A case of the Abernethy malformation: An exceptionally rare clinical entity.

I review a case of a 30-year-old woman who presented with diarrhea, nausea and vomiting for several days. She was ultimately diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis but was incidentally found to have a congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt, also known as the Abernethy malformation. The Abernethy malformation, first described by Dr John Abernethy in the year 1793, is an exceptionally rare clinical entity.

Cementless Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty Technique to Maximize Press-Fit Fixation with Humeral Matchstick Bone Grafts.

Background: Cementless reverse shoulder arthroplasty has become increasingly popular because of the improved implant design, porous ingrowth surface, and surgical techniques. When avoiding the risks of cement use, a press-fit arthroplasty stem that has been implanted may not feel immediately stable, especially if the medullary canal size is in between standard stem diameters. To help surgeons improve fixation and avoid overstuffing the medullary canal, we present the matchstick autograft augmentation technique.

Mitigating calcar fracture risk with automated impaction during total hip arthroplasty.

Background: Automated broaching has recently been introduced for total hip arthroplasty (THA), with the goal of improving surgical efficiency and reducing surgeon workload. While studies have suggested that this technique may improve femoral sizing and alignment, little has been published regarding its safety, particularly with regard to calcar fractures. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the risk of calcar fracture during automated broaching, and to determine if this risk can be mitigated.

Baroreflex Function in Cardiovascular Disease.

The baroreflex system is involved in modulating several physiological functions of the cardiovascular system and can modulate cardiac output, blood pressure, and cardiac electrophysiology directly and indirectly. In addition, it is involved in regulating neurohormonal pathways involved in the cardiovascular function, such as the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and vasopressin release. Baroreflex dysfunction is characterized by sympathetic overactivation and parasympathetic withdrawal and is associated with several cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, heart failure, and coronary artery disease.

Association of nonstandardized model for end-stage liver disease score exceptions with waitlist mortality in adult liver transplant candidates.

In the US liver allocation system, nonstandardized model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) exceptions (NSEs) increase the waitlist priority of candidates whose MELD scores are felt to underestimate their true medical urgency. We determined whether NSEs accurately depict pretransplant mortality risk by performing mixed-effects Cox proportional hazards models and estimating concordance indices. We also studied the change in frequency of NSEs after the National Liver Review Board's implementation in May 2019.

The rising cost of liver transplantation in the United States.

Liver transplantation (LT) is the only curative treatment for end-stage liver disease and significantly improves patient outcomes. However, LT is resource-intensive and costly, with expenditures rising dramatically in recent years. Factors contributing to this increase in cost include expanded transplant criteria, utilization of marginal organs, and broader organ distribution, resulting in significant logistical expenses.

Prospective evaluation of cystatin C in the assessment of kidney dysfunction and survival in liver transplant candidates.

Kidney dysfunction is associated with decreased survival in liver transplant (LT) candidates, yet serum creatinine (sCr) is a poor surrogate for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in this population. Serum cystatin C (CysC) may provide a more accurate assessment of kidney function and predict outcomes. We performed a multicenter prospective cohort study of consecutive candidates for LT.

Lower mortality risk associated with remdesivir + dexamethasone versus dexamethasone alone for the treatment of patients hospitalized for COVID-19.

Background: Treatment guidelines were developed early in the pandemic when much about COVID-19 was unknown. Given the evolution of SARS-CoV-2, real-world data can provide clinicians with updated information. The objective of this analysis was to assess mortality risk in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 during the Omicron period receiving remdesivir+dexamethasone versus dexamethasone alone.

The current landscape of in situ and ex situ machine perfusion utilization for liver grafts from cardiac donation after circulatory death donors in the US.

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) is driving the increase in deceased organ donors in the United States. Normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) and ex situ machine perfusion (es-MP) have been instrumental in improving liver transplant outcomes and graft utilization. This study examines the current landscape of liver utilization from cardiac DCD donors in the United States.

Safety and Efficacy of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Ischemic Heart Disease: A Systematic Review.

Background: Cell therapy using adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) shows great potential as a treatment for cardiovascular diseases.

Objective: We conducted a systematic review to describe the safety and efficacy of ADSCs in ischemic heart disease.

Methods: We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CENTRAL, and LILACS (from inception to March 2024) for clinical studies involving ADSCs in patients with ischemic heart disease.