Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) stemming from various factors significantly impact the quality of life (QoL) and are prevalent with high mortality rates in both developed and developing countries. In cases where pharmacotherapy proves insufficient and end-stage disease ensues, a heart transplant/surgical repair becomes the only feasible treatment option. However, challenges such as a limited supply of heart donors, complications associated with rejection, and issues related to medication compliance introduce an additional burden to healthcare services and adversely affect patient outcomes. The emergence of bioprinting has facilitated advancements in creating structures, including ventricles, valves, and blood vessels. Notably, the development of myocardial/cardiac patches through bioprinting has offered a promising avenue for revascularizing, strengthening, and regenerating ventricles. Employment loss in developing countries as a circumstance of disability or death can severely impact a family's well-being and means for sustainable living. Innovations by means of life sustaining treatment options can provide hope for the impoverished and help reduce disability burden on the economy of low- to middle-income countries (LMICs). Such developments can have a significant impact that can last for generations, especially in developing countries. In this review, the authors delve into various types of bioprinting techniques, exploring their possibilities, challenges, and potential future applications in treating various end-stage cardiovascular conditions in LMICs.
The conventional metered dose inhaler (MDI) has long served as a cornerstone in the management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), affecting millions annually. Despite its advantages, a persistent challenge is seen in the form of patient education and the unchanged design of these inhalers since their inception in 1956. This lack of progress in MDI design has inadvertently contributed to incidences of foreign body inhalation. In this case presentation we report a 50-year-old male with a past medical history of asthma, who faced an incident of foreign body inhalation with use of his inhaler. The patient aspirated a dime when he administered his inhaler, as it had become lodged in the device's mouthpiece, which was uncapped. This case, like many others, demonstrates the need for innovative changes in MDI inhaler design. While numerous articles or cases concentrate on foreign body removal, the primary objective of this case report is to investigate preventative measures and solutions aimed at averting incidents of inhalation.
Bullous emphysema is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that results from chronic inflammation of the lung parenchyma leading to alveolar destruction. Etiology includes tobacco smoking and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. In this article, we present a rare case of bullous emphysema in a nonsmoker with no genetic predisposition or social risk factors presenting with productive cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath. The patient was diagnosed with bullous emphysema with superimposed pneumonia based on clinical and radiological findings. The patients acute complaints were treated successfully with antibiotics, supplemental oxygen, systemic steroids, and, nebulizer treatments. With this case report the authors highlight an unusual presentation of pneumonia in a patient with underlying bullous emphysema. Environmental exposure is often overlooked and the outcomes cannot be turned to favor without a comprehensive approach in patient management from history and physical to deciding the right treatment and follow-up protocols.
Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the most common parasitic infection of the nervous system and acquired epilepsy in low-resource settings due to the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium. Humans contract the intestinal infection of the adult tapeworm (taeniasis) through the fecal-oral route after consuming undercooked food, particularly pork or water, contaminated with tapeworm eggs. When the larvae invades the central nervous system (CNS), the infection causes NCC, which often manifests as late-onset seizures, chronic headaches, and intracranial hypertension. We describe a 31-year-old Hispanic multigravida woman from Guatemala, at 33 weeks of gestation, who presented with multiple syncopal and hypotensive episodes prompting a Computed tomography (CT) image of the head revealing multiple small cerebral calcifications indicating NCC. In this article, we highlight the significance of early symptom recognition and diagnostic workup for NCC in areas with diverse immigrant populations. We also discuss the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and current treatment modalities available for NCC.
There have been an increasing number of functions attributed to the basal ganglia, such as cognitive, emotional, and motor functions. As a result, there is a growing interest to localize these functions to different subregions of the basal ganglia. Most research on localization has been conducted on animals. The experiments subdivide the basal ganglia regions into motor, limbic, and associative functioning areas. There are sparse reports on the localization of functions in humans. This paper attempts to provide such localization of function with a focus on the globus pallidus externus of the basal ganglia. We present the case of a young man who had impairment in mixed cognitive, perceptual, and mood disturbances. No significant motor symptoms were noted in the patient. Brain imaging demonstrated dense bilateral calcifications in the basal ganglia, bilaterally localizing to the anterior region of the globus pallidus externus. We discuss our findings in light of recent studies that imply that isolated pathology in the anterior region of the globus pallidus externus may be associated with behavioral, mood, and cognitive disturbance without motor symptoms.
