Diffusion tensor imaging features of white matter pathways in the brain after COVID-19 infection.

Purpose: To determine whether there is a difference in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values in white matter pathways in the subacute period after COVID-19 infection and to evaluate the correlation between diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics and laboratory findings.

Material And Methods: The study included 64 healthy controls and 91 patients. Patients were classified as group 1 (all patients, n = 91), group 2 (outpatients, n = 58), or group 3 (inpatients, n = 33).

Tricuspid regurgitation and outcomes in mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair.

Background And Aims: The association between periprocedural change in tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and outcomes in patients undergoing mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) is unclear. This study aimed to examine the prognostic value of TR before and after M-TEER.

Methods: Patients in the OCEAN-Mitral registry were divided into four groups according to baseline and post-procedure echocardiographic assessments: no TR/no TR (no TR), no TR/significant TR (new-onset TR), significant TR/no TR (normalized TR), and significant TR/significant TR (residual TR) (all represents before/after M-TEER).

Comparison of different microbiome analysis pipelines to validate their reproducibility of gastric mucosal microbiome composition.

Microbiome analysis has become a crucial tool for basic and translational research due to its potential for translation into clinical practice. However, there is ongoing controversy regarding the comparability of different bioinformatic analysis platforms and a lack of recognized standards, which might have an impact on the translational potential of results. This study investigates how the performance of different microbiome analysis platforms impacts the final results of mucosal microbiome signatures.

The Effect of St. John's Wort Oil on Urethral Stricture: An Experimental Study in Rat Model.

Objective: The aim was to evaluate the effect of yellow and red centaury St. John's Wort (St. JW) oil on inflammation and urethral fibrosis development in a rat urethral trauma model.

Effects of kinesiotaping on proprioception, pain, disability, and quality of life in patients with cervical spondylosis: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effects of kinesiotaping (KT) adjunct to physical therapy (PT) on proprioception, cervical range of motion (ROM), pain, disability, anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QoL) in cervical spondylosis.

Methods: Sixty-nine patients aged 50-70 years were randomized into three groups: PT, PT plus KT(PT+KT), PT plus sham-taping(PT+ST). All participants underwent standardized 15-session PT, 5 days/week.

Assessing sign language comprehension in adults with intellectual disability and deafness.

Language comprehension is an essential component of human development that is associated not only with expressive language development and knowledge acquisition, but also with social inclusion, mental health, and quality of life. For deaf and hard-of-hearing adults with intellectual disability, there is a paucity of measures of receptive sign language skills, although these are a prerequisite for individualized planning and evaluation of intervention. Assessments require materials and procedures that are accurate, feasible, and suitable for low levels of functioning.

Prevalence and Prognostic Impact of ST Segment Elevation in Lead aVR Among Patients with Cardiac Arrest.

Background: In acute coronary syndrome, ST-segment elevation in lead aVR (STE-aVR) indicates global myocardial ischemia, often related to multivessel or severe left main disease, and correlates with increased mortality. The prevalence and prognostic significance of STE-aVR in cardiac arrest (CA) patients is unknown.

Methods: We identified patients (≥18 years) with CA between 2011 to 2022 who achieved return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC).

Educational or Behavioural Interventions to Improve Long-Term Haemodialysis Vascular Access Self-Management: A Systematic Review.

Background: Globally, haemodialysis is the most frequent type of kidney replacement therapy and necessitates access to the bloodstream either through a native arteriovenous fistula, arteriovenous graft or central venous catheter. Vascular access complications are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in adults receiving haemodialysis, and effective vascular access self-management is required.

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of educational or behavioural interventions designed to improve self-management of long-term vascular access in adults receiving haemodialysis.

Co-Producing Peritoneal Dialysis Nursing Sensitive Indicators for Quality Care: A Multinational Consensus Building Design.

Background: Nursing sensitive indicators are a way of measuring aspects of patient care that are most affected by the actions of the nurse. Despite the existence of nursing sensitive indicators, these are largely not suitable to measure peritoneal dialysis nursing practice.

Objective: This project aimed to co-develop a set of peritoneal dialysis nursing-sensitive indicators.

Efficacy and Safety of Mechanical Thrombectomy in Distal Medium Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Ischemic Stroke Patients on Low-Dose Aspirin.

Background: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) from distal medium vessel occlusion (DMVO) presents unique treatment challenges. Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is emerging as a viable option for these patients, yet the role of pre-stroke aspirin treatment is unclear. This study evaluates the impact of pre-stroke low-dose aspirin on outcomes in DMVO patients undergoing MT.

Task-sharing: Abortion care access expansion through training midwives and nurses to provide first trimester abortion in a sub-Saharan setting: A multicenter pre-post study.

Objectives: To determine the effect of training midwives and nurses on access to first trimester abortions and post-abortion family planning.

Methods: This was a pre-post study on first trimester abortion care and post-abortion contraceptive services expansion by training midwives and nurses(task-sharing) from 14 catchment health centers of St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College (Ethiopia).

Advance care planning intervention in chronic kidney care: A qualitative evaluation.

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease and their families request early and continuous advance care planning. Based on user involvement, an advance care planning intervention was developed to support patients, family members and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in advance care planning conversations in a nephrology outpatient setting.

Objective: To explore the experiences and perceptions of an advance care planning intervention among patients with chronic kidney disease, family members and healthcare professionals.

Overweight yet Undernourished: A Common Juxtaposition in the Specialist Diabetes Foot Service.

Aims: To describe the nutritional status of people with diabetes-related foot complications and explore the association between nutrition and ulceration healing.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included attendees of a diabetes foot service who completed a dietary questionnaire. Diet was compared to guideline recommendations and biochemical measures were recorded.

Advances in the use of nanotechnology for treating gout.

Gout is a commonly occurring form of inflammatory arthritis caused by persistently elevated levels of uric acid. Its incidence rate rises with the increases of living standards and poor dietary habits, which has a considerable impact on the quality of life of the patients. Although there is a wide assortment of drugs available for the management of gout, the effectiveness and security of these drugs are limited by their poor chemical stability and insufficient targeting.

Integrating digital technologies in dental technician education: A comparative study of national examination in Asian countries.

Background/purpose: The integration of digital technologies in dental technician education revolutionized the profession in Asian countries. Despite the growing adoption of digital methods, national examinations predominantly relied on traditional techniques. This study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of national examination standards and digital course integration in dental technician education among 5 countries including Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines, and China.

Review of Challenges in Performing Real-World Evidence Studies for Nonprescription Products.

In recent years, regulatory authorities have signaled a willingness to consider real-world evidence (RWE) data to support applications for new claims and indications for pharmaceuticals. Historically, RWE studies have been the domain of prescription drugs, driven by the fact that clinical data on patients are routinely captured in medical records, claims databases, registries, etc. However, RWE reports of nonprescription drugs and supplements are relatively sparse due to methodological gaps in this area.

Mpox (monkeypox): a comprehensive updated of current epidemic evidence.

Mpox, formerly referred to as monkeypox, is a viral disease endemic to central Africa, resulting from the monkeypox virus (MPXV). This study provides a current overview of the Mpox epidemic as of 2024, emphasizing significant developments and epidemiological trends. The World Health Organization (WHO) initially designated a clade Ⅱb outbreak as a global health emergency in May 2022, which was subsequently managed through vaccination and public health interventions by May 2023.

Nebulized aminoglycosides for ventilator-associated pneumonia: Methodological considerations and lessons from experimental studies.

Aminoglycosides are concentration-dependent antibiotics exerting a bactericidal effect when concentrations at the site of infection are equal to or greater than 5 times the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC). When administered intravenously, they exhibit poor lung penetration and high systemic renal and ototoxicity, imposing to restrict their administration to 5 days. Experimental studies conducted in anesthetized and mechanically ventilated sheep and pigs provide evidence that high doses of nebulized aminoglycosides induce a rapid and potent bacterial killing in the infected lung parenchyma.

From gastroenteritis to myocarditis: a case series of Campylobacter-mediated cardiac involvement.

Background: While viruses remain the leading cause of infectious myocarditis, improved diagnostic methods have highlighted the role of bacteria as a possible cause. We report two cases of myocarditis as a complication of infection.

Case Summaries: Patient A, a 17-year-old Caucasian male with a history of asthma, presented to the emergency department (ED) after experiencing fever and nausea for four days, followed by 1 day of diarrhoea and chest discomfort.

Prognostic Impact of Insulin-Treated and Non-Insulin-Treated Diabetes in Patients with a Reduced Ejection Fraction After ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Insulin- and non-insulin treated diabetes (ITDM and NITDM) have different prognostic impact in patients with myocardial infarction and/or heart failure. The aim of this study was to analyze the prognostic impact of ITDM and NTIDM on the incidence of all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE- cardiovascular death, nonfatal infarction, nonfatal stroke, and target vessel revascularization) in the 8-year follow-up of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with a reduced ejection fraction (EF).

Methods: We analyzed 2230 consecutive STEMI patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention and with EF < 50%.

Pharmaco-Invasive Strategy Vs Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Latin America: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the established treatment for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but often it is not readily available in low-resource settings. We assessed the safety and efficacy of the pharmaco-invasive strategy compared to primary PCI for STEMI in Latin America.

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) were searched for the period from their inception to September 2023, for studies that compared a pharmaco-invasive strategy vs primary PCI in Latin America.

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Background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains a prominent medical concern worldwide. Epidemiologic metrics and trends over time for OHCA cases in Canada are not well defined. This study evaluated geographic differences in the incidence and outcomes of OHCA patients admitted to hospitals across Canada, during the period 2013-2017.

The Crucial Role of Bedside Echocardiography and Clinical Suspicion in Diagnosing Pulmonary Embolism With ST Elevation on ECG, Initially Misdiagnosed as ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI).

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening condition with varied presentations, occasionally mimicking ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This case highlights a 52-year-old male patient with a history of venous thromboembolism (VTE) who presented with progressive shortness of breath over a month, culminating in dyspnea at rest, and anterior ST-segment elevation on electrocardiography (ECG). The initial evaluation suggested STEMI.