP epidemiology among hospitalized patients with HIV/AIDS in the US and to compare data for hospitalizations with HIV with PCP to those without PCP. Methods: The national inpatient sample (NIS) data were analyzed from 2002−2014.

Adjunctive virtual reality pain relief following traumatic injury: protocol for a randomised within-subjects clinical trial.

Introduction: The annual mortality and national expense of the opioid crisis continue to rise in the USA (130 deaths/day, $50 billion/year). Opioid use disorder usually starts with the prescription of opioids for a medical condition. Its risk is associated with greater pain intensity and coping strategies characterised by pain catastrophising.

Parental Age and the Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Oman: A case-control study.

Objectives: This study aimed at evaluating advanced parental age as a risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in an Omani cohort.

Methods: This case-control study compared 278 ASD cases with 722 gender-matched controls, retrieved from the electronic records of the Developmental Paediatric Clinic, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, between January 2015 and June 2016.

Results: Most ASD cases were male (76.

Reliability of continuous glucose monitoring system in the inpatient setting.

Aims/hypothesis: Hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia are associated with increased morbidity and mortality in the inpatient setting. Standard point of care capillary glucose testing (POCT) is commonly used in hospitalized patients to monitor their glucose levels. The goal of this study was to examine the relationships between the glucose readings obtained by a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) (Freestyle Libre) and the capillary blood glucose results obtained by the inpatient glucose POCT meter (Accuchek Inform II) as well as between CGMS readings and the serum glucose values obtained by the hospital laboratory.

Cardiovascular Manifestations and Outcomes in Patients Admitted with Severe COVID-19: Middle Eastern Country Multicenter Data.

Objectives: Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory distress syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) -that can affect the cardiovascular system. The aim of our study was to assess the cardiovascular manifestations and its effect on the overall mortality among patients with severe COVID-19 who were admitted in the intensive care units (ICU).

Methods: This is a retrospective, multicenter cohort study that included all adult patients admitted to the ICU with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in three major hospitals in Oman between March 1, 2020, and August 10, 2020.

The Impact of Corticosteroids on Secondary Infection and Mortality in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients.

Background: Corticosteroids are part of the treatment guidelines for COVID-19 and have been shown to improve mortality. However, the impact corticosteroids have on the development of secondary infection in COVID-19 is unknown. We sought to define the rate of secondary infection in critically ill patients with COVID-19 and determine the effect of corticosteroid use on mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19.

The Impact of Diabetes Mellitus in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Hospitalization.

(1) Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been shown to have adverse inflammatory effects on lung anatomy and physiology. We investigated the impact of DM on COPD patient outcomes during inpatient hospitalization.

Surgical Intensivist-Led Training in Critical Care Ultrasound Improves Performance.

Background: Critical care ultrasound (CCUS) is essential in modern practice, with CCUS including cardiac and noncardiac ultrasound. The most effective CCUS training is unknown, with a diverse skill set and knowledge needed for competence. The objective of this project was to evaluate the effect of a surgical intensivist-led training program on CCUS competence in critical care fellows.

The use of venous Doppler to predict adverse kidney events in a general ICU cohort.

Background: Changes in Doppler flow patterns of hepatic veins (HV), portal vein (PV) and intra-renal veins (RV) reflect right atrial pressure and venous congestion; the feasibility of obtaining these assessments and the clinical relevance of the findings is unknown in a general ICU population. This study compares the morphology of HV, PV and RV waveform abnormalities in prediction of major adverse kidney events at 30 days (MAKE30) in critically ill patients.

Study Design And Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study enrolling adult patients within 24 h of admission to the ICU.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Gender Identity.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy affecting 46XX individuals of reproductive age. Cardinal features of PCOS include hyperandrogenism, irregular periods, and insulin resistance. Pathogenesis is unclear but likely involves hypothalamic, pituitary, or ovarian abnormalities leading to increased androgen production.