Safety and Efficacy of Protamine Administration for Prevention of Bleeding Complications in Patients Undergoing TAVR.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether protamine administration for heparin reversal after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) reduces bleeding complications and affects patient outcomes.

Background: Occurrence of major bleeding complications in patients undergoing TAVR is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

Methods: This study included 873 patients undergoing TAVR, of whom 677 received protamine for heparin reversal.

Parenteral Fish-Oil Lipid Emulsions in Retinopathy of Prematurity: A Retrospective Comparative Study.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of a fish oil-containing regimen on the severity of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm infants.

Methods: In this retrospective, observational study, 82 preterm infants with documented retinal examinations were evaluated. Patients' demographic data, associated morbidities, the worst ROP zone, stage, and the presence of plus disease during the follow-up examinations, and the need for ROP treatment in the two groups were recorded and analyzed.

Chronic rhinosinusitis disease control as a metric for guiding treatment.

The assessment of Chronic Rhinosinusitis, like any other disease, may involve multiple possible disease manifestations, including subjective patient-reported outcomes, objective disease (e.g. endoscopy or radiographic), and physician-driven (e.

Characterising the potential for recall bias in anchor-based MCID calculation of patient-reported outcome measures for chronic rhinosinusitis.

Objective: Anchor-based methods to calculate the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) may suffer from recall bias. This has never been investigated for otolaryngic PROMs. We sought to identify evidence of recall bias in calculation of MCIDs of PROMs for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).

Chronic Rhinosinusitis Patients With and Without Polyps Experience Different Symptom Perception and Quality of Life Burdens.

Objective: We sought to determine if chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) differentially perceived CRS symptom burden compared to patients without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) and to what extent CRS symptom severity was associated with quality of life (QOL) and patient-reported symptom control in the 2 groups.

Methods: A total of 600 patients (266 CRSwNP and 334 CRSsNP) presenting with CRS were recruited. CRS symptom burden was assessed with the 22-item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22).

Olfactory Dysfunction and Sinonasal Symptomatology in COVID-19: Prevalence, Severity, Timing, and Associated Characteristics.

Objective: Olfactory dysfunction (OD)-hyposmia or anosmia-is a symptom of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We sought to better determine prevalence, severity, and timing of OD in COVID-19 relative to other sinonasal and pulmonary symptoms.

Study Design: Prospective, cross-sectional.

Retinoblastoma presentation, treatment and outcome in a large referral centre in Tehran: a 10-year retrospective analysis.

Background/objectives: Early diagnosis, care and treatment of retinoblastoma is a challengeable issue for Iranian health system. This study was designed and conducted in a referral multidisciplinary centre in the capital city of Iran to evaluate management, care, prognosis and survival rates of paediatric patients with retinoblastoma.

Methods: In this retrospective study, a total number of 309 patients younger than 15 years, diagnosed with retinoblastoma, who referred for diagnosis and treatment to MAHAK's Pediatric Cancer Treatment and Research Center (MPCTRC) from 2007 to 2017 were evaluated.

Olfactory Dysfunction: A Highly Prevalent Symptom of COVID-19 With Public Health Significance.

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic affecting millions of individuals, killing hundreds of thousands. Although typically described with characteristic symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath, greater understanding of COVID-19 has revealed myriad clinical manifestations. Olfactory dysfunction (OD)-hyposmia and anosmia-has recently been recognized as an important symptom of COVID-19 and increasingly gained traction as a public health tool for identifying COVID-19 patients, in particular otherwise asymptomatic carriers who, unawares, may be major drivers of disease spread.

Ru-106 plaque radiotherapy for vasoproliferative tumors of retina: a 15-year single-center experience.

Purpose: This study evaluates the outcomes of ruthenium-106 (Ru-106) plaque brachytherapy for vasoproliferative tumors (VPTs) of the ocular fundus in a single referral ocular oncology center.

Methods: The clinical charts of all patients diagnosed with VPT who underwent plaque radiotherapy from 2002 to 2017 were reviewed. Clinical features, types of treatment, outcomes and complications were evaluated.

Clinical outcomes and thrombus resolution in patients with solid left atrial appendage thrombi: results of a single-center real-world registry.

Background: Data on thrombus resolution and clinical outcome data after a therapy of LAA thrombus with novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are scarce.

Methods: In this single-center study, we retrospectively analyzed 78 patients diagnosed with a solid LAA thrombus by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). We assessed baseline clinical and echocardiographic characteristics, the anticoagulatory regimens and outcomes of patients with (responders) and without (non-responders) thrombus resolution.

Characterization of a novel pathogenic variation c.1237T>G in the FZD4 gene presenting new inheritance from an Iranian individual suffering vitreoretinopathy.

Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) has been used increasingly in genetic determination of various known and unknown genetic disorders. Various genes are involved in the development of the vascular network of retina. Assessment of a collection of these genes could be provided by WES.

TAVR outcome after reclassification of aortic valve stenosis by using a hybrid continuity equation that combines computed tomography and echocardiography data.

Background: In the continuity equation, assumption of a round-shaped left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) leads to underestimation of the true aortic valve area in two-dimensional echocardiography. The current study evaluated whether inclusion of the LVOT area, as measured by computed tomography (CT), reclassifies the degree of aortic stenosis (AS) and assessed the impact on patient outcome after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Methods And Results: Four hundred and twenty-two patients with indexed aortic valve area index (AVAi) of <0.

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) applications in ocular oncology.

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a revolutionary method in the visualization of the vascular system in different retinal and choroidal layers. During the last 4 years since the commercial availability of different OCTA devices, attempts have been made to utilize this technology in various aspects of ocular oncology from the differentiation of benign and malignant lesions to assisting in evaluation of post-treatment complications, such as radiation retinopathy. However, current OCTA technology is restricted by various artefacts and inherent limitations, some of which are more pronounced in the presence of elevated tumoural lesions.

Global Retinoblastoma Presentation and Analysis by National Income Level.

Importance: Early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular cancer, can save both a child's life and vision. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many children across the world are diagnosed late. To our knowledge, the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma has never been assessed on a global scale.

Impact of Predilatation Prior to Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation With the Self-Expanding Acurate neo Device (from the Multicenter NEOPRO Registry).

Safety and feasibility of transfemoral Acurate neo implantation without systematic predilatation are not fully investigated. Our aim was to evaluate the use and impact of pre-implantation balloon aortic valvuloplasty (pre-BAV) before transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with Acurate neo. The NEOPRO Registry retrospectively included 1,263 patients who underwent transfemoral TAVI with Acurate neo at 18 centers between January 2012 and March 2018.

Seasonality of Acute Retinal Necrosis.

Purpose: To study the seasonal variability in the occurrence of acute retinal necrosis (ARN) in a series of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive patients.

Methods: Consecutive patients clinically diagnosed with ARN and a positive PCR result of aqueous humor during a seven-year period were studied retrospectively. Patients' demographics, causative viral agent(s), and the date of disease onset were extracted from medical records.

Effects of synbiotic supplementation on energy and macronutrients homeostasis and muscle wasting of critical care patients: study protocol and a review of previous studies.

Background: An extreme and persistent dysbiosis occurs among critically ill patients, regardless of the heterogeneity of disease. Dysbiosis in critically ill patients may make them prone to hospital-acquired infections, sepsis, multi-organ failure (MOF), energy homeostasis disturbance, muscle wasting, and cachexia. Modulation of gut microbiota through synbiotics can be considered as a potential treatment for muscle wasting and macronutrient homeostasis disturbances.

Association of the sinonasal bacterial microbiome with clinical outcomes in chronic rhinosinusitis: a systematic review.

Background: The association between sinonasal microbiome and clinical outcomes of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is unclear. We performed a systematic review of prior studies evaluating the CRS microbiome in relation to clinical outcomes.

Methods: Computerized searches of PubMed/Medline, Cochrane, and EMBASE were updated through October 2019 revealing a total of 9 studies including 244 CRS patients.

Predictive factors and long-term prognosis of transcatheter aortic valve implantation-associated endocarditis.

Background: There are still limited data regarding transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) endocarditis.

Objectives: The objective of the present study was to investigate the predictor and long-term outcome of TAVI endocarditis.

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing TAVI at the University of Bonn were prospectively enrolled in this study.