Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Cleft Palate Craniofac J 2020 May 28:1055665620924915. Epub 2020 May 28.

Division of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Objective: To evaluate characteristics of congenital heart disease (CHD) in patients with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) and assess potential associations with cleft outcomes.

Design: Retrospective review of all patients with CL/P who underwent primary cleft treatment from 2009 to 2015.

Setting: Children's Hospital Los Angeles, a tertiary hospital. Read More

Int J Cardiol Heart Vasc 2020 Jun 20;28:100537. Epub 2020 May 20.

PennState Health, Hershey Medical Center, Department of Cardiology, Hershey, PA, United States.

Introduction: Observational data has suggested a link between vitamin D deficiency and coronary heart disease (CHD). However, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have failed to show benefit. The objective of this study is to analyze the RCTs investigating vitamin D supplementation and the risk of CHD and stroke. Read More

Life Sci 2020 May 13;254:117788. Epub 2020 May 13.

Department of Cardio-thoracic Surgery, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, UK. Electronic address:

Aims: As of the 28th April 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has infiltrated over 200 countries and affected over three million confirmed people. We review different biomarkers to evaluate if they are able to predict clinical outcomes and correlate with the severity of COVID-19 disease.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature was carried out to identify relevant articles using six different databases. Read More

Nat Rev Rheumatol 2020 May 26. Epub 2020 May 26.

Departments of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, and Infectious and Immunologic Diseases Research Center (IIDRC), Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Kawasaki disease is an acute febrile illness and systemic vasculitis of unknown aetiology that predominantly afflicts young children, causes coronary artery aneurysms and can result in long-term cardiovascular sequelae. Kawasaki disease is the leading cause of acquired heart disease among children in the USA. Coronary artery aneurysms develop in some untreated children with Kawasaki disease, leading to ischaemic heart disease and myocardial infarction. Read More

J Anesth 2020 May 25. Epub 2020 May 25.

Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, 01 Elsarayah Street, Elmanyal, Cairo, 11559, Egypt.

Non-protocolized fluid administration in critically ill patients, especially those with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), is associated with poor outcomes. Therefore, fluid administration in patients with Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) should be properly guided. Choice of an index to guide fluid management during a pandemic with mass patient admissions carries an additional challenge due to the relatively limited resources. Read More

Int J Neurosci 2020 May 25:1-15. Epub 2020 May 25.

Associate Professor, PhD of Physiotherapy, Department of Physiotherapy, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Background: One of the most common problems associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is cognitive impairments (CIs) leading to reduced quality of life and treatment adherence in patients. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the effects of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on cognitive function in CVD patients.PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Ovid MEDLINE databases were searched for identification the relevant studies without language restriction. Read More

J Pediatr 2020 Jun;221:188-195.e1

The Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH. Electronic address:

Objective: To determine whether the Ghent Criteria (2010) can be reliably used in evaluating preadolescents and adolescents for Marfan syndrome by comparing aortic growth, systemic scores, and anthropometric features in individuals with and without Marfan syndrome.

Study Design: A retrospective chart review was completed for patients less than 15 years of age referred for Marfan syndrome. Comparisons were made between the first and last visit. Read More

Semin Pediatr Neurol 2020 Jul 17;34:100807. Epub 2020 Mar 17.

Marcus Autism Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA. Electronic address:

In preparation for a larger case-control study of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and anxiety, we conducted a pilot study using a noninvasive electrocardiographic device to measure cardiovascular reactivity in 10 children (age range 9-14) with ASD. The 45-minute procedure included 6 conditions: baseline rest, an interview about school, interim rest, an unfair computerized ball-toss game followed by a fair version of the game, and a final rest. Data were successfully collected for 95% of all conditions. Read More

J Clin Med 2020 May 18;9(5). Epub 2020 May 18.

School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan (MI), Italy.

SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for a highly contagious infection, known as COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 was discovered in late December 2019 and, since then, has become a global pandemic. Timely and accurate COVID-19 laboratory testing is an essential step in the management of the COVID-19 outbreak. Read More

Crit Care Nurs Q 2020 Jul/Sep;43(3):269-273

Critical Care Services, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California (Messrs Chavez and Krom); and SSG Nurse Anesthesia Incorporated, Los Angeles, California (Ms Glaser).

The aim of this article is to review the literature on lactate measurements in critical care and the current devices used to measure noninvasively and invasively. Lactate measurements are currently being used as a way to measure the severity of sepsis. Intravascular and subcutaneous devices are some of the ways that these measurements can be continuously gathered as well as point-of-care blood tests. Read More

Herz 2020 May 19. Epub 2020 May 19.

Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Kiinamllynkatu 4-8, 20520, Turku, Finland.

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has recently published new guidelines on the diagnosis and management of chronic coronary syndromes (CCS). Due to variable symptoms, objective tests are often necessary to confirm the diagnosis, exclude alternative diagnoses, and assess the severity of underlying disease. This review provides a summary of the main diagnostic strategies listed in the guidelines for evaluation of patients suspected of having obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Read More

G Ital Cardiol (Rome) 2020 Jun;21(6):447-456

U.O. Cardiologia, Ospedale - ASST di Cremona.

Left ventricular hypertrophy is a common complication of different diseases. Among these, cardiac involvement of amyloidosis or Anderson-Fabry disease are often unrecognized. Early diagnosis is therefore crucial because new therapies can impact the progression of these diseases. Read More

Actas Urol Esp 2020 May 15. Epub 2020 May 15.

Servicio de Urología, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.

The testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) is a very common clinical and biochemical condition that affects approximately 2-5% men over the age of 40. From a clinical point of view, it is usually associated with decreased sexual desire and activity, erectile dysfunction, low energy and mood swings, along with T<8-12 nmol/l levels. Questionnaires are not useful in screening but may be useful for diagnosis and follow-up. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2020 May 14;21(10). Epub 2020 May 14.

TAmiRNA GmbH, 1110 Vienna, Austria.

Given the high morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), novel biomarkers for platelet reactivity are urgently needed. Ischemic events in CVDs are causally linked to platelets, small anucleate cells important for hemostasis. The major side-effect of antiplatelet therapy are life-threatening bleeding events. Read More

Curr Opin Cardiol 2020 May 13. Epub 2020 May 13.

Lipoprotein Metabolism Laboratory, Translational Vascular Medicine Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

Purpose Of Review: Cholesterol on low-density lipoproteins (LDL-C) is one of the main drivers of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and hence its measurement is critical in the management of patients at risk. Although LDL-C has routinely been either calculated by the Friedewald equation or measured with direct assays, these methods have limitations, particularly for patients with dyslipidaemias, low LDL-C, and hypertriglyceridemia. The focus of this review will be recent advances in the measurement of LDL for ASCVD risk management. Read More

Cureus 2020 Apr 12;12(4):e7651. Epub 2020 Apr 12.

Internal Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, USA.

After its origin in Wuhan, China, coronavirus related respiratory illness spread across the globe, being declared as a pandemic by WHO on March 13, 2020. Because it is acquired via respiratory droplets, community spread is responsible for the recent global crisis. The current diagnostic options include real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and a few serology tests, including but not limited to the recently approved five minutes serology tests. Read More

Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2020 May 13. Epub 2020 May 13.

Department of Medicinal Biochemistry, Harran University Faculty of Medicine, Sanliurfa. Turkey.

Background: In blood samples taken for testing purpose during drug infusion in the intensive care unit, there is a risk of interference due to drug-reactive interaction during the analysis.

Case Report: A 19-year-old female patient had undergone surgery for intracranial astrocytoma 12 years previously. Acinetobacter baumannii was found in the blood culture and deep tracheal aspiration fluid of the patient who had a fever (39. Read More

Life Sci 2020 May 13;254:117788. Epub 2020 May 13.

Department of Cardio-thoracic Surgery, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, UK. Electronic address:

Aims: As of the 28th April 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has infiltrated over 200 countries and affected over three million confirmed people. We review different biomarkers to evaluate if they are able to predict clinical outcomes and correlate with the severity of COVID-19 disease.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature was carried out to identify relevant articles using six different databases. Read More

Circ J 2020 May 12. Epub 2020 May 12.

Division of Cardiology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine.

Echocardiography has become an extension of the physical examination in cardiovascular practice. Frequently, it is used to confirm a clinical diagnostic suspicion. Another important role is to detect the underlying cardiovascular lesion to explain a patient's symptom complex or an abnormality found on chest radiography, electrocardiography, or cardiac enzyme tests. Read More

Diagn Progn Res 2020 7;4. Epub 2020 May 7.

1Centre for Statistics in Medicine, NDORMS, University of Oxford, Windmill Road, Oxford, OX 3 7LD UK.

Background: CS constitutes a rare but potentially underdiagnosed and fatal disease. Its diagnosis remains difficult owing to the infrequent and indistinguishable symptoms and the lack of formal diagnostic criteria dependent upon the diagnostic techniques used. Early diagnosis and treatment, however, may help to counter its poor prognosis. Read More

J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020 May 13:1-13. Epub 2020 May 13.

Department of Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran;

Researchers have reported some useful information about the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which leads to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Several studies have been performed in order to develop antiviral drugs, from which a few have been prescribed to patients in addition, several diagnostic tests have been designed to accelerate the process of identifying and treating COVID-19. The surface of host cells is covered by some receptors, known as ACE2, which mediates the binding and entry of CoV. Read More

Perfusion 2020 May;35(1_suppl):38-49

Critical Care Research Group, Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

With ongoing progress of components of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation including improvements of oxygenators, pumps, and coating materials, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation became increasingly accepted in the clinical practice. A suitable testing in an adequate setup is essential for the development of new technical aspects. Relevant tests can be conducted in ex vivo models specifically designed to test certain aspects. Read More

Curr Cardiol Rev 2020 May 10. Epub 2020 May 10.

Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Minas Gerais Hospital das Clínicas, Federal, Belo Horizonte/Minas Gerais. Brazil.

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of the current mini-review is to describe the importance of surface ECG for the diagnosis of conduction disorder.

Methods: The MEDLINE/PubMed database was used, with the keywords 'ECG' and 'conduction disorders'; over the past 10 years. Other documents were included because of their relevance. Read More

J Am Coll Cardiol 2020 Apr 30. Epub 2020 Apr 30.

Centre for Cardiovascular Innovation, St Paul's and Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, Canada; Centre for Heart Valve Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2020 Jun;41(2):131-134

From the School of Forensic Medicine.

The patient was an 88-year-old woman with a 10-year history of hypertension. She was suspected to have been hit by a car. At the time of the event, she was conscious and able to stand on her own and had no obvious injuries. Read More

J Nucl Cardiol 2020 May 6. Epub 2020 May 6.

Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.

Anderson-Fabry disease (AFD) is a multisystem X-linked disorder of lipid metabolism frequently associated with progressive glycosphingolipid accumulation in cardiac, renal, and nervous cells. The diagnosis of AFD is usually assessed by enzyme assay and genetic tests, but advanced cardiac imaging can be useful in detecting early signs of the disease. Echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance are the first-line imaging modalities to investigate cardiac involvement in AFD, but the recent introduction of new molecular and hybrid imaging techniques opens to a wider range of diagnostic applications. Read More

Kardiologiia 2020 Mar 18;60(3):89-95. Epub 2020 Mar 18.

Russian National Research Medical Univercity named after N. I. Pirogov City clinical hospital #1 named after N. I. Pirogov.

The review focused on a relatively new issue, myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA). According to current ideas, almost 6% of all myocardial infarction (MI) cases may be MINOCA. This term can be used both as a "working diagnosis" at the time of further evaluation and a final diagnosis after establishing a cause for each specific case. Read More

Am J Health Syst Pharm 2020 May 6. Epub 2020 May 6.

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Memphis, TN.

Purpose: To describe a pharmacist-led transitional care clinic (TCC) for high-risk patients who were recently hospitalized or seen in the emergency department (ED).

Summary: The Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) established a pharmacist-led face-to-face and telephone follow-up TCC to improve posthospitalization follow-up care through medication optimization and disease state management, particularly for veterans with high-risk disease states such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF). The clinic's clinical pharmacy specialists (CPSs) ordered diagnostic and laboratory tests, performed physical assessments, and consulted other providers and specialty services in addition to performing medication reconciliation, compliance assessment, and evaluation of adverse drug events. Read More

Adv Gerontol 2020 ;33(1):92-98

Saint-Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, 3 Dynamo pr., St. Petersburg 197110, Russian Federation, e-mail:

Review is about current information on the features of heart failure and angina diagnosis and monitoring in elderly and senile patients. One of the main problem in patients over 65 years is comorbidity, which requires corrective action in the risk stratification and prediction of clinical outcomes. The priority of non-invasive diagnostic tests is noted. Read More

Environ Health 2020 May 1;19(1):47. Epub 2020 May 1.

Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, 420-757 West Hastings St. - Federal Tower, Vancouver, BC, V6C 1A1, Canada.

Background: Nitrogen dioxide (NO) is a pervasive urban pollutant originating primarily from vehicle emissions. Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is associated with a considerable public health burden worldwide, but whether NO exposure is causally related to IHD morbidity remains in question. Our objective was to determine whether short term exposure to outdoor NO is causally associated with IHD-related morbidity based on a synthesis of findings from case-crossover and time-series studies. Read More

Front Psychiatry 2020 15;11:275. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University, Chieti, Italy.

Second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) are a pharmacological class widely used in psychiatry thanks to their efficacy and good tolerability profile. One of the most used SGA is aripiprazole (ARI) because of its several formulations and safe metabolic and cardiac profile. As reported in a recent review, there are growing numbers of reports about ARI-induced gambling disorder (ARI-induced GD) which should encourage clinicians to use ARI more cautiously. Read More

Heart Fail Rev 2020 Apr 28. Epub 2020 Apr 28.

University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represents an important cardiovascular entity with increasing prevalence and relatively high mortality. The agreement about diagnostic algorithm for HFpEF is still missing. Echocardiographic approach remains the cornerstone in HFpEF diagnosis. Read More

BMJ Open 2020 Apr 27;10(4):e036650. Epub 2020 Apr 27.

Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.

Introduction: Drug-related problems (DRPs) are a major cause of unplanned hospital admissions among elderly people, and transitions of care have been emphasised as a key area for improving patient safety. We have designed a complex clinical pharmacist intervention that targets people ≥75 years of age undergoing transitions of care from hospital to home and primary care. The main objective is to investigate if the intervention can reduce the risk of unplanned drug-related readmission within the first 180 days after the person is discharged from hospital. Read More

Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol 2020 Mar 18;34(1):51-68. Epub 2020 Feb 18.

Transplant Anesthesia and Critical Care Unit, University School of Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy.

New and extended indications, older age, higher cardiovascular risk, and the long-standing cirrhosis-associated complications mandate specific skills for an appropriate preoperative assessment of the liver transplant (LT) candidate. The incidence of cardiac diseases (dysrhythmias, cardiomyopathies, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease) are increasing among LT recipients: however, no consensus exists among clinical practice guidelines for cardiovascular screening and risk stratification. In spite of different "transplant center-centered protocols", basic "pillars" are common (electrocardiography, baseline echocardiography, functional assessment). Read More

Curr Opin Crit Care 2020 Jun;26(3):319-326

Service de Médecine Intensive-Réanimation, Hôpital Bicêtre, AP-HP, Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre.

Purpose Of Review: On the basis of recent literature, we summarized the new advances on the use of available dynamic indices of fluid responsiveness.

Recent Findings: Reliability of passive leg raising to assess fluid responsiveness is well established provided that a real-time haemodynamic assessment is available. Recent studies have focused on totally noninvasive techniques to assess its haemodynamic effects with promising results. Read More

J Vasc Surg 2020 Apr 20. Epub 2020 Apr 20.

Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN. Electronic address:

Objective: Previously published results of carotid revascularization with both transfemoral stenting (TFCAS) and endarterectomy (CEA) have demonstrated inferior perioperative stroke and death outcomes in neurologically symptomatic patients compared to those without symptoms. This study was completed to establish the real-world, symptom-based perioperative and follow-up outcomes for transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR).

Methods: An institutional retrospective review of all TCARs performed outside of clinical trial regulations from 2016-2019 was completed. Read More

J Ultrason 2020 31;20(80):e36-e42. Epub 2020 Mar 31.

Department of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Lille University Hospital , Lille , France.

Dermatomyositis is a rare autoimmune disorder in which an abnormal immune reaction against vascular endothelial antigens and endomysium leads to obstructive inflammatory changes of blood vessels within muscles, skin and other tissues. The disease is characterized by involvement of muscles, and less frequently of other systems, including the gastrointestinal tract, heart and lungs. Dermatomyositis may be diagnosed based on a detailed patient history, through clinical examination, detection of characteristic physical findings and certain specialized tests. Read More

J Child Neurol 2020 Apr 21:883073820916260. Epub 2020 Apr 21.

Center for Pediatric Neurology, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.

Aim: We characterize the pediatric postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) population seen at a single tertiary care referral center.

Method: Retrospective chart review of all pediatric POTS patients seen in our center between 2015 and 2017. Pediatric POTS was defined as chronic, at least 3 months, symptoms of orthostatic intolerance associated with excessive orthostatic tachycardia as determined by tilt table testing with orthostatic heart rate increment of ≥40 bpm within 5 minutes of head-up tilt or absolute orthostatic heart rate ≥130 bpm for patients 13 years old and younger and ≥120 bpm for those 14 years and older. Read More

J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol 2020 Apr 20. Epub 2020 Apr 20.

Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a leading cause of maternal mortality with women at increased risk of PE during pregnancy and the early postpartum period. Clinical assessment of suspected PE during pregnancy is challenging as signs and symptoms associated with PE overlap with physiological changes of pregnancy. Clinical tests and rules commonly used to assess pre-test probability of PE were historically not well validated in the pregnant population. Read More

Intensive Care Med 2020 Apr 18. Epub 2020 Apr 18.

Department of Medicine, Division of Critical Care, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

The accuracy of the signs and tests that clinicians use to diagnose ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and initiate antibiotic treatment has not been well characterized. We sought to characterize and compare the accuracy of physical examination, chest radiography, endotracheal aspirate (ETA), bronchoscopic sampling cultures (protected specimen brush [PSB] and bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL]), and CPIS > 6 to diagnose VAP. We searched six databases from inception through September 2019 and selected English-language studies investigating accuracy of any of the above tests for VAP diagnosis. Read More

Respiration 2020 16;99(4):360-368. Epub 2020 Apr 16.

The NEMO Clinical Center (NEuroMuscular Omniservice), University of Milan, Milan, Italy.

Purpose Of Review: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a severe, progressive genetic disease that affects approximately 1 in 2,500 individuals globally [Ashizawa et al.: Neurol Clin Pract 2018;8(6):507-20]. In patients with DM1, respiratory muscle weakness frequently evolves, leading to respiratory failure as the main cause of death in this patient population, followed by cardiac complications [de Die-Smulders et al. Read More

J Cardiol 2020 Apr 11. Epub 2020 Apr 11.

Department of Rehabilitation, Shinshu University Hospital, Nagano, Japan.

Background: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between physical performance and prognosis of patients with heart failure using a meta-analysis given the inconsistencies in published studies regarding the same.

Methods: A total of 22 studies with 10,368 patients were included in this review. Hazard ratios were used for analysis, while meta-analysis was performed using the inverse-variance method. Read More

J Strength Cond Res 2020 Apr 13. Epub 2020 Apr 13.

Sports Medicine Assessment and Research Testing (SMART) Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia.

Fyock-Martin, MB, Erickson, EK, Hautz, AH, Sell, KM, Turnbaugh, BL, Caswell, SV, and Martin, JR. What do firefighting ability tests tell us about firefighter physical fitness? A systematic review of the current evidence. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2020-The firefighting profession is a physiologically demanding occupation. Read More

Semin Nucl Med 2020 May 26;50(3):227-237. Epub 2020 Feb 26.

Cardiovascular Imaging Program, Departments of Medicine and Radiology; Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology; and Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Electronic address:

Quantitative myocardial perfusion PET/CT imaging is one of the most accurate tests for diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with suspected or known CAD. The test provides a comprehensive evaluation of patients with ischemic heart disease including quantitative assessments of regional myocardial perfusion, LV volumes and ejection fraction, calcified atherosclerotic burden, and myocardial blood flow and flow reserve (MFR). A normal stress myocardial blood flow and MFR (>2. Read More

Stroke 2020 May 13;51(5):1419-1427. Epub 2020 Apr 13.

From the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, United Kingdom (N.E.M., M.B., V.B., E.P.B., R.F.G., J.M.E.G., A.J.C., C.E.L., C.L.W.).

Background and Purpose- Identifying the etiology of acute ischemic stroke is essential for effective secondary prevention. However, in at least one third of ischemic strokes, existing investigative protocols fail to determine the underlying cause. Establishing etiology is complicated by variation in clinical practice, often reflecting preferences of treating clinicians and variable availability of investigative techniques. Read More

J Appl Clin Med Phys 2020 Apr 11. Epub 2020 Apr 11.

Department of Medical Physics, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Integrata di Trieste, Trieste, Italy.

Purpose: This study focused on determining risks from stereotactic radiotherapy using flattening filter-free (FFF) beams for patients with cardiac implantable electronic device (CIEDs). Two strategies were employed: a) a retrospective analysis of patients with CIEDs who underwent stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)/SBRT at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre between 2014 and 2018 and b) an experimental study on the impact of FFF beams on CIEDs.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed. Read More

Int J Surg Protoc 2020 19;21:1-4. Epub 2020 Mar 19.

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

Introduction: The complexities and risks inherent to the field of surgery and surgical interventions present unique challenges to the design and analysis of surgical randomized controlled trials (RCT). Prior studies have investigated the practical and methodologic challenges posed by surgical RCTs. To date, however, a comprehensive analysis of the contemporary literature across multiple surgical subspecialties does not exist. Read More

Cureus 2020 Mar 5;12(3):e7186. Epub 2020 Mar 5.

Medical Education, Brookwood Baptist Health, Birmingham, USA.

Carcinoid syndrome (CS) is a paraneoplastic syndrome caused by the release of serotonin and other substances from well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). The hallmark symptoms of carcinoid syndrome are flushing and diarrhea; atypical signs and symptoms can include wheezing, abdominal pain, valvular heart disease, telangiectasias, pellagra, and the complications of mesenteric fibrosis, including ureteral obstruction, bowel obstruction, and bowel ischemia. These symptoms are mediated by the release of serotonin (5-HT), histamine, kallikrein, prostaglandins, and tachykinins. Read More