Comparing Outcomes of CT-Guided Percutaneous Pericardial Drainage with Surgical Pericardial Window in Patients with Symptomatic Pericardial Effusions.

Rationale And Objectives: To compare short-term outcomes of CT-guided percutaneous pericardial drainage (PPD) versus subxiphoid surgical pericardial window (PW) drainage and analyze the risk factors associated with their outcomes.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients who underwent either percutaneous drainage with drainage catheter placement or PW with surgical drain placement for symptomatic pericardial effusion between January 1, 2006 and August 31, 2016 was performed after institutional review board approval (decision number 16-783). The primary objective was to test for associations between the short-term (≤30 days post procedure) complication and recurrence rates in patients with symptomatic pericardial effusions.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Procalcitonin as a Marker of Postoperative Orthopedic Infections.

Procalcitonin is a serologic marker that increases in response to inflammatory stimuli, especially those of bacterial origin. Postoperative orthopedic periprosthetic infections are often difficult to diagnose. This study systematically reviewed the literature to evaluate the statistical measures of performance of procalcitonin as a marker of postoperative orthopedic infection.