Gastric adenocarcinoma location and postoperative complication rates in Asian patients: A 2014-2019 NSQIP analysis.

Background: Asian gastric cancer patients have higher long-term survival rates post-gastrectomy. This study compares 30-day post-gastrectomy outcomes between Asians and non-Asians.

Methods: Gastric cancer patients undergoing elective gastrectomies were identified in 2014-2019 NSQIP datasets (n ​= ​1,438).

Tranexamic acid with a pre-operative suspension of anticoagulation decreases operative time and blood transfusion in the treatment of pelvic and acetabulum fractures.

Purpose: The purpose was to evaluate the impact of intra-operative administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) and pre-operative discontinuation of prophylactic chemoprophylaxis in patients undergoing internal fixation of pelvic or acetabular fractures on the need for subsequent blood transfusion. Operative time and the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) were also assessed.

Methods: Data from a single level one trauma centre was retrospectively reviewed from January 2014 to December 2017 to identify pelvic ring or acetabular fractures managed operatively.

Transgastric synthetic mesh migration, 9 years after liver resection.

Complications of synthetic mesh have been described in various hernia procedures including migration and erosion, but no previous report mentions this complication after liver resection. This case describes a patient who had undergone a left hepatic resection with mesh pledgets sutured along the cut edge of the liver. He remained complication-free until nine years later when he presented with weight loss and early satiety, and endoscopy revealed mesh within the lumen of the stomach.

Altered neurometabolites and motor integration in children exposed to methamphetamine in utero.

Methamphetamine (METH) is a neurotoxic drug. This study aimed to evaluate brain metabolite levels and cognitive function in young children with prenatal METH exposure. 101 children ages 3-4 years were evaluated with neuropsychological tests and underwent proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) without sedation.

Lower diffusion in white matter of children with prenatal methamphetamine exposure.

Background: Methamphetamine use is a common problem among women of childbearing age, leading to an increasing number of children with prenatal methamphetamine exposure. Whether microstructural brain changes associated with prenatal methamphetamine exposure can be detected with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is unknown.

Method: Twelve-direction DTI was performed in 29 methamphetamine-exposed and 37 unexposed children ages 3-4 years on a 3-T MRI scanner.

Combined and independent effects of chronic marijuana use and HIV on brain metabolites.

The effects of chronic marijuana (MJ) use on brain function remain controversial. Because MJ is often used by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether chronic MJ use and HIV infection are associated with interactive or additive effects on brain chemistry and cognitive function. We evaluated 96 subjects (30 seronegative nondrug users, 24 MJ users, 21 HIV without MJ use, 21 HIV + MJ) using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and a battery of neuropsychological tests.

Insights from recent positron emission tomographic studies of drug abuse and dependence.

Purpose Of Review: Recent positron emission tomographic studies demonstrate a variety of abnormalities in the brains of addicted individuals. This review aims to discuss and highlight these findings.

Recent Findings: The recent findings are as follows: (a) the reward response to an addictive substance is associated with increased dopamine release in the striatum.

Increased frontal white matter diffusion is associated with glial metabolites and psychomotor slowing in HIV.

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) measures brain water diffusion that is sensitive to microscopic brain injury. A total of 11 HIV seropositive patients were compared to 14 seronegative subjects using DWI, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS), and neuropsychological tests. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was significantly increased in the HIV patients, primarily in the frontal white matter (FWM; +5%, p=0.

Use of the mechanistic case diagramming technique to teach the biopsychosocial-cultural formulation to psychiatric clerks.

Objective: Biopsychosocial-cultural formulation is an essential skill for medical students to become familiar with during their psychiatry clerkship. The authors describe their use of mechanistic case diagramming to demonstrate to students, in a single teaching session, how to construct a biopsychosocial-cultural formulation, and they present results of an evaluation of the session's effect on students.

Methods: Questionnaires exploring students' views and understanding of biopsychosocial-cultural formulation were administered to 16 students before and after teaching sessions.