Good Practices for Health Technology Assessment Guideline Development: A Report of the Health Technology Assessment International, HTAsiaLink, and ISPOR Special Task Force.

Objectives: Health technology assessment (HTA) guidelines are intended to support successful implementation of HTA by enhancing consistency and transparency in concepts, methods, process, and use, thereby enhancing the legitimacy of the decision-making process. This report lays out good practices and practical recommendations for developing or updating HTA guidelines to ensure successful implementation.

Methods: The task force was established in 2022 and comprised experts and academics from various geographical regions, each with substantial experience in developing HTA guidelines for national health policymaking.

Effect of Aromatherapy for Postoperative Pain Management in the Postanesthesia Recovery Room: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: To analyze available evidence in the literature on the effect of aromatherapy for the management of postoperative pain in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU).

Design: Systematic review according to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) model and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement.

Methods: The search was carried out in August 2023, using descriptors and keywords, in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Excerpta Medica Database, PUBMED, Scopus, Virtual Health Library, Google Scholar, CAPES, BDTD, and ProQuest portals of theses and dissertations, with no language restrictions or time limit.

Can ICD Electrograms Help Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation?: Results From the Multicenter Randomized AIDEG-VTA Trial.

Background: The results of ablation of sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (SMVT) are suboptimal. For many patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), ICD electrograms (ICD-EGs) provide the only available information on SMVT. ICD-EGs have the ability to distinguish morphologically distinct SMVT and can be used for pace mapping.

The Nonsyndromic Ascending Thoracic Aorta in a Population-Based Setting: A 5-Year Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Prospective data on the clinical course of the ascending thoracic aorta are lacking.

Objectives: This study sought to estimate growth rates of the ascending aorta and to evaluate occurrences of adverse aortic events (AAEs)-that is, thoracic aortic ruptures, type A aortic dissections, and thoracic aortic-related deaths.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study from the population-based, multicenter, randomized DANCAVAS (Danish Cardiovascular Screening trials) I and II, participants underwent cardiovascular risk assessments including electrocardiogram-gated, noncontrast computed tomography (CT) scans.

Worldwide Chronic Retrieval Experience of Helix-Fixation Leadless Cardiac Pacemakers.

Background: The growing use of leadless pacemaker (LP) technology requires safe and effective solutions for retrieving and removing these devices over the long term.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate retrieval and removal of an active helix-fixation LP studied in worldwide regulatory clinical trials.

Methods: Subjects enrolled in the LEADLESS II phase 1 investigational device exemption, LEADLESS Observational, or LEADLESS Japan trials with an attempted LP retrieval at least 6 weeks postimplantation were included.

Higher Aircraft Noise Exposure Is Linked to Worse Heart Structure and Function by Cardiovascular MRI.

Background: Aircraft noise is a growing concern for communities living near airports.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the impact of aircraft noise on heart structure and function.

Methods: Nighttime aircraft noise levels (L) and weighted 24-hour day-evening-night aircraft noise levels (L) were provided by the UK Civil Aviation Authority for 2011.

Contributors and Solutions to High Out-of-Pocket Costs for Heart Failure Medications.

As expensive therapeutics rise to the fore of heart failure management, out-of-pocket (OOP) medication costs have become increasingly relevant to patient care. Prescription medication costs influence medical decision-making and affect adherence. Yet, individualized cost estimates are seldom available during clinical encounters when prescription decisions are made.

Demographic-Based Personalized Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Thresholds for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Diagnosis.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death. Current diagnosis emphasizes the detection of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) using a fixed threshold of ≥15-mm maximum wall thickness (MWT). This study proposes a method that considers individual demographics to adjust LVH thresholds as an alternative to a 1-size-fits-all approach.

A Perspective on the MARS2 Trial.

Introduction: The phase 3 randomized controlled trial of extended pleurectomy decortication and chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for pleural mesothelioma (PM) (MARS2) reported "extended pleurectomy decortication was associated with worse survival to 2 years, and more serious adverse events for individuals with resectable PM, compared with chemotherapy alone." These results have led to considerable discourse regarding the future role of surgery for PM, and there has not been unanimity in the mesothelioma surgical community regarding the trial interpretation. This "perspective" evaluates MARS2 using internationally renowned PM experts who either agreed with the trial interpretation or who found issues with its conduct which may have influenced the results.

Scapholunate Kinematics After Combined Palmar and Dorsal Ligament Reconstruction: A Quantitative Evaluation Using Four-Dimensional Computed Tomography.

Purpose: This observational pilot study investigated (1) carpal positioning in the neutral wrist pose, (2) the scapholunate (SL) rotation axis, (3) physiological SL motion, and (4) the SL distance after combined palmar and dorsal SL ligament reconstruction using quantitative four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) imaging.

Methods: Six subjects were included, and 4D-CT images of both wrists were obtained. Kinematic parameters of the treated side were compared to those of the healthy contralateral side, which was used as the normal reference.

"Combined synergistic effects of concentrated growth factors and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells on regeneration of induced mandibular defects in rabbits".

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the potential of combining allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) with autologous concentrated growth factors (CGF) to enhance the repair of mandibular defects in rabbits.

Methods: Rabbit ADSCs were characterized using flow cytometry, identifying CD73, CD90, and CD105 as surface markers, while Alizarin Red Staining confirmed osteogenic differentiation, showing substantial mineralized deposits by day 21. A total of 24 New Zealand white rabbits were divided into four groups: BLANK (control group), CGF, ADSCs, and ADSCs/CGF.

Rectangular Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Monophasic vs Biphasic Stimulation for Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.

Objectives: Biphasic sinusoidal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation treatment that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Recent advances suggest that standard rTMS may be improved by altering the pulse shape; however, there is a paucity of research investigating pulse shape, owing primarily to the technologic limitations of currently available devices. This pilot study examined the feasibility, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of biphasic and monophasic rectangular rTMS for TRD.

Evaluation of the reliability of palatal rugae as a reference area in digital superimposition after slow maxillary expansion treatment.

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the stability of palatal rugae patterns after slow maxillary expansion (SME) treatment and the reliability of the rugae region as a reference region in digital superimposition.

Methods: The SME group comprised 21 subjects with Angle Class I or Class II dental malocclusion with unilateral or bilateral crossbite and constricted maxilla and were selected before the pubertal peak. Intraoral scans were captured via the intraoral scanner iTero Element software (version 1.

Impact of Perceived Discrimination and Pandemic Attitudes on Cancer Screening Behaviors Among Asian American Women: A Sequential Explanatory Mixed-Methods Study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess how pandemic-related health concerns and discrimination affected cancer screenings among Asian American women (AAW).

Methods: A two-phase explanatory mixed-methods study was conducted. In phase 1, a survey was distributed among AAW eligible for lung, breast, or colorectal cancer screening to assess delays during the pandemic, concerns about contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), barriers to care, and experiences of discrimination.

Cost-Effectiveness of Semaglutide in Patients With Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: Randomized clinical trials have shown that semaglutide is associated with a clinically relevant reduction in body weight and a lower risk of adverse cardiovascular events in those who are overweight or obese with a history of cardiovascular disease but no diabetes. The objective of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of semaglutide for this indication.

Methods: A decision analytic Markov model was used to compare the lifetime benefits and costs of semaglutide 2.

Neuropsychiatric Stabilization in Youths on the Autism Spectrum in the Pediatric Emergency Department: A Call for Practice Standardization.

Introduction: Children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric comorbidities, particularly autism spectrum disorder and developmental delays (ASD/DD), present unique challenges in pediatric emergency department (PED) settings. Youths with ASD/DD are prone to sensory overload and frequently exhibit agitation and/or aggression, necessitating specialized interventions. However, PEDs lack standardized protocols for managing behavioral dysregulation in this vulnerable population, often relying on anecdotal treatment approaches that hinder the provision of safe, effective and individualized care.