Socialization During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Social and Scientific Networks During Social Distancing.

In the COVID-19 era, while we are encouraged to be physically far away from each other, social and scientific networking is needed more than ever. The dire consequences of social distancing can be diminished by social networking. Social media, a quintessential component of social networking, facilitates the dissemination of reliable information and fighting against misinformation by health authorities. Distance learning, telemedicine, and telehealth are among the most prominent applications of networking during this pandemic. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of collaborative scientific efforts. In this chapter, we summarize the advantages of harnessing both social and scientific networking in minimizing the harms of this pandemic. We also discuss the extra collaborative measures we can take in our fight against COVID-19, particularly in the scientific field.

Aortic reimplantation of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) for SMA stenosis in a previously stented patient: New technique and a case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Mesenteric artery stenosis leads to inadequate blood flow toward various parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Revascularization is the primary aim of treatment regardless of its approach. During the last decades, open revascularization has been replaced by endovascular-first approach. Mesenteric artery in-stent restenosis occurs in a considerable number of patients that need reintervention in up to half of them using redo endovascular revascularization or open surgery. Here, we reported a case of SMA and celiac artery stenoses treated by aortic reimplantation of the SMA. CASE PRESENTATION: A 62-year-old man with history of previous stenting of CA and SMA was referred due to chronic intermittent abdominal. CT angiography of the abdomen showed restenosis of both arteries. A transection distal part of the occlusions SMA and reimplantation of it into the SMA on the anterolateral face of the infrarenal aorta as the end-to-side anastomosis were performed resulting in resolving the patient problem. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Chronic mesenteric ischemia can result from various medical conditions. Mesenteric vascular surgical revascularization through open laparotomy had been considered the standard of care. However, minimally invasive surgery such as endovascular therapy has attracted attention in the recent decades. There are some concerns about the difficulties of further surgery in case of re-occlusion. The end-to-side anastomosis and aortic reimplantation can be considered in patients with appropriate runoff in the remaining parts of corresponding vessels. CONCLUSION: Aortic reimplantation of the superior mesenteric artery in patients with restenosis of stents is a viable option especially in case of inappropriate iliac artery to perform retrograde mesenteric bypass.

Idiopathic omental hemorrhage: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: A spontaneous rupture of an omental vessel can cause severe intraabdominal hemorrhage. We present a case of idiopathic omental hemorrhage caused by a vascular malformation. The literature is systematically reviewed. CASE PRESENTATION: A 65-year-old Iranian man was admitted to the emergency department for 10 days with abdominal pain. His medical history was not significant. Fever, vomiting, nausea, or anorexia were not reported. However, he was suffering from diaphoresis and malaise at the time. He did not smoke or drink alcohol. During physical examination, blood pressure was 82/60 mmHg with a temperature of 36.6 °C; heart rate was 96 beats/minute and respiratory rate was 18 breaths per/minute. An abdominal examination revealed mild tenderness in the periumblical. The focused assessment with sonography in trauma examination yielded positive results. The complete blood count showed 14 × 103/mcL of white blood cells and 185 × 103/mcL of platelets. The hemoglobin value was 6.7 g/L at admission. To stabilize the patient's condition, a unit of packed cell was administered. A double contrast enhancement abdominal computer tomography was performed, which revealed a massive hemoperitoneum. Subsequently, an exploratory laparoscopy was performed to search for the responsible pathology. But it was not successful. The surgical plan was changed to laparotomy. The hemorrhage source was not found during laparotomy. Observation revealed a massive hemoperitoneum originating in the omental vessels. A portion of the omentum located on the greater omentum at the greater curve was removed. Based on the pathological examination of the extracted tissue, vascular malformations were identified. The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged from the hospital 7 days after surgery. Previous reports assessing idiopathic omental bleeding were systematically reviewed. A total of 14 hits were identified in PubMed and Scopus from 2015 to November 2022 for idiopathic omental bleeding. CONCLUSION: Presence of positive focused assessment with sonography in trauma, abdominal pain, imaging evidence of fluid accumulation, and a reduction in hemoglobin levels collectively indicate the likelihood of arteriovenous malformation occurrence. The treatment options include surgical intervention and transcatheter arterial embolization. Surgical intervention is recommended for subjects with hemodynamic instability, persistent hypotension and those whose diagnosis is unconfirmed.

Thyrotoxicosis as a rare presentation in acute suppurative thyroiditis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Acute suppurative thyroiditis is a rare and potentially life-threatening disease. A few cases of acute suppurative thyroiditis associated with thyrotoxicosis have been reported in adults. We report a case of acute suppurative thyroiditis that was associated with thyrotoxicosis. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 49-year-old Iranian female presented with a painful neck swelling for a week. Computed tomography showed a well-defined gas-filled collection in the left thyroid lobe with an enhancing margin. The patient underwent two-phase surgery, first left thyroid abscess drainage and then total thyroidectomy. The result of histopathology examination was multinodular goiter with abscess formation without malignancy. CONCLUSION: Abscess formation and thyrotoxicosis is a very rare condition that occurs at the same time in acute suppurative thyroiditis. Despite antibiotic therapy being the first line of treatment, surgery is also required when antibiotic therapy fails.

Primary benign intratracheal schwannoma: A case report and review of the literature.

Shwannomas are rare benign tumours especially in tracheal. A 16-year-old male presented with a chronic cough, and a thoracic CT scan revealed a pedunculated tumour measuring approximately 11 × 13 mm in size, located 22 mm away from the main carina. Tissue sample was obtained via rigid bronchoscopy and cryobiopsy, and the pathological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of a benign nerve sheath tumour consistent with schwannoma. The patient subsequently underwent resection of the tumour and tracheal anastomosis. Schwannomas are uncommon pulmonary tumours that typically occur in adults, with a higher incidence among females. The presenting symptoms vary depending on the size and location of the tumour. Treatment options include therapeutic bronchoscopy or surgical resection, with the choice of approach based on tumour characteristics (pedunculated or sessile), preoperative surgical risk, and risk of recurrence. The prognosis is generally favourable, with a low risk of recurrence and excellent outcomes.

COVID-19 and spontaneous pneumothorax: a survival analysis.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 Patients may be at risk for involving with spontaneous pneumothorax. However, clinical data are lacking in this regard. In this study, we aimed to investigate the demographic, clinical, and radiological characteristics and survival predictors in COVID-19 patients with pneumothorax. METHODS: This is a retrospectivestudy conducted on COVID-19 patients with pneumothorax that had been hospitalized at hospital. l from December 2021 to March 2022. The chest computed tomography (CT) scan of all patients was reviewed by an experienced pulmonologist in search of pulmonary pneumothorax. Survival analysis was conducted to identify the predictors of survival in patients with COVID-19 and pneumothorax. RESULTS: A total of 67 patients with COVID-19 and pneumothorax were identified. Of these, 40.7% were located in the left lung, 40.7% were in the right lung, and 18.6% were found bilaterally. The most common symptoms in the patient with pneumothorax were dyspnea (65.7%), increased cough severity (53.7%), chest pain (25.4%), and hemoptysis (16.4%). The frequency of pulmonary left and right bullae, pleural effusion, andfungus ball were 22.4%, 22.4%, 22.4%, and 7.5%, respectively. Pneumothorax was managed with chest drain (80.6%), chest drain and surgery (6%), and conservatively (13.4%). The 50-day mortality rate was 52.2% (35 patients). The average survival time for deceased patients was 10.06 (2.17) days. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that those with pleural effusion or pulmonary bullae have a lower survival rate. Further studies are required to investigate the incidence and causality relation between COVID-19 and pneumothorax.

Hydration with Mannitol and Dextrose May Promote Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity: Test of Five Protocols of Hydration during Cisplatin Therapy in Rat Models.

BACKGROUNDS: Cisplatin (CP) still is a novel choice for solid tumor therapy, but it is accompanied with the side effect of nephrotoxicity. Hydration may reduce the risk of CP-induced nephrotoxicity, while the issue is still challenging. In this study, five types of hydration protocols including saline, mannitol, dextrose saline, saline plus furosemide, and saline plus mannitol were examined in both sexes of rats during CP therapy. METHODS: Seventy-six male and female Wistar rats in 14 groups of experiments were subjected to CP therapy, and five types of hydration protocols were implemented, and the induced nephrotoxicity was evaluated via biochemical markers, kidney function parameters, and pathology investigation. RESULTS: Male and female rats had different responses to hydration protocol types. The higher mortality rate was seen in female rats that received mannitol or dextrose hydration types. In addition, the serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) and sodium excretion fraction (ENa%) increased and the clearance of Cr (ClCr) decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in female rats hydrated with saline plus furosemide or mannitol plus saline-treated groups. The worsened condition in male rats is observed in the mannitol hydration group with a significant decrease of ClCr and significant increase of serum BUN and Cr and ENa% (P < 0.05). The higher kidney tissue damage score (KTDS) in the mentioned groups verified the findings. CONCLUSION: Hydration with mannitol or dextrose promotes the risk of nephrotoxicity during CP therapy with more intensity on the female.