Articles: cations.
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Lung infection is the leading cause of death in cystic fibrosis (CF), and antimicrobial therapies are the backbone of infection management. While many different strategies may be applied, rigorous microbiological surveillance, intensive eradication therapy, and long-term maintenance therapy based on inhaled antibiotics may be considered the main strategy for infection control in individuals with CF. While most of the existing evidence is based on infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, other important pathogens causing lung inflammation and deterioration exist and should be treated despite the evidence gap. In this chapter, we describe the approaches to the antimicrobial treatment of the most important pathogens in CF and the evidence behind.
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Use of whole-body CT scan (WBCT) is widespread in the evaluation of traumatically injured patients and may be associated with improved survival. WBCT protocols include the use of IV contrast unless there is a contraindication. This study tests the hypothesis that using plain WBCT scan during the global contrast shortage would result in greater need for repeat contrast-enhanced CT, but would not impact mortality, missed injuries, or rates of acute kidney injury (AKI). ⋯ Trauma imaging practices at our center changed during the global contrast shortage; the use of contrast decreased despite the frequency of trauma WBCT scans remaining the same. The rates of AKI and RRT did not change, suggesting that WBCT with contrast is insufficient to cause AKI. The missed injury rate was equivalent. Our data suggest similar outcomes can be achieved with selective IV contrast use during WBCT.
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Neuraxial anesthesia is preferred over general anesthesia in obstetric patients to avoid airway manipulation, aspiration, and maternal-fetal transfer of medications; however, a sudden sympathetic block is generally avoided in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). The case of a 31-year-old G2P0010 with HOCM with severe resting left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction and systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve undergoing a cerclage under choroprocaine spinal anesthesia is presented. Risks and benefits of general versus neuraxial anesthesia, and epidural versus spinal anesthesia, in this specific setting are reviewed.
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Existing venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk scores help identify patients at increased risk of postoperative VTE who warrant extended prophylaxis in the first 30 days. However, these methods do not address factors unique to colorectal surgery, wherein the tumor location and operation performed vary widely. VTE risk may extend past 30 days. Therefore, we aimed to determine the roles of tumor location and operation in VTE development and evaluate VTE incidence through 90 days postoperatively. ⋯ When considering extended VTE prophylaxis after colorectal surgery, clinicians should account for the operation performed and the location of the tumor. Further study is necessary to determine the optimal length of VTE prophylaxis in high-risk individuals.
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The disappointing outcomes of conventional nerve repair or grafting procedures for proximal ulnar nerve injuries have led the scientific community to search for better alternatives. The pronator quadratus branch of the anterior interosseous nerve has been transferred to the distal ulnar motor branch in a reverse end-to-side fashion with encouraging results. ⋯ We have reviewed the existing preclinical and clinical literature relevant to this transfer to summarize the current level of understanding of the underlying mechanisms, define the indications for performing this transfer in the clinic, and identify the complications and best practices with respect to the operative technique. We have also attempted to identify the major deficiencies in our current level of understanding of the recovery process to propose directions for future research.