Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-2951/1410179

Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement and Repair: Pooled Analysis of the Outcomes and Complications of Novel Emerging Treatments

Yaser Khalid, DO, Neethi Dasu, DO and Kirti Dasu, BA

Article Type: Original Article | First Published: June 01, 2020

Tricuspid regurgitation is a poor prognostic marker of end-stage heart failure. Treatment options for severe tricuspid regurgitation are currently limited because these procedures have the highest mortality rates of all valve procedures. Isolated tricuspid valve surgery is reserved for rare cases during surgical viability evaluation with repair favored over tricuspid valve replacement, owing to the slightly more favorable mortality and downstream complication associated with the latter. Transcat...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2469-5831/1510026

The Basic Four Measures and their Derivates in Dichotomous Diagnostic Tests

Tadeusz R Ostrowski, MD and Tadeusz Ostrowski, PhD

Article Type: Original Article | First Published: June 05, 2020

The paper focuses on four basic statistics of dichotomous diagnostic tests, i.e. sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and some of their derivates, like Youden index and predictive summary index, and on further derivates of these derivates, i.e. Matthews correlation coefficient (or Yule phi), chi squared test and Cramer’s V coefficient. The paper contains also the necessary and sufficient conditions for a test to be invalid, to be uninformative and the necessary con...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2469-5696/1410050

Atypical Clinical Picture of Breast Cancer with Dominant Symptoms of Hematologic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies

Malwina Rybicka-Ramos, Grzegorz Kasiarz, Katarzyna Pluta, Tomasz Wilczynski, Jerzy Pruszynski and Ewa Ziolko

Article Type: Case Report | First Published: June 03, 2020

Gastrointestinal malignancy was suspected in a 68-year-old woman with long-term anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, the presence of fecal occult blood and elevated levels of CEA and CA 19- 9. However, malignancy was not confirmed. The patient was later hospitalized in the Department of Hematology where hematologic disease was excluded. Cervical and inguinal lymphadenopathy and atypical bone marrow cells collected by aspiration biopsy gave rise to the suspicion of bone marrow involvement by tum...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2377-4630/1410108

Sugammadex-Is Cost the Only Drawback?

Michael W Lew, MD and Joseph Chang, MD

Article Type: Letter to the Editor | First Published: June 04, 2020

Residual muscle paralysis is an important safety issue, with multiple studies demonstrating an association with increased postoperative complications. The pathophysiology of these complications isn’t difficult to explain. One can only imagine the signs and symptoms in an awake patient (i.e. the panic from not having the strength to take a deep breath or move at full strength; the anxiety of not controlling one’s body movement). A study by the Cleveland Clinic demonstrated that major complica...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2643-4512/1710044

Health Assistance to Immigrants in the Italian Region of Puglia: Effectiveness of General Practitioners' Care

Ignazio Grattagliano and Filippo Anelli

Article Type: Short Communication | First Published: June 06, 2020

Health promotion aims at reducing differences in health status and ensuring equal opportunities and resources to enable all people to achieve the fullest health potential. The assistance model provided to immigrants in the Italian region of Puglia was evaluated by using a questionnaire administered to both immigrant patients and general practitioners (GPs)....

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2643-3966/1710031

The Usefulness of Long Inflation Balloon Angioplasty Using a Perfusion Balloon for Intracoronary Thrombus

Shingo Watanabe and Michio Usui

Article Type: Case Report | First Published: June 12, 2020

The beneficial effect of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has been well established. PCI for ACS, especially for thrombotic lesions, is difficult to treat due to distal embolization or residual thrombus. We experienced a case in which long balloon inflation was effective in PCI for ACS due to thrombotic lesions. Here we introduce the case that long inflation balloon angioplasty using a perfusion balloon was useful in PCI for thrombus lesion....

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2643-3966/1710030

Pacemaker Lead Associated Superior Vena Cava Syndrome Treated By Veno-Atrial Bypass

Thilina Gunawardena, MBBS, MD, MRCS, Balasubramanium Saseekaran, MBBS, MD, MRCS, Gayan Bandara, MBBS, MD, MRCS, Rezni Cassim, MBBS, MS and Mandika Wijeyaratne, MBBS, MS, PhD

Article Type: Case Report | First Published: June 11, 2020

Pacemaker lead associated venous thrombosis is common. However, due to collateral venous drainage those who are affected rarely become symptomatic. Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome is a constellation of signs and symptoms that occurs as a result of obstruction to flow in the superior vena cava. In this case report we present a patient who developed this complication following multiple transvenous pacemaker wires. After failed percutaneous venoplasty he was treated successfully with a right inte...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2643-4148/1710015

Childhood Apraxia of Speech: From the First Motor Planning and Execution to Video Modeling During the Home Quarantine Period

Omid Mohamadi

Article Type: Case Report | First Published: June 05, 2020

The American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) position statement specifically defines Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) as follows: "Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a neurological childhood (pediatric) speech sound disorder in which the precision and consistency of movements underlying speech are impaired in the absence of neuromuscular deficits (e.g., abnormal reflexes, abnormal tone). CAS may occur as a result of known neurological impairment, in association with complex neurobe...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3656/1410313

Multiple Cerebral and Cerebellar Infarctions following Russell’s Viper (Daboia Russelii) Envenomation - A Case Report

UDN Prasad, JMRP Bandara and HMS Senanayake

Article Type: Case Report | First Published: June 13, 2020

Ischemic stroke is a rare neurological complication following SriLankan Russell’s viper envenomation. We report a case of a 44-year-old person, who developed multiple cerebral and cerebellar infarctions following SriLankan Russell’s viper envenomation. The patient developed both local and systemic envenomation and was treated with Snake Venom Anti-Serum I.P. (VinsBioproducts Ltd). On day six, this patient developed left-sided hemiparesis. CT scan of the brain showed bilateral cerebellar, bil...

 Open Access DOI:10.23937/2378-3656/1410312

Case Series of Tetanus Diagnosis and Management in Hargeisa City

Hassan Abdi, Ibrahim Caqli, MD, Mustafe Mumin, MD, Jama Osman, MD, Gregory Fricchione, MD, MPH and Zeina Chemali, MD, MPH

Article Type: Case Series | First Published: June 10, 2020

Tetanus is a global infectious disease caused by tetanospasmin toxin produced by the anaerobic clostridium tetani. It affects the brain stem and spinal cord and leads to high morbidity and mortality if untreated. East Africa reports the highest number of cases and the highest fatalities. The objective of this study is to report on five inpatient clinical cases at Hargeisa Group Hospital in Hargeisa City with lessons learned for our team, a way to educate others and advocate for a new governmenta...