Epidemiology, Ventilation Management, and Outcomes in Invasively Ventilated Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients: An Analysis of Four Observational Studies in Four Countries on Two Continents.

Epidemiology, ventilator management, and outcomes in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been described extensively but have never been compared between countries. We performed an individual patient data analysis of four observational studies to compare epidemiology, ventilator management, and outcomes. We used propensity score weighting to control for confounding factors.

Patient Voices: Multimethod Study on the Feasibility of Implementing Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Background: "Patient Voices" is a software developed to promote the systematic collection of electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs) in routine oncology clinical practice.

Objective: This study aimed to assess compliance with and feasibility of the Patient Voices ePROM system and analyze patient-related barriers in an Italian comprehensive cancer center.

Methods: Consecutive patients with cancer attending 3 outpatient clinics and 3 inpatient wards were screened for eligibility (adults, native speakers, and being able to fill in the ePROMs) and enrolled in a quantitative and qualitative multimethod study.

Integrative Oncology: Incorporating Evidence-Based Approaches for Patients With GI Cancers.

Data have matured to support incorporation of integrative oncology modalities into comprehensive cancer care. Clinical practice guidelines have recently been published by ASCO for diet and exercise (2022) and use of cannabinoids and cannabis (2024) and jointly by ASCO and the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) for application of integrative approaches in the management of pain (2022), anxiety and depression (2023), and fatigue (2024) among adults with cancer. Following the ASCO-SIO guidelines, clinicians should recommend mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to patients with symptoms of anxiety or depression and MBIs and exercise for management of fatigue during or after completion of cancer treatment.

CHROMOPHOBE HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA: DIAGNOSTIC CHALLENGES.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) encompasses rare variants like chromophobe hepatocellular carcinoma (CHCC) characterized by distinct histological features and molecular profiles.

Case Report: A 56-year-old male with chronic hepatitis C, presenting pain in the right hypochondrium. Imaging revealed a solitary liver lesion, subsequently resected and histologically diagnosed as HCC.

Correlation Between Plantar Fascia Thickness and Other Variables in Women Diagnosed with Plantar Fasciopathy.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between plantar fascia (PF) thickness and various factors including pain, function, anthropometric parameters, and other variables in women diagnosed with plantar fasciopathy.

Methods: A total of 37 feet from female patients were randomly selected for this investigation. Utilizing ultrasound, the thickness of the PF was meticulously measured.

Assessment of Geriatric Problems and Risk Factors for Delirium in Surgical Medicine: Protocol for Multidisciplinary Prospective Clinical Study.

Background: An aging population in combination with more gentle and less stressful surgical procedures leads to an increased number of operations on older patients. This collectively raises novel challenges due to higher age heavily impacting treatment. A major problem, emerging in up to 50% of cases, is perioperative delirium.

Increasing access to pain care services to improve rural pain management: a realist review investigating factors affecting uptake, implementation, and sustainability.

Guideline-based care for chronic pain is challenging to deliver in rural settings. Evaluations of programs that increase access to pain care services in rural areas report variable outcomes. We conducted a realist review to gain a deep understanding of how and why such programs may, or may not, work.

The effects of ultra-selective beta1-antagonism on the metabolic and cytokine profile in septic shock patients receiving noradrenaline: a sub-investigation from the STRESS-L Randomised Study.

Purpose: The landiolol and organ failure in patients with septic shock (STRESS-L study) included a pre-planned sub-study to assess the effect of landiolol treatment on inflammatory and metabolomic markers.

Methods: Samples collected from 91 patients randomised to STRESS-L were profiled for immune and metabolomic markers. A panel of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were measured through commercially acquired multiplex Luminex assays and statistically analysed by individual and cluster-level analysis (patient).

Residual pain and fatigue are affected by disease perception in rheumatoid arthritis in sustained clinical and ultrasound remission.

Objective: Regardless of remission status, residual pain (RP) might persist in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to characterize RP, its perception, and patient-dependent features and to evaluate its possible association with residual synovitis in patients with RA in remission.

Methods: Ninety-seven patients with RA, including 68 in sustained clinical and ultrasound remission (Rem/RA) and 29 in high/moderate DAS28-CRP disease activity (H-Mo/RA) were enrolled in the study.

Novel pain management strategy for uterine fibroid embolization.

Background: Uterine fibroid embolization can be associated with significant pain due to fibroid ischemia and interventions of the procedure itself. Fentanyl and midazolam are commonly provided for sedation and pain relief, but are not tolerated by all patients. This report outlines a novel pain management strategy for uterine fibroid embolization in a patient who could not receive either opioids or benzodiazepines.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Stem Cell Therapies for Pain in Diabetic Neuropathy, Osteoarthritis, and Spinal Cord Injuries.

Purpose Of Review: The use of stem cell therapy is a rapidly evolving and progressing frontier of science that has been used to treat illnesses such as malignancies, immunodeficiencies, and metabolic syndromes. This review aims to give an overview of the use of stem cell therapy in the treatment of pain caused by diabetic neuropathy, osteoarthritis, and other spinal cord pathologies.

Recent Findings: Pain is defined as a generalized or localized feeling of distress related to a physical or emotional stimulus and can be caused by a multitude of pathologies.

Sleep disorders in rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis.

Sleep disorders are relatively common among patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) and have a substantial impact on their quality of life. Although patients frequently recognize poor sleep as an important component of their disease, dyssomnias remain often underdiagnosed and untreated in routine clinical practice. This narrative review examines the prevalence, mechanism, risk factors and management of dyssomnias in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

The Diagnosis and Therapy of Osteoporosis in Gaucher Disease.

Gaucher disease is a rare lysosomal storage disorder characterized by the accumulation of glucocerebroside lipids within multiple organs due to a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme (acid β-glucosidase). It is an inherited autosomal recessive disease. The onset of symptoms can vary depending on disease type and severity, with milder forms presenting in adulthood.

Risk factors associated with pain and pain relief in patients with chronic pancreatitis.

Background: Abdominal pain is one of the most prominent symptoms in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) and can manifest intermittently or persistently. The mechanism of pain is not yet clear, and no effective treatment is currently available. This study aimed to explore the risk factors for pain in patients with CP, which may provide new insights for developing effective pain control modalities.

Exertional Compartment Syndrome Strategies for Evaluation and Management.

Objective: The exertional compartment syndrome (ECS) is often a delayed diagnosis. Compartment pressure measurements (CPM) confirm the diagnosis. Herein we present our algorithm for the evaluation and management (E&M) of ECS.

Suspected Stonefish Envenomation in Reunion Island: 15 Years Later.

Introduction: Although marine envenomations are a reason for consultation in tropical emergency departments, stonefish stings are particularly feared. Immediate management focuses on pain control, whereas late management addresses cutaneous complications. This study presents a new series and compares the management of these patients and their outcomes at our center over the past 20 years.

Impact of smoking status on engagement in remote symptom monitoring after oncologic surgery: Implications for symptom management and readmission rates.

Background: Remote symptom monitoring (RSM) is an evidence-based strategy shown to mitigate postoperative morbidity; however, platform engagement is required to benefit from RSM. Patients who report current smoking are at high risk for postoperative complications, but it is unknown whether smoking status influences engagement with RSM, symptom severity, or unanticipated acute care visits.

Methods: This observational case-control study was conducted in patients undergoing ambulatory oncologic surgery at a large cancer center.

The Italian version of the Nurses' Cancer Pain Management Competency Scale: a validation study.

Background And Aim: The Nurses' Cancer Pain Management Competency Scale is a tool to explore nurses' competencies and subjective experiences in cancer pain management, and to help nurses understand their current shortcomings in cancer pain management. Furthermore, based on the scale's specific score, nurses can evaluate their lack of understanding about cancer pain management, advance research into this area, and enhance their capacity to control cancer pain while providing patient care. The scale is currently available only in English and in Chinese.

The Effect of Obesity on the Treatment Outcomes of Lumbar Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections.

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of obesity on the treatment outcomes of lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections (TFESIs).

Material And Methods: This retrospective study included patients who underwent single-level TFESI in a pain management center between January 2021 and April 2023. Body mass index (BMI) of the patients was evaluated based on the World Health Organization guidelines.

Exoskeleton Training for Spinal Cord Injury Neuropathic Pain (ExSCIP): Protocol for a Phase 2 Feasibility Randomised Trial.

Background: Following Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), 53% of people develop neuropathic pain (NP). NP can be more debilitating than other consequences of SCI, and a persistent health issue. Pharmacotherapies are commonly recommended for NP management in SCI, although severe pain often remains refractory to these treatments in many sufferers.

Beyond the Operating Room: A Narrative Review of Enhanced Recovery Strategies in Colorectal Surgery.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols have significantly transformed the management of patients undergoing colorectal surgery. This comprehensive review explores the key components and benefits of ERAS in colorectal procedures, focusing on preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative strategies aimed at improving patient outcomes. These strategies include preoperative patient education, multimodal analgesia, minimally invasive surgical techniques, and early mobilization.

Digit Amputation Secondary to COVID-19-Induced Raynaud's Phenomenon.

Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is characterized by episodic vasospasm of the small blood vessels, primarily affecting the fingers and toes. Management includes lifestyle modifications, pharmacological treatments, and in severe cases, surgical interventions. Here we report a case of an 80-year-old male patient with a history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and atrial fibrillation who presented to the emergency department with edema, cyanosis, and intense pain in the fingers of both hands following a mild COVID-19 infection (no dyspnea or hypoxemia).

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Mediated Weight Loss and Diabetes Mellitus Benefits: A Narrative Review.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are chronic diseases with increasing prevalence, underscoring the urgent need for effective treatment and management strategies. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have emerged as an essential class of drugs for managing both obesity and T2DM, offering additional benefits for cardiovascular and kidney health. GLP-1 RAs work by targeting GLP-1 receptors, mimicking the effects of the natural hormone GLP-1 to regulate blood glucose levels, promote weight loss, and provide potential benefits for cardiovascular health.

A Case of Familial Mediterranean Fever With Severe Attacks During Withdrawal Bleeding After Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autoinflammatory disease characterized by periodic fever, serositis, and arthritis. In women, FMF attacks can sometimes be triggered by the menstrual cycle. Once diagnosed, prophylactic treatment with colchicine is generally recommended.