Taking varenicline for smoking cessation: A rare cause of pulmonary thromboembolism with infarction.

Varenicline (Champix®, Chantix®) is a partial agonist of the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and a full agonist of the α7 nAChR. It has been used for smoking cessation since 2006. Varenicline has been associated with adverse cardiovascular (CV) events, including myocardial infarction, which may be caused by activation of the α7 nAChR receptor that in turn stimulates parasympathetic output from the brainstem to the heart, release of catecholamines, and has a prothrombotic effect.

Brain Computed Tomography Compared with Facial 3-Dimensional Computed Tomography for Diagnosis of Facial Fractures.

Objectives: To compare the detection of facial fractures and radiation dose between brain computed tomography (CT) and facial 3-dimensional (3D) CT in pediatric patients who have experienced a trauma.

Study Design: Four hundred pediatric patients who experienced a trauma and underwent immediate brain CT and facial 3D CT between January 2016 and June 2016 were included in this retrospective study. Two reviewers independently analyzed and determined the presence of the facial fractures of 8 anatomic regions based on brain CT and facial 3D CT over a 1-week interval.

Acute Type A Aortic Dissection in a 37-Week Pregnant Patient: An Unusual Clinical Presentation.

Background: Aortic dissection in pregnancy is relatively rare, but it is often fatal. The estimated incidence of aortic dissection in the general population is 2.9 per 100,000 person-years.