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  • Bradford posted an update 7 months, 2 weeks ago

    When coronavirus infectious disease-2019 (COVID-19) blew up, ill-fated auguries on the collision between COVID-19 and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemics loomed.

    Data from observational studies suggest similar incidence attacks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in people living with HIV (PLWH) and HIV-uninfected populations. The mortality rate of COVID-19 is similar in both populations too. The authors discuss the role of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) in preventing infection or reducing COVID-19 severity. They also discuss the pharmacological interventions for COVID-19 in PLWH.

    Management of COVID-19 in PLWH is no different from the general population. It should be based on careful supportive care, emphasizing lung-protective ventilation, and wise pharmacological interventions. The antiviral drug remdesivir and dexamethasone are the only pharmacological interventions with clinical benefit for COVID-19, whereas anticoagulation may prevent thrombotic complications. The experience with using in mind the potential for drug-drug interactions of most corticosteroids and antiretroviral drugs.

    Peripheral artery disease (PAD), often treated with lower extremity revascularization, is associated with risk of major atherothrombotic vascular events (acute limb ischemia [ALI], major non-traumatic lower-limb amputation, myocardial infarction [MI], ischemic stroke, cardiovascular death). This study aims to assess healthcare resource utilization and costs of such events among patients with PAD after revascularization.

    Patients aged ≥50 years with PAD who were treated with lower-extremity revascularization were identified from Optum Clinformatics Data Mart claims database (01/2014-06/2019). The first lower extremity revascularization after PAD diagnosis was defined as the index date. Patients had ≥6 months of health plan enrollment before the index date. Patients were followed until the earliest of 1) end of enrollment or data; 2) diagnosis of atrial fibrillation or venous thromboembolism; or 3) oral anticoagulant use. All-cause healthcare resource use per-patient-year was compared before and after a majigher healthcare resource use and costs compared with similar metrics pre-event. Therefore, reducing the rate of such events could reduce overall healthcare costs for this population.

    Patients with PAD who experience major atherothrombotic vascular events post-revascularization have considerably higher healthcare resource use and costs compared with similar metrics pre-event. Brr2InhibitorC9 Therefore, reducing the rate of such events could reduce overall healthcare costs for this population.In this article, we provide an evidence-based primer of current tools and evolving concepts in the area of intraprocedural artificial intelligence (AI) methods in colonoscopy and laparoscopy as a ‘procedure companion’, with specific focus on colorectal cancer recognition and characterisation. These interventions are both likely beneficiaries from an impending rapid phase in technical and technological evolution. The domains where AI is most likely to impact are explored as well as the methodological pitfalls pertaining to AI methods. Such issues include the need for large volumes of data to train AI systems, questions surrounding false positive rates, explainability and interpretability as well as recent concerns surrounding instabilities in current deep learning (DL) models. The area of biophysics-inspired models, a potential remedy to some of these pitfalls, is explored as it could allow our understanding of the fundamental physiological differences between tissue types to be exploited in real time with the help of computer-assisted interpretation. Right now, such models can include data collected from dynamic fluorescence imaging in surgery to characterise lesions by their biology reducing the number of cases needed to build a reliable and interpretable classification system. Furthermore, instead of focussing on image-by-image analysis, such systems could analyse in a continuous fashion, more akin to how we view procedures in real life and make decisions in a manner more comparable to human decision-making. Synergistical approaches can ensure AI methods usefully embed within practice thus safeguarding against collapse of this exciting field of investigation as another ‘boom and bust’ cycle of AI endeavour.Purpose To analyze the corneal morphology before and after surgery by the advancement of posterior lower eyelid retractors (LERs) alone or in combination with a lateral tarsal strip (LTS) for lower eyelid involutional entropion.Methods We retrospectively analyzed the cases of 24 consecutive elderly patients (24 eyelids) who underwent posterior layer advancement of LERs alone or in combination with an LTS for involutional entropion. All patients underwent general ophthalmological examinations including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fundus examination, and slit lamp microscopy. The degree of corneal damage was evaluated using the area (A) and density (D) classification of corneal fluorescein staining. Corneal topography was measured using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). The parameters were steep keratometry (Ks), flat keratometry (Kf), average keratometry (AveK), cylindrical power (CYL), central corneal thickness (CCT), and total higher-order aberrations (HOAs) within a 4-mm diameter.Results There was no significant difference in the Ks, Kf, AveK, CYL or CCT values between before and after surgery. The HOAs were significantly decreased after surgery. In the AD classification, both the A and D values were significantly decreased after surgery. Significant correlations were observed between preoperative mean HOAs and the mean of A classification, and between preoperative mean HOAs and the mean of D classification.Conclusion Involutional entropion does not appear to significantly affect corneal morphology before or after posterior LER advancement alone or in combination with an LTS. However, this surgery is thought to result in an improvement of corneal disorders and consequent improvement of HOAs.Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) associated lymphoproliferative disorders includes a diverse group of diagnoses, encompassing both B-cell and T-cell lineages. With EBV mucocutaneous ulcers becoming a World health Organization diagnosis in 2018, introduction of the disease entity will be beneficial to the practicing otolaryngologist. We are reporting a case of a 69-year-old male with history of rheumatoid arthritis on methotrexate, recently undergoing dental extractions, who then developed multiple oral ulcerations and bony erosions of his palate and alveolar ridge. Associated symptoms included a large 3.0 cm neck mass, splenomegaly, and pulmonary nodules. Histopathology showed EBV+ lymphomatoid granulomatosis. Upon removal of immunosuppressive agent, patient’s symptoms improved with resolution of oral lesions, as well as systemic symptoms.

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