Primary hydatid cyst of the spleen: A rare case report and literature review.

Hydatidosis is an endemic disease in certain areas in the world particularly in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and South America, caused by a cestode known as Echinococcus granulosus. Humans are the accidental intermediate hosts. The liver and the lungs are the most commonly involved organ.

Team-based efforts to improve quality of care, the fundamental role of ethics, and the responsibility of health managers: monitoring and management strategies to enhance teamwork.

Objectives: Highlight the importance of teamwork in health care institutions by performing a review and discussion of the relevant literature.

Study Design: Review paper.

Methods: A MEDLINE/Pubmed search was performed starting from 1990, and the terms 'team, teamwork, managers, healthcare, and cooperation' were searched in titles, abstracts, keywords, and conclusions; other terms 'patient safety, ethics, audits and quality of care' were specifically searched in abstracts and were used as additional filters criteria to select relevant articles.

Schwannoma of the psoas: An unusual cause of abdominal pain.

Schwannomas are usually benign tumours arising from Schwann cells of peripheral nerve sheath. Retroperitoneal location is extremely rare compromising 0.5-5% of all schwannomas, except in patients having von Recklinghausen's disease, in whom retroperitoneal location is more frequent and malignant cases are known to occur.

Echocardiographic Assessment of the Right Ventricle, from the Conventional Approach to Speckle Tracking and Three-Dimensional Imaging, and Insights into the "Right Way" to Explore the Forgotten Chamber.

Background: The right ventricle (RV) has an essential function in cardiovascular physiology and pathology. Currently, it is gaining an increasing interest given its recognized role in many cardiovascular conditions. However, echocardiographic assessment of the RV in daily practice is frequently based on qualitative estimation, and it has been regarded as a neglected chamber.

Concealed Sinus Node Dysfunction and Paradoxical Effect of Atropine during Arrhythmia Diagnostic Pharmacological Testing.

A 78-year-old male patient presented with repetitive fainting episodes. His electrocardiogram showed sinus rhythm with persistent ventricular bigeminy. Concealed sinus node dysfunction (SND) with consecutive bradycardia-induced ventricular hyperexcitability was suspected.

Echocardiographic assessment of mitral valve regurgitation, pattern and prevalence, expanding clinical awareness through an institutional survey with the perspective of a quality improvement project.

Background: Mitral regurgitation (MR) is frequently reported in everyday echocardiograms; accurate assessment is essential for appropriate management and decision making.

Objective: We performed a self-audit in order to define the prevalence and pattern of MR and to evaluate methods of assessment with the perspective of developing a quality improvement project.

Methods And Setting: This retrospective analytical study was conducted in a university hospital.

Temporary Endocavitary Pacemakers and their Use and Misuse: the Least is Better.

Temporary pacemakers are classically indicated for severe bradydysrhythmia, especially when the clinical settings require prompt intervention. Implantation of a temporary pacemaker is not a benign procedure since it may be associated with serious adverse events such as infection, cardiac perforation, and lead dislodgment. Accordingly, we recommend, when the clinical condition allows, to proceed directly with permanent pacemaker implantation without prior use of a temporary pacemaker.

Perspectives on the value of biomarkers in acute cardiac care and implications for strategic management.

Biomarkers in acute cardiac care are gaining increasing interest given their clinical benefits. This study is a review of the major conditions in acute cardiac care, with a focus on biomarkers for diagnostic and prognostic assessment. Through a PubMed search, 110 relevant articles were selected.

The function of a medical director in healthcare institutions: a master or a servant.

The function of a medical director is presented along with features of efficiency and deficiencies from the perspective of healthcare system improvement. A MEDLINE/Pubmed research was performed using the terms "medical director" and "director", and 50 relevant articles were selected. Institutional healthcare quality is closely related to the medical director efficiency and deficiency, and a critical discussion of his or her function is presented along with a focus on the institutional policies, protocols, and procedures.