Decay in Physiologic Knowledge since Medical School among Critical Care Fellows (DIP Study).

Rapid accumulation of knowledge and skills by trainees in the intensive care unit assumes prior mastery of clinically relevant core physiology concepts. However, for many fellows, their foundational physiology knowledge was acquired years earlier during their preclinical medical curricula and variably reinforced during the remainder of their undergraduate and graduate medical training. We sought to assess the retention of clinically relevant pulmonary physiology knowledge among pulmonary and critical care medicine (PCCM) and critical care medicine (CCM) fellows.

What Are the Implications of Choosing a TAVR-First Strategy in the Lifetime Management of Aortic Stenosis?: A Critical Review of TAVR-Explant- and Redo-TAVR.

Some patients with aortic stenosis may require multiple valve interventions in their lifetime, and choosing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) as the initial intervention may be appealing to many. If their transcatheter heart valve degenerates later in life, most will hope to undergo redo-TAVR. However, if redo-TAVR is not feasible, some may have to undergo surgical explantation of their transcatheter heart valve (TAVR-explant).

Identifying Complex Scheduling Patterns Among Patients With Cancer With Transportation and Housing Needs: Feasibility Pilot Study.

Background: Patients with cancer frequently encounter complex treatment pathways, often characterized by challenges with coordinating and scheduling appointments at various specialty services and locations. Identifying patients who might benefit from scheduling and social support from community health workers or patient navigators is largely determined on a case-by-case basis and is resource intensive.

Objective: This study aims to propose a novel algorithm to use scheduling data to identify complex scheduling patterns among patients with transportation and housing needs.

Image-Guided Robotic Interventions for Musculoskeletal Disease.

Image-guided robotic interventions have revolutionized the treatment of musculoskeletal (MSK) diseases, combining the precision of robotics with advanced imaging to improve procedural accuracy and patient outcomes. This review delves into the evolution, current applications, and future prospects of robotic systems in managing MSK disorders. Special attention is given to the integration of various imaging modalities, the clinical impact on patient care, and the ongoing challenges that need to be addressed to enhance the adoption and efficacy of these technologies.

Comorbidities And Reducing InEquitieS (CARES): Feasibility of self-monitoring and community health worker support in management of comorbidities among Black breast and prostate cancer patients.

Background: Black individuals with cancer have a higher prevalence of comorbidities and a worse cancer prognosis than other racial groups in the US. As part of a quality improvement project, we aimed to demonstrate feasibility of self-monitoring and community health worker (CHW) support among managing comorbidities for Black individuals with breast or prostate cancer.

Methods: In a single arm, pre-post study, we enrolled patients with diabetes and/or hypertension who identified as Black and were diagnosed with 1) stage 0-IV breast cancer, or 2) prostate cancer and on long-term androgen-deprivation therapy.

Transcranial Doppler Arterial Pressure Gradient Is Associated With Delayed Infarction After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Background And Purpose: While the pulsatility index (PI) measured by transcranial Doppler (TCD) has broader associations with outcomes in neurocritical care, its use in monitoring delayed cerebral infarction (DCI) in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is not endorsed by current clinical guidelines. Recognizing that arterial pressure gradient (ΔP) can be estimated using PI, we investigated the potential significance of TCD-estimated ΔP.

Methods: In this observational study of 186 SAH patients, we recorded the mean cerebral blood flow velocity (mCBFV) and PI values from the middle cerebral artery, along with corresponding blood pressures.

External Validation of SHAPE Score: A Score to Predict Low-Risk Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding in the Emergency Department.

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) frequently leads to emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations, encompassing a spectrum of outcomes from spontaneous resolution to intrahospital mortality. The purpose of this study was to validate a scoring system designed to identify cases of low-risk LGIB, allowing for safe discharge from the ED. A retrospective analysis of all gastrointestinal bleeding cases presented at three EDs in 2020 was conducted, focusing specifically on patients with LGIB.

Challenging Extraction and Replacement of an Eight-year-old Nanostim Leadless Pacemaker and AVEIR Implant.

Leadless pacemakers (LPs) are emerging options for bradyarrhythmias. However, extraction can be risky if the device is in an unfavorable position. We present a challenging case of a Nanostim LP (NLP) (Abbott Medical Inc.

The Impact of Leadership Training on Burnout and Fulfillment Among Direct Reports.

Goal: Burnout, decreased professional fulfillment, and resultant attrition across the medical professions are increasingly recognized as threats to sustainable and cost-effective healthcare delivery. While the skill level of leaders as perceived by their direct reports has been correlated with rates of burnout and fulfillment, no studies, to our knowledge, have directly evaluated whether intervention via leadership training impacts burnout and fulfillment among direct reports. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a leadership training intervention on direct reports' perceptions of the leadership skills of supervising residents and subsequently on the well-being of the direct reports.

Surgical Site Infection After Sacral Neuromodulation: Impact of Postoperative Antibiotics.

Importance: There are limited data to guide practices to reduce surgical site infections following sacral neuromodulation; however, many surgeons prescribe prophylactic postoperative antibiotics after device implantation.

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the proportion of patients with sacral neuromodulation device-associated surgical site infections after use of prophylactic postoperative antibiotics versus none.

Study Design: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing sacral neuromodulation device implantation at 11 institutions from January 2014 to December 2023, comparing outcomes in patients who did versus did not receive prophylactic postoperative antibiotic treatment.

Trends in Medicare Coverage of Overactive Bladder Medications in the United States.

Importance: Strong evidence demonstrates long-term cognitive decline associated with anticholinergics. While prevalent among older populations, medical management of overactive bladder (OAB) is dictated by insurance coverage rather than medical provider and patient preferences.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess Medicare insurance plan coverage for select OAB medications and evaluate coverage of preferred medications to medications with a greater risk of cognitive dysfunction.

Impact of coronary artery tortuosity on outcomes following stenting with newer-generation drug-eluting stents. An analysis of the randomized BIOFLOW trials.

Introduction And Objectives: Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in vessels with moderate-to-severe tortuosity are at higher risk of adverse outcomes, but data are scarce in the era of newer-generation stents. We compared outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention in vessels with moderate-to-severe tortuosity using a bioresorbable-polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (BP-SES) vs a durable-polymer everolimus-eluting stent.

Methods: A total of 2350 patients from the BIOFLOW II, IV, and V randomized trials were stratified into 2 groups based on target-vessel tortuosity: none-to-mild and moderate-to-severe.

Patient and provider perspectives on pain management during manual vacuum aspiration.

Manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) is a painful procedure often conducted without analgesia. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a paracervical block (PCB) as the mode of pain relief during MVA. Few studies have assessed patient perspectives on pain control during MVA.

Using language to evaluate curricular impact: a novel approach in assessing clinical reasoning curricula.

Objectives: Published clinical reasoning curricula are limited, and measuring curricular impact has proven difficult. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a broad-reaching, multi-level reasoning curricula by measuring utilization of clinical reasoning terminology in published abstracts.

Methods: In 2014, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) created a clinical reasoning curriculum with interventions at the student, resident, and faculty levels with the goal of bringing reasoning education to the forefront.

A Qualitative Inquiry of Patients Using Virtual Reality to Mitigate Cancer Pain.

Introduction: Virtual reality (VR) is a rapidly evolving technology that has been shown to improve pain severity in different disease states, including cancer. To date, VR pain studies have used off-the-shelf products for pain distraction. What are user preferences for VR content to mitigate cancer pain?.

Mixed Cardiogenic-Vasodilatory Shock: Current Insights and Future Directions.

This state-of-the-art review describes the potential etiologies, pathophysiology, and management of mixed shock in the context of a proposed novel classification system. Cardiogenic-vasodilatory shock occurs when cardiogenic shock is complicated by inappropriate vasodilation, impairing compensatory mechanisms, and contributing to worsening shock. Vasodilatory-cardiogenic shock occurs when vasodilatory shock is complicated by myocardial dysfunction, resulting in low cardiac output.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy in trauma patients with grade IV-V duodenal or pancreatic injuries: a post hoc analysis of an EAST multicenter trial.

Introduction: The utility of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for high-grade traumatic injuries remains unclear and data surrounding its use are limited. We hypothesized that PD does not result in improved outcomes when compared with non-PD surgical management of grade IV-V pancreaticoduodenal injuries.

Methods: This is a retrospective, multicenter analysis from 35 level 1 trauma centers from January 2010 to December 2020.

Left Ventricular Dimensions and Clinical Outcomes With a Fully Magnetically Levitated Left Ventricular Assist Device.

Background: Prior analyses have suggested that a smaller left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) is associated with reduced survival following HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device implantation.

Objectives: In this trial-based comprehensive analysis, the authors sought to examine clinical characteristics and association with the outcome of this specific relationship.

Methods: The authors analyzed the presence of LVEDD <55 mm among 1,921 analyzable HeartMate 3 patients within the MOMENTUM 3 (Multicenter Study of MagLev Technology in Patients Undergoing Mechanical Circulatory Support Therapy With HeartMate 3) trial portfolio, on endpoints of overall survival and adverse events at 2 years.

Telehealth in emergency medicine residency training: A model curriculum.

Emergency physicians are well-positioned to take a leadership role in telehealth, particularly in emerging categories such as triage, direct acute unscheduled care, and virtual observation. However, the growth of telehealth has outpaced curricular development in emergency medicine (EM) residency programs. This manuscript presents a model longitudinal telehealth curriculum, developed by the consensus of education experts, including representatives from the telehealth interest groups from EM's two primary specialty societies: the American College of Emergency Physicians and the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.