Chronic Cough Patient Perspective: questionnaire validation and symptom impact.

Background: Chronic cough (CC) is underevaluated and underreported. The introduction of a tool that is easy to complete, score and interpret and with the psychometric properties requested for use in individual patients could improve clinical practice.

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to validate the Chronic Cough Patient Perspective (CCPP) for assessing CC in daily practice.

Further Clarification of Pain Management Complexity in Radiotherapy: Insights from Modern Statistical Approaches.

Background: The primary objective of this study was to assess the adequacy of analgesic care in radiotherapy (RT) patients, with a secondary objective to identify predictive variables associated with pain management adequacy using a modern statistical approach, integrating the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) algorithm and the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis.

Methods: This observational, multicenter cohort study involved 1387 patients reporting pain or taking analgesic drugs from 13 RT departments in Italy. The Pain Management Index (PMI) served as the measure for pain control adequacy, with a PMI score < 0 indicating suboptimal management.

Measuring dielectric and electro-optic responses of thin films using plasmonic devices.

This paper introduces a simple method for the measurement of the relative permittivity and the Pockels coefficient of electro-optic (EO) materials in a waveguide up to sub-THz frequencies. By miniaturizing the device and making use of plasmonics, the complexities of traditional methods are mitigated. This work elaborates the fabrication tolerance and simplicity of the method, and highlights its applicability to various materials, substrates and configurations.

Adequacy of Pain Management in Patients Referred for Radiation Therapy: A Subanalysis of the Multicenter ARISE-1 Study.

Background: Pain is a prevalent symptom among cancer patients, and its management is crucial for improving their quality of life. However, pain management in cancer patients referred to radiotherapy (RT) departments is often inadequate, and limited research has been conducted on this specific population. This study aimed to assess the adequacy and effectiveness of pain management when patients are referred for RT.

Who is getting boosted? Disparities in COVID-19 vaccine booster uptake among health care workers.

COVID-19 vaccination remains one of the most effective tools to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Unfortunately, vaccine hesitancy has limited primary vaccination and booster uptake among the general population and HCWs. To gain a better understanding of factors associated with booster vaccine uptake, we analyzed COVID-19 vaccine booster rates among HCWs and identified risk factors associated with nonacceptance.

Adequacy of Pain Treatment in Radiotherapy Departments: Results of a Multicenter Study on 2104 Patients (Arise).

Aim: The frequent inadequacy of pain management in cancer patients is well known. Moreover, the quality of analgesic treatment in patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) has only been rarely assessed. In order to study the latter topic, we conducted a multicenter, observational and prospective study based on the Pain Management Index (PMI) in RT Italian departments.

Coordination of Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring Technologist and Surgery Schedules.

Resource coordination in surgical scheduling remains challenging in health care delivery systems. This is especially the case in highly-specialized settings such as coordinating Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring (IONM) resources. Inefficient coordination yields higher costs, limited access to care, and creates constraints to surgical quality and outcomes.

Rectal Perforation During Pelvic Surgery.

Unlabelled: Rectal perforations during pelvic surgery are rare but serious complications. The occurrence of rectal involvement is generally lower than that of the involvement of other portions of the bowel. The urologic field is responsible for the majority of iatrogenic rectal injuries from pelvic surgery; general and gynecologic surgeries are prone to the occurrence as well, the latter especially in the case of rectal shaving for deep infiltrating endometriosis.

Disparities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake among health care workers.

Background: COVID-19 vaccine uptake by healthcare workers (HCWs) is critical to protect HCWs, the patients they care for, and the healthcare infrastructure. Our study aims to examine the actual COVID-19 vaccination rate among HCWs and identify risk factors associated with vaccine nonacceptance.

Study Design And Methods: A retrospective analysis of COVID-19 vaccinations for HCWs at a large multi-site US academic medical center from 12/18/2020 through 05/04/2021.

Utility of Follow-up Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Antigen Tests After Acute Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection Among Healthcare Personnel.

We report the utility of rapid antigen tests (RAgT) in a cohort of US healthcare personnel with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection who met symptom criteria to return to work at day 5 or later of isolation. In total, 11.9% of initial RAgT were negative.

Scanner-Assisted CO Laser Fissurectomy: A Pilot Study.

Surgery for chronic anal fissure is challenging for every proctologist. Solving the pain by guaranteeing rapid and effective healing is the objective, but what is the price to pay today in functional terms? Though this result is nowadays partially achievable through interventions that include the execution of an internal sphincterotomy among the procedures, it is necessary to underline the high rate of patients who can present faecal incontinence. The aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness of scanner-assisted CO laser fissurectomy.

Work Absence Following COVID-19 Vaccination in a Cohort of Healthcare Personnel.

Objective: To identify rates of work absence following receipt of COVID-19 vaccine in a cohort of healthcare personnel (HCP).

Methods: Short-term disability (STD) usage by HCP attributed to side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine was calculated for each vaccine manufacturer, job category, age group, and work region. Analysis was performed for the cohort of HCP during the initial vaccination campaign.

Highly Variable Clinical Pictures in Dogs Naturally Infected with .

Canine angiostrongylosis by is increasingly reported in both enzootic and previously free areas. The complex pathogenesis of the disease makes the clinical workup challenging. Infected dogs show highly variable clinical pictures, characterized by subclinical to life-threatening general, cardio-respiratory, neurological and/or gastrointestinal signs.

Effectiveness of Messenger RNA Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccines Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection in a Cohort of Healthcare Personnel.

In a large cohort of United States healthcare personnel without prior coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, 94 382 doses of messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine were administered to 49 220 individuals. The adjusted vaccine effectiveness following 2 doses of each of the 2 available brands of mRNA vaccine exceeded 96%.

Prospective Evaluation of Transseptal TMVR for Failed Surgical Bioprostheses: MITRAL Trial Valve-in-Valve Arm 1-Year Outcomes.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess 1-year clinical outcomes among high-risk patients with failed surgical mitral bioprostheses who underwent transseptal mitral valve-in-valve (MViV) with the SAPIEN 3 aortic transcatheter heart valve (THV) in the MITRAL (Mitral Implantation of Transcatheter Valves) trial.

Background: The MITRAL trial is the first prospective study evaluating transseptal MViV with the SAPIEN 3 aortic THV in high-risk patients with failed surgical mitral bioprostheses.

Methods: High-risk patients with symptomatic moderate to severe or severe mitral regurgitation (MR) or severe mitral stenosis due to failed surgical mitral bioprostheses were prospectively enrolled.

Prospective Evaluation of TMVR for Failed Surgical Annuloplasty Rings: MITRAL Trial Valve-in-Ring Arm 1-Year Outcomes.

Objectives: The authors report 1-year outcomes of high-risk patients with failed surgical annuloplasty rings undergoing transseptal mitral valve-in-ring (MViR) with the SAPIEN 3 aortic transcatheter heart valve (THV).

Background: The MITRAL (Mitral Implantation of Transcatheter Valves) trial is the first prospective study evaluating transseptal MViR with the SAPIEN 3 aortic THV in high-risk patients with failed surgical annuloplasty rings.

Methods: Prospective enrollment of high-risk patients with symptomatic moderate to severe or severe mitral regurgitation (MR) or severe mitral stenosis and failed annuloplasty rings at 13 U.

Prospective Study of TMVR Using Balloon-Expandable Aortic Transcatheter Valves in MAC: MITRAL Trial 1-Year Outcomes.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate 1-year outcomes of valve-in-mitral annular calcification (ViMAC) in the MITRAL (Mitral Implantation of Transcatheter Valves) trial.

Background: The MITRAL trial is the first prospective study evaluating the feasibility of ViMAC using balloon-expandable aortic transcatheter heart valves.

Methods: A multicenter prospective study was conducted, enrolling high-risk surgical patients with severe mitral annular calcification and symptomatic severe mitral valve dysfunction at 13 U.

Management of STEMI during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned in 2020 to prepare for 2021.

As the prevalence of asymptomatic COVID-19 continues to increase, there is an increasing possibility that patients with COVID-19 may presen with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). With social distancing and restricted access to preventive healthcare and emergency services, the management of acute cardiac emergencies such as myocardial infarction has suffered collateral damage. Thus far, global trends suggest a decrease in STEMI activations with possible worse outcomes due to delayed presentation and management.

Stenting in unprotected left main coronary stenosis-"What no progress"?

There does not appear to be a difference in patient outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention for unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis whether using first- or second-generation drug elutting stent. This is despite increase in patients having more adjunctive procedures such as intravascular imaging and newer generation antiplatelet agents. This single-center study provokes questions as to why there has not been improvement in outcomes.