Effectiveness of Ultrafiltration in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure

Among all cardiac diseases, congestive heart failure (CHF) is the leading cause of patient rehospitalization. Fluid overload and lung congestion are the major reasons for these recurrent admissions. This disease can be associated with worsening renal function, a phenomenon called cardiorenal syndrome (CRS), which is challenging to manage. Conventional diuretic therapy of both CRS and diuretic resistance has offered limited efficacy. Compared with conventional therapy, hemodiafiltration (HDF) has shown promising results for fluid removal in some clinical trials, with inconclusive effects on all-cause mortality and rehospitalizations. Nonetheless, the results are inconsistent because of the high heterogeneity among these studies. In this chapter, we shed light on the role of different methods of ultrafiltration, including peritoneal ultrafiltration, sustained slow efficiency dialysis, and HDF, in the management of CHF, and review the current literature

"Cardiac Otalgia": Acute coronary syndrome masquerading as bilateral ear pain

Patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes are classically described as having chest pressure with radiation to the left arm. However, pain can be referred to multiple sites including the face, the neck, the abdomen and the contra-lateral arm. We present a case of sudden bilateral ear pain as the sole presentation of acute coronary syndrome in an elderly man. The importance of recognizing these atypical presentations is vital, as outcomes may be worsened as appropriate therapy may be delayed or misdirected. (Cardiol J 2010; 17, 6: 623-624

How Does Interleukin-22 Mediate Liver Regeneration and Prevent Injury and Fibrosis?

Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is a pluripotent T cell-derived cytokine which is a member of IL-10 cytokine family. It is the only interleukin produced by immune cells but does not target immune system components. IL-22 is mainly produced by dendritic cells (DCs) and TH17, TH22, NK, and NKT cells and targets a number of body tissues including liver, pancreas, and other epithelial tissues. It provokes a series of downstream signaling pathways upon binding with IL-22R complex which protects liver damage through STAT3 activation. IL-22BP is an inhibitor of IL-22 which has 20-1000x more affinity to bind with IL-22 compared to IL-22R1 that inhibits IL-22 activity. Its level was found to be positively correlated with the severity of liver damage and fibrosis. So, the present review is an effort to reveal the exact mechanism lying in the hepatoprotective activity of IL-22 and some of its future therapeutic implications

Prevalence of HCV and HIV infections in 2005-Earthquake-affected areas of Pakistan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>On October 8, 2005, an earthquake of magnitude 7.6 hit the Northern parts of Pakistan. In the post-earthquake scenario, overcrowding, improper sewage disposal, contamination of food and drinking water, hasty surgical procedures, and unscreened blood transfusions to earthquake victims most likely promotes the spread of infections already prevalent in the area.</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>The objective of the study reported here was to determine the prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency and Hepatitis C viruses (respectively, HIV and HCV) in the earthquake-affected communities of Pakistan. The samples were analyzed 2 months and then again 11 months after the earthquake to estimate the burden of HIV and HCV in these areas, and to determine any rise in the prevalence of these viral infections as a result of the earthquake.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Blood samples were initially collected during December, 2005 to March 2006, from 245 inhabitants of the earthquake-affected areas. These samples were screened for HCV and HIV, using immunochromatography and Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Out of 245 samples tested, 8 (3.26%) were found positive for HCV, and 0 (0.0%) for HIV, indicating the existence of HCV infection in the earthquake-stricken areas. The same methods were used to analyze the samples collected in the second round of screening in the same area, in September, 2006 – 11 months after the earthquake. This time 290 blood samples were collected, out of which 16 (5.51%) samples were positive for HCV, and 0 for HIV.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A slightly higher prevalence of HCV was recorded 11 months after the earthquake; this increase, however, was not statistically significant. None of the study participants was found HIV-infected.</p

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Rituximab Induced Left Bundle Branch Block

Rituximab (a monoclonal antibody directed against CD 20) therapy can be acutely complicated by infusion reactions and cardiac arrhythmia on rare occasions. We report the first case of a new onset left bundle branch block (LBBB) after rituximab therapy for Wegener′s vasculitis

Applying Learning Analytics for Designing Effective Pedagogy for Online Courses: Analysis and Recommendations

The countrywide lockdown since March 2020 due to COVID 19 pandemic has brought drastic changes in the Indian education system. Today, many higher education institutions offer online delivery as an alternative and/or addition to provide more flexibility to learners, specifically in the current COVID 19 Pandemic. The conventional teaching method to the technology-driven virtual mode of teaching provided opportunities with challenges to academic stakeholders. Now with the new session, discussions on the reopening of educational institutions are going on. Hence, it is time to review the learning that took place during this pandemic situation. Learners being confronted with such services come with different expectations of what that means to their learning paths and behaviors. Learning Analytics is a relatively new and innovative way of making learner behavior and performances explicit by analyzing significant learners' feedback data. In this study, we take the case of online courses offered by various educational institutions all over India, and the analysis encompasses the population of learners of the online courses during the COVID 19 Pandemic period. Primary data has been collected using Google form when journals, reports, and websites are secondary data collection sources. We classified the data into distinctive parts: the overall learning experience of this course, the fulfillment of the learners' objectives, the difficulty of the assignments, the quality of the material supplied, the difficulty level of the course, the quality of the live session, opinion about the virtual approach of teaching, opinion about the contribution of virtual academic programs on knowledge building, opinion about the impact of virtual mode of teaching on performance, and opinion about the causes affecting students’ performance in the virtual mode of learning. The analysis outcomes will guide the host institutions and other similar institutions to design their pedagogy for future online courses more effectively, influencing learner engagement and retention

How Does Interleukin-22 Mediate Liver Regeneration and Prevent Injury and Fibrosis?

Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is a pluripotent T cell-derived cytokine which is a member of IL-10 cytokine family. It is the only interleukin produced by immune cells but does not target immune system components. IL-22 is mainly produced by dendritic cells (DCs) and TH17, TH22, NK, and NKT cells and targets a number of body tissues including liver, pancreas, and other epithelial tissues. It provokes a series of downstream signaling pathways upon binding with IL-22R complex which protects liver damage through STAT3 activation. IL-22BP is an inhibitor of IL-22 which has 20–1000x more affinity to bind with IL-22 compared to IL-22R1 that inhibits IL-22 activity. Its level was found to be positively correlated with the severity of liver damage and fibrosis. So, the present review is an effort to reveal the exact mechanism lying in the hepatoprotective activity of IL-22 and some of its future therapeutic implications