2024 Update of the RECOVER-Adult Long COVID Research Index.

Importance: Classification of persons with long COVID (LC) or post-COVID-19 condition must encompass the complexity and heterogeneity of the condition. Iterative refinement of the classification index for research is needed to incorporate newly available data as the field rapidly evolves.

Objective: To update the 2023 research index for adults with LC using additional participant data from the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER-Adult) study and an expanded symptom list based on input from patient communities.

Contact Lens Regulation: Where Have We Been, Where are We Going?

The Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission influence the contact lens (CL) market, with the Food and Drug Administration regulating CLs as medical devices and the Federal Trade Commission dictating how they are prescribed and sold. Legislative oversight came to the forefront in 2004, when the Contact Lens Rule was introduced, drastically changing how CLs are prescribed and distributed. This article examines the evolution of CL regulations over the past two decades and discusses how regulation, such as allowing passive verification, has shaped the current and evolving CL market.

Proparacaine Overuse in Corneal Abrasions at the Emergency Department: A Case Series.

Corneal abrasions are among the most common ophthalmic injuries in the emergency department (ED) and primarily present as severe ocular pain. Topical anesthetics provide temporary analgesia, but overuse is associated with complications including further corneal injury, infection, and vision loss. This case series describes three patients who used a 15-mL bottle of 0.

Surgical Level Selection in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: An Evidence-Based Approach.

The selection of fusion levels in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis remains complex. The goals of surgery are to minimize the risk of future progression and optimize spinal balance while fusing the least number of levels necessary. Several classifications, rules, and algorithms exist to guide decision making, although these have previously not been easily referenced in a study.

Reviewing Internal Medicine Clerkship Grading Through a Proequity Lens: Results of a National Survey.

Purpose: Equity in assessment and grading has become imperative across medical education. Although strategies to promote equity exist, there may be variable penetrance across institutions. The objectives of this study were to identify strategies internal medicine (IM) clerkship directors (CDs) use to reduce inequities in assessment and grading and explore IM CDs' perceptions of factors that impede or facilitate the implementation of these strategies.

Gone Viral: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Contact Lens-Related Videos on TikTok.

Objectives: To evaluate the content, sources, and quality of contact lens (CL)-related videos on TikTok, the fastest growing social media platform worldwide.

Methods: TikTok was queried on October 25, 2021 for the top 200 posts with the hashtag "#contactlenses." Posts meeting inclusion criteria were characterized and assessed for quality with DISCERN, a validated scoring instrument for the appraisal of consumer health information (score range 1-5 with a higher score indicating a higher quality video).

The Opioid Epidemic in America: Pandemic Impacts.

There is still an ongoing epidemic of opioid abuse in the United States. It has resulted in a major healthcare crisis and led to an alarming number of daily overdose deaths. Strong interventions from the medical community and the government had made progress toward control.

Should We Use High-Flow Nasal Cannula in Patients Receiving Gastrointestinal Endoscopies? Critical Appraisals through Updated Meta-Analyses with Multiple Methodologies and Depiction of Certainty of Evidence.

(1) Background: High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy or conventional oxygen therapy (COT) are typically applied during gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopic sedation. (2) Methods: We conducted a rigorous systematic review enrolling randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from five databases. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane's RoB 2.

Optimization of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Implications for Improved Therapeutic Outcomes.

Objective: Seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that is rarely "cured." Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are known to reduce inflammation and restore immune homeostasis. However, methods for predicting therapeutic hMSC potency have not been established.

Rapid, sensitive and cost-effective determination of immune checkpoint inhibitor activity using a magnetic bead-based binding assay.

Immune checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) are effective immunno-therapeutic agents for cancer. Rapid and sensitive determination of the blocking activity of ICIs is important for ICIs development and immunological research. Among various immune checkpoint (IC) binding assays, cell-based binding assays are widely regarded, and the functional ELISA is a convenient alternative.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery in the Elderly and Frail: Safety of a Reconstructive Versus Obliterative Approach.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the risk of complications associated with obliterative surgery versus reconstructive surgery in elderly and frail patients undergoing surgery for pelvic organ prolapse.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study utilizing the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Database from 2010 to 2017. We compared characteristics and perioperative complications in patients aged 80 years or older who underwent obliterative surgery versus reconstructive surgery.

Imaging of the sellar and parasellar regions.

Although a wide variety of pathologies can occur in the limited anatomic space within and surrounding the sella turcica only a few are common. This review aims to briefly summarize pituitary and parasellar anatomy and provide a focused description of the imaging features of both common and rare pituitary pathologies. Diagnoses of imaging findings with important implications for clinical management are highlighted.

Home-Based Reiki by Informal Caregivers: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study.

This pilot study explored whether Reiki delivered by family caregivers to cancer patients in a home setting was feasible in reducing cancer symptoms and enhancing health-related outcomes. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods study design was applied using pre-/post-Reiki questionnaires and post-Reiki interviews. Six patient-caregiver dyads from an outpatient clinic and cancer support facilities in northeast America performed daily Reiki at home for 3 weeks.

Effects of Implementation of Infant-Driven Oral Feeding Guideline on Preterm Infants' Abilities to Achieve Oral Feeding Milestones, in a Tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Objective: This study examines the hypothesis that infant-driven oral feeding leads to earlier achievement of oral feeding and reduces the length of hospital stay compared with provider-driven oral feeding in premature infants METHODS: We used a retrospective chart review to compare 2 groups of premature infants born at ≤35 weeks of gestation. The control group (CG) received the Provider-Driven Oral Feeding model and the intervention group (IG) received the Infant-Driven Oral Feeding model. Postmenstrual age (PMA) upon achieving full oral feeding, PMA at first oral feeding, discharge weight, and length of hospital stay were compared between the groups.

Health-Related Quality of Life, Depressive Symptoms, and Kidney Transplant Access in Advanced CKD: Findings From the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study.

Rationale & Objective: Among individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), poor self-reported health is associated with adverse outcomes including hospitalization and death. We sought to examine the association between health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) and depressive symptoms in advanced CKD and subsequent access to the kidney transplant waiting list.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Assessment of Physician Priorities in Delivery of Preventive Care.

Importance: Primary care physicians have limited time to discuss preventive care, but it is unknown how they prioritize recommended services.

Objective: To understand primary care physicians' prioritization of preventive services.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This online survey was administered to primary care physicians in a large health care system from March 17 to May 12, 2017.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy in Persons With Human Immunodeficiency Virus-HCV Genotype 1 Coinfection Resulting in High Rate of Sustained Virologic Response and Variable in Normalization of Soluble Markers of Immune Activation.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) direct-acting antivirals are highly effective. Less is known about changes in markers of immune activation in persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in whom a sustained virologic response (SVR) is achieved.

Methods: We conducted a nonrandomized clinical trial of 12 or 24 weeks of paritaprevir-ritonavir-ombitasvir plus dasabuvir (PrOD) with or without ribavirin in persons with HCV-1/HIV coinfection suppressed with antiretroviral therapy.

Prevalence of Cervical Cancer Overscreening: Review of a Wellness Registry.

Appropriately matching preventive health services and screenings with patient risk is an important quality indicator. Adherence by both providers and patients to cervical cancer screening guidelines has been inconsistent, resulting in overscreening and increased costs. This study examined the prevalence of cervical cancer overscreening following changes in screening guidelines in a wellness registry database.

Perioperative Safety of Surgery for Pelvic Organ Prolapse in Elderly and Frail Patients.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of old age and frailty on complication rates after surgery for pelvic organ prolapse.

Methods: The American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was used to identify patients who underwent surgery for prolapse from 2010 to 2017. We compared our control group (45-64 years, index population) to those aged 65-79 years (elderly) and 80 years and older (very elderly).

The mentalizing network and theory of mind mediate adjustment after childhood traumatic brain injury.

Childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects over 600 000 children per year in the United States. Following TBI, children are vulnerable to deficits in psychosocial adjustment and neurocognition, including social cognition, which persist long-term. They are also susceptible to direct and secondary damage to related brain networks.

The Muscle-Sparing Descending Branch Latissimus Dorsi Free Flap for Lower Extremity Reconstruction.

Background: The muscle-sparing descending branch latissimus dorsi muscle (MSLD) flap is a versatile flap with numerous benefits. It is an often overlooked but useful option when considering free flap donors. In this article, the authors present the largest experience with the MSLD flap, with focus on its use in lower extremity reconstruction.