An Overview of Appropriate Medical Practice and Preparedness in Radiation Emergency Response.

Radiation emergencies involving high doses of nuclear radiation pose significant risks from exposure to ionizing radiation in various scenarios. These situations include transportation accidents involving radioactive materials, occupational exposure, nuclear detonations, dirty bombs, and nuclear power plant accidents. In addition to the immediate risks of acute radiation syndrome (ARS) and related diseases, long-term exposure can increase the risk of other health issues such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and children, face particular concern due to potential impacts on their health and the health of unborn babies. The severity of ARS depends on several factors such as radiation dose, quality, dose rate, exposure uniformity, and individual biological responses. Bioindicators are biological responses or markers that help assess the severity and effects of radiation exposure on an individual. Bioindicators can include physical symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, or laboratory tests such as changes in blood cell counts and gene expression that can help in assessing and treating exposed individuals. Additionally, early prodromal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and erythema can provide important clues for diagnosis and treatment. Developing a comprehensive plan for radiation emergencies is vital for safeguarding public health, infrastructure, and the environment. First responders play a critical role in establishing safety perimeters, triage, and coordination with various stakeholders. Education and training are essential for medical personnel and the public. This article provides general recommendations and identifies challenges to effective radiation emergency preparedness and response.

PET/CT in leukemia: utility and future directions.

2-Deoxy-2-[ 18 F]fluoro- d -glucose PET/computed tomography ([ 18 F]FDG PET/CT) has proven to be a sensitive method for the detection and evaluation of hematologic malignancies, especially lymphoma. The increasing incidence and mortality rates of leukemia have raised significant concerns. Through the utilization of whole-body imaging, [ 18 F]FDG PET/CT provides a thorough assessment of the entire bone marrow, complementing the limited insights provided by biopsy samples. In this regard, [ 18 F]FDG PET/CT has the ability to assess diverse types of leukemia The utilization of [ 18 F]FDG PET/CT has been found to be effective in evaluating leukemia spread beyond the bone marrow, tracking disease relapse, identifying Richter's transformation, and assessing the inflammatory activity associated with acute graft versus host disease. However, its role in various clinical scenarios in leukemia remains unacknowledged. Despite their less common use, some novel PET/CT radiotracers are being researched for potential use in specific scenarios in leukemia patients. Therefore, the objectives of this review are to provide a thorough assessment of the current applications of [ 18 F]FDG PET/CT in the staging and monitoring of leukemia patients, as well as the potential for an expanding role of PET/CT in leukemia patients.

Degenerative lumbar changes have a statistically significant but small effect on trabecular bone score (TBS)-adjusted fracture risk (FRAX).

Trabecular bone score (TBS) assesses trabecular microarchitecture at the lumbar spine and was shown to improve fracture risk prediction compared to bone mineral density (BMD) alone. We investigated whether lumbar degenerative changes (DC) affect TBS and TBS-adjusted 10-year fracture risk assessment (tool) (FRAX) estimates. All patients who underwent BMD and TBS measurements via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at our institution between 1/7/2020 and 1/10/2020 were retrospectively evaluated. We identified all patients who had DC in 1 or 2 vertebrae (out of L1-L4) with a BMD T score > 1 unit higher than the remaining 2 to 3 adjacent vertebrae. TBS and BMD were compared between the vertebrae with and without DC. Change in TBS as well as FRAX estimates for major osteoporotic (MOP) and hip fractures after exclusion of the degenerative vertebrae were also determined. Of the 356 eligible patients, 94 met the inclusion criteria. The mean TBS of vertebrae without DC was not significantly different from that of L1 to L4 (1.31 ± 0.12 vs 1.32 ± 0.12, respectively, P = .11). The FRAX estimates after exclusion of the degenerative vertebrae were statistically significantly higher than for L1 to L4 for both MOP and hip fractures (P = .04 and P = .01, respectively). However, the differences were very small. The mean 10-year MOP FRAX estimate after exclusion of degenerative vertebrae was 7.67% ± 4.50% versus 7.55% ± 4.36% for L1 to L4 and the mean 10-year hip FRAX estimate after exclusion of degenerative vertebrae was 2.06% ± 2.01% versus 2.02% ± 1.98% for L1 to L4. Lumbar DC have a statistically significant but only small effect on TBS-adjusted FRAX making it unnecessary to exclude the degenerative vertebrae when computing TBS.

Synchronous Colorectal and Prostate Cancer: Dual PET/CT Approach for Detecting and Distinguishing Metastatic Patterns.

Prostate cancer (PC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are two of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality. The incidence of synchronous neoplasms in patients with CRC is increasing, though synchronous PC and CRC remains a rare occurrence in clinical practice. Early diagnosis, accurate staging, and characterization of tumors are essential for selecting patient-tailored therapy. The origin of metastatic disease in synchronous cases presents a challenge for conventional imaging modalities, but advances in molecular imaging have addressed this limitation. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is now the preferred modality for assessing synchronous cases. The authors present a 72-year-old male patient with the rare occurrence of two coexisting primary cancers. At first, fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT detected the first colorectal primary tumor extension along with evidence of heterogeneous 18F-FDG activity within an enlarged prostate, warranting further evaluation. Subsequently, gallium-68 prostate-specific membrane antigen (68 Ga-PSMA) PET/CT imaging revealed the second prostate primary cancer with evidence of bone metastases. Adoption of a dual PET/CT approach in cases where biopsy is impractical can achieve accurate staging results during the initial diagnostic workup.

Long-Term Survival Analysis and Prognostic Factors of Arabic Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: A 20-Year Observational Study at the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) Involving 528 Patients.

DTC accounts for the majority of endocrine tumors. While the incidence of thyroid cancer has been increasing globally over the past few decades, papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) generally shows an excellent prognosis, except in cases with aggressive clinicopathological features. This study aimed to assess the 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of 528 Arabic patients diagnosed with primary DTC from 1998 to 2021. Additionally, the study aimed to analyze the impact of various factors on both OS and PFS. An univariable survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier curves. The 5- and 10-year OS for patients with DTC have exceeded 95%. Additionally, PFS showed very good rates (ranging between 96.5 and 85% at 5 and 10 years, respectively). Age, male gender, risk of recurrence, and distant metastasis were identified as the main negative prognostic factors for both OS and PFS, while RAI treatment was found to be a significant factor in improving OS. Moreover, adherence to the King Hussein Cancer Center's (KHCC) CPG demonstrated significant improvement in PFS. These findings highlight common prognostic factors and favorable outcomes in Arabic patients with DTC treated at a tertiary cancer center using standard of care approaches.

The Prognostic and Diagnostic Value of [18F]FDG PET/CT in Untreated Laryngeal Carcinoma.

This study aims to determine the diagnostic accuracy of staging PET/CT and neck MRI in patients with laryngeal carcinoma and to assess the value of PET/CT in predicting progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Sixty-eight patients who had both modalities performed before treatment between 2014 and 2021 were included in this study. The sensitivity and specificity of PET/CT and MRI were evaluated. PET/CT had 93.8% sensitivity, 58.3% specificity, and 75% accuracy for nodal metastasis, whereas MRI had 68.8%, 61.1%, and 64.7% accuracy, respectively. At a median follow-up of 51 months, 23 patients had developed disease progression and 17 patients had died. Univariate-survival analysis revealed all utilized PET parameters as significant prognostic factors for OS and PFS (p-value < 0.03 each). In multivariate analysis, metabolic-tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) predicted better PFS (p-value < 0.05 each). In conclusion, PET/CT improves the accuracy of nodal staging in laryngeal carcinoma over neck MRI and adds to the prognostication of survival outcomes through the use of several PET metrics.

Admission criteria and academic performance in medical school.

BACKGROUND: Different variables have been used to predict the academic performance of students in medical schools. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of demographics, admission system, and high-school background on the academic performance of medical students. METHODS: We conducted this longitudinal cohort study on 808 students admitted to the Faculty of. Medicine at the University of Jordan (Amman, Jordan), in the years 2012 and 2013. Admission pathway, and academic performance data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 808 students [i.e., 426 (52.7%) females, and 382(47.3%) males] were identified. Admitted students were holding 17 different types of high school degrees, and were accepted through 6 different quota pathways (open competition [National unified admission], underprivileged ["Makrumah"], parallel, children of university staff, international students, and others). Students admitted through the open competition and the underprivileged quota(Makrumah) were more likely to graduate on time and had higher graduation grades while students admitted through the parallel, international and others quota were more likely to fail and had lower graduation grades. Regarding highs school degrees, the students that were more likely to graduate were those with IB and the Jordanian high school degrees. The highest graduation GPA was for IB students followed by SAT, IGCSE as well as Jordanian and Syrian high school degrees respectively. IB, Jordanian, Kuwaiti and IGSC high school grades were significantly correlated with the graduation GPA. CONCLUSIONS: Admission criteria such as type of high school degree and grades as well as admission pathways can predict the likelihood to graduate and the graduation GPA of medical students. Open competition and underprivileged admission pathways as well as IB, IGCSE and Jordanian high school degrees seem to be better predictors of student performance in the medical school.

FDG-PET/CT in the Monitoring of Lymphoma Immunotherapy Response: Current Status and Future Prospects.

Cancer immunotherapy has been extensively investigated in lymphoma over the last three decades. This new treatment modality is now established as a way to manage and maintain several stages and subtypes of lymphoma. The establishment of this novel therapy has necessitated the development of new imaging response criteria to evaluate and follow up with cancer patients. Several FDG PET/CT-based response criteria have emerged to address and encompass the various most commonly observed response patterns. Many of the proposed response criteria are currently being used to evaluate and predict responses. The purpose of this review is to address the efficacy and side effects of cancer immunotherapy and to correlate this with the proposed criteria and relevant patterns of FDG PET/CT in lymphoma immunotherapy as applicable. The latest updates and future prospects in lymphoma immunotherapy, as well as PET/CT potentials, will be discussed.

Incidence Trends of Melanoma and Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers in Jordan From 2000 to 2016.

PURPOSE: Skin cancers are among the commonest cancers worldwide, and the incidence of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) continues to rise worldwide. However, there are no comprehensive reports on skin cancer incidence in Jordan during the past two decades. This report investigates the incidence of skin cancers in Jordan, in particular their time trends for the period 2000-2016. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on malignant melanomas (MMs), squamous cells carcinomas (SCCs), and basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) were extracted from the Jordan Cancer Registry for the period between 2000 and 2016. Age-specific and overall age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) were computed. RESULTS: Two thousand seventy patients were diagnosed with at least one BCC, 1,364 with SCC, and 258 with MM. ASIRs were 28, 19, and 4 per 100,000 person-years for BCC, SCC, and MM, respectively. The BCC:SCC incidence ratio was 1.47:1. The risk of men developing SCCs was significantly higher than women (relative risks [RRs], 1.311; 95% CI, 1.197 to 1.436), but significantly lower for BCCs (RR, 0.929; 95% CI, 0.877 to 0.984) or melanomas (RR, 0.465; 95% CI, 0.366 to 0.591). Persons older than 60 years were at a significantly higher risk of developing SCCs (RR, 1.225; 95% CI, 1.119 to 1.340) or melanomas (RR, 2.445; 95% CI, 1.925 to 3.104), but at a significantly lower risk of developing BCCs (RR, 0.885; 95% CI, 0.832 to 0.941). The overall incidence rates of SCCs, BCCs, and melanomas increased over the 16-year study period, but this was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the largest epidemiologic study regarding skin cancers in Jordan and in the Arab world. Despite low incidence rates in this study, rates are higher than reported regional figures. This is likely due to standardized, centralized, and mandatory reporting of skin cancers, including NMSC.

The Preventable Effect of Taekwondo Sport among Cadets and Junior' Bone Mineral Density: DEXA Assessment.

Athletes competing in Taekwondo (TKD), the weight-category sport, tend to rapidly lose weight to achieve the desired body weight for better competitive results. Little is known about the effect of rapid weight reduction on bone mass density (BMD), especially during childhood and adolescence. The current study aimed to investigate the impact of rapid weight loss on BMD among cadets and juniors TKD athletes. A descriptive case series study design was conducted and collected from 28 males and females aged 12-17 years old, with mean age 14.4 ± 1.7. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used for both BMD and body composition assessment, and laboratory tests were also performed for the total calcium (Ca), TSH, free T4 (FT4), and 25-OH-vitamin D. Results showed normal levels of Ca (82.1%), TSH (96.4%), and FT4 (96.4%), whilst 85.7% had vitamin D deficiency. DEXA results showed that within male athletes, juniors had a wider range of BMD than cadets, while within females, results did not vary, with no statistical difference between both males and females. Our results suggested that children and adolescents' BMD was positively related to TKD sport regardless of the abnormal weight loss strategies used, as evidenced by laboratory results. Children and adolescents should be conscious and practice TKD sport adopting healthy weight loss behaviors.

PET/CT in Hodgkin Lymphoma: An Update.

18F-FDG-PET/CT is now an integral part of the workup and management of patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). PET/CT is currently routinely performed for staging and for response assessment at the end of treatment. Interim PET/CT is typically performed after 1-4 of 6-8 chemo/chemoimmunotherapy cycles ± radiation for prognostication and potential treatment escalation or de-escalation early in the course of therapy, a concept known as response-or risk-adapted treatment. Quantitative PET is an area of growing interest. Metrics such as the standardized uptake value (SUV), metabolic tumor volume, total lesion glycolysis, and their changes with treatment are being investigated as more reproducible and, potentially, more accurate predictors of response and prognosis. Despite the progress made in standardizing the use of PET/CT in lymphoma, challenges remain, particularly with respect to its limited positive predictive value. This review highlights the most relevant applications of PET/CT in HL, its strengths and limitations, as well as recent efforts to implement PET/CT-based metrics as promising tools for precision medicine. Finally, the value of PET/CT for response assessment to immunotherapy is discussed.

The development and validation of a novel COVID19 stigma scale among healthcare workers (COVISS-HCWs).

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Fear of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its complications may result in stigmatization of individuals who may carry the virus. This is of special concern to healthcare workers who tolerate additional physical and emotional stress at times of pandemic. The aims of this study are to (1) develop and validate the COVID-19 Stigma Scale (COVISS-HCWs) survey; and (2) investigate the experience of stigma among healthcare workers possibly dealing with COVID-19 patients in five major public hospitals in Damascus, Syria. METHODS: We divided the sample into two parts and then underwent EFA on the first 350 participants, dividing the 14 questions into two dimensions. Furthermore, CFA was conducted on the other 350 participants to confirm how correctly a hypothesized model matched the factor structure by EFA, as described above. Moreover, the coefficient of determination (R2) and item-scale correlations (standardized factor loading) were estimated to establish the acceptability of the final structure of the COVISS-HCWs. Through a cross-sectional study, a convenience sample of 700 healthcare workers participated in a self-administered questionnaire containing a section for demographic variables and another for newly designed COVISS-HCWs. The scale comprises 14 adapted and novel items that measure two subscales: feelings of perceived harm and inferiority, and avoidance. Descriptive statistics, reliability, and validity were evaluated. RESULTS: The 14 COVISS-HCWs items were reduced to 11 items with a high Cronbach's α of 0.909. A significant correlation was observed between the responses to each COVISS-HCWs item and the corresponding subscale, and between each subscale and the overall scale. Feeling stigmatized was reported by 9.86% of the participants. Younger age, low socioeconomic status, and higher intensity of contact with COVID-19 patients significantly correlated with higher stigmatization. CONCLUSIONS: The novel COVISS-HCWs is a reliable and valid tool to evaluate stigma among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Stigma prevalence among healthcare workers was 9.86%. Therefore, this must be addressed to prevent possible psychosocial and public health repercussions.

Children with Hirschsprung disease in a developing country: A cohort study of the predictors of a positive rectal biopsy result.

Chronic constipation, which may be habitually or pathologically caused, is one of the most common complaints in children. One of the important pathological causes is Hirschsprung's disease (HD), which is diagnosed via multiple modalities, mainly rectal biopsy. Our aim was to compare the presentation and different predictive factors for positive rectal biopsy results in a developing country in the Middle East, such as Jordan. This cohort study was conducted at the Jordan University Hospital (JUH). All consecutive children aged <14 years who presented with refractory constipation and underwent rectal biopsies between January 2014 and December 2019 were retrospectively enrolled in the study. In the entire cohort study, 79 patients were enrolled: 45 (57%) were males and 34 (43%) were females. Regarding the biopsy results, 51 (64.6%) cases of refractory constipation without HD and 28 (35.4%) patients with refractory constipation with HD were diagnosed with open rectal biopsies. The male-to-female ratio of HD patients was 3:1. Moreover, 3 (10.7%) children who passed the meconium within the first 24 to 48 hours showed features of HD, while 17 (60.7%) children with delayed passage of the meconium showed features of HD. Abdominal distension was found to be a positive predictor of positive biopsy results (odds ratio [OR] = 4.09, P = .011), and soiling was found to be a negative predictor of positive biopsy results (OR = 0.07, P = .024). In developing countries, children presenting with HD seem to have similar symptoms and signs to those observed with traditional sampling and staining techniques.

Interim FDG-PET/CT for therapy monitoring and prognostication in Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

The aim of the study was to assess the predictive value of interim FDG-PET/CT (iPET) in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) treated with Adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (ABVD) chemotherapy. A total of 245 consecutive patients with de novo HL between 12/2013 and 12/2017 were evaluated retrospectively. All patients were treated with upfront ABVD, performed PET/CT scans at baseline, after 2 cycles (interim PET, iPET2) or 4 cycles (iPET4) and at the end of therapy, and followed up for at least 6 months after therapy. The response status on iPET was defined according to the standard five-point Deauville scores (DS) as follows: complete metabolic response (CMR, DS 1-3) and non-complete metabolic response (nCMR) (DS 4 and 5). End-of-treatment (EoT) response was assessed by FDG-PET/CT and if needed biopsy confirmation of PET-positive findings. The association between iPET and EoT response was investigated using logistic regression analysis. Survival analysis was performed using the Cox regression hazard model and Kaplan-Meier methods. Sixty-nine patients underwent iPET-2 and 176 iPET-4. No association was found between the timing of iPET and iPET response status (P-value = 0.71). Two hundred and one patients (82%) had iPET-CMR and 44 (18%) iPET -nCMR. iPET was strongly associated with EoT response status: 194/201 (96 .5%) of iPET-CMR had a complete response at the EoT while only 21/44 (47.7%) of patients with iPET-nCMR presented a complete response at EoT (P-value < 0.0001). The median follow-up was 32 months (range 6-81). Patients with iPET-CMR presented a better outcome with 91% 3 y event-free-survival (EFS) and 95% 3 y overall survival (OS) than those with iPET-nCMR (41 and 86%, respectively, P-value < 0.0001). In multivariable analyses, iPET retained an independent prognostic factor of EFS and OS (P-value < 0.0001 and P-value = 0.002, respectively). iPET is highly predictive of outcome of HL patients treated with ABVD and allows to tailor therapy to the individual patient.

68Ga-DOTATOC Embolus Manifestation and Spontaneous Resolution by PET/CT.

68Ga-labeled somatostatin receptor analogs physiologic distribution patterns have become recognizable among nuclear medicine physicians because of the increasing routine clinical use of this modality in the work-up of neuroendocrine tumors. Some pitfalls during 68Ga-labeled somatostatin receptor PET/CT have recently been reported as causes of misdiagnoses. Iatrogenic microembolism as a cause of 18F-FDG embolus is well-established; however, 68Ga-DOTATOC embolus is not well documented in the literature. In the current case, the presence and the spontaneous resolution of the 68Ga-labeled somatostatin receptor analogs embolus during sequential PET/CT are nicely demonstrated. Awareness of this incidental finding would avoid misdiagnosis and unnecessary investigations.

Facemask wearing does not impact neuro-electrical brain activity.

Given the massive use of facemasks (FMs) during the covid-19 pandemic, concerns have been raised regarding the effect of FMs wearing on overall health. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of surgical FM on brain neuro-electrical activity. Electroencephalography (EEG) background frequency (BGF) and background amplitude (BGA) was performed on 30 volunteers before (baseline), during and after wearing a FM for 60 min. Measurements were done during normal ventilation, hyperventilation and post-hyperventilation (PHVR). Blood gas levels were assessed at baseline and after FM use. EEG analysis concerning baseline (without FM) (BGA), was 47.69 ± 18.60 µV, wearing FM, BGA was 48.45 ± 17.79 µV, post FM use BGA was 48.08 ± 18.30 µV. There were no statistically significant differences between baseline BGA and BGA under FM and post FM. BGF, Baseline data were 10.27 ± 0.79, FM use 10.30 ± 0.76 and post FM use was 10.33 ± 0.76. There were no statistically significant differences between baseline BGF and BGF under FM and post FM. Venous blood gases, and peripheral oxygen saturation were not significantly affected by FM use. Short-term use of FM in young healthy individuals has no significant alteration impact on brain's neuro-electrical activity.

Bone Scan in Identification, Assessment of Initial Extent and Response to Therapy in Polymyositis.

This is a 51-year-old male who presented with abdominal pain, bilateral proximal upper and lower extremities pain and weakness, and decreased urine output with abnormal kidney function test; Urea and creatinine levels were elevated at 231.5 mg/dl and 11.05 mg/dl, respectively. Initial bone scan showed increased uptake within several muscles suspicious for polymyositis, this was confirmed by biopsy of the right triceps, identified by bone scan as the best superficial biopsy site. Pelvis and thigh MRI demonstrated diffuse hyperintense signal on fluid sensitive sequences involving several muscles. Renal biopsy showed acute tubular injury. He was treated with steroids resulting in significant improvement. A repeat bone scan showed near complete resolution of the muscular uptake seen at presentation. This case nicely illustrates the role of bone scanning in the initial recognition and determination of the extent of polymyositis with identification of a suitable biopsy site as well as assessment of response to treatment.

A Striking Case of Perfusion-Metabolism "Flip-Flop" in a Patient With Left Anterior Descending Artery Total Occlusion.

ABSTRACT: A 57-year-old man diagnosed with left anterior descending artery chronic total occlusion underwent rest gated 99mTc-MIBI scan showing moderately to markedly decreased perfusion with abnormal wall motion in the apex, anterior, anteroseptal, and apical anterolateral walls. 18F-FDG PET showed a "flip-flop" phenomenon with markedly increased FDG uptake in the hypoperfused regions and absent/markedly decreased uptake in the normally perfused, normokinetic myocardium, presumably due to the predominant use of free fatty acids under normoxic conditions. After coronary artery bypass grafting, left ventricular motion normalized except for surgery-related paradoxical septal motion and the left ventricular ejection fraction improved from 52% to 68%.