Needs assessment for patient-centered education and outcome metrics in robotic surgery.

Background: From clinical experience, many patients undergoing robotic assisted surgery (RAS) have a poor understanding of the technology. To ensure informed consent and appropriate expectations, a needs assessment for patient-centered education and outcome metrics in RAS is warranted. Our goal was to perform an assessment of patient understanding, comfort with robotic technology, and ability to obtain critical information from their surgeon when undergoing RAS.

Clinicopathologic characteristics of breast cancer in BRCA-carriers and non-carriers in women 35 years of age or less.

Purpose: Breast cancer diagnosed in women 35 years of age or less accounts for <2% of all breast cancer cases. Clinical and pathologic characteristics of early onset breast cancer are not well defined in BRCA mutation carriers and non-carriers.

Methods: 194 women diagnosed with breast cancer at 35 years of age or less who had BRCA1/2 mutation testing were included in the study.

Harnessing of TLR-mediated autophagy to combat mycobacteria in macrophages.

Autophagy, an evolutionary highly conserved process in virtually all eukaryotic cells, involves the sequestration of cytosol regions within double-membrane bound compartments and delivery of the contents to the lysosomes for degradation. Rapidly accumulating evidence has shown that autophagy is a component of innate immunity and is involved in host defense elimination of pathogens. Our previous studies show that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a sensor for autophagy associated with innate immunity.

Psychotic symptoms as manifestations of the posttraumatic confusional state: prevalence, risk factors, and association with outcome.

Objectives: To (1) determine factors associated with psychotic-type symptoms in persons with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) during early recovery and (2) investigate the prognostic significance of early psychotic-type symptoms for patient outcome.

Setting: Acute neurorehabilitation inpatient unit.

Participants: A total of 168 persons with moderate or severe TBI were admitted for inpatient rehabilitation.

Myocardial injury in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage treated with recombinant factor VIIa.

We report myocardial injury in 20 recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) treated and 110 nontreated patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. Patients were treated or received standard medical management. All received EKG and cardiac enzyme testing.

Concerns with antiepileptic drug initiation: safety, tolerability, and efficacy.

A number of commonly used antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) produce severe adverse effects if they are introduced at their usual daily maintenance doses. Gradual slow titration of the dose often avoids these adverse effects almost entirely. Conversely, some AEDs can be started at their effective maintenance dose and perhaps even with a loading dose.