Many advances have been made in recent years in the development of hearing and cochlear implants. These use acoustic and electrical stimulation technologies to improve speech intelligibility for the hearing impaired. However, for cochlear prostheses, the results are not very promising and vary from one patient to another. Certain technical and sometimes physiological problems have limited the expected performances of these devices, especially for children and the elderly. These problems include cochlear malformation and ossification of the auditory channels. This led us to reduce the number of electrodes in order to allow quality deep insertion while preserving the low-frequency acoustic bands of the operated patient.
Vittorio Marconi, Corinna Fortunato*, Davide Mengarelli detto Rinaldini, Lidia Pascucci, Daniele Arsego and Letizia Ferrara
Published on: 3rd March, 2023
Background: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) are the most common healthcare-associated complications, particularly in elderly patients. The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of HAIs and associated risk factors in the IRCCS INRCA of Ancona.Methods: A cross-sectional study has been carried out. Data has been collected in accordance with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Point Prevalence Survey 2022-2023 (PPS3) protocol in the IRCCS INRCA of Ancona in November 2022.Results: Out of the 128 patients included in our study, 75.0% were over 78 years old and 9.1% presented an active HAI on the day of the survey. The prevalence of HAIs varied based on the length of the hospital stay (OR 1.1, CI 95% 1.05 - 1.17, p < 0.001) and hospitalization > 7 days (OR 5.9, CI 95% 1.2 - 28.7, p = 0.02).Conclusion: It is clear from our findings that HAIs are associated with advanced patient age, prolonged hospital stay, and use of medical devices, especially in those patients that, due to their clinical situation, are more vulnerable. Although some of these infections can easily be treated, it is important to develop effective infection control strategies thanks to antimicrobial stewardship programs.
Saber A Amin, Morshed Alam, Bangchen Wang, Weining Zhen, Chi Lin, Apar Kishor Ganti, Vinicius Ernani, Alissa Marr, Tony JC Wang, Simon K Cheng, Michael Baine and Chi Zhang*
Published on: 24th June, 2023
Purpose: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has emerged as an alternative to surgery for patients with inoperable early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The majority of inoperable NSCLC patients are elderly and frequently have comorbidities including cardiovascular diseases for which they frequently receive angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs). The interactions of these medications with SBRT are not clear. The objective of the current study is to investigate the interaction of ARBs and ACEIs with SBRT for the outcomes of early-stage NSCLC. Methods and Materials: A retrospective chart review of patients treated with SBRT for Stage I and II NSCLC (AJCC 7th edition) at a single institution between 2006 and 2017 was conducted. Information on the use of ARBs, ACEIs, demographics, and tumor-related factors was collected. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard analyses were performed to assess the impact of ARBs and ACEIs combined with SBRT respectively on the treatment outcomes of these patients. Results: In total, 116 patients were included in the study, among whom 38/116 (32.76%) received ACEIs, and 20/116 (17.24%) received ARBs. In the multivariable analysis, the use of ARBs, but not ACEIs, with SBRT, was significantly associated with the increased risk of dissemination (Hazard Ratio (HR): 2.97; CI: 1.40-6.27; p < 0.004) compared to SBRT without ARBs. The tumor size of > = 3 cm was associated with significantly decreased time to local failure and OS compared to tumor size <3cm. Conclusion: In the current retrospective study, the use of ARBs, in combination with SBRT, was associated with a significantly increased risk of disease dissemination in early-stage NSCLC compared to SBRT alone. The findings warrant further investigations on the concurrent use of ARBs, ACEIs, and other medicines used for chronic diseases with SBRT for early-stage NSCLC.
Background: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is an established treatment for severe, symptomatic Aortic Stenosis (AS). However, the presence of low coronary heights confers a high risk for coronary obstruction during or after TAVR. Case: In this case report, we present our experience with transfemoral-TAVR in an elderly, high-risk (STS score – 12.08%) female severe AS patient with low coronary heights (right: 7.4 mm, left: 8.7 mm). She had lower annulus area (287 mm2) and moderately low valve area (0.7 cm2) as well. Her mean and peak pressure gradients (PGs) were 38 mmHg and 61 mmHg, respectively. Upon the Heart Team’s evaluation, TAVR was recommended and a 20 mm Balloon Expandable (BE) Myval Transcatheter Heart Valve (THV) was selected. No peri-procedural or post-procedural complications were reported and the post-procedural hemodynamics, namely the mean and peak PGs improved to 16 mmHg and 30 mmHg after TAVR, respectively. The patient was discharged in a stable condition after four days of hospital stay.Conclusion: We report the successful implantation of a small-sized BE Myval THV (20 mm) in a patient with low coronary heights. Life-threatening complications including paravalvular leak, coronary obstruction, or annular rupture were well averted; hence, we ascertain that the Myval THV is a suitable device for treating severe AS in difficult anatomies. However, the viability of the novel valve needs to be reaffirmed in larger studies..
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant global health problem, and extrapulmonary TB can present with no specific clinical or radiographic findings. Genito-urinary TB is often associated with elevated tumor markers and can be misdiagnosed as ovarian/fallopian tube carcinomas, especially in elderly female patients, as genitourinary TB commonly affects women of reproductive age.Objective: We present a rare case of genito-urinary TB in an elderly female patient who was initially misdiagnosed with ovarian cancer with metastasis.Case presentation: An 83-year-old woman with a medical history of diabetes and hypertension presented with complaints of abdominal distension. Diagnostic imaging revealed lesions in the ovaries and omentum and tumor markers were elevated, leading to a suspicion of ovarian cancer with metastases to the omentum. The patient underwent a diagnostic laparotomy and surgical removal of ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the lesion of the greater omentum. However, no malignancy was found during the morphological evaluation. Further histopathological examination confirmed the final diagnosis of genito-urinary tuberculosis, and the patient received anti-TB drugs. The postoperative period was uneventful, and tumor marker levels decreased.Conclusion: As the clinical presentation of genito-urinary TB can mimic ovarian cancer, a histopathological examination should be performed for differential diagnosis, thereby reducing the possibility of inaccurate treatment. This case report highlights the importance of considering genito-urinary TB as a differential diagnosis in elderly female patients presenting with elevated tumor markers, abdominal distension, and suspected genital malignancy. It is crucial to carefully evaluate these cases and explore the possibility of genital TB as an alternative diagnosis, given the overlapping clinical presentation. This highlights the importance of a comprehensive diagnostic approach that includes considering TB in addition to malignancy, even in the context of elderly female patients.
The need to provide Long-Term Care (LTC) for growing elderly populations is a public policy issue in all industrialized countries. Unlike other OECD countries, the U.S. lacks a foundation for universal LTC benefits. Much can be learned by examining other industrialized countries. LTC systems. In this paper, we will examine how other countries' provide LTC services for their glowing elderly populations, finance the costs of LTC services, determine eligibility for services, and encourage and support informal caregivers.
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