Long-segment restrictive tear of radial Artery under ultrasound guide for arteriovenous fistula by PTA：A case report

Considerable calcification and stenosis frequently occur in the radial artery (RA) in diabetic nephropathy. PTA was performed successfully using balloon to expand and restrictively tear the longitudinal axis of the RA. Serendipity,the method indicates it may be a useful measure of promoting maturation of AVF in diabetic nephropathy

The ultrasound guide: katydid ear pinnae code for bat call detection

Early predator detection is a key component of the predator-prey arms race, and has driven the evolution of multiple animal hearing systems. Katydids (Insecta) have a sophisticated ear consisting of paired tympana on each foreleg that receive sound externally and internally, creating a pressure-time difference receiver system capable of sensitive and accurate directional hearing, despite the small size of katydids. Some katydid species have pinnae of unknown function, which form cavities around the outer tympanal surfaces and have been hypothesised to influence the external sound paths. Combining experimental biophysics and numerical modelling on 3D ear geometries, we investigated pinna function in the katydid Copiphora gorgonensis. Pinnae induced large sound-pressure gains that enhanced sound detection at high ultrasonic frequencies (>60 kHz), matching the echolocation range of their nocturnal insectivorous bat predators. Comparing pinna resonances of sympatric katydid species supported these findings, and suggests that pinnae may have evolved for enhanced predator detection.

Ultrasound guided femoral artery cannulation: A key point for security

Some meta-analyses have shown the broad benefits of the ultrasound visualization for arterial cannulation, such as the increases of the first-attempt success rate, mean attempts, meantime, and reduction of hematoma incidence. The advantages over the palpation technique, promote the inclusion of ultrasound guide as part of the recommendation for arterial cannulation [1].

Corticosteroid injection treatment for dactylitis in psoriatic arthritis

Dactylitis – a hallmark clinical feature of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) – that occurs in 30–50% of PsA patients, is a marker of disease severity for PsA progression, an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and impairs the motor functions of PsA patients. There is a paucity of evidence for the treatment due to the absence of randomized controlled trials assessing dactylitis as a primary endpoint and current practice arises from the analysis of dactylitis as a secondary outcome. Corticosteroid (CS) injections for dactylitis in PsA patients are a therapeutic treatment option for patients with isolated dactylitis or for patients with flares in tendon sheaths, despite stable and effective systemic treatment. The aim of this narrative review is to briefly illustrate the clinical aspects of dactylitis in PsA, the imaging and clinimetric tools used to diagnose and monitor dactylitis, the current treatment strategies and principally to provide a comprehensive picture of the clinical efficacy and safety with ultrasound-guide and blind techniques of CS injections for dactylitis in PsA patients.

Lower Limb Tendinopathy Tissue Changes Assessed through Ultrasound: A Narrative Review

Tendinopathy is a common disease that affects athletes, causing pain and dysfunction to the afflicted tendon. A clinical diagnose is usually combined with imaging and, among all the existing techniques, ultrasound is widely adopted. The aim of this review is to sum up the existing evidence on ultrasound as an imaging tool and guide for treatments in lower limbs tendinopathy. Using three different databases—PubMed, MEDLINE and CENTRAL—a literature search has been performed in May 2020 combining MeSH terms and free terms with Boolean operators. Authors independently selected studies, conducted quality assessment, and extracted results. Ultrasound imaging has a good reliability in the differentiation between healthy and abnormal tendon tissue, while there are difficulties in the identification of tendinopathy stages. The main parameters considered by ultrasound imaging are tendon thickness, hypoechogenicity of tendon structure and neovascularization of the tendon bound tissue. Ultrasound-guide is also used in many tendinopathy treatments and the available studies gave encouraging results, even if further studies are needed in this field.

Prenatal Intraamniotic Surfactant Administration Improves Lung Function at Birth and the Effects of Conventional Postdelivery Treatment in Animal Model. A Randomized Controled Trial

Introduction: Surfactant diluted in the pulmonary fluid at birth promove airway formation and prevents lung injury, for this reason some investigators have proposed that actual surfactant prophylaxis in high risk preterm deliveries, should be done before the first breath, perhaps in-uteri. Objetive: to evaluate if intraamniotic surfactant plus conventional neonatal instillation improves respiratory outcome outcome compared with only conventional neonatal instillation. Materials and Methods: randomized, controlled and double blinded protocol in a model of very immature born lambs. 125 days pregnant ewes received, with ultrasound guide, an intraamniotic injection of 240 mg of natural bovine surfactant or normal saline solution. After one hour of fetal breathing movement's stimulation with aminophylline the premature lamb’s fetuses were delivered by C-section, and a 3-mm endotracheal tube was placed by tracheotomy. Heart rate, aortic blood pressure, central temperature, respiratory rate and hemoglobin saturation, as well as mechanical ventilator settings, were continuously monitored. Variables under study were: Peak Inspiratory Pressure (PIP), Mean Airway Pressure (MAP), Oxygenation Index (OI) and Arterio-Alveolar Ratio (a/A). Conclusion: Prenatal intraamniotic surfactant instillation improves short-term respiratory outcome compared with conventional postpartum treatment in this animal model.