Stress cardiomyopathy in critical care: A case series of 109 patients.

Background: Critically ill patients are at risk of developing stress cardiomyopathy (SC) but can be under-recognized.

Aim: To describe a case series of patients with SC admitted to critical care units.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study at a tertiary care teaching hospital.

Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Outcomes of Pneumomediastinum in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Case-Control Study.

Since the beginning of the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, pneumomediastinum has been reported in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. It has been suggested that pneumomediastinum may portend a worse outcome in such patients although no investigation has established this association definitively. We hypothesized that the finding of pneumomediastinum in the setting of COVID-19 disease may be associated with a worse clinical outcome.

Optimizing emergency department care transitions to outpatient settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Suboptimal transitions from the emergency department (ED) to outpatient settings can result in poor care continuity, and subsequently higher costs to the healthcare system. We aimed to systematically review care transition interventions (CTIs) for adult patients to understand how effective ED-based CTIs are in reducing return visits to the ED and increasing follow-up visits with primary care physicians.

Methods: We searched multiple databases and identified eligible published RCTs of ED-based CTIs affecting outpatient follow-up rates, ED readmission and hospital admission.

Drape to prevent disease transmission during endotracheal intubation.

Endotracheal intubation poses high risk of transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and other respiratory pathogens. We designed and here describe a protective drape that we believe will greatly reduce this risk. Unlike the intubation box that has been described prior, it is portable, disposable, and does not restrict operator dexterity.

Effects of pre-induced fatigue vs. concurrent pain on exercise tolerance, neuromuscular performance and corticospinal responses of locomotor muscles.

Key Points: Fatigue and muscle pain induced in a remote muscle group has been shown to alter neuromuscular performance in exercising muscles. Inhibitory neural feedback associated with activation of mechano- and metabo-sensitive muscle afferents has been implicated in this phenomenon. The present study aimed to quantify and compare the effects of pre-induced fatigue and concurrent rising pain (evoked by muscle ischaemia) on the contralateral leg exercise capacity, neuromuscular performance, and corticomotor excitability and inhibition of knee extensor muscles.

Impact of a Critical Care Specialist Intervention on First Pass Success for Emergency Airway Management Outside the ICU.

Background: There has been limited investigation into the procedural outcomes of patients undergoing emergent endotracheal intubation (EEI) by a critical care medicine (CCM) specialist outside the intensive care unit (ICU). We hypothesized that EEI outside an ICU would be associated with lower rates of first pass success (FPS) as compared to inside an ICU.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all adult patients admitted to our academic medical center between January 1, 2016, and July 31, 2018, who underwent EEI by a CCM practitioner.

Characteristics and Management of Blunt Renal Injury in Children.

Background: Renal trauma in the pediatric population is predominately due to blunt mechanism of injury. Our purpose was to determine the associated injuries, features, incidence, management, and outcomes of kidney injuries resulting from blunt trauma in the pediatric population in a single level I trauma center.

Methods: This was a retrospective chart and trauma registry review of all pediatric blunt renal injuries at a regional level I trauma center that provides care to injured adults and children.

Incidence of platinum-induced ototoxicity in pediatric patients in Quebec.

Background: The antineoplastic agents cisplatin and carboplatin are widely-used and highly-effective against a variety of pediatric cancers. Unfortunately, ototoxicity is a frequently encountered side effect of platinum-based chemotherapy. There is currently no treatment or prevention for platinum-induced ototoxicity and development of hearing loss may lead to devastating consequences on the quality of life of pediatric cancer survivors.

Chronic tympanic membrane perforation in an animal model.

Objective: The aim of this study was to revalidate and reproduce a chronic tympanic membrane perforation animal model.

Study Design: Prospective, animal study.

Methods: Eight female chinchillas underwent bilateral thermal myringotomy.

Oral cellular neurothekeoma.

Cellular neurothekeoma is known as a cutaneous tumor with uncertain histogenesis. Very little involvement of mucosal membrane has been reported in the literature so far. This is a case report of an intraoral lesion in a 15-years-old girl.

Ototoxicity of olive oil in a chinchilla animal model.

Objectives/hypothesis: Olive oil is often used by patients to soften ear wax or to relieve ear canal obstruction. It is also sold in drugstores as a cerumenolytic. To date, no study has assessed the safety of ototopical olive oil on hearing in the presence of tympanic membrane perforation.

Assessment of the ototoxicity of docusate sodium (colace) in a guinea pig animal model.

Objective: Docusate sodium (Colace) is an off-label ceruminolytic agent used to soften ear wax and relieve ear canal obstruction. At present, its effect on hearing in the presence of tympanic membrane (TM) perforation is not clear. The present study aimed to assess the safety of ototopic docusate sodium on hearing in the presence of TM perforation.

Acute bilateral blindness as a presenting symptom of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

NHL usually presents with lymphadenopathy or symptoms related to compression by the primary tumor of surrounding structures. While the head and neck region is a common site of involvement, blindness is rarely a presenting symptom. We report here the case of a child who presented to the emergency room with acute bilateral loss of vision and no other symptoms.