Examining nonmilitary and nongovernmental humanitarian surgical capacity and response in armed conflicts: A scoping review of the recent literature.

BACKGROUND: Armed conflicts pose a burden on health care services. We sought to assess the surgical capacity and responses of nonmilitary and nongovernmental humanitarian responders in armed conflicts through proxy indicators to identify strategies to address surgical needs. METHODS: We searched 6 databases for articles/studies from January 1, 2013, to March 10, 2023. We included articles detailing the surgical capacity of nonmilitary, nongovernmental organizations operating in armed conflicts. We defined surgical capacity through indicators including the type and number of surgical procedures; number of operating rooms, surgical beds, surgeons, anesthesiologists, and surgical equipment; and type of anesthesia employed. RESULTS: We screened 2,187 abstracts and 279 full texts and included 30 articles/studies. Our sample covered 23 countries and 17 surgical specialties. Most publications focused on surgical capacity assessment (63.3%, 19/30) and surgical and clinical outcomes (63.3%, 19/30). Most articles/studies reported surgical capacity indicators at the hospital (56.7%, 17/30) and multinational (26.7%, 8/30) levels. The number (86.7%, 26/30) and type (76.7%, 23/30) of surgical procedures performed were the most commonly reported. More than one half of the articles (53.3%, 16/30) described strategies to meet surgical needs in armed conflicts. Most strategies addressed information management (68.8%, 11/16), health workforce (62.5%, 10/16), and service delivery (62.5%, 10/16). CONCLUSION: This review collated common approaches for strengthening health care services in armed conflicts. Several articles emphasized strategies for improving information management, service delivery, and workforce capacity. Hence, we call for standardization of response protocols and multilevel collaborations to maintain or even scale up surgical capacity in armed conflicts.

Understanding and Assisting the Recovery of Non-English-Speaking Trauma Survivors: Assessment of the NESTS Pathway.

INTRODUCTION: Spanish-speaking trauma and burn patients have unique needs in their post-discharge care navigation. The confluence of limited English proficiency, injury recovery, mental health, socioeconomic disadvantages, and acute stressors following hospital admission converge to enhance patients' vulnerability, but their specific needs and means of meeting these needs have not been well described. METHODS: This prospective, cross-sectional survey study describes the results of a multi-institutional initiative devised to help Spanish-speaking trauma and burn patients in their care navigation after hospitalization. The pathway consisted of informational resources, intake and follow up surveys, and multiple points of contact with a community health worker who aids in accessing community resources and navigating the healthcare system. RESULTS: From January 2022-November 2023, there were 114 patients identified as eligible for the NESTS pathway. Of these, 80 (70.2%) were reachable and consented to participate, and 68 of these patients were approached in person during their initial hospitalization. After initial screening, 60 (75.0%) of the eligible patients had a mental health, social services, or other need identified via our survey instrument. During the initial consultation with the CHW, 48 of the 60 patients with any identified need were connected to a resource (80%). Food support was the most prevalent need (N=46, 57.5%). More patients were connected to mental health resources (N=16) than reported need in this domain (N=7). CONCLUSIONS: The NESTS pathway identified the specific needs of Spanish-speaking trauma and burn patients in their recovery, notably food, transportation, and utilities. The pathway also addressed disparities in post-discharge care by connecting patients with community resources, with particular improvement in access to mental healthcare.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic and Reduced Surgical Site Infection After Cardiac Surgery: A Potential Blessing in Disguise.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought about drastic hygienic measures, one upside of which might be the mitigated occurrence of surgical site infection (SSI). This study investigated the association of the pandemic with SSI occurrence after cardiac surgeries. Patients and Methods: From 2014 to 2022, patients undergoing cardiac surgery were included and categorized into pre-pandemic and during-pandemic groups. Surgical site infections were classified into harvest-site, superficial sternal, and complex sternal infection. Multiple logistic regression and inverse probability weighting assessed the association of the pandemic with SSI. Results: Among a total of 26,143 patients, 793 SSIs occurred. The during-pandemic patients were younger (61.87 ± 10.58 vs. 65.64 ± 11.82) with a higher male proportion (70.1% vs. 67.4%) and a higher prevalence of all studied comorbidities/risk factors (expect cigarette smoking). Total SSI rate decreased substantially from 3.3% before COVID-19 to 1.8% afterward (p < 0.001). Inverse probability weights analyses evinced an independent association of the pandemic with a reduced risk of total (adjusted odds ratio [OR]; 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45-0.78), harvest-site (adjusted OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.19-0.70), and superficial sternal infection (adjusted OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.43-0.81). No significant association was observed with complex sternal site infection (adjusted OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.55-2.01). Multivariable regression recapitulated these findings. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic independently pertained to more than a 40% reduction in SSI occurrence, particularly affecting harvest-site and superficial sternal infections. However, there remains the possibility of the implications of other known and unknown confounders on the observed association. To some extent, the decrease in SSIs after the pandemic can be justified by reinforced hygienic precautions, emphasizing the necessity of extending the adherence to these measurements into the post-COVID-19 era to maintain the status quo.

Beyond surviving: A scoping review of collaborative care models to inform the future of post-discharge trauma care.

ABSTRACT: Trauma centers demonstrate an impressive ability to save lives, as reflected by inpatient survival rates of over 95% in the United States. Nevertheless, we fail to allocate sufficient effort and resources to ensure that survivors and their families receive the necessary care and support after leaving the trauma center. The objective of this scoping review is to systematically map the research on collaborative care models (CCM) that have been put forward to improve trauma survivorship. Of 833 articles screened, we included 16 studies evaluating eight collaborative care programs, predominantly in the U.S. The majority of the programs offered care coordination and averaged 9-months in duration. Three-fourths of the programs incorporated a mental health provider within their primary team. Observed outcomes were diverse: some models showed increased engagement (e.g., Center for Trauma Survivorship, trauma quality-of-life follow-up clinic), while others presented mixed mental health outcomes and varied results on pain and healthcare utilization. The findings of this study indicate that collaborative interventions may be effective in mental health screening, PTSD and depression management, effective referrals, and improving patient satisfaction with care. A consensus on core elements and cost-effectiveness of CCMs is necessary to set the standard for comprehensive care in post-trauma recovery.

Association of New-Onset Seizures With SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

Importance: Seizures have been reported as an adverse effect of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. However, no study has answered the question of whether there is any association between seizures in the general population and COVID-19 vaccination. Objective: To evaluate the seizure incidence among SARS-CoV-2 vaccine recipients compared with those who received a placebo. Data Sources: A systematic search of MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, review publications, editorials, letters to editors, and conference papers, along with the references of the included studies from December 2019 to July 7, 2023. Study Selection: Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) reporting seizure incidence with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination were included. Data Extraction and Synthesis: This study is reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses framework and used the Mantel-Haenszel method with random- and common-effect models. The risk of bias of the studies was assessed using the Cochrane assessment tool for RCTs. Main Outcomes and Measures: The outcome of interest was new-onset seizure incidence proportion compared among (1) SARS-CoV-2 vaccine recipients and (2) placebo recipients. Results: Six RCTs were included in the study. Results of the pooled analysis comparing the incidence of new-onset seizure between the 63 521 vaccine and 54 919 placebo recipients in the 28-day follow-up after vaccine/placebo injection showed no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (9 events [0.014%] in vaccine and 1 event [0.002%] in placebo recipients; odds ratio [OR], 2.70; 95% CI, 0.76-9.57; P = .12; I2 = 0%, τ2 = 0, Cochran Q P = .74). Likewise, in the entire blinded-phase period after injection, with a median of more than 43 days, no significant difference was identified between the vaccine and placebo groups regarding incident new-onset seizure (13/43 724 events [0.03%] in vaccine and 5/40 612 [0.012%] in placebo recipients; OR, 2.31; 95% CI, 0.86-6.23, P = .10, I2 = 0%, τ2 = 0, Cochran Q P = .95). Conclusions and Relevance: According to this systematic review and meta-analysis, there was no statistically significant difference in the risk of new-onset seizure incidence between vaccinated individuals and placebo recipients.

Determinants of long-term physical and mental health outcomes after intensive care admission for trauma survivors.

INTRODUCTION: Collectively, studies from medical and surgical intensive care units (ICU) suggest that long-term outcomes are poor for patients who have spent significant time in an ICU. We sought to identify determinants of post-intensive care physical and mental health outcomes 6-12 months after injury. METHODS: Adult trauma patients [ISS ≥9] admitted to one of three Level-1 trauma centers were interviewed 6-12 months post-injury to evaluate patient-reported outcomes. Patients requiring ICU admission â€‹≥ â€‹3 days ("ICU patients") were compared with those who did not require ICU admission ("non-ICU patients"). Multivariable regression models were built to identify factors associated with poor outcomes among ICU survivors. RESULTS: 2407 patients were followed [598 (25%) ICU and 1809 (75%) non-ICU patients]. Among ICU patients, 506 (85%) reported physical or mental health symptoms. Of them, 265 (52%) had physical symptoms only, 15 (3%) had mental symptoms only, and 226 (45%) had both physical and mental symptoms. In adjusted analyses, compared to non-ICU patients, ICU patients were more likely to have new limitations for ADLs (OR â€‹= â€‹1.57; 95% CI â€‹= â€‹1.21, 2.03), and worse SF-12 mental (mean Δ â€‹= â€‹-1.43; 95% CI â€‹= â€‹-2.79, -0.09) and physical scores (mean Δ â€‹= â€‹-2.61; 95% CI â€‹= â€‹-3.93, -1.28). Age, female sex, Black race, lower education level, polytrauma, ventilator use, history of psychiatric illness, and delirium during ICU stay were associated with poor outcomes in the ICU-admitted group. CONCLUSIONS: Physical impairment and mental health symptoms following ICU stay are highly prevalent among injury survivors. Modifiable ICU-specific factors such as early liberation from ventilator support and prevention of delirium are potential targets for intervention.

Atorvastatin Effect on COVID-19 Outcomes: A Propensity Score Matched Study on Hospitalized Patients.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the association of atorvastatin use on survival, need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and length of hospital stay (LOS) among COVID-19 inpatients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted between March 20th, 2020, and March 18th, 2021, on patients with confirmed COVID-19 admitted to three hospitals in Tehran, Iran. The unadjusted and adjusted effects of atorvastatin on COVID-19 prognosis were investigated. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to achieve a 1:1 balanced dataset with a caliper distance less than 0.1 and the nearest neighbor method without replacement. RESULTS: Of 4322 COVID-19 patients, 2136 (49.42%) were treated with atorvastatin. After PSM, 1245 atorvastatin inpatients and 1245 controls were included with a median age of 62.0 (interquartile range [IQR]: 51.0, 76.0) and 63.0 (IQR: 51.0, 75.0) years, respectively. The standardized mean differences were less than 0.1 for all confounders, suggesting a good covariate balance. The use of atorvastatin was associated with decreased COVID-19 mortality (HR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.68-0.95), whereas no relationship was found between atorvastatin and the need for ICU admission (HR: 1.21; 95% CI: 0.99-1.47). LOS was significantly higher in the atorvastatin cohort than controls (Atorvastatin vs. others: 7 [5, 11] vs. 6 [4, 10] days; p = 0.003). The survival rate was higher in combination therapy of atorvastatin plus enoxaparin than in those who received atorvastatin alone (p-value=0.001). CONCLUSION: Atorvastatin may reduce the risk of COVID-19 in-hospital mortality and could be a beneficial option for an add-on therapy. Randomized trials are warranted to confirm the results of the current observational studies.

The invisible scars: Unseen financial complications worsen every aspect of long-term health in trauma survivors.

BACKGROUND: Trauma survivors are susceptible to experiencing financial toxicity (FT). Studies have shown the negative impact of FT on chronic illness outcomes. However, there is a notable lack of data on FT in the context of trauma. We aimed to better understand prevalence, risk factors, and impact of FT on trauma long-term outcomes. METHODS: Adult trauma patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥9 treated at Level I trauma centers were interviewed 6 months to 14 months after discharge. Financial toxicity was considered positive if patients reported any of the following due to the injury: income loss, lack of care, newly applied/qualified for governmental assistance, new financial problems, or work loss. The Impact of FT on Patient Reported Outcome Measure Index System (PROMIS) health domains was investigated. RESULTS: Of 577 total patients, 44% (254/567) suffered some form of FT. In the adjusted model, older age (odds ratio [OR], 0.4; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.2-0.81) and stronger social support networks (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.26-0.74) were protective against FT. In contrast, having two or more comorbidities (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.01-3.28), lower education levels (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 95%, 1.26-3.03), and injury mechanisms, including road accidents (OR, 2.69; 95% CI, 1.51-4.77) and intentional injuries (OR, 4.31; 95% CI, 1.44-12.86) were associated with higher toxicity. No significant relationship was found with ISS, sex, or single-family household. Patients with FT had worse outcomes across all domains of health. There was a negative linear relationship between the severity of FT and worse mental and physical health scores. CONCLUSION: Financial toxicity is associated with long-term outcomes. Incorporating FT risk assessment into recovery care planning may help to identify patients most in need of mitigative interventions across the trauma care continuum to improve trauma recovery. Further investigations to better understand, define, and address FT in trauma care are warranted. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic and Epidemiological; Level III.

Simultaneous surgery of an inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm and renal cell carcinoma: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) coincidence is considered a rare phenomenon. Moreover, the inflammatory nature of aneurysm increases the rarity of the case. PRESENTATION OF CASE: Our case was a 66-year-old man complaining of constant abdominal pain with a periumbilical pulsatile mass on examination. The computerized tomography angiography revealed a 67*41*44 mm AAA and a 52*43 mm renal mass. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Not only choosing the most appropriate treatment is critical when two life-threatening diseases coexist in the same patient but also avoiding from any injury to adjacent organs while releasing fibrotic adhesions due to inflammatory process makes the case more challenging. CONCLUSION: The preset study describes the successful one-stage and open surgery for treatment of simultaneous IAAA and RCC.

How Hospitals Are Addressing The Effects Of Racism: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Hospital Equity Officers.

Hospital equity officers have become critical leaders in the effort to address the determinants of health care disparities, including structural racism. In this mixed-methods study, we surveyed a national sample of equity officers and interviewed a subset of respondents to provide additional perspective. About one-half of survey respondents reported at least some obstacles to achieving their health equity objectives, including racist beliefs among people working in their hospitals and health care systems, policies that perpetuate racism, and a lack of staff diversity. To address these challenges, some hospitals are collecting information about instances of racism, reviewing clinical algorithms for evidence of bias, or forming community partnerships. However, in interviews, equity officers pointed out that racism is a public health issue that cannot be adequately addressed solely within the health care system. Given the relative newness of most hospital equity officer positions, our research may be viewed as an early glimpse into the challenges and opportunities of this evolving work.

Association of seizure with COVID-19 vaccines in persons with epilepsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Seizure aggravation following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines is a major cause behind vaccine hesitancy among persons with epilepsy (PwE), resulting in lower immunization rates. We systematically reviewed seizure-activity-related events in PwE following COVID-19 vaccination. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library, until January 31, 2023, and included articles reporting seizure activity-related events in PwE receiving COVID-19 vaccination. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses were followed. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022312475). Outcomes included pooled incidence proportions of (a) increased seizure frequency, (b) status epilepticus (SE), and (c) change in seizure type. Of the 2207 studies, 16 entered the meta-analysis. The pooled incidence proportion of increased seizure frequency (16 studies-3245 PwE) was 5% (95% CI: 3%-7%, I2 = 52%). Regarding increased seizure frequency, no significant difference was observed between mRNA and viral vector (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.49-2.52, I2 = 0%), and between mRNA and inactivated virus (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 0.27-9.37; I2 = 0%). The pooled incidence proportion of SE (15 studies-2387 PwE) was 0.08% (95% CI: 0.02%-0.33%, I2 = 0%). Ultimately, the pooled incidence proportion of change in seizure type (7 studies-1172 PwE) was 1% (95% CI: 1%-2%, I2 = 0%). The meta-analysis revealed post-COVID-19-vaccination increased seizure frequency in 5% of PwE, with no difference between mRNA and viral vector or inactivated virus vaccines. Furthermore, we found 0.08% and 1% incidence proportions for postvaccination SE and change in seizure type, respectively. While noteworthy, these values are far less than reports for COVID-19 infection, emphasizing vaccination importance in preventing COVID-19 consequences in PwE.

Superior mesenteric artery thrombosis with concomitant pancreaticoduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm in a 60-year-old male patient - A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Vascular complications like superior mesenteric artery (SMA) thrombosis and pancreaticoduodenal artery (PDA) pseudoaneurysm carry high morbidity and mortality. SMA provides the primary arterial supply to the small intestine and ascending colon. PDA aneurysms are extremely rare, accounting for only 2 % of all visceral artery aneurysms. We present a rare case of SMA thrombosis with concomitant PDA pseudoaneurysm. CASE PRESENTATION: Herein is the case of a 60-year-old male who presented with rectorrhagia, persistent generalized abdominal pain. After being diagnosed with colitis and mesenteric artery thrombosis based on a computed tomography (CT) scan, he was discharged from the hospital with rivaroxaban and mesalazin. However, he had to return to the hospital due to worsening of the symptoms. After a proper workout, SMA artery thrombosis with a concomitant PDA pseudoaneurysm was diagnosed for him. Therefore, he underwent surgery to stent the thrombosis and coil the pseudoaneurysm. His symptoms dramatically improved after the treatment. DISCUSSION: Angiography is the diagnostic and, with embolization, therapeutic procedure of choice, with surgery as a backup if embolization fails. However, even with these procedures, the mortality rate is high if the pseudoaneurysm ruptures. CONCLUSION: In order to carry out the proper choice of surgical treatment before further complications occur, SMA thrombosis and PDA pseudoaneurysms must be investigated in each patient presenting with nonspecific abdominal pain, regardless of the risk factors.

Association of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination or Infection With Bell Palsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: Bell palsy (BP) has been reported as an adverse event following the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, but neither a causative relationship nor a higher prevalence than in the general population has been established. Objective: To compare the incidence of BP in SARS-CoV-2 vaccine recipients vs unvaccinated individuals or placebo recipients. Data Sources: A systematic search of MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar from the inception of the COVID-19 report (December 2019) to August 15, 2022. Study Selection: Articles reporting BP incidence with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination were included. Data Extraction and Synthesis: This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline and was conducted with the random- and fixed-effect models using the Mantel-Haenszel method. The quality of the studies was evaluated by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Main Outcomes and Measures: The outcomes of interest were to compare BP incidence among (1) SARS-CoV-2 vaccine recipients, (2) nonrecipients in the placebo or unvaccinated cohorts, (3) different types of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, and (4) SARS-CoV-2-infected vs SARS-CoV-2-vaccinated individuals. Results: Fifty studies were included, of which 17 entered the quantitative synthesis. Pooling 4 phase 3 randomized clinical trials showed significantly higher BP in recipients of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines (77 525 vaccine recipients vs 66 682 placebo recipients; odds ratio [OR], 3.00; 95% CI, 1.10-8.18; I2 = 0%). There was, however, no significant increase in BP after administration of the messenger RNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in pooling 8 observational studies (13 518 026 doses vs 13 510 701 unvaccinated; OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.42-1.16; I2 = 94%). No significant difference was found in BP among 22 978 880 first-dose recipients of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine compared with 22 978 880 first-dose recipients of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.82-1.15; I2 = 0%). Bell palsy was significantly more common after SARS-CoV-2 infection (n = 2 822 072) than after SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations (n = 37 912 410) (relative risk, 3.23; 95% CI, 1.57-6.62; I2 = 95%). Conclusions and Relevance: This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests a higher incidence of BP among SARS-CoV-2-vaccinated vs placebo groups. The occurrence of BP did not differ significantly between recipients of the Pfizer/BioNTech vs Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines. SARS-CoV-2 infection posed a significantly greater risk for BP than SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

A Long-term Study of NeuroAid (MLC601, MLC901) in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease; An Extension 8-year Follow-up Study.

BACKGROUND: MLC601 and MLC901 showed neuroprotective and neuroregenerative properties and positive results in the treatment of dementia and cognitive impairment. This study aimed to investigate the long-term benefits of monotherapy with MLC601 and MLC901 in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: In this study, patients with AD, diagnosed by DSM-IV criteria, were enrolled. Patients have received MLC601 for four years, and their regimen has changed to MLC901 for another four years. Recruited patients were followed to assess the efficacy and safety first of MLC601 and MLC901. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale- Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) were used to assess cognitive function. Safety was evaluated by monitoring adverse events (AEs) and abnormal findings in physical examinations or lab tests. RESULTS: At the end of the trial, the changes in the mean (±SD) MMSE and ADAS-Cog scores were 5.1 (3.09) and 12.5 (10.89), respectively. Both scores showed a significant change in repeated measure analysis, with the ADAS-Cog score indicating a higher change than the MMSE score (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: For more than eight years, we studied monotherapy with NeuroAid (MLC601, MLC901) in patients with AD. The study contributes further to the long-term safety and efficacy data of MLC in patients with AD.

Generalizable machine learning approach for COVID-19 mortality risk prediction using on-admission clinical and laboratory features.

We aimed to propose a mortality risk prediction model using on-admission clinical and laboratory predictors. We used a dataset of confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to three general hospitals in Tehran. Clinical and laboratory values were gathered on admission. Six different machine learning models and two feature selection methods were used to assess the risk of in-hospital mortality. The proposed model was selected using the area under the receiver operator curve (AUC). Furthermore, a dataset from an additional hospital was used for external validation. 5320 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were enrolled in the study, with a mortality rate of 17.24% (N = 917). Among 82 features, ten laboratories and 27 clinical features were selected by LASSO. All methods showed acceptable performance (AUC > 80%), except for K-nearest neighbor. Our proposed deep neural network on features selected by LASSO showed AUC scores of 83.4% and 82.8% in internal and external validation, respectively. Furthermore, our imputer worked efficiently when two out of ten laboratory parameters were missing (AUC = 81.8%). We worked intimately with healthcare professionals to provide a tool that can solve real-world needs. Our model confirmed the potential of machine learning methods for use in clinical practice as a decision-support system.

Fulminant psudeumonas pneumonia following coronary artery bypass grafting - Case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Pneumonia has always been a source of complication after surgeries. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has emerged as one of the most problematic Gram-negative pathogens among nosocomial infections. Pneumonia caused by pseudomonas is usually slowly progressive allowing clinicians to detect and manage it on time. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 55-year-old man was hospitalized for elective CABG, complicated by fulminant pneumonia. Vancomycin and meropenem were adminestered as soon as the symptoms appeared. However, the patient died from septic shock syndrome caused by pseudomonas pneumonia on the third postoperative day, just hours after the first symptom appeared. The chest X-ray showed an extreme opacity within less than 12 h. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: This case is reported because of its rare clinical presentation of Fulminant pseudomonas pneumonia following cardiac surgery. CONCLUSION: Consider pseudomonas aeruginosa as a certain cause of pneumonia after cardiac surgery, and an organized, modified guideline is needed to determine the best option and timeline for treating this complication.

Recent progress in cancer immunotherapy: Overview of current status and challenges.

Cancer treatment is presently one of the most important challenges in medical science. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or combining these methods is used to eliminate the tumor. Hormone therapy, bone marrow transplantation, stem cell therapy as well as immunotherapy are other well-known therapeutic modalities. Immunotherapy, as the most important complementary method, uses the immune system for treating cancer followed by surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. This method is systematically used to prevent malignancies development mainly via potentiating antitumor immune cells activation and conversely compromising their exhaustion with the lowest negative effects on healthy cells. Active immunotherapy can be employed for cancer immunotherapy by directly using the ingredients of the immune system and activating immune responses. On the other hand, inactive immunotherapy is utilized by indirect induction and using immune cell-based products consisting of monoclonal antibodies. It has strongly been proved that combination therapy with immunotherapies and other therapeutic means, such as anti-angiogenic agents, could be a rational plan to treat cancer. Herein, we have focused on recent findings concerning the therapeutic merits of cancer therapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), adoptive cell transfer (ACT) and cancer vaccine alone or in combination with other approaches. Also, we offer a glimpse into the current challenges in this context.

Fampridine in multiple sclerosis patients with acute phase of cervical transverse myelitis: a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Fampridine is a potassium channel blocker drug used to improve walking ability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). We evaluated the effect of fampridine in patients with MS in the acute phase of transverse myelitis. METHODS: In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 30 patients who had their first episode of cervical myelitis with quadriparesis presentation, with the final diagnosis of MS, were randomly divided into two equal groups. The intervention group received intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) for 7 days plus fampridine. The placebo group received IVMP for 7 days plus placebo. To compare the treatment results, we compared the Barthel index (BI) scores of the groups at the start of the trial and the 21st day after the start of treatment. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics between the intervention and placebo groups in terms of mean age, sex, and mean admission BI (p > 0.05). Mean (SD) admission BI in placebo and intervention groups was 27.20 (7.341) and 27.87(5.78), respectively (p = 0.784). The measured mean (SD) BI after treatment was 48.73 (15.54) in the placebo and 64.93 (11.81) in the intervention group (p = 0.003) after 3 weeks. CONCLUSION: Using fampridine plus IVMP in the acute phase of transverse myelitis in MS patients improved the disease's symptoms and increased the daily activity ability of patients.

The Effect of Easily Implementable Changes to the "D's of Stroke Care" in Reducing Sex Disparity in Door-to-Needle Time.

BACKGROUND: Door-to-needle (DTN) is the duration between patient's arrival at the hospital and receiving intravenous thrombolysis in ischemic stroke settings, for which studies have reported delays in women. The "D's of stroke care" describes 8 steps (D1 to D8) in patients' time tracker. We implemented simple modifications to the "D's of stroke care" by splitting D4 and D6 steps into these substeps: patients' arrival to the emergency room (D4-A), early assessment by a neurologist (D4-B), neurologist decision on patient's eligibility to receive recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (D6-A), and patient's transfer to the stroke unit (D6-B). We evaluated the effect of these changes on reducing DTN time disparity between men and women. METHODS: This study was conducted from September 2019 to August 2021, at a comprehensive stroke center. Patients were analyzed in 2 groups: group 1, before, and group 2, after using the modifications. Sex as the main variable of interest along with other covariates was regressed toward the DTN time. RESULTS: In groups 1 and 2, 47 and 56 patients received intravenous thrombolysis, respectively. Although there was a significant difference in DTN≤1 hour between women and men in group 1 (36% vs. 52%, P =0.019), it was not significantly different in group 2 ( P =0.97). Regression analysis showed being female was a significant predictor of DTN>1 hour in group 1 (adjusted odds ratio=6.65, P =0.02), whereas after using the modifications, sex was not a significant predictor for delayed DTN. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing these substeps reduced sex disparity in DTN time in our center.