Efficacy of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Management of Cancer Pain: a Meta Analysis.

Purpose Of Review: The present investigation assesses efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on relief of cancer or chemotherapy-related pain. Patients with cancer experience a relatively high prevalence of pain that is reportedly undertreated. Therefore, this analysis is pertinent to determine if TENS is a useful complementary therapy considering its increase in accessibility and minimal side effect profile.

Spinal Cord Stimulation for Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review.

Purpose Of Review: Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent and debilitating condition affecting millions worldwide. Among emerging interventions, spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has gained attention as a potential alternative for managing chronic LBP, particularly when alternative approaches fail to provide adequate relief.

Recent Findings: This systematic review focuses on both residual pain levels and ability to perform daily tasks after treatment with SCS.

Strengths-Based Assessment and Inclusive Language for Patients With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Pediatric dermatology patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and comorbid cutaneous conditions often face barriers to effective healthcare due to differences in communication preferences and sensitivities to environmental factors. The clinical intake process serves as a potential intervention point to help better understand and meet patients' needs. Strengths-based assessment and considerations around identity-first versus person-first language are tools that can improve the clinical intake process in pediatric dermatology.

Understanding Orthopaedic Infections: A Conceptual Approach.

Background: Memorizing mounds of facts without having an effective conceptual framework to store them is often an unsuccessful learning style because memory frequently fails without understanding. To accomplish this goal, we offer a framework of ideas called "concept maps". Of the many strategies for metacognition (that is, thinking about thinking), concept mapping is proven to improve meaningful and independent learning.

Kratom: A Narrative Review of the Possible Clinical Uses and Dangers of This Opioid-Like Plant.

The term "kratom" refers to a plant species formally known as  Kratom is composed of over 40 alkaloids, a type of organic compound that contains nitrogen. These compounds work primarily via binding to opioid receptors expressed on neurons, where they stimulate signal transduction mechanisms involving the activation of G proteins. Kratom has been shown to cause both a stimulant-like effect and a sedative effect in humans.

From Surviving to Thriving: Key Considerations for Weight Control Across Diverse Cancer Survivorship Populations.

Background: Obesity is a chronic, relapsing, progressive disease of excess adiposity that increases the risk of dying from at least 16 types of cancer. The prevalence of obesity has increased more rapidly in cancer survivors compared with the general population. Tailored weight management strategies are needed to improve prognosis and health outcomes in the growing population of cancer survivors.

Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir for HIV Prevention in Men and Gender-Diverse Persons.

Background: Twice-yearly subcutaneous lenacapavir has been shown to be efficacious for prevention of HIV infection in cisgender women. The efficacy of lenacapavir for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in cisgender men, transgender women, transgender men, and gender-nonbinary persons is unclear.

Methods: In this phase 3, double-blind, randomized, active-controlled trial, we randomly assigned participants in a 2:1 ratio to receive subcutaneous lenacapavir every 26 weeks or daily oral emtricitabine-tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (F/TDF).

Understanding Impostorism in the Pediatric Surgeon.

Objectives: Impostor phenomenon (IP) is defined as feeling inadequacy, self-doubt, and the tendency to attribute achievement to external causes. We sought to examine IP rates among pediatric surgeons and to identify IP-associated factors, based on the hypothesis that pediatric surgeons experience imposterism, especially in the first few years of practice.

Design: Anonymous survey, including the validated Clance IP Scale (CIPS), distributed to pediatric surgeons.

Apple Vision Pro and Its Implications in Mohs Micrographic Surgery: A Narrative Review.

Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is a precise and effective technique for treating skin cancers, necessitating high accuracy and real-time decision-making to ensure complete tumor removal while preserving healthy tissue. The introduction of the Apple Vision Pro (AVP), an advanced mixed-reality headset, presents a potential technological advancement in surgical practice. The present investigation explores the integration of AVP into Mohs surgery, focusing on its potential to enhance preoperative planning, intraoperative guidance, and postoperative analysis.

A pilot randomized clinical trial of a smartphone-based application to support at-home PSA screening and culturally tailored prostate cancer education for African American men: A study protocol.

Background: Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in Black/African American men (AA) and the second‑leading cause of cancer-related deaths. A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test is an early detection screening tool for prostate cancer, but uptake of PSA screening remains low among AA men. Greater PSA screening rates among AA men, coupled with earlier treatment, may reduce disparities in prostate cancer outcomes, including mortality.

Differences in Trends in Cancer Incidence Rates Among People with HIV during 2001-2019 By Race and Ethnicity and By Risk Group in the United States.

Background: Cancer risk among people with HIV (PWH) has declined over time as a result of antiretroviral therapy, but it is unclear whether all racial/ethnic groups and transmission risk groups have experienced equal declines.

Methods: We used data on PWH aged ≥20 years old from the HIV/AIDS Cancer Match Study during 2001-2019. We used Poisson regression to assess time trends in incidence rates for each cancer site by racial/ethnicity and risk group, adjusting for age, registry, and sex.

The Role of Lymph-Adipose Crosstalk in Alcohol-Induced Perilymphatic Adipose Tissue Dysfunction.

Chronic alcohol use leads to metabolic dysfunction in adipose tissue. The underlying mechanisms and the contribution of alcohol-induced adipose tissue dysfunction to systemic metabolic dysregulation are not well understood. In our previous studies, we found that chronic alcohol feeding induces mesenteric lymphatic leakage, perilymphatic adipose tissue (PLAT) inflammation, and local insulin resistance in rats.

Emergency physicians perspectives of state continuing medical education requirements for medical licensure.

Objectives: This study aims to better understand the perspectives of emergency medicine physicians' on the role that state-mandated, topic-specific continuing medical education (CME) plays in addressing knowledge gaps, its relevance to current emergency practice, its reported burden and costs of CME activities to emergency physicians, and its perceived improvement in patient care.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was designed by the Coalition of Board-Certified Emergency Physicians (COBCEP) and distributed in February 2023 to all American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM)-certified physicians. Statistical tests of significance (Pearson's chi-square and Fisher's exact test) assessed the cost and time spent on CME as well as the perceived value placed on CME by ABEM-certified physicians to improve patient care.

Pathophysiology and Evolving Treatment Options of Septic Arthritis: A Narrative Review.

Pyogenic (septic) arthritis is a severe joint infection characterized by the invasion of microorganisms into the synovium, causing inflammation and joint destruction. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of pyogenic arthritis, focusing on etiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management strategies. This review explores routes of microbial entry into joints, emphasizing the importance of prompt identification and treatment to prevent irreversible joint damage.

Outpatient Pediatric Palliative Care Development: Guidance on Building Sustainable Programs.

As pediatric palliative care (PPC) expands within institutions and nationally, little guidance is available on building outpatient programs. We asked outpatient PPC (OPPC) program leaders in the United States about clinic development experiences to gather advice for growing programs. As part of a larger OPPC study, 48 freestanding children's hospitals with inpatient PPC programs were invited to complete a survey on OPPC.

Allopurinol: Clinical Considerations in the Development and Treatment of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, and Other Associated Drug Reactions.

Allopurinol lowers urate production through the inhibition of xanthine oxidase. It is oxidatively hydroxylated to oxypurinol and is the most prescribed medication for gout treatment. Although it has a beneficial effect in the treatment of this common disease, like many medications, it is also known for having numerous adverse effects.

Association between monosodium glutamate consumption with changes in gut microbiota and related metabolic dysbiosis-A systematic review.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used as a common food additive in some foods. However, based on our search and knowledge, no comprehensive study discussed the effect of MSG on the human gut microbiome. In this study, the effects of MSG on the gut microbiome, liver, and kidney were performed.

Hidradenitis suppurativa and psychosocial well-being: a cross-sectional survey analysis from the All of Us research program.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory cutaneous disease that often leads to decreased quality of life. Prior research assessing stress and discrimination related to stigmatization of those with HS is limited. The aim of this study was to examine the association between HS and the following factors related to psychosocial well-being: stress, discrimination, and loneliness.

Does the use of double hormone replacement therapy for trauma patient organ donors improve organ recovery for transplant.

Background: With an ongoing demand for transplantable organs, optimization of donor management protocols, specifically in trauma populations, is important for obtaining a high yield of viable organs per patient. Endocrine management of brain-dead potential organ donors (BPODs) is controversial, leading to heterogeneous clinical management approaches. Previous studies have shown that when levothyroxine was combined with other treatments, including steroids, vasopressin, and insulin, BPODs had better organ recovery and survival outcomes were increased for transplant recipients.