Pre-Operative Management of the Penicillin Allergic Patient: A Narrative Review.

Penicillin is a frequently reported medication allergy. The beta-lactam ring shared between cephalosporins and penicillin often leads to the use of alternative antibiotics for surgical prophylaxis due to concern for cross-reactivity, despite a true IgE-mediated hypersensitivity being very rare. This misconception leads to the use of less effective second line antibiotics, such as clindamycin or vancomycin, for penicillin-allergic patients which has been shown to increase odds of postoperative infection in elective knee arthroplasty, shoulder arthroplasty and spine surgery.

Radiation therapy, radiosurgery, chemotherapy and targeted therapies for metastatic spine tumors: WFNS Spine committee recommendations.

Objective: This review aims to formulate the most current, evidence-based recommendations regarding radiation therapy, radiosurgery, and chemotherapy for patients with metastatic spine tumors.

Methods: A systematic literature using PRISMA methodology was performed from 2010-2023 using the search terms "radiosurgery," "radiation therapy," "external beam radiation therapy," or "stereotactic body radiation therapy" in conjunction with "spinal," "spine," "metastasis," "metastases," or "metastatic."

Results: Spinal metastases should be managed in a multidisciplinary team consisting of spine surgeons, radiation oncologists, radiologists and oncologists.

Distribution and inflammatory potential of hepatitis C virus genotypes in the United States, 2011-2020.

HCV is marked by genetic diversity that impacts disease progression and outcome. Using the NHANES data from 266 HCV-infected adults (2011-2020), this study infers that genotype 1a is the most prevalent (60.2%).

Navigating the gestational surrogacy seas: the legalities and complexities of gestational carrier services.

This paper offers a comprehensive review of the gestational surrogacy process in the US, as well as internationally, focusing on the legal and ethical challenges that gestational carriers, intended parents, fertility providers, and OB/GYNs may face. The objective of this review article is to serve as an overview and provide information on legal, cultural, and ethical aspects of the decisions to pursue gestational surrogacy both for intended parents and gestational carriers in the US and globally. By understanding the surrogacy landscape and the obstacles, the surrogacy agencies and other involved parties can improve the surrogacy process to better serve all parties involved.

Cardiomodulatory Effects of Cardiometabolic and Antihyperglycemic Medications: The Roles of Oxidative and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.

Uncontrolled hyperglycemia in people with diabetes is an established risk of premature cardiovascular disease. Repeated hypoglycemic events are also associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. Both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia induce cellular stress, notably endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a known promoter of cardiovascular disease.

Successful Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Despite Aortic Occlusion.

We present the case of a 62-year-old man with severe coronary artery disease who presented to the hospital in refractory ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest. He showed signs of life despite prolonged resuscitation. We thus decided to initiate extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR).

Cross-section of thyroidology and nephrology: Literature review and key points for clinicians.

There are several key points clinicians should consider when managing patients with overlapping thyroid and renal disease. Patients who are euthyroid and have chronic kidney disease (CKD) may physiologically have normal-high thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), low free thyroxine (FT4), low free triiodothyronine (FT3) and normal-low reverse triiodothyronine (rT3). Untreated subclinical and primary hypothyroidism among patients with (CKD) is associated with reversible progression of renal failure.

Whole blood for old blood: Use of whole blood for resuscitation in older trauma patients.

Introduction: Older patients are expected to comprise 40 % of trauma admissions in the next 30 years. The use of whole blood (WB) has shown promise in improving mortality while lowering the utilization of blood products. However, the use of WB in older trauma patients has not been examined.

The carolinas crossover, a preperitoneal crossover for enhanced-view totally extraperitoneal (eTEP) ventral hernia repair (VHR): a novel technique.

Purpose: To present a novel technique of preperitoneal cross-over for eTEP VHR.

Methods: Patients who underwent robotic eTEP with mesh utilizing a preperitoneal cross over technique were identified using a single-institution hernia database. This novel technique involves minimally invasive access to the retro-rectus space on one side with midline cross over into the preperitoneal space on the contralateral side.

A Review of the Molecular Determinants of Therapeutic Response in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Brain Metastases.

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Metastases in the brain are a common hallmark of advanced stages of the disease, contributing to a dismal prognosis. Lung cancer can be broadly classified as either small cell lung cancer (SCLC) or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Genotype Is Associated With Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in Black Patients Treated With Clopidogrel Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) intermediate and poor metabolizer patients exhibit diminished clopidogrel clinical effectiveness after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, outcome studies to date have lacked racial diversity. Thus, the impact of genotype on cardiovascular outcomes in patients treated with clopidogrel who identify as Black or African American remains unclear.

Respiratory Severity Score and Oxygen Saturation Index during the First 2 Hours of Life as Predictors for Noninvasive Respiratory Support Failure in Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Objective:  Noninvasive respiratory support (NRS) failure is common in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). We evaluated the utility of respiratory severity score (RSS) and oxygen saturation index (OSI) during the first 2 hours of life (HOL) as predictors for NRS failure in moderate preterm infants.

Study Design:  We conducted a retrospective cohort study of infants born between 28 and 33 weeks with RDS.

Building a framework to decolonize global emergency medicine.

Background: Global emergency medicine (GEM) is situated at the intersection of global health and emergency medicine (EM), which is built upon a history of colonial systems and institutions that continue to reinforce inequities between high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) today. These power imbalances yield disparities in GEM practice, research, and education.

Approach: The Global Emergency Medicine Academy (GEMA) of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine formed the Decolonizing GEM Working Group in 2020, which now includes over 100 worldwide members.

The Global Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Connection with Sleep Duration: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The duration and quality of sleep are believed to significantly influence the onset of metabolic syndrome (MetS), but existing data lack consistency. The meta-analysis aims to evaluate the prevalence of the MetS in association with sleep duration. We conducted a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses 2020 guidelines.

Measuring practice preference variation for quality improvement in neonatal respiratory care.

Objectives: The authors sought to measure and compare practice preference variation in neonatal respiratory care within and between neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) using the Neonatology Survey of Interdisciplinary Groups in Healthcare Tool (NSIGHT).

Study Design: Eleven NICUs completed the NSIGHT between 2019 and 2021. Net preference was measured by mean response; agreement was ranked by standard distribution of response values.

American Association for the Surgery of Trauma/American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma clinical protocol for postdischarge venous thromboembolism prophylaxis after trauma.

Trauma patients are at an elevated risk for developing venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis. In the inpatient setting, prompt pharmacologic prophylaxis is utilized to prevent VTE. For patients with lower extremity fractures or limited mobility, VTE risk does not return to baseline levels postdischarge.

A low-burden, self-weighing intervention to prevent weight gain in adults with obesity who do not enroll in comprehensive treatment.

Background: For individuals who are eligible but unlikely to join comprehensive weight loss programs, a low burden self-weighing intervention may be a more acceptable approach to weight management.

Methods: This was a single-arm feasibility trial of a 12-month self-weighing intervention. Participants were healthcare patients with a BMI ≥25 kg/m with a weight-related comorbidity or a BMI >30 kg/m who reported lack of interest in joining a comprehensive weight loss program, or did not enroll in a comprehensive program after being provided program information.

Can the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) Predict Healing Complications Following Microvascular Reconstruction of the Head and Neck?

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Malnutrition has been found to have negative effects on the immune system and inflammatory responses, impairing the wound healing process. Free flap failure is a serious complication in patients undergoing microvascular reconstruction, as it increases patient morbidity, length of stay in the hospital, patient, and hospital costs, as well as causes the need for further surgical interventions.

Symptomatic and functional recovery after transurethral resection of bladder tumor: Data from ecological momentary symptom assessment.

Objectives: To quantitatively describe the nature, severity, and duration of symptoms and functional impairment during recovery from transurethral resection of bladder tumors.

Materials And Methods: All patients scheduled for transurethral resection were approached for enrollment in a text-message based ecological momentary symptom assessment platform. Nine patients reported outcomes were measured 7 days before surgery and on postoperative days 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14 using a 5-point Likert scale.