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All aspects of medical education were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Several challenges were experienced by trainees and programs alike, including economic repercussions of the pandemic; social distancing affecting the delivery of medical education, testing, and interviewing; the surge of patients affecting redeployment of personnel and potential compromises in core training; and the overall impact on the wellness and mental health of trainees and educators. The ability of medical teams and researchers to peer review, conduct clinical research, and keep up with literature was similarly challenged by the rapid growth in peer-reviewed and preprint literature. This article reviews these challenges and shares strategies that institutions, educators, and learners adopted, adapted, and developed to provide quality education during these unprecedented times.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to medical education. However, no data are available regarding the impact the pandemic may have on medical training in Mexico. The aim of our study was to evaluate and identify the medical school students’ perceptions of the changes in their clinical training due to the pandemic in Mexico. Methods This was a cross-sectional study where a previous validated online survey was translated and adapted by medical education experts and applied to senior medical students from March to April of 2021. The 16-item questionnaire was distributed online combining dichotomous, multiple-choice, and 5-point Likert response scale questions. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed to compare the student’s perceptions between public and private schools. Results A total of 671 responses were included in the study period. Most participants were from public schools (81%) and female (61%). Almost every respondent (94%) indicated it was necessary to obtain COVID-19 education, yet only half (54%) received such training. Students in private schools were less likely to have their clinical instruction canceled (53% vs. 77%, p = 0.001) and more likely to have access to virtual instruction (46% vs. 22%, p = 0.001) when compared to students from public schools. Four out of every five students considered their training inferior to that of previous generations, and most students (82%) would consider repeating their final year of clinical training. Conclusions The impact of the COVID-19 on medical education in Mexico has been significant. Most final-year medical students have been affected by the cancellation of their in-person clinical instruction, for which the majority would consider repeating their final year of training. Efforts to counterbalance this lack of clinical experience with virtual or simulation instruction are needed.

Paget-Schroetter Syndrome (PSS) is a rare condition characterized by spontaneous thrombosis of the axillary-subclavian vein that occurs predominantly in young athletes engaged in repetitive overhead upper extremity motion, for instance, weightlifting, swimming, baseball, and tennis. PSS is usually a consequence of chronic repetitive microtrauma to the vein intima due to compression of the axillary-subclavian vein by the thoracic outlet structures. This chronic injury can then be acutely exacerbated by vigorous exercise done over a brief period, accelerating thrombus formation. Lack of PSS awareness leads to underdiagnosis, misdiagnosis, or late diagnosis, which can pose life-threatening risks to patients, including pulmonary embolism (PE) and recurrent thrombosis. This case report of a 20-year-old male college athlete exposes a PE caused by PSS, potentially worsened by a delay in diagnosis. Early suspicion and proper management are crucial for optimizing long-term outcomes and facilitating limb rehabilitation. The recommended approach involves early catheter-directed thrombolysis followed by thoracic outlet decompression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the health care costs and utilization in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) in the United States. Patients and Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients with HHT diagnosed between 2007 and 2017 was performed using deidentified administrative claims data from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse. Adult patients with new (incident) diagnosis of HHT between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2017, were included. Comparisons were made using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results: Three thousand nine hundred seventy-seven patients with a first diagnosis of HHT between 2007 and 2017 were identified, of which 3590 were matched 1:1 to non-HHT patients with similar baseline characteristics and comorbidities. These 3590 patients with HHT were 63.1% female and 83.9% white with a mean age of 51.1 ± 18.5 years, and a mean follow-up period of 3.2 ± 2.2 years (range, 1.0-11.7 years). Compared with the control group, the cumulative 5-year median total health care cost for patients with HHT was 41.4% higher ($21,118 vs $14,929; P < .001) in those with private commercial insurance and 31.7% higher ($35,462 vs $26,925; P < .001) in those with Medicare Advantage coverage. The median annual health care costs were significantly higher in patients with HHT with commercial insurance and Medicare Advantage in the first year after diagnosis ($4,333 vs $1,804; P < .001), and ($7,322 vs $5,245; P < .001), respectively, and remained higher throughout the duration of follow-up. Further analysis showed that outpatient clinic visits, hospital admission, imaging rates, invasive procedures, iron infusions, and blood transfusions were all significantly higher in the HHT group. Conclusion: Patients with HHT have significantly higher health care costs compared with a matched control group. A better understanding of the reasons underlying these cost differences will provide opportunities for patients, providers, and other stakeholders to better manage this rare condition.

Objectives:. Our understanding of the immunopathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 is evolving; however, a “cytokine storm” has been implicated. Ongoing clinical trials are evaluating the value of anticytokine therapies to treat patients with coronavirus disease 2019. This review summarizes the existing literature evaluating the efficacy and safety of anticytokine therapy to tackle the dysregulated immune response to infectious pathogens, discusses potential reasons for failure, applicability to coronavirus disease 2019, and future direction. Data Sources:. Medline, PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, and media reports. Study Selection:. The studies were included by author consensus. Data Extraction:. Data were selected for inclusion after reviewing each study by author consensus. Data Synthesis:. “Cytokine storm” is a nonspecific term, encompassing systemic inflammatory response to infectious pathogens, autoimmune conditions, cancers, trauma, and various chemotherapies. Like bacterial sepsis, viral pathogens may fuel immunopathogenesis by inducing a dysregulated autoamplifying cytokine cascade, ultimately leading to organ injury. This narrative review discusses what we know of the immune milieu of coronavirus disease 2019 versus noncoronavirus disease 2019 sepsis and/or acute respiratory distress syndrome, summarizes the existing literature on cytokine inhibitors in patients with sepsis and/or acute respiratory distress syndrome, and discusses possible reasons for recurrent failure. In doing so, it aims to assist decisions regarding the use of anticytokine therapy in patients with coronavirus disease 2019, as many regions of the world confront the second wave of the pandemic. Conclusions:. As ongoing clinical trials determine the efficacy and safety of anticytokine therapy in patients with coronavirus disease 2019, clinicians should uphold caution when incorporating it into treatment protocols, while maintaining focus on established evidence-based practices and the mantra of “less is more.”

Angiosarcomas are rare cancers accounting for less than 2% of all soft tissue sarcomas. We report the case of an unusual presentation of pleural epithelioid angiosarcoma in a patient with constrictive pericarditis and recurrent pleural effusion. A 62 year old smoker presented with acute chest pain. ECG showed diffuse elevation of ST segments in the precordial leads. After extensive evaluation, he was diagnosed with viral pericarditis and treated with colchicine. Two weeks later the patient presented to the emergency department with a large right pleural effusion. Evaluation of the pleural fluid obtained from a thoracentesis revealed an exudative effusion with negative microbial studies and no evidence of malignant cells. His pleural effusion re-accumulated rapidly, requiring repeated thoracenteses over several weeks. Medical thoracoscopy was performed and pleural biopsy revealed primary pleural epithelioid angiosarcoma. Staging PET scan revealed malignant enhancement of right pleura, pericardium, right iliac bone and right shoulder. He died suddenly within 6 weeks of diagnosis, prior to initiating palliative chemotherapy. Pleural angiosarcoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of recurrent pleural effusions of unknown etiology. Negative cytology does not rule out the diagnosis; excisional biopsy is required. Reported risk factors include asbestos exposure, prior chest radiation, active smoking and history of complicated pleural tuberculosis. Pleural epithelioid angiosarcomas carry a very poor prognosis, with the majority of patients dying within months of diagnosis. Keywords: Epithelioid angiosarcoma, Pleural effusion, Pericarditis

Introduction: Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is responsible for a large portion of non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections worldwide. Host factors such as active malignancy, immunosuppression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchiectasis increase the risk of MAC infection. However, the relationship between previously treated lung cancer with subsequent development of MAC pulmonary disease and treatment outcomes have not been previously studied. Methods: We retrospectively identified all patients with lung cancer and MAC pulmonary disease documented in medical records at Mayo Clinic between January 2005 and October 2016. Patients who were diagnosed with MAC pulmonary disease before or at the time of lung cancer diagnosis were excluded. Patients meeting all inclusion criteria underwent chart review for prior oncologic treatments, clinical characteristics, and MAC treatment response. Results: We identified 13 patients with MAC pulmonary disease and prior lung cancer, including 4 men and 9 women. Eight patients had structural lung disease that can predispose to MAC pulmonary disease, including bronchiectasis (23.0%) and COPD (46.2%). Four (30.8%) had no apparent immunosuppression or other risk factor(s) for MAC pulmonary disease. Primary pulmonary malignancies included pulmonary carcinoid, adenocarcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Ten (76.9%) patients were started on antimicrobial treatment for MAC, and 8 (61.5%) patients completed MAC treatment with 6 (46.1%) patients achieving symptomatic improvement. Conclusion: MAC pulmonary disease in previously treated lung cancer can occur without apparent risk factors for this NTM infection. Symptomatic improvement with MAC antimicrobial therapy appears to be lower than expected but comorbidities might influence outcomes in this patient population.

Background: Despite a demanding work environment, information on stress and burnout of critical care fellows is limited. Objectives: To assess 1) levels of burnout, perceived stress, and quality of life in critical care fellows, and 2) the impact of a brief stress management training on these outcomes. Methods: In a tertiary care academic medical center, 58 critical care fellows of varying subspecialties and training levels were surveyed to assess baseline levels of stress and burnout. Twenty-one of the 58 critical care fellows who were in the first year of training at the time of this initial survey participated in a pre-test and 1-year post-test to determine the effects of a brief, 90-min stress management intervention. Results: Based on responses (n=58) to the abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory, reported burnout was significantly lower in Asian fellows (p=0.04) and substantially higher among graduating fellows (versus new and transitioning fellows) (p=0.02). Among the intervention cohort, burnout did not significantly improve – though two-thirds of fellows reported using the interventional techniques to deal with stressful situations. Fellows who participated in the intervention rated the effectiveness of the course as 4 (IQR=3.75–5) using the 5-point Likert scale. Conclusions: In comparison with the new and transitioning trainees, burnout was highest among graduating critical care fellows. Although no significant improvements were found in first-year fellows’ burnout scores following the single, 90-min training intervention, participants felt the training did provide them with tools to apply during stressful situations.

Background: Physicians require extensive training to achieve proficiency in mechanical ventilator (MV) management of the critically ill patients. Guided self-directed learning (GSDL) is usually the method used to learn. However, it is unclear if this is the most proficient approach to teaching mechanical ventilation to critical care fellows. We, therefore, investigated whether critical care fellows achieve higher scores on standardized testing and report higher satisfaction after participating in a hands-on tutorial combined with GSDL compared to self-directed learning alone. Methods: First-year Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (PCCM) fellows (n=6) and Critical Care Internal Medicine (CCIM) (n=8) fellows participated. Satisfaction was assessed using the Likert scale. MV knowledge assessment was performed by administering a standardized 25-question multiple choice pre- and posttest. For 2 weeks the CCIM fellows were exposed to GSDL, while the PCCM fellows received hands-on tutoring combined with GSDL. Results: Ninety-three percentage (6 PCCM and 7 CCIM fellows, total of 13 fellows) completed all evaluations and were included in the final analysis. CCIM and PCCM fellows scored similarly in the pretest (64% vs. 52%, p=0.13). Following interventions, the posttest scores increased in both groups. However, no significant difference was observed based on the interventions (74% vs. 77%, p=0.39). The absolute improvement with the hands-on-tutoring and GSDL group was higher than GSDL alone (25% vs. 10%, p=0.07). Improved satisfaction scores were noted with hands-on tutoring. Conclusions: Hands-on tutoring combined with GSDL and GSDL alone were both associated with an improvement in posttest scores. Absolute improvement in test and satisfaction scores both trended higher in the hands-on tutorial group combined with GSDL group.