Association of Ramadan daytime fasting with ocular surface inflammation and dry eye.

PURPOSE: Despite the widespread practice of fasting, there are no studies looking at ocular surface inflammation, specifically matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) testing, during fasting. In this prospective study, we wanted to evaluate the effect of Ramadan fasting on the level of tear film MMP-9 as well as other standard indicators of dry eye disease. METHODS: Forty healthy patients without history of ocular disease were tested before and toward the end of Ramadan. Each patient was assessed at each timepoint for tear film MMP-9 positivity as measured by a commercially available test (InflammaDry; Quidel Corp., San Diego, CA, USA) which detects MMP-9 levels of more than 40 ng/ml. Ocular surface disease index (OSDI) scores, tear breakup time (TBUT), Schirmer I test (S1T) and corneal fluorescein staining (CFS) were also evaluated at each timepoint. RESULTS: InflammaDry was positive in 10 patients (25%) prior to Ramadan and 21 patients (52.5%) during Ramadan fasting, and this change was statistically significant (p = 0.02). Mean TBUT decreased from 7 s prior to Ramadan to 5.3 s during Ramadan fasting, and this change was statistically significant (p = 0.01). OSDI, CFS and S1T did not show any statistically significant changes (p > 0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: Ramadan fasting has a significant impact on TBUT and ocular surface inflammation detected by Inflamma Dry testing. Patients who suffer from dry eye disease and those who develop symptoms during Ramadan are advised to consult with a physician before or during Ramadan fasting.

A quantitative readability analysis of patient education resources from gastroenterology society websites.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The lay public frequently access and rely on online information as a source of their medical knowledge. Many medical societies are unaware of national patient education material guidelines and subsequently fail to meet them. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the readability of patient education materials within the medical field of gastroenterology. METHODS: Two hundred fourteen articles pertaining to patient education materials were evaluated with ten well-established readability scales. The articles were available on the websites for the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG), and the NIH section National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's honest significant difference (HSD) post hoc analysis were conducted to determine any differences in level of readability between websites. RESULTS: The 214 articles were written at an 11.8 ± 2.1 grade level with a range of 8.0 to 16.0 grade level. A one-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD post hoc analysis determined the ACG was written at a significantly (p < 0.05) more difficult level when compared to the AGA, the BSG, and the NIDDK websites. No differences were noted when comparing the ASGE website. CONCLUSIONS: None of the patient education materials were written at a level that met national guidelines. If the materials are redrafted, the general American public will likely have a greater understanding of the gastroenterology content.

Colorectal cancer screening patient education materials-how effective is online health information?

PURPOSE: Patients screened for colorectal cancer (CRC) frequently turn to the Internet to improve their understanding of tests used for detection, including colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, fecal occult blood test (FOBT), and CT colonography. It was of interest to determine the quality and readability levels of online health information. METHODS: The screening tools were googled, and the top 20 results of each test were analyzed for readability, accessibility, usability, and reliability. The 80 articles excluded scientific literature and blogs. We used ten validated readability scales to measure grade levels, and one-way ANOVA and Tukey's honestly statistical different (HSD) post hoc analyses to determine any statistically significant differences among the four diagnostic tests. The LIDA tool assessed overall quality by measuring accessibility, usability, and reliability. RESULTS: The 80 articles were written at an 11.7 grade level, with CT colonography articles written at significantly higher levels than FOBT articles, F(3, 75) = 3.07, p = 0.033. LIDA showed moderate percentages in accessibility (83.9 %), usability (73.0 %), and reliability (75.9 %). CONCLUSIONS: Online health information about CRC screening tools are written at higher levels than the National Institute of Health (NIH) and American Medical Association (AMA) recommended third to seventh grade levels. More patients could benefit from this modality of information if it were written at a level and quality that would better facilitate understanding.

Students to Surgeons: Increasing Matriculation in Surgical Specialties.

Introduction Our nation suffers from a shortage in surgeons. This deficiency must be addressed at the medical student level. Increasing faculty and resident interaction with junior students augments surgical interest. Our surgical interest group has recently redefined its role to address these concerns. Methods A multifocal approach has been implemented to increase interest in the surgical specialties. Each academic year, senior students recruit first and second year students to our group to establish early exposure. Members receive didactic presentations from surgical faculty, addressing various topics, on a biweekly basis. In addition, scrubbing, knot-tying, and suturing workshops address technical skills throughout the semester. Membership and match data were collated and analyzed. Results Over the past 5 years, the enrollment in the student interest group increased significantly from 112 to 150. Accordingly, we have observed a parallel increase in the number of students who have successfully matched into surgical residencies. A record number of students (37) from the class of 2013 matched into surgical specialties, representing an 85% increase over the last decade. After creating bylaws and electing societal officers, the group has been recognized by the school's Student Council and given financial support. At present, the group is fiscally solvent with support from the institution, surgery department, and faculty. Conclusion As the demand for surgeons increases so too does the need to increase student interest in surgery. Our school has been successful because of our surgical interest group, and we encourage other schools to adopt a similar approach.

Long-term outcomes of deep pediatric arteriovenous malformations.

OBJECTIVE: Multimodality treatment has been shown to be the optimal management strategy for pediatric arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Deep AVMs represent a subset of AVMs for which optimal management may be achieved with a combination of radiosurgery and highly selective embolization, in the absence of compelling features requiring operative intervention. The objective of this study was to identify predictors of good functional outcomes in pediatric patients with deep AVMs. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of the outcomes of 79 patients with deep AVMs from January 1988 through December 2021 was performed. Deep AVMs were defined as those with the majority of the nidus centered in the basal ganglia, thalamus, or brainstem. Collected data included patient demographics and presenting symptoms, presenting modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score, radiographic findings and outcomes, management strategy, complications, and clinical outcomes as indicated by follow-up mRS score. A good outcome was defined as a follow-up mRS score ≤ 2, while a poor outcome was defined as a follow-up mRS score ≥ 3. Statistical analysis was performed to identify factors associated with functional outcomes. RESULTS: With a mean follow-up duration of 85.6 months, there was a 72.2% angiographic obliteration rate, with 75.9% of patients having a good clinical outcome (mRS score ≤ 2). Presenting symptoms and radiographic characteristics were not significantly associated with long-term functional outcomes. There was a significantly higher rate of posttreatment hemorrhage in patients with a poor versus good outcome (11.8% vs 0%, p = 0.010). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, poor long-term functional outcome was only associated with poor presenting mRS score (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Satisfactory angiographic obliteration rates and good long-term functional outcomes can be achieved for deep AVMs, with stereotactic radiosurgery as the cornerstone of multimodality treatment.

Pharmaceutical Modulation of Intracranial Aneurysm Development and Rupture.

Management of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) is determined by patient age, risk of rupture, and comorbid conditions. While endovascular and microsurgical interventions offer solutions to mitigate the risk of rupture, pharmacological management strategies may complement these approaches or serve as alternatives in appropriate cases. The pathophysiology of IAs allows for the targeting of inflammation to prevent the development and rupture of IAs. The aim of this review is to provide an updated summary of different pharmaceutical management strategies for IAs. Acetylsalicylic acid and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitor antihypertensives have some evidence supporting their protective effect. Studies of selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors, statins, ADP inhibitors, and other metabolism-affecting drugs have demonstrated inconclusive findings regarding their association with aneurysm growth or rupture. In this manuscript, we highlight the evidence supporting each drug's effectiveness.

Adjuvant Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Clear Cell Meningiomas.

OBJECTIVE: Clear cell meningiomas (CCM) are an uncommon meningioma subtype marked by aggressive growth and high rates of recurrence despite initial resection. The present study evaluates the adjuvant benefit of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for residual or recurrent tumors. METHODS: After review of our prospectively maintained database, we identified 6 patients (3 female) with histologically confirmed Grade 2 CCMs. The median age of the patients at the time of SRS was 45 years. Five patients had undergone prior gross total surgical resection and 1 patient had subtotal resection before SRS. The median SRS treatment volume was 4.7 cc and the median radiosurgical margin dose was 13 Gy (range: 10-15 Gy). RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 35.5 months (range 6-168 months). Three patients achieved tumor control after the first SRS procedure. Three patients experienced tumor progression at 4, 22, and 32 months after initial SRS. Tumor control was obtained in 2 of these patients after additional SRS. One patient with multiple SRS procedures had suspected adverse radiation effect that was successfully treated with corticosteroids followed by bevacizumab. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor control was maintained in 5 of 6 patients after one or more SRS procedures. SRS should be considered for early intervention after surgical resection of CCM. To maximize the tumor control rate, patients with diagnosed CCM should be treated more generously and higher margin dose should be prescribed. Patients with CCM should be counselled that more than one SRS may be necessary to provide sustained tumor control.

Management of a Large Dentigerous Cyst with Enucleation and Packing Open with BIPP in 9-year-old Child: A Case Report.

Dentigerous cyst is also known as follicular cyst. It is an odontogenic cyst of developmental origin. The dentigerous cyst involves impacted, embedded or submerged tooth by expansion of its follicle. The normal follicular space is mostly 3-4 mm but with dentigerous cyst it can be 5 mm or more. These are second most commonly occurring odontogenic cysts and literature shows occurrence of 24% among true cysts of jaw. It is most commonly associated with mandibular 3rd molar followed by maxillary canine and third molar. Radiographically occurring as unilocular radiolucency around an impacted tooth. In our case the cyst was a large dentigerous cyst occurring in 9-year-old child having mixed dentition. Complete enucleation of the cystic lesion and packing open with bismuth iodoform paraffin paste (BIPP) was done. BIPP dressing was changed at regular intervels and more than 60% of bone formation was complete in around 5 months which was evident on the radiograph. Conclusion: Methods employed for elimination include enucleation, decompression marsupialization but the treatment modality also depends upon age, existing dentition, location and size of the lesion. How to cite this article: Gaur G, Agarwal P, Goyal G, et al. Management of a Large Dentigerous Cyst with Enucleation and Packing Open with BIPP in 9-year-old Child: A Case Report. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(3):515-517.

Idiopathic De Novo Arteriovenous Malformation: A Rare Acquired Intracranial Lesion.

The de novo development of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in adults is an exceedingly rare event that has prompted the theory that a "second hit" is required to induce AVM formation. The authors document development of an occipital AVM in an adult a decade and a half after a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disclosed no abnormality. A 31-year-old male with a family history of AVMs and a 14-year history of migraines with visual auras and seizures presented to our service. Because of the onset of a first seizure and migraine headaches at age 17, the patient underwent high-resolution MRI that showed no intracranial lesion. After 14 years of progressively worsening symptoms, he underwent a repeat MRI that demonstrated a new de novo Spetzler-Martin grade 3 left occipital AVM. The patient received anticonvulsants and underwent Gamma Knife radiosurgery for his AVM. This case suggests that patients with seizures or persistent migraine headaches should have periodic repeat neuroimaging to exclude the development of a vascular cause despite an initial negative MRI.

Novel Low Power Cross-Coupled FET-Based Sense Amplifier Design for High-Speed SRAM Circuits.

We live in a technologically advanced society where we all use semiconductor chips in the majority of our gadgets, and the basic criterion concerning data storage and memory is a small footprint and low power consumption. SRAM is a very important part of this and can be used to meet all the above criteria. In this study, LTSpice software is used to come up with a high-performance sense amplifier circuit for low-power SRAM applications. Throughout this research, various power reduction approaches were explored, and the optimal solution has been implemented in our own modified SRAM design. In this article, the effect of power consumption and the reaction time of the suggested sense amplifier were also examined by adjusting the width-to-length (W/L) ratio of the transistor, the power supply, and the nanoscale technology. The exact amount of power used and the number of transistors required by different approaches to better comprehend the ideal technique are also provided. Our proposed design of a low-power sense amplifier has shown promising results, and we employ three variations of VLSI power reduction techniques to improve efficiency. Low-power SRAMs embrace the future of memory-centric neuromorphic computing applications.

Anterior Thoracic Discectomy and Fusion for Symptomatic Ventral Bone Spur Associated Type I Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak: A Technical Report and Operative Video.

STUDY DESIGN: Technical Report. OBJECTIVE: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak secondary to anterior osteophytes at the cervico-thoracic junction is a rare cause of intracranial hypotension. In this article we describe a technique for anterior repair of spontaneous ventral cerebrospinal fluid leaks in the upper thoracic spine. METHODS: In this technical report and operative video, we describe a 23-year-old male who presented with positional headaches and bilateral subdural hematoma. Dynamic CT myelography demonstrated a high flow ventral cerebrospinal fluid leak associated with a ventral osteophyte at the level of the T1-T2 disc space. Targeted blood patch provided only temporary improvement in symptoms. An anterior approach was chosen to remove the offending spur and micro-surgically repair the dural defect. RESULTS: The patient had complete resolution of his preoperative symptoms after primary repair. CONCLUSIONS: In select cases, an anterior approach to the upper thoracic spine is effective to repair Type 1 cerebrospinal fluid leaks.

Current Trends in Subspecialty Fellowship Training for 1691 Academic Neurological Surgeons.

OBJECTIVE: Neurosurgical subspecialty fellowship training has become increasingly popular in recent decades. However, few studies have evaluated recent trends in postgraduate subspecialty education. This study aims to provide a detailed cross-sectional analysis of subspecialty fellowship training completion trends and demographics among U.S. academic neurosurgeons. METHODS: Academic clinical faculty (M.D. or D.O.) teaching at accredited neurosurgery programs were included. Demographic, career, and fellowship data were collected from departmental physician profiles and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) membership database. Relative citation ratio scores were retrieved using the National Institutes of Health iCite tool. RESULTS: This study included 1691 surgeons (1756 fellowships) from 125 institutions. The majority (79.13%) reported fellowship training. Fellowship completion was more common among recent graduates (residency year >2000), as was training in multiple subspecialties (P < 0.0001). Spine was the most popular subspecialty (16.04%), followed by pediatrics (11.18%), and cerebrovascular (9.46%). The least common were trauma/critical care (2.52%) and peripheral nerve (1.26%). Spine, neuroradiology, and endovascular subspecialties grew in popularity over time. Pediatrics and spine were the most popular for females and males, respectively. Epilepsy and cerebrovascular had the most full professors, while endovascular and spine had the most assistant professors. Stereotactic/functional and epilepsy had the most Ph.Ds. Fellowship training correlated with higher weighted, but not mean, relative citation ratio scores among associate (P = 0.002) and full professors (P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: There is an emerging proclivity for additional fellowship training among young neurosurgeons, often in multiple subspecialties. These findings are intended to help guide professional decision-making and optimize the delivery of postgraduate education.

Clopidogrel Is Associated with Reduced Likelihood of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: a Multi-Center Matched Retrospective Analysis.

Maladaptive inflammation underlies the formation and rupture of human intracranial aneurysms. There is a growing body of evidence that anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals may beneficially modulate this process. Clopidogrel (Plavix) is a commonly used irreversible P2Y12 receptor antagonist with anti-inflammatory activity. In this paper, we investigate whether clopidogrel is associated with the likelihood of aneurysm rupture in a multi-institutional propensity-matched cohort analysis. Patients presenting for endovascular treatment of their unruptured intracranial aneurysms and those presenting with aneurysm rupture between 2015 and 2019 were prospectively identified at two quaternary referral centers. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and medication usage at the time of presentation were collected. Patients taking clopidogrel or not taking clopidogrel were matched in a 1:1 fashion with respect to location, age, smoking status, aneurysm size, aspirin usage, and hypertension. A total of 1048 patients with electively treated aneurysms or subarachnoid hemorrhages were prospectively identified. Nine hundred twenty-one patients were confirmed to harbor aneurysms during catheter-based diagnostic angiography. A total of 172/921 (19%) patients were actively taking clopidogrel at the time of presentation. Three hundred thirty-two patients were matched in a 1:1 fashion. A smaller proportion of patients taking clopidogrel at presentation had ruptured aneurysms than those who were not taking clopidogrel (6.6% vs 23.5%, p < .0001). Estimated treatment effect analysis demonstrated that clopidogrel usage decreased aneurysm rupture risk by 15%. We present, to the best of our knowledge, the first large-scale multi-institutional analysis suggesting clopidogrel use is protective against intracranial aneurysm rupture. It is our hope that these data will guide future investigation, revealing the pathophysiologic underpinning of this association.

T7-T11 Posterior Decompression and Instrumented Fusion, T9 Partial Corpectomy, and Intradural Microsurgical Diskectomy: An Operative Video.

We describe the case of a 57-year-old female with renal cell cancer and metastatic disease to the spine. The patient presented to our institution with progressive lower extremity weakness and a T9 pathologic fracture with bony and tumor retropulsion into the canal. In addition, there was spinal cord compression from a chronic-appearing T8-9 herniated disk fragment. The patient was consented for surgery. In this operative video, we demonstrate the intradural diskectomy following a T7-T11 posterior instrumented fusion, decompression, and transpedicular tumor resection (Video 1). The dorsal and ventral dural closure was reinforced with compressed gelfoam and dural sealant.

Toxic non-inflammatory fungal keratitis.

Purpose: To report a new entity called "toxic non-inflammatory fungal keratitis." Methods: Eyes manifesting infective keratitis with a history of prior administration of topical steroids were included in the study. The details pertaining to the type of injury, duration of injury, and primary treatment for corneal trauma were meticulously documented. The corneal tissues were scraped from the patients and were analyzed for fungal filaments by using a 10% KOH mount under a compound microscope. Moreover, these scraped materials were plated on blood agar and Sabouraud dextrose agar plates. Results: The corneal ulcers displayed a disproportionately reduced intensity of pain and improved visual acuity. Further, 10% KOH revealed profuse fungal filaments with few inflammatory cells in all the patients. The anterior chamber cells and flare were either reduced or entirely absent. There was no evidence of lid edema and surrounding corneal edema in any of the patients. The mean healing period was 28.8 days (standard deviation (SD): 10.05). The KOH mount revealed the presence of confluent fungal hyphae with a few inflammatory cell infiltrates. The Aspergillus species and Fusarium species were found in 47% and 40% of the cases, respectively. Conclusion: Toxic non-inflammatory fungal keratitis following steroid therapy needs to be considered in fungal ulcers with disproportionately less pain and good visual acuity. The fungal ulcers with altered clinical signs of classical inflammation need to be assessed for topical steroid misuse.

Machine Learning Identification of Immunotherapy Targets in Low-Grade Glioma Using RNA Sequencing Expression Data.

OBJECTIVE: Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment in the past decade, but significant hurdles remain. Human studies with immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting programmed cell death protein have demonstrated suboptimal efficacy in the setting of low-grade gliomas (LGGs). Identification of mechanisms leading to inadequate anti-tumor immunity is paramount. The current study evaluates and validates barriers to immunotherapy using a novel machine learning algorithm. METHODS: We utilized The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to generate expression levels of 28 immune genes related to known immunotherapeutic targets or lymphocyte cytolytic activity. We created training and testing groups and 3 machine learning models to determine the genes most highly correlated to cytolytic activity (CYT). The 3 models were run through multiple regression by exhaustive selection, LASSO, and random forest. We validated computational results by comparing expression of pertinent genes in patient-derived glioma samples. RESULTS: Our models demonstrated linearity, a low mean-squared error, and consistent results with respect to the most important variables. Expression of ICOS, IDO1, and CD40 were the most important variables in all models and demonstrated positive correlation with CYT. Other variables included TIGIT and CD137. Genetic analysis from 3 IDH-mutants (IDHm) and 3 IDH-wild type (IDHwt) patient-derived glioma samples validated TCGA data and demonstrated lower levels of CYT in IDHm gliomas compared with IDHwt. CONCLUSIONS: This novel methodology has elucidated 3 potential targets for immunotherapy development in LGGs. We also demonstrated a novel method of analyzing data using advanced statistical techniques that can be further used in developing treatments for other diseases as well.

Patient satisfaction reviews for 967 spine neurosurgeons on Healthgrades.

OBJECTIVE: Patients are increasingly relying on independent physician rating websites (PRWs) to obtain information about healthcare providers. Healthgrades.com is a widely used PRW that allows patients to rate physicians on various metrics of performance and quality of care. This study categorically investigated the correlations between demographics of spine neurosurgeons and online ratings on Healthgrades to better understand the factors driving patient satisfaction in spine surgery in the United States. METHODS: In August-December 2019, the authors performed a retrospective data analysis using Healthgrades. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) membership database was used to identify spine neurosurgeons in the United States and extract biographical and career data. Individuals with an academic practice were further investigated for academic rank, leadership, and fellowship training. Scores from eight patient satisfaction metrics (PSMs) were collected for each surgeon from Healthgrades. RESULTS: A total of 967 spine neurosurgeons were included in the study cohort. Patient satisfaction did not correlate with sex, PhD acquisition, academic status, or academic rank. Among those who were academic surgeons, completion of fellowship training was associated with higher ratings. Geographical location of practice did not influence patient satisfaction. Prolonged wait time was an independent predictor of decreased patient satisfaction and was a key confounding variable underlying trends seen with advanced career duration and age. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, patients rated spine neurosurgeons highly favorably on the Healthgrades website. Due to the emerging role of PRWs in locating and assessing providers, it is important for both patients and clinicians to understand the factors that impact patient experience.

Novel mechanism of decreased iris vasculature density after cosmetic iris implants.

A 25-year-old man presented with decreased vision in both eyes, approximately 4 years following bilateral bright ocular cosmetic iris implantation. On examination, he was found to have bilateral elevated intraocular pressures, anterior chamber cells and flare, chronic peripheral anterior synechiae and significantly reduced endothelial cell counts. Ultrasound biomicroscopy demonstrated compression of the peripheral iris, resulting in synechial angle closure in both eyes. Surgical removal of the implants was performed without additional complication. On removal, bilateral iris atrophy was evident with non-reacting pupils and permanent mydriasis. Optical coherence tomography angiography showed a reduction in iris vasculature density that is more pronounced in the area of the iris atrophic defects. This case suggests that cosmetic iris implants may compress iris vasculature, resulting in decreased iris perfusion resulting in atrophic mydriasis and iris defects. This is a potential novel mechanism for complications in eyes with cosmetic iris implants.

Screening for Keratoconus in a High-Risk Adolescent Population.

PURPOSE: To estimate the prevalence of keratoconus (KC) in a majority-Emirati adolescent population and to demonstrate the feasibility of screening using a dual Scheimpflug and Placido imaging device. METHODS: Adolescent subjects from two secondary schools in Abu Dhabi, UAE underwent corneal imaging with the Galilei tomographer (Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG, Port, Switzerland). The prevalence of KC and KC suspects was determined using a combination of both subjective and objective criteria. Objective criteria included these KC indices: percent probability of keratoconus, inferior-superior index, asphericity asymmetry index, maximum keratometry and thinnest pachymetry. Subjective pattern analysis was performed by four experienced cornea specialists. Subjects were classified by each cornea specialist into three groups: normal, KC and KC suspect. The final classification was made by group reconciliation of cases where disagreement was present. Inter-observer agreement was assessed with the kappa statistic. RESULTS: A total of 839 eyes of 420 students between 10 and 19 years of age underwent corneal tomography. After the exclusion of 251 eyes due to insufficient scan quality based on internal instrument-derived standards, 588 eyes of 339 subjects were included in the analysis. The prevalence of KC and KC suspect was estimated to be 2.7% (95% CI [1.2%, 5.0%]) and 19.8% (95% CI [15.7%, 24.4%]), respectively. There was a strong inter-observer agreement between examiners' classification of the subjects' KC status (kappa = 0.84). CONCLUSION: KC is highly prevalent in Emirati adolescents. Screening secondary school students for keratoconus appears to be feasible and may be indicated in this population to improve early detection and intervention.

Neurosurgery perception of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols are widespread in several fields, particularly general surgery, and attempt to deliver surgical care at a lower cost while also improving patient outcomes. However, few institutions have implemented ERAS protocols in neurosurgery. As such, a survey of neurosurgeons on the current state of ERAS in neurosurgery was conducted to provide insight on scaling the practice nationally. A 15-question survey was designed to assess the implementation of andsatisfaction with ERAS protocols at individual institutions. A total of 39 responses were collected from 38 unique institutions. 58.9%(N = 23) reported implementation of neurosurgical ERAS protocols. 52.1% (N = 12) of the responses were neurosurgeons at academic institutions withneurosurgical residency programs. Most neurosurgeons used ERAS protocolsfor spine cases (N = 23), with only 17.3% (N = 4) employing ERAS protocolsfor cranial cases. 69.5% (N = 16) of survey participants reported that thedesign and implementation of ERAS was a multidisciplinary effort acrossmany departments, including neurosurgery, anesthesia, and pharmacy.Decreased costs and intensive care unit (ICU) admission were reported tobe unanticipated benefits of ERAS implementation. Unanticipated challenges to implementation of new protocols included difficulties withelectronic medical record (EMR) integration, agreement of protocoldetails amongst stakeholders, uniform implementation of protocols by allneurosurgeons, and lack of adaptability by multidisciplinary staff. Meandepartment satisfaction with ERAS protocol implementation was 4.00 +/- 0.81 (N = 22) on a 5-point Likert scale.