1. Esophageal echocardiography
L Frazin, J V Talano, L Stephanides, H S Loeb, L Kopel, R M Gunnar Circulation. 1976 Jul;54(1):102-8. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.54.1.102.
Esophageal echocardiography has been developed for use in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and is a safe diagnostic procedure which provides high resolution mirror image echoes of many cardiac structures. Conventional anterior and esophageal echocardiograms were performed in 38 subjects. Esophageal echoes were of diagnostic quality in all 38 subjects, anterior echoes were of diagnostic quality in only 18. Measurements from anterior and esophageal echocardiograms correlated well for aortic valve diameter (r = 0.87), left atrium diameter (r = 0.96), mitral valve EF slope (r = 0.97) and less well for aortic root diameter (r = 0.69).
2. Passive prosthetic hands and tools: A literature review
Bartjan Maat, Gerwin Smit, Dick Plettenburg, Paul Breedveld Prosthet Orthot Int. 2018 Feb;42(1):66-74. doi: 10.1177/0309364617691622. Epub 2017 Mar 1.
Background: The group of passive prostheses consists of prosthetic hands and prosthetic tools. These can either be static or adjustable. Limited research and development on passive prostheses has been performed although many people use these prosthesis types. Although some publications describe passive prostheses, no recent review of the peer-reviewed literature on passive prostheses is available. Objective: Review the peer-reviewed literature on passive prostheses for replacement of the hand. Study design: Literature review. Methods: Four electronic databases were searched using a Boolean combination of relevant keywords. English-language articles relevant to the objective were selected. Results: In all, 38 papers were included in the review. Publications on passive prosthetic hands describe their users, usage, functionality, and problems in activities of daily living. Publications on prosthetic tools mostly focus on sport, recreation, and vehicle driving. Conclusion: Passive hand prostheses receive little attention in prosthetic research and literature. Yet one out of three people with a limb deficiency uses this type of prosthesis. Literature indicates that passive prostheses can be improved on pulling and grasping functions. In the literature, ambiguous names are used for different types of passive prostheses. This causes confusion. We present a new and clear classification of passive prostheses. Clinical relevance This review provides information on the users of passive prosthetic hands and tools, their usage and the functionality. Passive prostheses receive very little attention and low appreciation in literature. Passive prosthetic hands and tools show to be useful to many unilateral amputees and should receive more attention and higher acceptance.
3. Descriptive Analysis of Components of Emergency Medicine Residency Program Websites
Jordan R Pollock, Jeffery A Weyand, Amy B Reyes, Shiva Senemar, Aunika L Swenson, Rachel A Lindor, James L Homme West J Emerg Med. 2021 Jul 15;22(4):937-942. doi: 10.5811/westjem.2021.4.50135.
Introduction: Most emergency medicine (EM) applicants use the internet as a source of information when evaluating residency programs. Previous studies have analyzed the components of residency program websites; however, there is a paucity of information regarding EM program websites. The purpose of our study was to analyze information on EM residency program websites. Methods: In April-May 2020, we evaluated 249 United States EM residency program websites for presence or absence of 38 items relevant to EM applicants. Descriptive statistics were performed, including means and standard deviations. Results: Of the 249 EM websites evaluated, the websites contained a mean of 20 of 38 items (53%). Only 16 programs (6%) contained at least three-quarters of the items of interest, and no programs contained all 38 items. The general categories with the least amount of items were social media use (9%), research (46%), and lifestyle (49%), compared to the other general categories such as application process (58%), resident information (63%), general program information (67%), and facility information (69%). The items provided by programs most often included program description (98%), blocks and rotations (91%), and faculty listing (88%). The items provided least often included housing/neighborhood information (17%) and social media links (19%). Conclusion: Our comprehensive review of EM residency websites in the US revealed the absence of many variables on most programs' websites. Use of this information to enhance accessibility of desired information stands to benefit both applicants and programs in the increasingly competitive specialty of EM.
