On causal inferences from retrospective and observational studies and their implications for neuraxial labor analgesia: the CHRISTMAS* study.

Background: Observational studies should not be used to infer causation as they are prone to confounding factors, selection bias, and reverse causality. Many observational studies of labor analgesia treated epidurals as an independent exposure and concluded that "epidurals" cause dystocia, despite multiple randomized controlled trials showing no effect. We highlight this problem using reductio ad absurdum.

Treatment With mTOR Inhibitors as Primary Immunosuppression After Combined Heart and Kidney Transplantation.

Aims: Sirolimus (SRL) mitigates cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) progression and confers renal protection after heart transplantation (HT). However, its safety and efficacy in patients undergoing combined heart and kidney transplantation (HKT) are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of conversion from calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) to SRL on CAV progression, renal function, and outcomes in HKT compared to isolated HT.

Exploring Sex, Gender, and Gender-Related Sociocultural Factors in Clinical Decision-Making for Older Adults Using a Prescribing Cascade Vignette: A Transnational Qualitative Study.

Background: Despite growing awareness of sex differences in inappropriate prescribing among older adults, including the initiation of problematic prescribing cascades, the impact of gender bias remains largely unexplored.

Objectives: We explored how a patient's sex and gender-related sociocultural factors influence physicians' prescribing decisions, potentially leading to prescribing cascades in older adults. A secondary objective was to explore whether and how physician sex affected prescribing decisions for female and male patients.

Intravitreal Injections for Macular Edema in Silicone Oil Filled Eyes.

Purpose: Macular edema is a known complication following complicated retinal detachment repair with silicone oil (SiO) tamponade. Limited previous research has not led to a consensus regarding the safety and efficacy of intra-SiO injections. Consequently, we aim to present our case series study on intra-SiO injections for postoperative macular edema.

Evaluation of Retinal and Posterior Segment Vascular Changes Due to Systemic Hypoxia Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.

Retinal vascular occlusions are a significant cause of visual impairment in older adults, resulting in ischemic retinal damage and sudden vision loss. This study evaluates the retinal, optic nerve head (ONH), and choroidal capillary networks in chronic and acute-on-chronic hypoxia compared to normal controls using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A). We evaluated a prospective study including twenty patients in the hypoxic group (mean age 61.

[INTEGRATING SEX AND GENDER DIFFERENCES/GENDER MEDICINE INTO THE FACULTY OF MEDICINE CURRICULUM].

In recent decades, the recognition of the importance of sex, gender and their interrelationship for health research and for the practice of medicine has grown. Accordingly, the move to include gender medicine in medical school curricula has gained momentum in many countries. This article reviews the challenges of integrating this subject into medical school curricula and details the recent initiative to mainstream gender medicine into the six-year curriculum of the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical School in Jerusalem, Israel.

Assessing the Reliability of the Bleeding Assessment Scale in Critically Ill Children (BASIC) Definition: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: To determine the reliability of the Bleeding Assessment Scale in critically Ill Children (BASIC) definition of bleeding severity in a diverse cohort of critically ill children.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Eight mixed PICUs in the Netherlands, Israel, and the United States.

EXCELLENT Registry: A Prospective, Multicenter, Global Registry of Endovascular Stroke Treatment With the EMBOTRAP Device.

Background: The EXCELLENT registry aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the EMBOTRAP Revascularization Device in an all-comer population in a real-world setting, with a focus on the composition of retrieved clots.

Methods: EXCELLENT is a prospective, global registry of patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with EMBOTRAP as the first-line mechanical thrombectomy device conducted at 34 sites (25 sites contributing clot) from September 2018 to March 2021, utilizing core imaging and central histology laboratories blinded to clinical data, independent 90-day modified Rankin Scale assessment and Clinical Events Committee.

Results: After screening 3799 patients, a total of 997 subjects (mean age, 70.

Primary antibiotic prophylaxis in biliary atresia did not demonstrate decreased infection rate: Multi-centre retrospective study.

Aim: This retrospective study aimed to assess the efficacy of prophylactic antibiotics in preventing ascending cholangitis following Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE). Data from 72 patients treated across four tertiary centres in Israel from 2008 to 2018 were analysed.

Methods: Clinical and laboratory data were collected from biliary atresia (BA) diagnosis until liver transplantation (LT) or study completion.

Utilization of tissue-free minimal residual disease testing in colorectal cancer patients from Asia and Middle East.

Introduction: The presence of minimal residual disease (MRD) after curative-intent surgery for early-stage cancers is associated with disease recurrence. Circulating tumour deoxyribonucleic acid (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker for MRD assessment in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) who have undergone surgery or completed adjuvant therapy. MRD tests are already available for use in clinics; however, treatment decisions following MRD results obtained in routine practice are infrequently described.

The Relationship Between Individual Social Responsibility and the Public's Intention to Act Violently Toward Nurses-A Cross-Sectional Study.

Aims: To explore (a) the associations between individual social responsibility and the public intention to use violence against nurses; and (b) the relationship between individual social responsibility, personal variables and the public's intention to employ violence against nurses.

Background: Workplace violence against nurses is a significant widespread occupational health issue. To date, no reference has been found to the association between personality traits such as individual social responsibility and the public's intention to use violence against nurses.

The Pediatric Heart Center Melting Pot: Sharing Recipes for Success: Proceedings from the 8th World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery.

The challenges of present-day healthcare are urgent; there is a shortage of clinicians, patient care is increasingly complex, resources are limited, clinician turnover seems ever-increasing, and the expectations of providers and patients are monumental. To transform problems into innovative opportunities, diverse perspectives and a sense of possibility are needed. The following is a collaborative manuscript authored by the speakers of the 8th World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery session, "Teamwork, Culture Change, and Strategy.

Why do women with cardiac symptoms delay seeking medical help? Insights from a qualitative study among Jewish Israeli women.

Background: The delay time from onset of symptoms of a myocardial infarction to seeking medical assistance can have life-threatening consequences. Women delay significantly more often than men do in calling for medical help, once symptoms of a myocardial infarction occur.

Objectives: The current qualitative study's main aim was to explore psychosocial factors that contribute to Israeli women's delaying calls for medical assistance and, by contrast, the motivational factors that encourage them to do so.

MASCC/ISOO Clinical Practice Statement: Management of oral manifestations of chronic graft-versus-host-disease.

Purpose: A MASCC/ISOO Clinical Practice Statement (CPS) is aimed at generating a concise tool for clinicians, which concentrates practical information needed for the management of oral complications of cancer patients. This CPS is focused on the management of oral manifestations of chronic graft-versus-host-disease (cGVHD).

Methods: This CPS was developed based on critical evaluation of the literature followed by a structured discussion of a group of leading experts, members of the Oral Care Study Group of MASCC/ISOO.

Unraveling the relationship among insulin resistance, IGF-1, and amyloid-beta 1-40: Is the definition of type 3 diabetes applicable in the cardiovascular field?

The concept of "type 3 diabetes" has emerged to define alterations in glucose metabolism that predispose individuals to the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Novel evidence suggests that changes in the insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)/growth hormone (GH) axis, which are characteristic of Diabetes Mellitus, are one of the major factors contributing to excessive amyloid-beta (Aβ) production and neurodegenerative processes in AD. Moreover, molecular findings suggest that insulin resistance and dysregulated IGF-1 signaling promote atherosclerosis via endothelial dysfunction and a pro-inflammatory state.

The Fate of Mitral Valve Surgery in the Pediatric Age: A 25-Year Single-Center Experience.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the natural history of patients after mitral valve intervention in the pediatric age. This is a retrospective study including all patients who underwent mitral valve surgery from 1998 to 2022. The patients' surgical reports, postoperative records, and ambulatory visits were reviewed.