Is CT pulmonary angiography overutilized in the evaluation of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism? A retrospective study.

Introduction: Despite the high mortality rate of acute untreated pulmonary embolism (PE) at 30%, diagnosing PE is challenging. While the prevalence of PE has decreased in recent years, the overuse of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) remains a concern. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides guidelines using the Wells score for PE assessment.

Optimum diagnostic pathway and pathologic confirmation rate of early stage lung cancer: Results from the VIOLET randomised controlled trial.

Background: Pathologic confirmation of lung cancer influences treatment selection for suspected early-stage lung cancer. High pre-treatment tissue confirmation rates are recommended. We sought to define management and outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for primary lung cancer in a UK multi-centre clinical trial.

The Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Remission: A Systematic Review.

Bariatric surgery has been shown to significantly affect type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remission, particularly in obese individuals. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of bariatric surgical interventions in inducing remission of T2DM as well as to identify factors influencing surgical outcomes. The systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Plasmablastic Lymphoma Manifesting As Pleural Thickening and Effusion: A Case Report.

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PbL) is a subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, primarily linked to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. This case report presents a 34-year-old HIV-positive patient who exhibited unusual signs of pleural thickening and effusion. Initial evaluations, including imaging and pleural fluid analysis, suggested thoracic empyema.

Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Implantation Combining Ultrasound With Microendoscopy for Management of Chronic Neuropathic Pain: A Case Series Study.

Background: Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) has emerged as a minimally invasive percutaneous procedure addressing neuropathic pain. However, the percutaneous cylindrical lead ultrasound-guided implantation procedure requires expertise that limits widespread PNS utilization. To overcome these challenges, a microinvasive endoscopy device has very recently been developed, enhancing the precision of PNS implantation by providing accurate visualization of the targeted nerve.

Oxygen saturation in healthy-term neonates at high altitude: A multisite prospective study.

Objectives: To determine oxygen saturation (SpO) values and their variability in healthy-term neonates at high altitude.

Methods: In a prospective multisite, non-randomized blinded study, we performed SpO measurements in healthy neonates admitted to postnatal wards and followed up in Public Health Nurse Clinics (PHNC) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We recruited healthy-term neonates (≥37 weeks) between 6 and 24 h of age.

Reporting guidelines for protocols of randomised controlled trials of implantable neurostimulation devices: the SPIRIT-iNeurostim extension.

Background: The Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) statement has improved the quality of reporting of randomised trial protocols. Extensions to the SPIRIT statement are needed to address specific issues of trial protocol reporting, including those relevant to particular types of interventions. Methodological and reporting deficiencies in protocols of clinical trials of implantable neurostimulation devices are common.

Reporting guidelines for randomised controlled trial reports of implantable neurostimulation devices: the CONSORT-iNeurostim extension.

Background: The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement has improved the quality of reporting of randomised trials. Extensions to the CONSORT statement are often needed to address specific issues of trial reporting, including those relevant to particular types of interventions. Methodological and reporting deficiencies in clinical trials of implantable neurostimulation devices are common.

Intrathecal drug delivery for the management of pain and spasticity in adults: British Pain Society's recommendations for best clinical practice.

The British Pain Society updated their recommendations on intrathecal drug delivery (ITDD) for the management of pain and spasticity in adults. The recommendations are primarily evidence based but where necessary comprise the consensus opinion of the working group. The recommendations are accompanied by information for patients and their carers, intended to inform and support patients in their decision making.

Differential target multiplexed spinal cord stimulation in patients with Persistent Spinal Pain Syndrome Type II: a study protocol for a 12-month multicentre cohort study (DETECT).

Introduction: Differential target multiplexed spinal cord stimulation (DTM SCS) is a new stimulation paradigm for chronic pain management with the aim of modulating glial cells and neurons in order to rebalance their interactions. Animal studies revealed positive effects of this type of stimulation; however, studies in humans are still scarce, pointing towards the need for an evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of DTM SCS in clinical settings. Furthermore, the differential target multiplexed (DTM) algorithm consists of a combination of several programmes, which will presumably consume more energy from the spinal cord stimulation (SCS) battery.

Role of Lipoprotein(a) Reduction in Cardiovascular Disease.

Recent studies have shown that lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is an important risk factor for a plethora of different cardiovascular diseases. It has been proven that Lp(a) levels are genetically determined and correlate with risk of cardiovascular disease, independent of lifestyle factors. As of yet, treatment options to reduce Lp(a) levels are limited, but new research into Lp(a) reduction yields promising results.

Vestibular Prehabilitation-A Single UK Center Experience and Literature Review.

 To assess whether vestibular prehabilitation with intratympanic gentamicin is a useful preoperative adjunct in allowing for early mobilization and short length of stay in patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS).  Retrospective single-center study and literature review.  Tertiary neurosurgical center.

Awareness of Interventional Radiology Among Medical Students.

Background: Interventional radiology (IR) plays a crucial role in modern medicine, offering minimally invasive treatments for various conditions. Despite its growing significance, the awareness and understanding of IR among medical students are often limited.

Objective: This research aims to evaluate the level of awareness of IR among medical students at the University of Gezira in Sudan Methodology: This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study that involved 174 medical students from batches 39 and 40.

Validation of a holistic composite outcome measure for the evaluation of chronic pain interventions.

Introduction: Chronic pain is a personal experience influenced by multiple biopsychosocial factors. Using a pain intensity measure alone to assess the effectiveness of a chronic pain intervention fails to fully evaluate its impact on the multifaceted chronic pain experience. The holistic minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is a composite outcome developed to provide a comprehensive assessment of chronic pain in response to intervention, across 5 outcome domains: pain intensity, health-related quality of life, sleep quality, physical, and emotional function.

Assessing the psychobiological demands of high-fidelity training in pre-hospital emergency medicine.

Background: Individuals who provide critical emergency care mount rapid psychobiological responses when faced with an incident. These responses are adaptive and ensure resources at time of demand; however, frequent activation with minimal opportunity for recovery can have negative consequences for health and wellbeing. Monitoring individuals in real emergency situations would provide an understanding of their stress responses during the provision of critical care; however, this presents logistical challenges.

Radical Prostatectomy Versus Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Clinically Localised Prostate Cancer: Results of the PACE-A Randomised Trial.

Background And Objective: Randomised data on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and prostatectomy in localised prostate cancer are lacking. PACE-A compared patient-reported health-related quality of life after SBRT with that after prostatectomy.

Methods: PACE is a phase 3 open-label, randomised controlled trial.

Inequalities in access to and outcomes of cardiac surgery in England: retrospective analysis of Hospital Episode Statistics (2010-2019).

Background: We aimed to characterise the variation in access to and outcomes of cardiac surgery for people in England.

Methods: We included people >18 years of age with hospital admission for ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and heart valve disease (HVD) between 2010 and 2019. Within these populations, we identified people who had coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and/or valve surgery, respectively.

Assessment of Visual Attention in Teams with or without Dedicated Team Leaders: A Neonatal Simulation-Based Pilot Randomised Cross-Over Trial Utilising Low-Cost Eye-Tracking Technology.

Background: Eye-tracking technology could be used to study human factors during teamwork.

Objectives: This work aimed to compare the visual attention (VA) of a team member acting as both a team leader and managing the airway, compared to a team member performing the focused task of managing the airway in the presence of a dedicated team leader. This work also aimed to report differences in team performance, behavioural skills, and workload between the two groups using validated tools.