Coronary Intervention Outcomes in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis.

Purpose Of Review: This review assesses the outcomes of coronary interventions in patients with liver cirrhosis and coronary artery disease (CAD), focusing on the clinical challenges posed by cirrhosis-related hemodynamic and coagulopathic changes. It highlights essential considerations for managing these patients, who have an increased risk of adverse events during coronary procedures.

Recent Findings: Recent studies have shown that patients with liver cirrhosis undergoing PCI experience significantly higher mortality rates compared to non-cirrhotic patients, particularly in the context of STEMI and NSTEMI.

Efficacy of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Management of Cancer Pain: a Meta Analysis.

Purpose Of Review: The present investigation assesses efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on relief of cancer or chemotherapy-related pain. Patients with cancer experience a relatively high prevalence of pain that is reportedly undertreated. Therefore, this analysis is pertinent to determine if TENS is a useful complementary therapy considering its increase in accessibility and minimal side effect profile.

Risk factors and retreatment for relapse in childhood primary nephrotic syndrome treated with rituximab.

Background: The effectiveness of rituximab (RTX) for steroid-dependent/frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome (SDNS/FRNS) in children is well documented. However, there are insufficient data on relapse risk factors. Additionally, the retreat regimen for relapsed children requires further investigation.

Axial Spondyloarthritis Clinical Research Year in Review: SPARTAN 2024 Annual Meeting Proceedings.

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this review is to highlight high impact clinical research in axial spondyloarthritis that was published between May 2023 and April 2024. These publications were presented at the SPARTAN annual meeting in May 2024.

Recent Findings: Three publications addressed the rate and predictors of radiographic progression in axial spondyloarthritis.

Correlations Between Spirituality, Anxiety, and Depression in Hemodialysis Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Spirituality is widely recognized as a potential moderator of the adverse effects of hemodialysis on mental health. Understanding its impact on mental health in Saudi Arabia and the Arab world, however, remains a significant research gap. Hence, this study aims to explore the correlations between spirituality, anxiety, and depression among Saudi Arabian patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Quinoline: A Novel Solution for Next-Generation Pesticides, Herbicides, and Fertilizers.

Quinoline is a nitrogen-containing heterocycle compound widely used in the medical industry for its pharmacological properties, such as its antimalarial, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Beyond its medical significance, quinoline shows promising applications in agriculture as a safe and effective pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer. This review explores the evolution of quinoline research, beginning with its history and synthesis and transitioning to its biological activities and their relevance in agriculture.

Efficacy of Immunotherapy for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A Narrative Review.

Purpose Of Review: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic condition characterized by disproportional pain typically affecting an extremity. Management of CRPS is centered around specific symptomatology, which tends to be a combination of autonomic dysfunction, nociceptive sensitization, chronic inflammation, and/or motor dysfunction. Targeting the autoimmune component of CRPS provides a way to both symptomatically treat as well as minimize progression of CRPS.

Myocardial Disease in Systemic Sclerosis: Recent Updates and Clinical Implications.

Purpose Of Review: The present review aims to address systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated myocardial disease, a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, by examining the mechanisms of inflammation, microvascular dysfunction, and fibrosis that drive cardiac involvement. The objective is to elucidate critical risk factors and explore advanced diagnostic tools for early detection, enhancing patient outcomes by identifying those at highest risk.

Recent Findings: Recent studies underscore the importance of specific autoantibody profiles, disease duration, and cardiovascular comorbidities as key risk factors for severe cardiac manifestations in SSc.

Investigating digital determinants shaping pharmacists' preparedness for interoperability and health informatics practice evolution: a systematic review.

Background: Fragmented healthcare systems hinder pharmacists' access to comprehensive patient data, limiting their clinical role and posing health risks. Enhancing system interoperability and evaluating factors influencing pharmacists' readiness for technology-driven practice change is a crucial step.

Aim: This systematic review aimed to investigate the digital determinants of pharmacists' readiness for technology-oriented practice change and interoperability.

Mapping the knowledge landscape of the PET/MR domain: a multidimensional bibliometric analysis.

Objective: This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis to explore research trends, collaboration patterns, and emerging themes in the PET/MR field based on published literature from 2010 to 2024.

Methods: A detailed literature search was performed using the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database with keywords related to PET/MR. A total of 4,349 publications were retrieved and analyzed using various bibliometric tools, including VOSviewer and CiteSpace.

Inpatient Hypoglycemic Rate Reduction Through the Implementation of Prescriber Targeted Decision Support Tools.

Purpose Of Review: Hypoglycemia has been shown to increase mortality and length of hospital stay and is now reportable to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as a quality measure. The purpose of this article is to review clinical decision support (CDS) tools designed to reduce inpatient hypoglycemic events.

Recent Findings: CDS tools such as order set development, medication alerts, and data visibility have all been shown to be valuable tools in improving glycemic performance.

Effect of Finerenone in Cardiovascular and Renal Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Purpose: Heart failure (HF) management is well-defined for reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) but less so for mildly reduced (HFmrEF) or preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). This meta-analysis evaluates the impact of Finerenone, a nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, on cardiovascular and renal outcomes in these patient populations.

Methods: A systematic search in PubMed and Embase identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on Finerenone's cardiovascular and renal effects.

Medical Gaze Sans Bioethics: Revisiting Enslaved Black Women's Medical Bondage in Behind the Sheet.

The birth of modern gynecology in the USA is preceded by experimental exploitations of Black women's bodies in the mid-nineteenth century, entailing a long-drawn extraction of "reproductive knowledge" from enslaved patients. Charly Evon Simpson's Behind the Sheet (2019) stages the history of medical bondage of Black enslaved women in antebellum South, reconstructing the events that led to the surgical innovation for vesico-vaginal fistula. Scrutinizing Simpson's dramatization of the event, this paper prompts inquiries into the interplay of power and consent between the physician and the enslaved patient in plantation healthcare, highlighting the need to reexamine bioethical principles.

Navigating the Economic Burden of Multiple Myeloma: Insights into Cost-effectiveness of CAR-T and Bispecific Antibody Therapies.

Purpose Of Review: Multiple myeloma is a chronic malignancy and with evolving treatment options, understanding the economic burden and cost-effectiveness of therapies is crucial for clinicians and researchers.

Recent Findings: In this, we review the recent approval of Bispecific antibodies and CAR-T for myeloma and their cost implications, including direct and indirect costs. We compare this to current regimens and provide cost comparisons in this review.

Preserved but Un-Sustained Responses to Bids for Dyadic Engagement in School-Age Children with Autism.

Purpose: Dynamic eye-tracking paradigms are an engaging and increasingly used method to study social attention in autism. While prior research has focused primarily on younger populations, there is a need for developmentally appropriate tasks for older children.

Methods: This study introduces a novel eye-tracking task designed to assess school-aged children's attention to speakers involved in conversation.

Parents' Early Concerns about Their Child with Autism: Relation to Age of Diagnosis.

There is a substantial time gap between when parents develop concerns about their child (ages 1-2) and when they receive a diagnosis of autism (ages 3-5), delaying the onset of critical interventions. Few studies have examined how the timing, type, and quantity of early parental concerns are associated with age of diagnosis. The aims of this study were to describe characteristics of parents' concerns in a large community-based sample and explore how characteristics of concerns relate to age of diagnosis.

Employing a Phased, Interdisciplinary Approach Across Healthcare and School Settings: mHealth Adaptations for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder At-Risk of Experiencing Obesity.

Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at nearly twice the risk of experiencing obesity, compared to youth without ASD. Wellness Education to Create Healthy habits and Actions to Thrive (WE CHAT) is a novel chatbot that engages participants to enhance primary care delivery and associated care coordination services through mobile health (mHealth) technology focused on social determinants of health (SDOH) and social-emotional health. This study examines multiple perspectives regarding the development and implementation of innovative mHealth technology among youth with ASD.

Evaluating Nanotrap Microbiome Particles as A Wastewater Viral Concentration Method.

Wastewater-based surveillance has emerged as a powerful approach to monitoring infectious diseases within a community. Typically, wastewater samples are concentrated before viral analyses to improve sensitivity. Current concentration methods vary in time requirements, costs, and efficiency.

Safety and efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy in patients with autoimmune diseases: a systematic review.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has revolutionized the treatment of various hematological malignancies. Recently, CAR-T has been used in refractory auto-immune diseases with initial encouraging results. In this systematic review, we examined the safety and efficacy of CAR-T in patients with refractory auto-immune diseases.

Characterization of DNA methylation clock algorithms applied to diverse tissue types.

Background: DNA methylation (DNAm) data from human samples has been leveraged to develop "epigenetic clock" algorithms that predict age and other aging-related phenotypes. Some DNAm clocks were trained using DNAm obtained from blood cells, while other clocks were trained using data from diverse tissue/cell types. To assess how DNAm clocks perform across non-blood tissue types, we applied DNAm algorithms to DNAm data generated from 9 different human tissue types.

Efficacy, Indications, and Safety of Intrathecal Baclofen Pump: A Narrative Review.

Purpose Of Review: Baclofen, a muscle relaxant that reduces the release of excitatory neurotransmitters in the pre-synaptic neurons stimulating inhibitory neuronal signals in post-synaptic neurons, has been around for over 5 decades. Baclofen is used primarily for spasticity and since 1982, has had a role as an intrathecal agent. In the present investigation, we review research trends and updates on safety and efficacy of intrathecal baclofen (ITB) pumps.

Landscape analysis of adverse events and dose intensity for FDA approved oncology small molecules.

As development of new oncology small molecule therapies is focused mainly on molecularly targeted agents, the dose selection paradigm has shifted from the maximum tolerated dose (MTD)-based approach traditionally utilized with cytotoxic drugs towards determining an optimal dose with long-term tolerability while maintaining efficacy. To assess overall tolerability in recently approved oncology small molecules, we surveyed 54 compounds approved by the FDA since March 2017 with respect to dose intensity, dose modifications, and treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs). Of the 54 new molecular entities surveyed, only 15 were approved at a label dose equal to the MTD (Label Dose = MTD).

Traumatic Brain Injury in Intimate Partner Violence.

Purposeof Review: In this article, we explore the current literature on traumatic brain injury (TBI) in survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) and evaluate the barriers to studying this vulnerable population.

Recent Findings: Research on TBI and IPV is limited by multiple factors including mistrust of the healthcare system by survivors, lack of awareness by community advocates, and insufficient funding by public entities. As such, most investigations are small population, retrospective, and qualitative.

Efficacy of Transversus Thoracic Plane Block for Pain Management in Cardiac Surgeries.

Purpose Of Review: Effective pain management in cardiac surgery presents as a continuous challenge related to the intensity of postoperative pain and reliance on opioid therapy. The dependance of opioid-based therapies is concerning, as these therapies carry risk future addiction and potential severe side effects. The transversus thoracic plane block (TTPB) has emerged as a promising regional anesthesia technique that blocks the anterior branches of the intercostal nerves in the chest wall, potentially providing improved analgesia for cardiac surgery patients.

Rhomboid Intercostal and Subserratus Plane Block for Acute Pain Management after Abdominal Surgeries: A Narrative Review.

Purpose Of Review: The rhomboid intercostal and subserratus plane (RISS) block is an effective, safer alternative for managing postoperative acute pain following abdominal surgeries. The RISS block offers several advantages over traditional approaches, including reduced incidence of puncture-related complications, lower rates of systemic opioid consumption, and more consistent analgesic coverage of lower thoracic dermatomes.

Recent Findings: Despite a favorable safety profile, the RISS block carries potential risks, such as pneumothorax and local anesthetic systemic toxicity, particularly when long-acting anesthetics such as bupivacaine or ropivacaine are used.