Reliability and reproducibility of the venous excess ultrasound (VExUS) score, a multi-site prospective study: validating a novel ultrasound technique for comprehensive assessment of venous congestion.

Though the novel venous excess ultrasound (VExUS) score is increasingly used as a noninvasive means of venous congestion measurement, the inter-rater reliability (IRR), inter-user reproducibility (IUR), and utility of concurrent ECG have not been evaluated. We conducted a multicenter study of the IRR, IUR, and utility of ECG for VExUS interpretation between four attending physicians of diverse specialties, reporting the Kappa statistic (KS) and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) for IRR and IUR for scans with and without ECG. Eighty-four paired VExUS exams from 42 patients, 60 of which had a concurrent ECG tracing, were interpreted.

Management of Soft-tissue Defects of Hand in a Conflict Combat Zone: A Case Series.

Introduction: Managing soft-tissue defects of hand is a challenging problem for any surgical team, even more in a field hospital setting of a conflict combat zone, where resources are scarce and such cases due to blunt trauma, gunshot wound and deep tissue infections are common.

Case Report: We present four different cases, all middle aged males, who sustained injuries due to crush, low velocity gun shot, and defects post-debridement of acute onset infections following abrasions. The first patient was managed with doubled pedicled abdominal flap, the second patient was managed with external fixation for fracture, and cross finger flap for the defect.

Splenogonadal Fusion - A Rare Anomaly.

Splenogonadal fusion (SGF) is a rare congenital anomaly. Less than 200 cases of SGF have been documented till date. We present a case of 14-year-old male patient with swelling in the left scrotum for 3 years.

Ultrasound-Assessed Gastric Antral Area Correlates With Aspirated Tube Feed Volume in Enterally Fed Critically Ill Patients.

Background: Enteral tube feed (ETF) intolerance occurs frequently in hospitalized patients and more so in critically ill patients. Most critical care nurses continue to assess gastric residual volume (GRV), especially among those with a history of ETF intolerance. We hypothesized that ultrasound assessment of GRV correlates directly with aspirated tube feed volume.

Pet Groomer's Lung: A novel occupation related hypersensitivity pneumonitis related to pyrethrin exposure in a pet groomer.

A 61-year-old man was evaluated for a 2 month history of cough and dyspnea without relevant exposures other than pyrethrin containing insecticidal sprays he used while grooming dogs almost daily. High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) of the chest demonstrated a Non-Specific Interstitial Pneumonia (NSIP) pattern. Pulmonary function testing revealed an isolated mildly reduced diffusion capacity.

Utilization of a gum elastic bougie to facilitate single lung intubation.

Introduction: Patients with severe pulmonary hemorrhage due to unilateral trauma or a bleeding cancer often present to the emergency department in acute respiratory distress. Although it is generally recommended to perform single lung intubation, most emergency department providers do not have access to or are not familiar with double-lumen endotracheal tubes, and blind insertion of an endotracheal tube to maximum depth does not ensure that the proper (nonhemorrhagic) lung is ventilated. Therefore, single lung intubation may be significantly delayed in these patients.

Underutilization of evidence-based strategies in the diagnosis and treatment of venous thromboembolism among trainees.

Background: The knowledge and attitude of trainees toward the use of prediction rules in the diagnosis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is understudied. The extent of knowledge as far as imaging strategies in the setting of VTE and use of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) among trainees is also understudied.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study; between October, 2006 and March, 2008, surveys were distributed at grand rounds and national medicine board review courses.

Ethnic variations in quality of life and depressive symptoms among black Americans with acute decompensated heart failure.

Background: Readmission rates for black Americans with heart failure are higher than for white Americans. Ethnic variations in quality of life (QOL) and depressive symptoms in black Americans with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) are understudied.

Objective: To assess the severity of depressive symptoms and their contribution to QOL in patients with ADHF receiving care at inner-city hospitals with high volumes of black patients.