Citations

Abstract Objectives Oral extraintestinal manifestations (OEIMs) of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may impact IBD treatment. The aims of this study were to: (1) determine which OEIMs are most prevalent among patients with IBD, (2) investigate the presence of a temporal association between GI luminal disease activity and OEIMs, and (3) determine how often changes in therapeutic management of IBD are needed in the presence of OEIMs. Study Design A retrospective cohort study was performed for adult patients with IBD evaluated between January 2017 and November 2021 with at least 1 oral complaint. Demographic data were collected from the charts of these patients. Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous measures and Fisher’s Exact test for categorical measures were used. Results A total of 116 patients with IBD who had presented with at least 1 oral finding during the study time period were identified. Aphthous ulcers were the most common oral presentation in both Crohn’s disease (CD) (85.1%) and ulcerative colitis (UC) (75.0%). OEIMs were associated with CD activity in the small intestine (P = .004) and colon (P < .001). UC pancolitis was associated with OEIMs (P = .002). In 32.7% of patients, OEIMs led to either an increase in dose or frequency of IBD therapy. In an additional 16.4% of patients, new systemic agents were started because of the OEIMs. Conclusions This study provides evidence that patients with IBD may develop OEIMs synchronous with IBD flares and may require escalation of IBD therapy when OEIMs occur.

Abstract Motoneurons are the final common pathway for all motor commands and possess intrinsic electrical properties that must be tuned to control muscle across the full range of motor behaviours. Neuromodulatory input from the brainstem is probably essential for adapting motoneuron properties to match this diversity of motor tasks. A primary mechanism of this adaptation, control of dendritic persistent inward currents (PICs) in motoneurons by brainstem monoaminergic systems, generates both amplification and prolongation of synaptic inputs. While essential, there is an inherent tension between this amplification and prolongation. Although amplification by PICs allows for quick recruitment and acceleration of motoneuron discharge, PICs must be deactivated to derecruit motoneurons upon movement cessation. In contrast, during stabilizing or postural tasks, PIC‐induced prolongation of synaptic inputs is critical for sustained motoneuron discharge. Here, we designed two motor tasks that challenged the inhibitory control of PICs, generating unduly PIC prolongation that increases variability in human torque control. This included a paradigm combining a discrete motor task with a stabilizing task and another involving muscle length‐induced changes to the balance of excitatory and inhibitory inputs available for controlling PICs. We show that prolongation from PICs introduces difficulties in ankle torque control and that these difficulties are further degraded at shorter muscle lengths when PIC prolongation is greatest. These results highlight the necessity for inhibitory control of PICs and showcase issues introduced when inhibitory control is constrained. Our findings suggest that, like sensory systems, errors are inherent in motor systems. These errors are not due to problems in the perception of movement‐related sensory input but are embedded in the final stage of motor output. This has many implications relevant to clinical conditions (e.g. chronic stroke) where pathological shifts in monoamines may further amplify these errors. image Key points All motor commands are processed via spinal motoneurons, whose intrinsic electrical properties are adapted by brainstem neuromodulatory input. The effects of these neuromodulatory inputs (i.e. persistent inward currents; PICs) must be tightly regulated by inhibitory inputs to allow for the large repertoire of human motor behaviours. We designed two motor tasks to restrict the ability of inhibitory synaptic inputs to control PICs and show that this generates substantial errors that reduce the precision of motor output in humans. Our findings suggest that errors are inherent in motor systems and embedded in the final stage of motor output. This has many implications relevant to clinical conditions (e.g. chronic stroke) and may, speculatively, shed light on contributing factors to muscle cramps.

Abstract Background There remains a lack of consensus regarding the postoperative treatment regimen in patients with native valve Staphylococcus aureus infective endocarditis who undergo surgical valve replacement or repair. Methods We conducted a multicenter retrospective review of patients with S aureus native valve endocarditis who underwent surgical valve replacement or repair at Mayo Clinic Enterprise (Minnesota, Florida, Arizona, and Mayo Clinic Health Systems) between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2022. Postoperative treatment regimens were classified as either monotherapy with a methicillin-sensitive or methicillin-resistant S aureus active agent or combination therapy that included rifampin and/or gentamicin with either active agent. Results Of the 339 patients diagnosed with S aureus native valve endocarditis, 61 underwent surgical valve replacement or repair within the initial 6 weeks of antimicrobial therapy. A total of 12 (20.2%) patients died during the 1-year follow-up period. Between patients postoperatively treated with monotherapy (n = 33) and combination therapy (n = 28), a propensity score–weighted analysis revealed that combination therapy was associated with increased risk of 1-year mortality (P = .039), 6-month relapse (P = .016), and treatment-related adverse events (P < .001). Conclusions Among patients treated for native valve infective endocarditis caused by S aureus after valvular surgical intervention, all study outcomes—adverse events and drug-drug interactions, 6-month infective endocarditis relapse, and 1-year mortality—were higher in the combination therapy group than the monotherapy group.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review and synthesize the evidence surrounding factors impacting women rising to leadership positions in critical care medicine (CCM). DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from 2011 to 2024. STUDY SELECTION: Articles included were cohort studies, surveys, and interviews addressing women physicians practicing in CCM and related fields of academic medicine. DATA EXTRACTION: Causes of not rising to leadership among women were extracted and tabulated along with other pertinent study characteristics. DATA SYNTHESIS: The database searches generated 892 records. Thirty-nine studies met inclusion criteria for data extraction. The included articles represented seven countries, with 30 studies originating in the United States. Only two studies were from CCM, whereas others addressed leadership in other academic and clinical fields of medicine, medical journals, and societies and medical faculty. Twenty-six studies were qualitative, observational studies; five were survey based and eight included interviews. Using thematic analysis, the following five domains emerged: pipeline issues, lack of opportunities, lack of self-efficacy, lack of mentorship, and sustaining women in leadership. CONCLUSIONS: While the satisfaction rates of women in CCM were high, challenges remain for women to obtain leadership opportunities. A culture of support could better nurture and sustain women in leadership roles. More CCM-focused gender bias research is needed. Future targets for interventions include gender bias training, awareness, and developing strategies to break through the cycle of gender preferential promotions in CCM.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this scoping review was to review some of the challenges hospitals faced in dealing with the shortage of ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic and the solutions they were able to implement or suggested. By highlighting these problems and solutions, we hope this review can catalyze further discussions about how to better prepare for future pandemics and medical supply shortages. DATA SOURCES: A comprehensive search strategy using identifying key words was applied to several different databases to procure relevant literature. STUDY SELECTION: Four thousand two hundred fifty-nine studies were found in the initial search. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were created and applied to screen studies. Included studies focused on the supply and distribution of ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the case where reviewers disagreed about whether a study should be included, a third reviewer acted as a tie-breaker. DATA EXTRACTION: Thirty-three studies were included for final data extraction. Two independent reviewers collected various data points from these studies, including the main challenges discussed by the authors, the level of ventilator shortage being addressed, whether ventilator sharing was discussed, and the limitations of the study. DATA SYNTHESIS: A third reviewer compared the collected data and decided on the results. CONCLUSIONS: Some of the common solutions for the ventilator shortage discussed included augmenting overall ventilator supply through increased production, transporting ventilators between hospitals, ventilator sharing, designing new ventilators, and repurposing other resources to help address shortages of supplies.

ABSTRACTBackgroundGlenohumeral arthrodesis is a demanding surgical procedure. However, it is an option for reconstruction an oncologic resection, especially for patients in whom the axillary nerve is compromised.MethodsWe reviewed 26 (12 male:14 female) glenohumeral arthrodeses (14 primary:12 revision) following an oncologic resection. The most common method of reconstruction was a free vascularized fibula autograft with a bulk allograft (n = 18). The median follow‐up was 22 years (IQR 19 years).ResultsMedian Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Scores and Toronto Extremity Salvage Scores at final follow‐up were 86% and 80%. MSTS scores were similar in patients receiving arthrodesis for primary versus secondary reconstruction. Fifteen (58%) patients had postoperative complications requiring reoperation. Most reoperations occurred with‐in the first 5 years postoperative, with two procedures occurring after 10‐years. Three patients were diagnosed with metastatic disease, one of which also had a local recurrence.ConclusionGlenohumeral arthrodesis provides satisfactory long‐term outcomes for primary and secondary management of shoulder girdle tumors. While early complication rates were high, long‐term complications were rare.

Abstract Background: Iliopsoas (IP) tendinitis is a recognized complication following total hip arthroplasty (THA) and isolated iliopsoas fractional lengthening (IPFL) has been able to provide symptom relief. IPFL has traditionally been done openly; however, the arthroscopic IPFL has recently been described as an alternative, offering the potential for lower surgical site morbidity and a more favorable post-operative recovery. Purpose: To compare clinical and patient reported outcomes following open and arthroscopic IPFL. We hypothesize that patients undergoing arthroscopic IPFL will have improved pain, function, and satisfaction with lower post-operative complication rates when compared to patients undergoing open IPFL. Methods: Patients with symptomatic IP tendinitis following THA who underwent IPFL from 1988-2023 were reviewed. Inclusion criteria included 2 years follow-up and no concomitant procedures. Patient records were evaluated for surgery type, radiographic anterior acetabular component overhang, reoperations, and need for revision THA. Surveys were used to report overall surgery satisfaction, postoperative subjective hip flexion strength and anterior groin pain improvement, mHHS, SANE score, Tegner activity scale, and VAS for pain. Results: Fifty-two patients (16 males and 36 females, age: 63.9 ± 11.7 years, BMI: 28.8 ± 5.4 kg/m2) were followed for a mean of 68.7 (24.0 – 203.7) months postoperatively. Overall surgery satisfaction was 7.9 (arthroscopic) and 6.0 (open) (p = 0.178). 86% of patients treated arthroscopically reported feeling “slightly” or “much better” and 86% also reported improvement in their anterior groin pain, compared to 55% and 45% respectively treated openly. In the arthroscopic cohort, 64% reported that their hip flexion strength was “slightly ” or “much better”, compared to 36% treated openly. Average VAS pain score was 1.7 ± 2.7 at rest (arthroscopic: 1.1 ± 2.2, open: 3.3 ± 3.2, p = 0.0092) and 3.0 ± 1.3 (arthroscopic: 3.1 ± 1.3, open: 2.6 ± 1.1) with use. Mean postoperative Tegner score was 3.0 ± 1.3 (arthroscopic: 3.1 ± 1.3, open: 2.6 ± 1.1) compared to 2.3 ± 1.2 preoperatively (arthroscopic: 2.3 ± 1.3, open: 2.1 ± 1.1) (p = 0.0018). Mean post-operative mHHS and SANE score was 74.9 ± 21.6 (arthroscopic: 77.0 ± 19.0, open: 69.2 ± 26.9) and 69.7± 29.7 (arthroscopic: 70.9 ± 28.7, open: 66.7 ± 31.8) respectively. Conclusion: The results indicate that arthroscopic IPFL trends towards significantly improved pain, function, and satisfaction scores when compared to patients undergoing open IPFL, and should be considered when appropriate over an open IPFL given the less invasive nature of an arthroscopic procedure.