Evaluating quality of life of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survivors using the pediatric quality of life inventory survey

Purpose

This study assesses the impact of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) associated morbidities on long-term quality of life (QOL) outcomes.

A novel multimodal computational system using near-infrared spectroscopy predicts the need for ECMO initiation in neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Background/purpose

The purpose of this study was to develop a computational algorithm that would predict the need for ECMO in neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).

The Impact of an mHealth Voice Message Service (mMitra) on Infant Care Knowledge,and Practices Among Low-Income Women in India: Findings from a Pseudo-Randomized Controlled Trial

Maternal and Child Health Journal - Objectives mHealth interventions for MNCH have been shown to improve uptake of antenatal and neonatal services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)....     

Comparison of the use of the humerus intramedullary nail and dynamic compression plate for the management of diaphyseal fractures of the humerus. A randomised controlled study

The aim of this study was to compare the results of the humerus intramedullary nail (IMN) and dynamic compression plate (DCP) for the management of diaphyseal fractures of the humerus. Forty-seven patients with diaphyseal fracture of the shaft of the humerus were randomised prospectively and treated by open reduction and internal fixation with IMN or DCP. The criteria for inclusion were grade 1 or 2a compound fractures, polytrauma, early failure of conservative treatment and unstable fractures. The patients with pathological fractures, grade 3 open fractures, refractures and old neglected fractures of the humerus were excluded from the study. Twenty-three patients underwent internal fixation by IMN and 24 by DCP. Reamed antegrade nailing was done in all cases. DCP was done through an anterolateral or posterior approach. The outcome was assessed in terms of the union time, union rate, functional outcome and the incidence of complications. Functional outcome was assessed using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons' Score (ASES). On comparing the results by independent samples t test, there was no significant difference in ASES scores between the two groups (P>0.05). The average union time was found to be significantly lower for IMN as compared to DCP (P<0.05). The union rate was found to be similar in both groups. Complications such as infection were found to be higher with DCP as compared to IMN, while shortening of the arm (1.5-4 cm) and restriction of shoulder movements due to impingement by the nail were found to be higher with IMN as compared to DCP. However, this improved in all patients following the removal of the nail once the fracture had healed. This study proves that IMN can be considered a better surgical option for the management of diaphyseal fractures of the humerus as it offers a short union time and lower incidence of serious complications like infection. However, there appears to be no difference between the two groups in terms of the rate of union and functional outcome.     

Cardiovascular diseases display etiological and seasonal trend in human population: Evidence from seasonal cardiovascular comorbid diseases (SCCD) index

Seasonal changes in the human cardiovascular system are known to play an important role in the onset of many diseases. Confounding variables include behavioral and environmental factors; failing to address such variables makes measuring the true temporal impact of these diseases difficult. On the other hand, numerous clinical studies imply that only specific groups of people are more seasonal sensitive and that their maladaptation might contribute to various illnesses. As a result, it is critical to evaluate the etiological and seasonal sensitive patterns of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which impact the majority of the human population. The hypothesis for this study formulated that cardiovascular and associated illnesses had substantial connections with seasonal and etiological variations. Thus in the present study, 4519 systematic screen-eligible studies were analyzed using data mining to uncover 852 disease association relationships between cardiovascular and associated disorders. A disease ontology-based semantic similarity network (DSN) analysis was performed to narrow down the identified CVDs. Further, topological analysis was used to predict the seven CVDs, including myocardial infarction (MI), in three clusters. Following that, Mann–Kendall and Cox–Stuart analyses were used to investigate the seasonal sensitivity and temporal relationship of these seven CVDs. Finally, temporal relationships were confirmed using LOESS and TBATS, as well as seasonal breakdown utilizing autocorrelation and fast Fourier transform results. The study provides indirect evidence of a severe etiological association among the three cardiovascular diseases, including MI, atrial fibrillation, and atherosclerosis, which are winter season sensitive in most of the world population. Hypertension has two seasonal falls and peaks due to its seasonal nature, that is, summer and winter hypertension. While, heart failure was also identified, with minor temporal trends. Hence, all five diseases could be classified as seasonal cardiovascular comorbid diseases (SCCD). Furthermore, these diseases could be studied for potential common risk factors such as biochemical, genetic, and physiological factors.     

Top advances of the year: Precision oncology

The advent of precision medicine has changed the landscape of oncologic biomarkers, drug discovery, drug development, and, more importantly, outcomes for patients with cancer. Precision oncology entails the genomic profiling of tumors to detect actionable aberrations. The advances in clinical next-generation sequencing from both tumor tissue and liquid biopsy and availability of targeted therapies has rapidly entered mainstream clinical practice. In this review, recent major developments in precision oncology that have affected outcomes for patients with cancer are discussed. Rapid clinical development was seen of targeted agents across various mutational profiles such as KRASG12C (which was considered “undruggable” for almost 4 decades), Exon 20 insertions, and RET mutations. Approaches to precision chemotherapy delivery by the introduction of antibody drug conjugates in the armamentarium against lung cancer has been appreciated.     

Diurnal variations in subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy reactions

Background

Circadian rhythms underlie many immune responses and allergic diseases. Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) can result in adverse reactions; however, it is unclear whether such reactions have a diurnal pattern.