Peripheral Immune-Mediated Neuropathy Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study in a Referral Center.

Background: There are currently seven coronaviruses that can infect humans and the latest addition to these viruses is the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Infection by SARS-CoV-2 is known commonly as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Aside from common manifestations of cough and fever, neurologic symptoms such as headache, disturbed consciousness, paresthesia, and seizures have also been seen.

Initiating or Switching to Insulin Degludec/Insulin Aspart in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes in the Philippines: Results from a Prospective, Non-interventional, Real-World Study.

Objective: Blood glucose levels of the majority of Filipino patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) remain uncontrolled. Insulin degludec/insulin aspart (IDegAsp) is a fixed-ratio co-formulation of the long-acting basal insulin degludec and the rapidacting prandial insulin aspart. The real-world ARISE (A Ryzodeg Initiation and Switch Effectiveness) study investigated clinical outcomes across six countries in people with T2D who initiated IDegAsp.

1-Year Outcomes Following Transfemoral Transseptal Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement: Intrepid TMVR Early Feasibility Study Results.

Background: High surgical risk may preclude mitral valve replacement in many patients. Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) using transfemoral transseptal access is a novel technology for the treatment of mitral regurgitation (MR) in high-risk surgical patients.

Objectives: This analysis evaluates 30-day and 1-year outcomes of the Intrepid TMVR Early Feasibility Study in patients with ≥moderate-severe MR.

Impact of aortic valve replacement in symptomatic low-risk patients with less than severe aortic stenosis.

Objective: To evaluate whether transcatheter or surgical aortic valve replacement (TAVR or SAVR) affects clinical and haemodynamic outcomes in symptomatic patients with moderately-severe aortic stenosis (AS).

Methods: Echocardiographic evidence of severe AS for enrolment in the Evolut Low Risk trial was based on site-reported measurements. For this post hoc analysis, core laboratory measurements identified patients with symptomatic moderately-severe AS (1.

Sustainable surgical resource initiative for Haiti: the SSRI-Haiti project.

In response to the 2010 earthquake and subsequent cholera epidemic, St Luke's Medical Center was established in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Here, we describe its inception and evolution to include an intensive care unit and two operating rooms, as well as the staffing, training and experiential learning activities, which helped St Luke's become a sustainable surgical resource. We describe a three-phase model for establishing a sustainable surgical centre in Haiti (build facility and acquire equipment; train staff and perform surgeries; provide continued education and expansion including regular specialist trips) and we report a progressive increase in the number and complexity of cases performed by all-Haitian staff from 2012 to 2022.

Artificial intelligence for diagnosing neoplasia on digital cholangioscopy: development and multicenter validation of a convolutional neural network model.

Background: We aimed to develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) model for detecting neoplastic lesions during real-time digital single-operator cholangioscopy (DSOC) and to clinically validate the model through comparisons with DSOC expert and nonexpert endoscopists.

Methods: In this two-stage study, we first developed and validated CNN1. Then, we performed a multicenter diagnostic trial to compare four DSOC experts and nonexperts against an improved model (CNN2).

Visualizing and assessing US county-level COVID19 vulnerability.

Background: Like most of the world, the United States' public health and economy are impacted by the COVID19 pandemic. However, discrete pandemic effects may not be fully realized on the macro-scale. With this perspective, our goal is to visualize spread of the pandemic and measure county-level features which may portend vulnerability.

A newly designed uncovered biliary stent for palliation of malignant obstruction: results of a prospective study.

Background: Biliary decompression can reduce symptoms and improve quality of life in patients with malignant biliary obstruction. Endoscopically placed stents have become the standard of care for biliary drainage with the aim of improving hepatic function, relieving jaundice, and reducing adverse effects of obstruction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance characteristics of a newly-designed, uncovered metal biliary stent for the palliation of malignant biliary obstruction.

Clinical Utility of the Modified Snare Technique for Percutaneous Antegrade Removal of Double J Ureteral Stents.

Although a snare is the commonly used device for antegrade double J (DJ) stent removal, there are some cases in which DJ stent removal using only a snare is particularly difficult. In the present study, an unfavorable positioning of the proximal DJ stent tip and tip embeddedness were significantly associated with a simple snare technique failure; thus, present the modified snare technique to overcome the simple snare technique failure. By applying these 2 techniques together, we can increase the overall technical success rate up to 97% (196/202).

Management of cellulitis and the role of the nurse: a 5-year retrospective multicentre study in Fako, Cameroon.

Objective: This was a 5 year retrospective study of patients' hospital records to find out how patients with cellulitis are managed and the care provided by nurses to these patients in some hospitals in Fako, Cameroon.

Results: Of the 236 cases of cellulitis identified from a study of hospital records, 202 were included in the study. Most of the participants (55%) were female and the mean (SD) age was 43 (1.

Treatment of pulmonary blastomycosis with high-dose liposomal amphotericin B in a patient receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Blastomycosis-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has a rare incidence. We report the case of a 29-year-old man with blastomycosis-associated ARDS receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and managed with high-dose liposomal amphotericin B. This case illustrates the importance of timely diagnosis of pulmonary blastomycosis and appropriate dosing of antifungal therapy.

Does East meet West? Towards a unified vision of the management of Nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is notable for its wide geographic variation, with incidences as high as 30 in 100,000 in endemic regions but < 1 in 100,000 worldwide. This review aims to identify areas where there could be differences in prognosis, management or outcomes among countries with high or low incidence of NPC. The incidence has generally declined both in endemic and non-endemic regions throughout the years, which may be attributed to the decrease in exposure to risk factors such as early exposure to salted fish and smoking.

Transcatheter Aortic-Valve Replacement with a Self-Expanding Valve in Low-Risk Patients.

Background: Transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR) is an alternative to surgery in patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at increased risk for death from surgery; less is known about TAVR in low-risk patients.

Methods: We performed a randomized noninferiority trial in which TAVR with a self-expanding supraannular bioprosthesis was compared with surgical aortic-valve replacement in patients who had severe aortic stenosis and were at low surgical risk. When 850 patients had reached 12-month follow-up, we analyzed data regarding the primary end point, a composite of death or disabling stroke at 24 months, using Bayesian methods.

Should NICE guidelines be universally accepted for the evaluation of stable coronary disease? A debate.

The 2016 National Institute of Health and Care Excellence clinical guideline for the assessment and diagnosis of chest pain positions coronary computed tomography angiography as the first test for all stable chest pain patients without confirmed coronary artery disease and discards the previous emphasis on calculation of pre-test likelihood recommended in their 2012 edition of the guidelines. On the other hand, the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology guidelines continue to present the stress testing functional modalities as the tests of choice. The aim of this review is to present, in the form of a debate, the pros and cons of these paradigm changing recommendations, with an emphasis on literature review and projection of future needs, with conclusions to be drawn by the reader.

Idiopathic recurrent acute pancreatitis.

Idiopathic recurrent acute pancreatitis is clinically challenging and has substantial socioeconomic consequences. Investigations are expensive and often reveal little about the cause of the disease. Little is known about the interaction between genetic, environmental, anatomical, and other factors that contribute to the disease.

Painful Bladder Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis Successful Treatment with Montelukast: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis (PBS/IC) is a chronic condition characterized by pelvic pain, urinary frequency, and urgency for more than six months in the absence of urinary tract infections. The etiology of PBS/IC is still an enigma. PBS/IC is challenging for doctors to diagnose because its symptoms overlap with other diseases such as urinary tract infection, overactive bladder, or endometriosis.

Decreased trend in hospital mortality from pancreatic cancer despite increase in number of hospital admissions.

Background And Aim: Pancreatic cancer is one of the common cancers in US and is associated with high mortality and morbidity. The objectives of our study were to look at the recent trends in the number of hospitalizations with pancreatic cancer.

Methods: We identified patients with a discharge diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in the National Inpatient Sample from 2007 to 2011 using International Classification of Diseases-Clinical Modification, 9th revision (ICD-9-CM) codes.

A phase III study comparing SB3 (a proposed trastuzumab biosimilar) and trastuzumab reference product in HER2-positive early breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant-adjuvant treatment: Final safety, immunogenicity and survival results.

Background: The equivalent efficacy between SB3, a proposed trastuzumab biosimilar, and the trastuzumab reference product (TRZ) in terms of the breast pathologic complete response rate after neoadjuvant therapy in patients with early or locally advanced human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer was demonstrated in the previous report. Here, we report the final safety, immunogenicity and survival results after neoadjuvant-adjuvant treatment.

Patients And Methods: Patients were randomised 1:1 to receive neoadjuvant SB3 or TRZ for 8 cycles concurrently with chemotherapy (4 cycles of docetaxel followed by 4 cycles of 5-fluorouracil/epirubicin/cyclophosphamide).