Challenges in the diagnosis and management of Robert's uterus: Systematic review and case presentation.

Robert's uterus is a rare Müllerian duct anomaly (MDA) characterized by complete asymmetric septum dividing uterine cavity into two non-communicating parts. This study offers insights into diagnosing and management of this condition in a young patient, and a systematic literature review. The review included 19 studies from 2013 to 2023. 11.4% of women reported a history of miscarriage and 5.7% primary infertility. Dysmenorrhea was the most frequent symptom (54.3%), and 14.3% of patients had a coexisting endometriosis. The surgical interventions most commonly combine laparoscopic and hysteroscopic techniques. Robert's uterus requires heightened clinical awareness for early diagnosis, particularly in young women.

Data-Driven Identification of Stroke through Machine Learning Applied to Complexity Metrics in Multimodal Electromyography and Kinematics.

A stroke represents a significant medical condition characterized by the sudden interruption of blood flow to the brain, leading to cellular damage or death. The impact of stroke on individuals can vary from mild impairments to severe disability. Treatment for stroke often focuses on gait rehabilitation. Notably, assessing muscle activation and kinematics patterns using electromyography (EMG) and stereophotogrammetry, respectively, during walking can provide information regarding pathological gait conditions. The concurrent measurement of EMG and kinematics can help in understanding disfunction in the contribution of specific muscles to different phases of gait. To this aim, complexity metrics (e.g., sample entropy; approximate entropy; spectral entropy) applied to EMG and kinematics have been demonstrated to be effective in identifying abnormal conditions. Moreover, the conditional entropy between EMG and kinematics can identify the relationship between gait data and muscle activation patterns. This study aims to utilize several machine learning classifiers to distinguish individuals with stroke from healthy controls based on kinematics and EMG complexity measures. The cubic support vector machine applied to EMG metrics delivered the best classification results reaching 99.85% of accuracy. This method could assist clinicians in monitoring the recovery of motor impairments for stroke patients.

Efficacy of bi-level erector spinae plane block versus bi-level thoracic paravertebral block for postoperative analgesia in modified radical mastectomy: a prospective randomized comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative analgesia in breast surgery is difficult due to the extensive nature of the surgery and the complex innervation of the breast; general anesthesia can be associated with regional anesthesia techniques to control intra- and post-postoperative pain. This randomized comparative study aimed to compare the efficacy of the erector spinae plane block and the thoracic paravertebral block in radical mastectomy procedures with or without axillary emptying. METHODS: This prospective randomized comparative study included 82 adult females who were randomly divided into two groups using a computer-generated random number. Both groups, Thoracic Paraverterbal block group and Erector Spinae Plane Block group (41 patients each), received general anesthesia associated with a multilevel single-shot thoracic paravertebral block and a multilevel single-shot erector spinae plane block, respectively. Postoperative pain intensity (expressed as Numeric Rating Scale), patients who needed rescue analgesic, intra- and post-operative opioid consumption, post-operative nausea and vomiting, length of stay, adverse events, chronic pain at 6 months, and the patient's satisfaction were recorded. RESULTS: At 2 h (p < 0.001) and 6 h (p = 0.012) the Numeric Rating Scale was significantly lower in Thoracic Paraverterbal block group. The Numeric Rating Scale at 12, 24, and 36 postoperative hours did not show significant differences. There were no significant differences also in the number of patients requiring rescue doses of NSAIDs, in intra- and post-operative opioid consumption, in post-operative nausea and vomiting episodes and in the length of stay. No failures or complications occurred in the execution of techniques and none of the patients reported any chronic pain at six months from the surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Both thoracic paravertebral block and erector spinae plane block can be effectively used in controlling post-mastectomy pain with no significant differences between the two blocks. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was prospectively registered on Clinicaltrials.gov (trial identifier NCT04457115) (first registration 27/04/2020).

Erector spinae plane block for perioperative pain management in neurosurgical lower-thoracic and lumbar spinal fusion: a single-centre prospective randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Erector spinae plane block is a locoregional anaesthetic technique widely used in several different surgeries due to its safety and efficacy. The aim of this study is to assess its utility in spinal degenerative and traumatic surgery in western countries and for patients of Caucasian ethnicity. METHODS: Patients undergoing elective lower-thoracic and lumbar spinal fusion were randomised into two groups: the case group (n = 15) who received erector spinae plane block (ropivacaine 0.4% + dexamethasone 4 mg, 20 mL per side at the level of surgery) plus postoperative opioid analgesia, and the control group (n = 15) who received opioid-based analgesia. RESULTS: The erector spinae plane block group showed significantly lower morphine consumption at 48 h postoperatively, lower need for intraoperative fentanyl (203.3 ± 121.7 micrograms vs. 322.0 ± 148.2 micrograms, p-value = 0.021), lower NRS score at 2, 6, 12, 24, and 36 h, and higher satisfaction rates of patients (8.4 ± 1.2 vs. 6.0 ± 1.05, p-value < 0.0001). No differences in the duration of the hospitalisation were observed. No erector spinae plane block-related complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Erector spinae plane block is a safe and efficient opioid-sparing technique for postoperative pain control after spinal fusion surgery. This study recommends its implementation in everyday practice and incorporation as a part of multimodal analgesia protocols. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was approved by the local ethical committee of Romagna (CEROM) and registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04729049). It also adheres to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and the CONSORT 2010 guidelines.

Spinal Orthosis in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: An Overview of the Braces Provided by the National Health Service in Italy.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a lateral, rotated curvature of the spine. It is a 3-dimensional deformity that arises in otherwise healthy children at or around puberty. AIS is the most common form of scoliosis in the pediatric population. The etiology is multifactorial, including genetic and environmental factors. The incidence is roughly equal between males and females, while there is a higher risk of progression in females. Guidelines for AIS treatment identify three levels of treatment: observation, physiotherapy scoliosis-specific exercises, and braces. In this paper, we carried out a review of the scientific literature about the indication and success rates of the braces provided for free by the National Health Service in Italy (SSN). Despite a general consensus on the efficacy of rigid bracing treatment and its use in AIS, an important heterogeneity about the treatment is present in the scientific literature, demonstrating a high degree of variability. The overall success rate of the braces provided by the SSN is high, suggesting an important therapeutic role in the treatment of AIS. Robust guidelines are needed to ensure uniform and effective treatments.

EISOR Delivery: Regional experience with sharing equipe, equipment & expertise to increase cDCD donor pool in time of pandemic.

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) programs are expanding in Europe, in the attempt to expand donors pool. Even in controlled DCD donors, however, a protracted warm ischemia time occurring in the perimortem period might damage organs, making these unsuitable for transplantation. Implementing a strategy of extracorporeal interval support for organ retrieval (EISOR), a regional reperfusion with normothermic, oxygenated blood provides a physiologic environment allowing extensive assessment of potential grafts, and potentially promotes recovery of native function. Here we report the results of a multi-center retrospective cohort study including 29 Maastricht Category III controlled DCD donors undergoing extracorporeal support in a regional DCD/EISOR Training Center, and in the network of referring In-Training Centers, under the liaison of the regional Transplant Coordination Center during COVID-19 pandemic, between March 2020 and November 2021. The study aims to understand whether a mobile, experienced EISOR team implementing a consistent technique and sharing its equipe, expertise and equipment in a regional network of hospitals, might be effective and efficient in implementing the regional DCD program activity even in a highly stressed healthcare system.

Clinical implications of microvascular CT scan signs in COVID-19 patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation.

PURPOSE: COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by the presence of signs of microvascular involvement at the CT scan, such as the vascular tree in bud (TIB) and the vascular enlargement pattern (VEP). Recent evidence suggests that TIB could be associated with an increased duration of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and intensive care unit (ICU) stay. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate whether microvascular involvement signs could have a prognostic significance concerning liberation from IMV. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All the COVID-19 patients requiring IMV admitted to 16 Italian ICUs and having a lung CT scan recorded within 3 days from intubation were enrolled in this secondary analysis. Radiologic, clinical and biochemical data were collected. RESULTS: A total of 139 patients affected by COVID-19 related ARDS were enrolled. After grouping based on TIB or VEP detection, we found no differences in terms of duration of IMV and mortality. Extension of VEP and TIB was significantly correlated with ground-glass opacities (GGOs) and crazy paving pattern extension. A parenchymal extent over 50% of GGO and crazy paving pattern was more frequently observed among non-survivors, while a VEP and TIB extent involving 3 or more lobes was significantly more frequent in non-responders to prone positioning. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of early CT scan signs of microvascular involvement in COVID-19 patients does not appear to be associated with differences in duration of IMV and mortality. However, patients with a high extension of VEP and TIB may have a reduced oxygenation response to prone positioning. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04411459.

Quality of life of COVID-19 critically ill survivors after ICU discharge: 90 days follow-up.

PURPOSE: The onset of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic in Italy induced a dramatic increase in the need for intensive care unit (ICU) beds for a large proportion of patients affected by COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The aim of the present study was to describe the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at 90 days after ICU discharge in a cohort of COVID-19 patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation and to compare it with an age and sex-matched sample from the general Italian and Finnish populations. Moreover, the possible associations between clinical, demographic, social factors, and HRQoL were investigated. METHODS: COVID-19 ARDS survivors from 16 participating ICUs were followed up until 90 days after ICU discharge and the HRQoL was evaluated with the 15D instrument. A parallel cohort of age and sex-matched Italian population from the same geographic areas was interviewed and a third group of matched Finnish population was extracted from the Finnish 2011 National Health survey. A linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate potential associations between the evaluated factors and HRQoL. RESULTS: 205 patients answered to the questionnaire. HRQoL of the COVID-19 ARDS patients was significantly lower than the matched populations in both physical and mental dimensions. Age, sex, number of comorbidities, ARDS class, duration of invasive mechanical ventilation, and occupational status were found to be significant determinants of the 90 days HRQoL. Clinical severity at ICU admission was poorly correlated to HRQoL. CONCLUSION: COVID-19-related ARDS survivors at 90 days after ICU discharge present a significant reduction both on physical and psychological dimensions of HRQoL measured with the 15D instrument. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04411459.

From intensive care to step-down units: Managing patients throughput in response to COVID-19.

QUALITY PROBLEM OR ISSUE: The on-going COVID-19 pandemic may cause the collapse of healthcare systems because of unprecedented hospitalization rates. INITIAL ASSESSMENT: A total of 8.2 individuals per 1000 inhabitants have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in our province. The hospital predisposed 110 beds for COVID-19 patients: on the day of the local peak, 90% of them were occupied and intensive care unit (ICU) faced unprecedented admission rates, fearing system collapse. CHOICE OF SOLUTION: Instead of increasing the number of ICU beds, the creation of a step-down unit (SDU) close to the ICU was preferred: the aim was to safely improve the transfer of patients and to relieve ICU from the risk of overload. IMPLEMENTATION: A nine-bed SDU was created next to the ICU, led by intensivists and ICU nurses, with adequate personal protective equipment, monitoring systems and ventilators for respiratory support when needed. A second six-bed SDU was also created. EVALUATION: Patients were clinically comparable to those of most reports from Western Countries now available in the literature. ICU never needed supernumerary beds, no patient died in the SDU, and there was no waiting time for ICU admission of critical patients. SDU has been affordable from human resources, safety and economic points of view. LESSONS LEARNED: COVID-19 is like an enduring mass casualty incident. Solutions tailored on local epidemiology and available resources should be implemented to preserve the efficiency and adaptability of our institutions and provide the adequate sanitary response.

Video Laryngoscopy-guided Nasal Intubation: One More Bullet in Our Rifle.

How to cite this article: Cittadini A, Marsigli F, Sica A, Santonastaso DP, Russo E, Gamberini E, et al. Video Laryngoscopy-guided Nasal Intubation: One More Bullet in Our Rifle. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(3):351.

Can muscle vibration be the future in the treatment of cerebral palsy-related drooling? A feasibility study.

Background: Drooling is an involuntary loss of saliva from the mouth, and it is a common problem for children with cerebral palsy (CP). The treatment may be pharmacological, surgical, or speech-related. Repeated Muscle Vibration (rMV) is a proprioceptive impulse that activates fibers Ia reaching the somatosensory and motor cortex. Aim: The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of rMV in the treatment of drooling in CP. Design, setting and population: This was a rater blinded prospective feasibility study, performed at the "Gli Angeli di Padre Pio" Foundation, Rehabilitation Centers (Foggia, Italy), involving twenty-two CP patients affected by drooling (aged 5-15, mean 9,28 ± 3,62). Children were evaluated at baseline (T0), 10 days (T1), 1 month (T2) and 3 months (T3) after the treatment. Methods: The degree and impact of drooling was assessed by using the Drooling Impact Scale (DIS), the Drooling Frequency and Severity Scale (DFSS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Drooling Quotient (DQ). An rMV stimulus under the chin symphysis was applied with a 30 min protocol for 3 consecutive days. Results: The statistical analysis shows that DIS, DFSS, VAS, DQ improved with significant differences in the multiple comparisons between T1 vs T2, T1 vs T3 and T1 vs T4 (p≤0.001). Conclusion This study demonstrates that rMV might be a safe and effective tool in reducing drooling in patients with CP. The vibrations can improve the swallowing mechanisms and favor the acquisition of the maturity of the oral motor control in children with CP.

Aggressive medical management of acute traumatic subdural hematomas before emergency craniotomy in patients presenting with bilateral unreactive pupils. A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The outcome of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and acute traumatic subdural hematoma (aSDH) admitted to the emergency room with bilaterally dilated, unreactive pupils (bilateral mydriasis) is notoriously poor. METHODS: Of 2074 TBI patients consecutively admitted to our facility between 1997 and 2012, 115 had a first CT scan with aSDH, unreactive bilateral mydriasis, and a Glasgow Coma Score of 3 or 4. Sixty-two patients were unoperated and died within hours or a few days. The remaining 53 patients (2.5% of the 2074 consecutive patients) were scheduled for emergent evacuation of the aSDH. We compared three different dosages of mannitol to landmark different comprehensive levels of treatment: (1) a "basic" level of treatment characterized by a single conventional dose (18 to 36 g), (2) "reinforced" treatment landmarked by a single high dose (54 to 72 g), and (3) "aggressive" treatment landmarked by a single high dose (90 to 106 g). Doses above 36 g were administered intravenously over a period of 5 min. RESULTS: Of the 53 selected patients, 7 were aggressively managed (13.2%) and 24 (45.3%) received reinforced treatment. Rates of hyperventilation and barbiturate bolus administration were appropriately associated with increasing doses of mannitol. After adjustment for age, aggressive management was significantly associated with a lower risk of death and persistent vegetative state [adjusted OR 0.016 (95% 0.001-0.405)]. Patients surviving after aggressive management suffered more severe disability at 1 year. CONCLUSION: The study shows an association between reduced mortality and persistent vegetative state, albeit at the cost of increased long-term severe disability in survivors, and aggressive medical preoperative management of mydriatic patients with aSDH following TBI.

Effects on mobility training and de-adaptations in subjects with Spinal Cord Injury due to a Wearable Robot: a preliminary report.

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe neurological disorder associated not only with ongoing medical complications but also with a significant loss of mobility and participation. The introduction of robotic technologies to recover lower limb function has been greatly employed in the rehabilitative practice. The aim of this preliminary report were to evaluate the efficacy, the feasibility and the changes in the mobility and in the de-adaptations of a new rehabilitative protocol for EKSO™ a robotic exoskeleton device in subjects with SCI disease with an impairment of lower limbs assessed by gait analysis and clinical outcomes. METHOD: This is a pilot single case experimental A-B (pre-post) design study. Three cognitively intact voluntary participants with SCI and gait disorders were admitted. All subjects were submitted to a training program of robot walking sessions for 45 min daily over 20 sessions. The spatiotemporal parameters at the beginning (T0) and at the end of treatment (T1) were recorded. Other clinical assessments (6 min walking test and Timed Up and Go test) were acquired at T0 and T1. RESULTS: Robot training were feasible and acceptable and all participants completed the training sessions. All subjects showed improvements in gait spatiotemporal indexes (Mean velocity, Cadence, Step length and Step width) and in 6 min Walking Test (T0 versus T1). CONCLUSIONS: Robot training is a feasible form of rehabilitation for people with SCI. Further investigation regarding long term effectiveness of robot training in time is necessary. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02065830.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy in patients with reduced pulmonary function: a single-center series.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is currently considered a 'gold standard' approach for pulmonary lobectomy in patients with early-stage lung cancer, displaying equal or superior results compared with an open traditional approach. In patients with limited pulmonary function, VATS lobectomy may reduce the impact of surgery and allow outcomes similar to patients with normal pulmonary function. The preliminary analysis of our initial, single center series of VATS lobectomy showed less complications and shorter postoperative length of stay compared with a historical series of open lobectomy patients. Patients with reduced predicted preoperative FEV1% (ppoFEV1%) who underwent VATS lobectomy had similar outcomes compared with patients with normal ppoFEV1, but longer postoperative length of stay.

Trauma-induced coagulopathy: impact of the early coagulation support protocol on blood product consumption, mortality and costs.

INTRODUCTION: Hemorrhage is the principal cause of death in the first few hours following severe injury. Coagulopathy is a frequent complication of critical bleeding. A network of Italian trauma centers recently developed a protocol to prevent and treat trauma-induced coagulopathy. A pre-post cohort multicenter study was conducted to assess the impact of the early coagulation support (ECS) protocol on blood products consumption, mortality and treatment costs. METHODS: We prospectively collected data from all severely injured patients (Injury Severity Score (ISS) >15) admitted to two trauma centers in 2013 and compared these findings with the data for 2011. Patients transfused with at least 3 units of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) within 24 hours of an accident were included in the study. In 2011, patients with significant hemorrhaging were treated with early administration of plasma with the aim of achieving a high (≥1:2) plasma-to-PRBC ratio. In 2013, the ECS protocol was the treatment strategy. Outcome data, blood product consumption and treatment costs were compared between the two periods. RESULTS: The two groups were well matched for demographics, injury severity (ISS: 32.9 in 2011 versus 33.6 in 2013) and clinical and laboratory data on admission. In 2013, a 40% overall reduction in PRBCs was observed, together with a 65% reduction in plasma and a 52% reduction in platelets. Patients in the ECS group received fewer blood products: 6.51 units of PRBCs versus 8.14 units. Plasma transfusions decreased from 8.98 units to 4.21 units (P <0.05), and platelets fell from 4.14 units to 2.53 units (P <0.05). Mortality in 2013 was 13.5% versus 20% in 2011 (13 versus 26 hospital deaths, respectively) (nonsignificant). When costs for blood components, factors and point-of-care tests were compared, a €76,340 saving in 2013 versus 2011 (23%) was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of the ECS protocol in two Italian trauma centers was associated with a marked reduction in blood product consumption, reaching statistical significance for plasma and platelets, and with a non-significant trend toward a reduction in early and 28-day mortality. The overall costs for transfusion and coagulation support (including point-of-care tests) decreased by 23% between 2011 and 2013.

Correlation between collateral ventilation and interlobar lung fissures.

BACKGROUND: New bronchoscopic techniques for end-stage emphysema treatment are nowadays available; the presence of interlobar collateral ventilation (CV) and interlobar lung fissures (ILF) is crucial for patient selection. OBJECTIVES: Assessment of these variables has been reported previously, but it has never been anatomically validated in vivo. This is the purpose of our study. METHODS: Twenty-one patients undergoing lung resection for lung cancer were prospectively enrolled in this study. At operation, CV was assessed by the Chartis catheter system. ILF completeness at high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was retrospectively reviewed. The ILF status at HRCT and at surgery was compared; furthermore, the relationship between CV and ILF status was assessed. RESULTS: At HRCT, ILF were incomplete in 18 cases; at catheter evaluation, CV was present in 11 cases; 15 patients had incomplete ILF at operation. HRCT specificity, sensitivity and accuracy were 33, 93 and 76% compared with ILF status at surgery. HRCT accuracy was 90% on the right and 63% on the left. We demonstrated a high grade of probability of CV presence and incomplete ILF at surgery (odds ratio = 10.0). CONCLUSIONS: There is a correlation between ILF status and CV. Both catheter evaluation of CV and HRCT assessment of ILF show some limitations. However, the cumulative information provided by these techniques allows to reliably assess the anatomical ILF status.

Abdominal adipose tissue distribution assessed by computed tomography and mortality in hospitalised patients with COVID-19: a retrospective longitudinal cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Visceral adiposity has been associated with an increased risk of critical illness in COVID-19 patients. However, if it also associates to a poor survival is still not well established. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between abdominal fat distribution and COVID-19 mortality. METHODS: In this six-month longitudinal cohort study, abdominal visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissues (SAT) were measured by computed tomography in a cohort of 174 patients admitted to the emergency department with a diagnosis of COVID-19, during the first wave of pandemic. The primary exposure and outcome measures were VAT and SAT at hospital admission, and death at 30 and 180 days, respectively. RESULTS: Overall survival was not different according to VAT (p = 0.94), SAT (p = 0.32) and VAT/SAT ratio (p = 0.64). However, patients in the lowest SAT quartile (thickness ≤ 11.25 mm) had a significantly reduced survival compared to those with thicker SAT (77 vs. 94% at day 30; 74 vs. 91% at day 180, p = 0.01). Similarly, a thinner SAT was associated with lower survival in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admitted patients, independently of sex or age (p = 0.02). The VAT/SAT ratio showed a non-linear increased risk of ICU admission, which plateaued out and tended for inversion at values greater than 1.9 (p = 0.001), although was not associated with increased mortality rate. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, visceral adiposity did not increase mortality in patients with COVID-19, but low SAT may be associated with poor survival.