Utilization of Palliative Care in Cardiogenic Shock Patients: A Retrospective Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample Database, 2020.

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is one of the leading causes of death in patients with myocardial infarction, myocarditis, and congestive heart failure. The utilization patterns of specialist palliative care (PC) consultation in these patients are currently unknown. To determine the utilization of PC in patients with CS and the overall comorbidities of that population.

Benign disorders of the mediastinum: a narrative review.

Background And Objective: There are several benign processes that affect the mediastinum with considerable morbidity that may range from reactive entities to neoplastic disorders. This review article will focus on non-neoplastic benign mediastinal diseases which include large vessel vasculitis such as Takayasu and giant cell arteritis, mediastinal granulomas, fibrosing mediastinitis and mediastinal infections. These diseases can cause significant morbidity and mortality; therefore, we aim to familiarize readers with the pathophysiology, epidemiology and diagnosis of these mediastinal diseases and provide an update on the treatment options available.

Reactivation of Parvovirus B19 Infection: An Uncommon Trigger of Macrophage Activation Syndrome in Adult-Onset Still's Disease.

A 40-year-old woman presented with four weeks of intermittent high-grade fever, cough, and joint pain, and two weeks of a generalized rash. She was found to have adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) and rapidly developed macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) on the second day of admission. Among infectious etiologies, Epstein-Barr virus and members of the herpes virus family are common triggers of MAS.

Contribution of G Protein-Coupled Receptor 55 to Periaqueductal Gray-Mediated Antinociception in the Inflammatory Pain.

The brain mechanism of inflammatory pain is an understudied area of research, particularly concerning the descending pain modulatory system. The G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55) is a lysophosphatidylinositol-sensitive receptor that has also been involved in cannabinoid signaling. It is widely expressed throughout the central nervous system, including the periaqueductal gray (PAG), a brainstem area and key element of the descending pain modulatory system.

Importance of early recognition and management of delusional parasitosis.

Delusional parasitosis (DP) is a psychiatric condition characterized by an individual's persistent belief that she or he is infested with pathogens when no such infestation is medically present. Family education on safety is needed before discharge due to the high risk of self-injury when patients try to rid themselves of the parasite. We present the case of a woman who presented twice with self-inflicted injury with a foreign body to the head to eliminate supposed tapeworms in her brain; she declined antipsychotic medication and psychiatric referral after the first emergency department visit only to come back with a more serious injury requiring a frontoparietal craniotomy.

Successful pregnancy with left ventricular assist device failure in the setting of peripartum cardiomyopathy.

Pregnancy is contraindicated for women with left ventricular dysfunction due to high maternal and fetal mortality. We present a case of a pregnant 31-year-old woman with a history of heart failure due to peripartum cardiomyopathy from a previous pregnancy. She had a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and was on warfarin due to recurrent thrombosis of her device.

GPR55 in the brain and chronic neuropathic pain.

There is a clear need for novel and improved therapeutic strategies for alleviating chronic neuropathic pain, as well as a need for better understanding of brain mechanisms of neuropathic pain, which are less understood than spinal and peripheral mechanisms. The G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55), is a lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI)-sensitive receptor that has also been involved in cannabinoid signaling. It is expressed throughout the central nervous system, including the periaqueductal gray (PAG), a brainstem area and key element of the descending pain control system.