Aortic Annulus S-Curve: Implications for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement and Related Procedures, Part 1.

Most transcatheter aortic valve replacement-related procedures (eg, transcatheter aortic valve replacement implantation depth, commissural alignment, coronary access, bioprosthetic or native aortic scallop intentional laceration to prevent iatrogenic coronary artery obstruction, paravalvular leak closure) require an optimal fluoroscopic viewing angle located somewhere along the aortic annulus S-curve. Chamber views, coronary cusp and coronary anatomy, can be understood along the aortic annulus S-curve. A better understanding of the optimal fluoroscopic viewing angles along the S-curve may translate into increased operator confidence and improved safety and efficacy while reducing procedural time, radiation dose, contrast volume, and complication rates.

Secundiparas following a failed vacuum delivery-factors associated with a successful vaginal delivery: a historical prospective cohort.

Background: Few studies have focused on the delivery subsequent to a failed vacuum delivery (failed-VD) in secundiparas. The objective of the current study was to examine the factors associated with a vaginal delivery following a failed-VD.

Methods: An historical prospective cohort.

Small Bowel Obstruction in Patients without Prior Abdominal Surgery: To Operate or Not?

Introduction: Surgical exploration is still considered mandatory in the setting of small bowel obstruction (SBO) in patients without prior intra-abdominal surgery. However, recent studies have challenged this 'classic' approach describing success with conservative non-surgical treatment. The aim of this study is to identify clinical, radiological and biochemical variables that may be associated with the absence of intra-abdominal pathology in patients with SBO who have not undergone previous surgery.

Endocarditis in the intensive care unit: an update.

Purpose Of Review: The incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) is increasing worldwide, resulting in a higher number of patients with IE being admitted to intensive care units (ICU). Nearly half of patients with IE develop a complication during their clinical course. However, few well conducted studies or reviews are devoted to critically ill IE patients.

Exploring the Trends of Acute Appendicitis Following Recovery or Vaccination From COVID-19.

Introduction: The relationship that vaccination against corona virus disease 19 (COVID-19) or recovery from the acute form of the illness may have with the incidence or severity of acute appendicitis (AA) has not been explored. The aim of this study was to evaluate this relationship.

Methods: A single centre retrospective study of all consecutive adult patients presenting with AA in the 6 mo after the initiation of a national vaccination program was performed.

Odevixibat treatment in progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis: a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial.

Background: Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) is a group of inherited paediatric liver diseases resulting from mutations in genes that impact bile secretion. We aimed to evaluate the effects of odevixibat, an ileal bile acid transporter inhibitor, versus placebo in children with PFIC.

Methods: Patients eligible for this 24-week, randomised, double-blind, completed, phase 3 study were paediatric outpatients diagnosed with PFIC1 or PFIC2 who had pruritus and elevated serum bile acids at screening.

Epidemiology and age-related mortality in critically ill patients with intra-abdominal infection or sepsis: an international cohort study.

Objective: To describe epidemiology and age-related mortality in critically ill older adults with intra-abdominal infection.

Methods: A secondary analysis was undertaken of a prospective, multi-national, observational study (Abdominal Sepsis Study, ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT03270345) including patients with intra-abdominal infection from 309 intensive care units (ICUs) in 42 countries between January and December 2016.

5-Year Follow-Up From the PARTNER 2 Aortic Valve-in-Valve Registry for Degenerated Aortic Surgical Bioprostheses.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to report the outcomes of valve-in-valve (ViV) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) at 5 years.

Background: TAVR for degenerated surgical bioprostheses in patients at high risk for reoperative surgery is an important treatment option that may delay or obviate the need for surgical intervention; however, long-term outcomes of this procedure are unknown.

Methods: The PARTNER (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves) 2 ViV and continued access registries prospectively enrolled patients with failed surgical bioprostheses at high risk for reoperation.

Low versus high dose anticoagulation in patients with Coronavirus 2019 pneumonia at the time of admission to critical care units: A multicenter retrospective cohort study in the Beaumont healthcare system.

Purpose: Coagulopathy is common in patients with COVID-19. The ideal approach to anticoagulation remains under debate. There is a significant variability in existing protocols for anticoagulation, and these are mostly based on sporadic reports, small studies, and expert opinion.

The unseen pandemic: treatment delays and loss to follow-up due to fear of COVID.

Background: Fear of contracting SARS-CoV-2 has transformed public interaction with healthcare professionals and hospitals alike. In turn, this has resulted in a collateral impact on patients' health across medical and surgical paradigms. Understanding the causative factors of this fear, and tackling it head on, is vital to return to pre-pandemic levels of healthcare.

Preparing for mass casualty events despite COVID-19.

Preparedness for mass casualty events is essential at local, national, and global levels. Much more needs to be done by all stakeholders to avoid unnecessary morbidity and mortality despite the challenges that COVID-19 continues to present. In this editorial, we highlight the challenges and solutions for mass casualty incident preparations.

Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus bacteraemia in an endemic region: clinical features and genomic analysis: a 12-year cohort.

Background: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are important nosocomial pathogens with increasing prevalence worldwide. Hospitals in Jerusalem, Israel are known to have high rates of VRE carriage. However, the clonicity of this pathogen in endemic areas remains unclear.

Radial strain imaging-guided lead placement for improving response to cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy: the Raise CRT trial.

Aims: To evaluate the benefit of speckle tracking radial strain imaging (STRSI)-guided left ventricular (LV) lead (LVL) positioning in cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients (pts) with ischaemic cardiomyopathy with CRT indication.

Methods And Results: We conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial. Patients were enrolled in nine centres with 2:1 randomization into two groups (guided vs.

Predictors of Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction After Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement in Severe Mitral Annular Calcification: An Analysis of the Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement in Mitral Annular Calcification Global Registry.

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Sero-Prevalence and Sero-Incidence of Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Health Care Workers in Israel, Prior to Mass COVID-19 Vaccination.

This study aims to examine the prevalence and risk factors of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sero-positivity in health care workers (HCWs), a main risk group, and assess the sero-incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection between the first and second waves of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Israel. A longitudinal study was conducted among 874 HCWs from nine hospitals. Demographics, health information, and blood samples were obtained at baseline (first wave-April-May 2020) and at follow-up ( = 373) (second wave-September-November 2020).

BNT162b2 vaccine breakthrough: clinical characteristics of 152 fully vaccinated hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Israel.

Objectives: The mRNA coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have shown high effectiveness in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19, hospitalization, severe disease and death. Nevertheless, a minority of vaccinated individuals might become infected and experience significant morbidity. Characteristics of vaccine breakthrough infections have not been studied.

Early benefits of a secondary fracture prevention programme.

Introduction: The most successful programme for secondary fracture prevention is the FLS (fracture liaison service) model. Our orthopaedic department carried out a prospective randomised study to measure the effectiveness of a 4-step intervention programme. The findings in this study reveal important additional clinical benefits to having an orthopaedic-based FLS programme and evaluates the usefulness of fracture risk tools.

The role of as a pathogen in children: a multicentre retrospective study.

(SL), a tube coagulase negative , is known to be pathogenic in adults, causing mainly skin infections. Previous studies assessing SL's role in paediatric populations are sparse and are mainly limited to case reports. Present the clinical characteristics consistent with SL infections and its putative role as a pathogen in the paediatric population.

Hematological manifestations and complications of Gaucher disease.

: Gaucher disease (GD), although pan-ethnic and rare (common in Ashkenazi Jews), is of great importance to hematologists both for diagnosis and management. The need for increased awareness of GD is that delayed diagnosis may lead to preventable irreversible complications (mainly skeletal) or unnecessary invasive procedures (e.g.