Citations

Goals: We aimed to evaluate whether direct access colonoscopy (DAC) is noninferior to office-scheduled colonoscopy (OSC) for achieving successful colonoscopy. Background: DAC may improve access to colonoscopy. We developed an algorithm assessing eligibility, risk for inadequate preparation, and need for nursing/navigator assistance. Study: This was a retrospective, single-center study of DAC and OSC patients from June 5, 2018, to July 31, 2019. Patients were 45 to 75 years old with an indication of screening or surveillance. A successful colonoscopy met 3 criteria: complete colonoscopy (cecum, anastomosis, or ileum), adequate preparation (Boston Score ≥2/segment), and performed <90 days from initial patient contact. Unsuccessful colonoscopy did not meet ≥1 criteria. Secondary end points included days to successful colonoscopy, preparation quality, polyp detection, and 10-year recall rate. Noninferiority against risk ratio value of 0.85 was tested using 1-sided alpha of 0.05. Results: A total of 1823 DAC and 828 OSC patients were eligible. DAC patients were younger, with a greater proportion of black patients and screening indications. For the outcome of successful colonoscopy, DAC was noninferior to OSC (DAC vs. OSC: 62.7% vs. 57.1%, RR 1.16, 95% LCL 1.09, P=0.001). For DAC, days to colonoscopy were fewer, and likelihood of 10-year recall after negative screening greater. Boston Score and polyp detection were similar for groups. Black patients were less likely to achieve successful colonoscopy; otherwise, groups were similar. For unsuccessful colonoscopies, proportionally more DAC patients canceled or no-showed while more OSC patients scheduled >90 days. DAC remained noninferior to OSC at 180 days. Conclusions: DAC was noninferior to OSC for achieving successful colonoscopy, comparing similarly in quality and efficiency outcomes.

Abstract Osteochondritis dissecans of the elbow is a rare but debilitating pathology typically found in the adolescent repetitive overhead athlete. In the setting of unstable lesions, mechanical symptoms, or deteriorating function despite appropriate conservative management, surgical osteochondral allograft transplantation of the capitellum is a viable option for even large lesions (>10 mm), with minimal morbidity and good return of function. We describe a technique for performing a large osteochondral allograft transplantation of the capitellum. Technique Video video See video under supplementary data.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an idiopathic form of pregnancy-induced heart failure associated with preeclampsia. Circulating factors in late pregnancy are thought to contribute to both diseases, suggesting a common underlying pathophysiological process. However, what drives this process remains unclear. Using serum proteomics, we identified the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), a marker of cellular senescence associated with biological aging, as the most highly up-regulated pathway in young women with PPCM or preeclampsia. Placentas from women with preeclampsia displayed multiple markers of amplified senescence and tissue aging, as well as overall increased gene expression of 28 circulating proteins that contributed to SASP pathway enrichment in serum samples from patients with preeclampsia or PPCM. The most highly expressed placental SASP factor, activin A, was associated with cardiac dysfunction or heart failure severity in women with preeclampsia or PPCM. In a murine model of PPCM induced by cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of the gene encoding peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ coactivator-1α, inhibiting activin A signaling in the early postpartum period with a monoclonal antibody to the activin type II receptor improved heart function. In addition, attenuating placental senescence with the senolytic compound fisetin in late pregnancy improved cardiac function in these animals. These findings link senescence biology to cardiac dysfunction in pregnancy and help to elucidate the pathogenesis underlying cardiovascular diseases of pregnancy.

We present the case of an elderly man with a history of diastolic congestive heart failure, severe aortic stenosis and atrial fibrillation, who presented with fatigue, weakness, coffee ground emesis and black tarry stool. Haemoglobin was 68 g/L. Lactate dehydrogenase was elevated at 1038. Evaluation by cardiology and gastroenterology specialists revealed reflux oesophagitis and a mild hiatal hernia on oesophagogastroduodenoscopy, normal colonoscopy and small bowel series without obstruction. Capsule endoscopy identified angiodysplasia in the small intestine. The patient was diagnosed with Heyde’s syndrome based on the triad of severe aortic stenosis, gastrointestinal bleeding from angiodysplasia and acquired von Willebrand syndrome. The patient underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement, resulting in the resolution of symptoms. Heyde’s syndrome represents a challenging clinical entity requiring a multidisciplinary approach for accurate diagnosis and management. Early recognition, prompt intervention and interdisciplinary collaboration are crucial in optimising patient outcomes.

Objective To report epidemiological data regarding injury and illness among the Team USA staff during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Methods A retrospective review of all Team USA staff (total staff, N=1703 (62.5% female); total staff days (SD)=34 489) medical encounters during the Tokyo 2020 Games and Beijing 2022 Games was conducted. Details related to injury and illness were evaluated. Incidence with 95% CI per 1000 staff days were calculated. Results A total of 32 illnesses (incidence [95% CI] 0.9 [0.6, 1.2]) and 23 injuries (incidence 0.7 [0.4, 0.9]) were sustained by the Team USA delegation staff members during the Tokyo 2020 Games and Beijing 2022 Games. Female staff reported more illnesses (illnesses proportion (IP) 2.9%; incidence 1.4 [0.8, 2.0]), while male staff incurred more injuries (IP 1.8%; incidence 0.9 [0.5, 1.3]). When stratified by physiological system, dermatological and infectious were the most common systems involved with illness (IP 0.5%; incidence 0.2 [0.1, 0.4]). Injuries to the upper limb were most common (IP 0.3%; incidence 0.3 [0.1, 0.5]). Conclusion Injury and illness rates among the Team USA staff during the Tokyo 2020 Games and Beijing 2022 Games were low, but notable. Knowledge of injury and illness risks contributes to staffing decisions and prevention strategies for staff supporting athletes during competition.

Importance Although the results of A Study to Evaluate the Corvia Medical Inc IASD System II to Reduce Elevated Left Atrial Pressure in Patients with Heart Failure (REDUCE LAP-HF II) trial were neutral overall, atrial shunt therapy demonstrated potential efficacy in responders (no latent pulmonary vascular disease and no cardiac rhythm management device). Post hoc analyses were conducted to evaluate the effect of shunt vs sham stratified by responder status. Objective To evaluate the effect of atrial shunt vs sham control on cardiac structure/function in the overall study and stratified by responder status. Design, Setting, and Participants This was a sham-controlled randomized clinical trial of an atrial shunt device in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)/HF with mildly reduced EF (HFmrEF). Trial participants with evaluable echocardiography scans were recruited from 89 international medical centers. Data were analyzed from April 2023 to January 2024. Interventions Atrial shunt device or sham control. Main Outcome Measures Changes in echocardiographic measures from baseline to 1, 6, 12, and 24 months after index procedure. Results The modified intention-to-treat analysis of the REDUCE LAP-HF II trial included 621 randomized patients (median [IQR] age, 72.0 [66.0-77.0] years; 382 female [61.5%]; shunt arm, 309 [49.8%]; sham control arm, 312 [50.2%]). Through 24 months, 212 of 217 patients (98%) in the shunt arm with evaluable echocardiograms had patent shunts. In the overall trial population, the shunt reduced left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume (mean difference, −5.65 mL; P &amp;lt;.001), left atrial (LA) minimal volume (mean difference, −2.8 mL; P =.01), and improved LV systolic tissue Doppler velocity (mean difference, 0.69 cm/s; P &amp;lt;.001) and LA emptying fraction (mean difference, 1.88 percentage units; P =.02) compared with sham. Shunt treatment also increased right ventricular (RV; mean difference, 9.58 mL; P &amp;lt;.001) and right atrial (RA; mean difference, 9.71 mL; P &amp;lt;.001) volumes but had no effect on RV systolic function, pulmonary artery pressure, or RA pressure compared with sham. In the shunt arm, responders had smaller increases in RV end-diastolic volume (mean difference, 5.71 mL vs 15.18 mL; interaction P =.01), RV end-systolic volume (mean difference, 1.58 mL vs 7.89 mL; interaction P =.002), and RV/LV ratio (mean difference, 0.07 vs 0.20; interaction P &amp;lt;.001) and larger increases in transmitral A wave velocity (mean difference, 5.08 cm/s vs −1.97 cm/s; interaction P =.02) compared with nonresponders randomized to the shunt, suggesting greater ability to accommodate shunted blood through the pulmonary circulation enabling LA unloading. Conclusions and Relevance In this post hoc analysis of the REDUCE LAP-HF II trial, over 2 years of follow-up, atrial shunting led to reverse remodeling of left-sided chambers and increases in volume of right-sided chambers consistent with the shunt flow but no change in RV systolic function compared with sham. Changes in cardiac structure/function were more favorable in responders compared with nonresponders treated with the shunt, supporting the previously identified responder group hypothesis and mechanism, although further evaluation with longer follow-up is needed. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03088033

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The prognosis of patients diagnosed with melanoma is highly dependent on staging, early detection, and early intervention. In this systematic review, the authors aimed to investigate the impact of surgical delay (time between diagnostic biopsy and definitive surgical excision) on melanoma-specific outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS A systematic review was conducted from Embase (1974–present), MEDLINE (1946–present), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (2005–present), Scopus, and Web of Science. A total of 977 studies were included for review after removal of duplicates. A total of 10 studies were included for final analysis. RESULTS In total, 70% (7/10) of the studies found that longer wait times between initial biopsy and surgical intervention are correlated with lower overall survival. Among the 9 studies that reported overall survival as a percentage, the median and SD overall survival was 82% ± 5.87. CONCLUSION There is evidence that prolonged surgical delay in patients diagnosed with Stage I cutaneous melanoma is associated with worsened overall mortality, whereas the effect of surgical delay on overall mortality in Stages II and III melanomas is uncertain. Future prospective studies and randomized clinical trials are needed to better define the appropriate surgical wait times between biopsy and surgical treatment.

AbstractBackgroundHigh dose rate brachytherapy is commonly used in the treatment of prostate cancer. Treatment planning is often performed under transrectal ultrasound (US) guidance, but brachytherapy needles can be challenging to digitize due to the presence of poor US conspicuity and imaging artifacts. The plan accuracy and quality, however, are dependent on the proper visualization of the needles with millimeter accuracy.PurposeThis work describes a technique for generating a color overlay of needle locations atop the grayscale US image. Prototype devices were developed to produce vibrations in the brachytherapy needles that generate a high contrast color Doppler (CD) signal that highlights the needle locations with superior contrast and reduced artifacts. Denoted by the acronym color VISION (Vibrationally Induced Shimmering for Identifying an Object's Nature), the technology has the potential to improve applicator conspicuity and facilitate automated applicator digitization.MethodsThree prototype vibrational devices with frequencies between 200–450 Hz were designed in‐house and evaluated with needle implants in a phantom and cadaveric male pelvis using: (1) an actuator attached to the front of a prostate needle template; (2) an actuator attached to the top of the needle template; and (3) a hand‐held actuator with a stylet, inserted directly into a needle's inner lumen. Acquired images were postprocessed in MATLAB to evaluate the potential for automated digitization.ResultsAll prototype devices produced localized shimmering in implanted brachytherapy needles in both the axial and sagittal planes. The template mounted actuators provided better vibrational coupling and ease of operation than the stylet prototype. The Michelson contrast, or visibility, of the shimmering CD signal was 100% compared with ≤40% for B‐mode imaging of a single needle. Proof‐of‐principle for automated applicator digitization using only the CD signal was demonstrated.ConclusionsThe color VISION prototype devices successfully coupled mechanical vibrations into brachytherapy needles to generate US CD shimmering and accurately highlight brachytherapy needle locations. The high contrast and natively registered signal are promising for future work to automate the needle digitization and provide a real‐time visual overlay of the applicator on the B‐mode US image.

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), a Herpesviridae family member, is associated with an increased risk of autoimmune disease development in the host. We previously demonstrated that EBV DNA elevates levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17A and that inhibiting Toll-like receptor (TLR) 3, 7, or 9 reduces its levels. Moreover, this DNA exacerbated colitis in a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In the study at hand, we examined whether inhibition of TLR3, 7, or 9 alleviates this exacerbation. Mice were fed 1.5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) water and administered EBV DNA. Then, they were treated with a TLR3, 7, or 9 inhibitor or left untreated. We also assessed the additive impact of combined inhibition of all three receptors. Mice that received DSS, EBV DNA, and each inhibitor alone, or a combination of inhibitors, showed significant improvement. They also had a decrease in the numbers of the pathogenic colonic IL-17A+IFN-γ+ foci. Inhibition of all three endosomal TLR receptors offered no additive benefit over administering a single inhibitor. Therefore, inhibition of endosomal TLRs reduces EBV DNA exacerbation of mouse colitis, offering a potential approach for managing IBD patients infected with EBV.