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The following is a summary of “Cerebrospinal fluid mtDNA concentrations are increased in multiple sclerosis and were normalized after intervention with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation,” published in the April 2024 issue of Neurology by Pavlovic et al. Elevated levels of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), a molecule that can trigger inflammation, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may be an early sign of disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS), and aHSCT, a stem cell transplant treatment for MS, could potentially impact these mtDNA levels. Researchers conducted a retrospective stud ..read more

The following is a summary of “BURDEN OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE ON COVID-19 HOSPITALIZATIONS: A NATIONWIDE ANALYSIS,” published in the February 2024 issue of Gastroenterology by Iqbal et al. Despite both Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), and COVID-19 causing inflammation, studies are ongoing to understand how these conditions might interact, with some studies suggesting patients with IBD could experience worse COVID-19. Researchers conducted a retrospective study to investigate whether a history of IBD is associated with more s ..read more

The following is a summary of “Fecal transplantation for ulcerative colitis from diet-conditioned donors followed by dietary intervention results in favorable gut microbial profile compared to fecal transplantation alone,” published in the May 2024 issue of Gastroenterology by Leibovitzh et al. A study CRAFT-UC investigated combining fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) with the UC Exclusion Diet (UCED) for ulcerative colitis (UC), following up on prior research with varying results. Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the impact of FMT with and without the UCED on gut micr ..read more

The following is a summary of “Obese patients with new onset atrial fibrillation/flutter have higher risk of hospitalization, cardioversions, and ablations,” published in the April 2024 issue of Cardiology by Norton et al. For a long time, being overweight has been linked to atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL). However, the correlation between the two has been unclear.  Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the connection between obesity and healthcare resource requirements in people with AF/AFL.  They identified patients with AF/AFL in 2017 and 2018 u ..read more

The following is a summary of “A comprehensive analysis of patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformation with headache: assessment of risk factors and treatment effectiveness,” published in the May 2024 issue of Pain by Zhang et al. To improve understanding of headaches in arteriovenous malformation (AVM) given the limited research despite its prevalence. Researchers conducted a retrospective study to identify risk factors for headaches in patients with AVM and assess the effectiveness of intervention treatments compared to conservative management in reducing headache symptoms. They conduc ..read more

The following is a summary of “Rapid, sensitive, and user-friendly detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa using the RPA/CRISPR/Cas12a system,” published in the April 2024 issue of Infectious Disease by Zhang et al. Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess trends in identifying Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) to improve diagnostic strategies for this multi-threat bacterium. They chose the lasB gene of P. aeruginosa as their detection target. RPA primers and crRNA were designed to target specific regions within the lasB gene. The specificity of the RPA/CRISPR/Cas12a detection pl ..read more

The following is a summary of “Association of Relative Dysglycemia With Hospital Mortality in Critically Ill Patients: A Retrospective Study,” published in the April 2024 issue of Critical Care by Okazaki et al. For patients who are critically ill, relative dysglycemia has emerged as a distinct clinical condition, though studies on its impact remain limited. Researchers conducted a retrospective study examining the association between blood sugar fluctuations (both high and low) within the first 24 hours of ICU admission and in-hospital mortality to identify potential thresholds for these effe ..read more

The following is a summary of “Spontaneous breathing trial with pressure support on positive end-expiratory pressure and extensive use of non-invasive ventilation versus T-piece in difficult-to-wean patients from mechanical ventilation: a randomized controlled trial,” published in the April 2024 issue of Critical Care by Mezidi et al. Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating if a weaning strategy combining pressure support (PS), spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), and extended non-invasive ventilation (NIV) use reduces time to succes ..read more

The following is a summary of “Respiratory drive heterogeneity associated with systemic inflammation and vascular permeability in acute respiratory distress syndrome,” published in the April 2024 issue of Critical Care by Baedorf-Kassis et al. Despite similar clinical features in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), respiratory drive variation remains unexplained by factors like blood gas, oxygenation, lung mechanics, and sedation levels. Researchers conducted a retrospective study exploring how systemic inflammation and vascular permeability markers relate to respiratory ..read more