Articles: cations.
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Many patients with glioma and their caregivers seek complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) methods to comfort themselves, cope with cancer medication side effects, and feel they are taking control of their disease. ⋯ These findings will hopefully educate providers and patients and stimulate further research in the field of CAM therapy for gliomas.
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In 2015, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) created a new hospital improvement program to enhance the performance of pediatric care in US hospitals. The Children's Surgery Verification (CSV) Quality Improvement Program is predicated on the idea that pediatric surgical patients have improved outcomes when treated at children's hospitals with optimal resources. Achieving ACS level I CSV designation at pediatric trauma centers may lead to greater benefits for pediatric trauma patients; however, the specific benefits have yet to be identified. We hypothesize that achieving the additional designation of ACS level I CSV is associated with decreased narcotic use perioperatively and improved efficiency when managing pediatric patients with femur fractures. ⋯ Achieving ACS level I CSV designation is associated with increased efficiency and decreased preoperative and postoperative narcotic use when treating pediatric trauma patients.
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The objective of this study is to (1) describe the techniques and prove the feasibility of performing complex hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery on a Jehovah Witness (JW) population. (2) Describe a strategy that offsets surgical blood loss by the manipulation of circulating blood volume to create reserve whole blood upon anesthesia induction. ⋯ Deliberate perioperative management makes transfusion-free liver and pancreatic resections feasible. Intraoperative whole blood removal with ANH specifically preserves red cell mass, platelets, and coagulation factors for timely reinfusion. Application of the described JW transfusion-free strategy to a broader general population could lessen blood utilization costs and morbidities.
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Observational Study
Transdural Approach for Resection of Craniovertebral Junction Cysts: Case Series.
Craniovertebral junction (CVJ) cysts, including retro-odontoid pseudotumors, are challenging pathologies to treat and manage effectively. Surgical intervention is indicated when these lesions result in progressive myelopathy, intractable pain, or instability. ⋯ Posterior cervical transdural approach for ventral lesions at the CVJ is a safe and effective means of treating older patients with progressive myelopathy. This technique provides immediate spinal cord decompression while limiting neurological complications commonly associated with open or endoscopic anterior transpharyngeal approaches.
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Infectious intracranial aneurysms (IIAs) are rare complications of infective endocarditis (IE). Data on management and long-term outcomes remain limited. ⋯ IIAs are rare complications of IE with a poor prognosis. Patients treated with antibiotics have higher risk of treatment failure requiring salvage surgical or endovascular intervention. Medical treatment failure occurred mostly within 2 weeks of onset and had a negative prognostic value emphasizing the need for close follow-up and early surgical or endovascular management.