[WHAT IS "PHYSICAL MEDICINE" - THE FIELD OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION IN ISRAEL?].

Background: The field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is as diverse and broad as any field in medicine. The two, seemingly different, fields developed separately and over time (as later presented) merged into one specialty. This resulted in an initial asymmetry of focus amongst training programs - and indeed countries.

Glycemic control contributes to the neuroprotective effects of Mediterranean and green-Mediterranean diets on brain age: the DIRECT PLUS brain-magnetic resonance imaging randomized controlled trial.

Background: We recently reported that Mediterranean (MED) and green-MED diets significantly attenuated age-related brain atrophy by ∼50% within 18 mo.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the contribution of specific diet-induced parameters to brain-volume deviation from chronologic age.

Methods: A post hoc analysis of the 18-mo DIRECT PLUS trial, where participants were randomly assigned to the following groups: 1) healthy dietary guidelines, 2) MED diet, or 3) green-MED diet, high in polyphenols, and low in red meat.

Investigating genotype-phenotype correlations in primary ciliary dyskinesia: a sibling cohort study.

Introduction: Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) is a complex mostly autosomal recessive disorder characterized by dysfunction of primary motor cilia, leading to multisystemic manifestations, primarily affecting the rhino-sinopulmonary system. Despite advancements in understanding its pathogenesis, genotype-phenotype correlations are not fully elucidated. Utilizing sibling cohorts offers a promising approach to investigate these genotype-phenotype correlations in PCD.

Evaluation of Acute Terminal Ileitis in Hospitalized Patients: Development of a Predictive Model to Distinguish Crohn's Disease from Other Etiologies.

: Terminal ileitis (TI) is often identified on CT scans in emergency settings. Diagnosing Crohn's disease (CD) as a cause of TI is crucial due to its significant long-term implications. This study aimed to differentiate CD from other causes of acute TI and develop a predictive model for CD diagnosis.

Long-term effect of corticosteroid treatment during acute COVID-19 infection on pulmonary function test results.

Background: The outbreak of the novel coronavirus 19 has led to unprecedented clinical challenges globally. Various therapeutic and pharmacologic interventions have been proposed, yet evidence of their long-term efficacy remains limited. Corticosteroids (CS) have shown efficacy in the sub-acute phase of the pandemic.

Automated Analysis of Stereotypical Movements in Videos of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Importance: Stereotypical motor movements (SMMs) are a form of restricted and repetitive behavior, which is a core symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Current quantification of SMM severity is extremely limited, with studies relying on coarse and subjective caregiver reports or laborious manual annotation of short video recordings.

Objective: To assess the utility of a new open-source AI algorithm that can analyze extensive video recordings of children and automatically identify segments with heterogeneous SMMs, thereby enabling their direct and objective quantification.

Outcomes of non-COVID-19 critically ill patients with hematologic malignancies a 10-year single-center retrospective analysis.

We report the outcomes of patients with haematological malignancies admitted to ICUs and define pre-ICU prognostic factors for in-hospital mortality. In a retrospective, single-center study, we included all patients with haematologic malignancies admitted to ICUs between 2009 and 2019. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality.

Continuing professional development for primary care physicians: a pre-post study on lung point-of-care ultrasound curriculum.

Background: Point-of-care ultrasound is rapidly gaining traction in clinical practice, including primary care. Yet, logistical challenges and geographical isolation hinder skill acquisition. Concurrently, an evidentiary gap exists concerning such guidance's effectiveness and optimal implementation in these settings.

Exploring ethnic disparities in pediatric molluscum contagiosum in Southern Israel.

Molluscum contagiosum (MC) is a common skin infection affecting children globally, including in Israel, which has a diverse population comprising mainly Jews (73.2%) and Arabs (21.1%).

Flexible bronchoscopy in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia: findings and complications in a matched control study.

Unlabelled: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) poses a significant challenge as the most common late morbidity of preterm infants. This study aimed to evaluate airway abnormalities in infants with BPD who underwent flexible bronchoscopy (FB) to gain insights into the prevalence of upper airway obstruction and associated complications. A retrospective case-control study was conducted on BPD patients who underwent FB at a tertiary center between 2013 and 2023.

Healthy First-Degree Relatives From Multiplex Families vs Simplex Families Have Higher Subclinical Intestinal Inflammation, a Distinct Fecal Microbial Signature, and Harbor a Higher Risk of Developing Crohn's Disease.

Background & Aims: Unaffected first-degree relatives (FDRs) from families with ≥2 affected FDRs with Crohn's disease (CD, multiplex families) have a high risk of developing CD, although the underlying mechanisms driving this risk are poorly understood. We aimed to identify differences in biomarkers between FDRs from multiplex vs simplex families and investigate the risk of future CD onset accounting for potential confounders.

Methods: We assessed the Crohn's and Colitis Canada Genetic Environmental Microbial cohort of healthy FDRs of patients with CD.

Virulence factors, antibiotic susceptibility and sequence type distribution of hospital-associated Clostridioides difficile isolates in Israel, 2020-2022.

Biofilm formation and toxin production are some of the virulence factors of Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile), which causes hospital-acquired C. difficile infection (HA-CDI).

Peripartum anesthesia management and outcomes of patients with congenital heart disease: a single-center retrospective analysis (2009-2023).

Background: Advances in medicine have enabled more patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) to become pregnant. However, these patients face significant challenges during the peripartum period. Current peripartum anesthesia guidelines for CHD patients mainly rely on case reports and small series.

Diurnal rhythms in varicella vaccine effectiveness.

BACKGROUNDImmune processes are influenced by circadian rhythms. We evaluate the association between varicella vaccine administration time of day and vaccine effectiveness.METHODSA national cohort, children younger than 6 years, were enrolled between January 2002 and December 2023.

Expression Analysis of SSTR 1, 2 and 3 in Small-cell Lung Cancer Patients as Targets for Future Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy.

Background/aim: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is noted for its high proliferative rate, and while treatable, relapse is common. SCLC is known to potentially express somatostatin receptors (SSTRs). Somatostatin possesses antineoplastic activity through cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis, and angiogenesis inhibition.

Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Autologous Glueless Simple Limbal Epithelial Transplantation in Unilateral Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency: 12-Month Outcome of the First Clinical Cases.

Purpose: Surgical treatment of unilateral limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) is based on limbal stem cell transplantation. Glueless simple limbal epithelial transplantation (G-SLET) technique implements several limbal micrografts harvested from the healthy eye of the same patient into the peripheral corneal tunnels without the use of fibrin glue and human amniotic membrane.

Methods: A novel customized algorithm and software for a low-energy femtosecond laser (FSL) were developed and tested using 5 pairs of isolated porcine eyes.

Effectiveness of a two-tiered trauma team activation system at a level I trauma center.

Purpose: Many trauma patients who are transported to our level I trauma center have minor injuries that do not require full trauma team activation (FTTA). Thus, we implemented a two-tiered TTA system categorizing patients into red and yellow code alerts, indicating FTTA and Limited TTA (LTTA) requirements, respectively. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of this triage tool by evaluating its diagnostic parameters (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), undertriage and overtriage) and comparing injury severity between the two groups.

A multilayered infection control intervention on carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii acquisition: An interrupted time series.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) causes life-threating hospital-acquired. Due to a limited number of Intensive-Care-Unit (ICU) beds, these patients are often treated in high-dependency (HD) non-ICUs within internal-medicine wards (IMW) in Israel. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of a multilayered infection-control intervention on CRAB infection rate in IMWs, especially in its HD non-ICUs with ongoing CRAB transmission.