Project description:mRNA expression was assayed from bronchial epithelial cell samples from smokers with and without lung cancer. A subset of the samples (2 of the lung cancer samples and 3 of the no cancer samples) were pooled and underwent whole transcriptome sequencing. The goals were to compare whole transcriptome sequencing gene expression levels to gene expression levels derived from these samples run on the Affymetrix HGU133A 2.0 platform. Current and former smokers with cancer (n=8) and without cancer (n=5) undergoing flexible bronchoscopy in the operating room for resection of a suspicious lung nodule at Boston University Medical Center were recruited. Patients were classified as having no lung cancer based on the pathological results from the lung biopsy. Patients with no cancer were diagnosed with alternative benign diseases of the chest including organizing pneumonitis, sarcoidosis and chronic inflammation due to foreign body material.
Project description:BackgroundNewborns delivered by C-section acquire human skin microbes just after birth, but the sources remain unknown. We hypothesized that the operating room (OR) environment contains human skin bacteria that could be seeding C-section born infants.ResultsTo test this hypothesis, we sampled 11 sites in four operating rooms from three hospitals in two cities. Following a C-section procedure, we swabbed OR floors, walls, ventilation grids, armrests, and lamps. We sequenced the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene of 44 samples using Illumina MiSeq platform. Sequences were analyzed using the QIIME pipeline. Only 68 % of the samples (30/44, >1000 sequences per site) yielded sufficient DNA reads to be analyzed. The bacterial content of OR dust corresponded to human skin bacteria, with dominance of Staphylococcus and Corynebacterium. Diversity of bacteria was the highest in the ventilation grids and walls but was also present on top of the surgery lamps. Beta diversity analyses showed OR dust bacterial content clustering first by city and then by hospital (t test using unweighted UniFrac distances, p < 0.05).ConclusionsWe conclude that the dust from ORs, collected right after a C-section procedure, contains deposits of human skin bacteria. The OR microbiota is the first environment for C-section newborns, and OR microbes might be seeding the microbiome in these babies. Further studies are required to identify how this OR microbiome exposure contributes to the seeding of the neonatal microbiome. The results might be relevant to infant health, if the current increase in risk of immune and metabolic diseases in industrialized societies is related to lack of natural exposure to the vaginal microbiome during labor and birth.
Project description:BackgroundEmergency caesarean sections are often very urgent, with limited time for informing and guiding parents. Is it preferable to leave the partner outside of the operating room, or let the partner accompany the mother?ObjectiveThis review aimed to provide an overview of the available evidence regarding the presence of the partner in the operating room during emergency caesarean sections.DesignScoping review.Data sourcesA systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Cinahl and the Cochrane Library.Eligibility criteriaAll published literature reporting on emergency caesarean sections in regional or general anaesthesia with the partner present in the operating room were eligible, no matter the design.ResultsTwenty-four titles, published between 1984 and 2020, were included; 15 contained original clinical findings and 9 were letters/debates. Quality of evidence was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and found to be very low/low (17 studies), moderate (6) or good (1). Studies originated from Europe (16 studies), USA/Canada (4), South America (2), Asia (1) and Africa (1). Content data were thematically summarised and were overall either in favour or against having the partner present. Staff seemed reluctant to let partners be present for caesarean sections under general anaesthesia; mothers and partners preferred the partners' presence. Under regional anaesthesia, parents also wished for the partners' presence and described the caesarean section under regional anaesthesia as a predominantly positive experience. Most staff had a favourable attitude towards letting the partner be present for caesarean sections under regional anaesthesia.ConclusionLimited evidence exists regarding the presence of the partner during emergency caesarean sections, but is of low quality. Most parents prefer having their partner present. Staff can be reluctant, especially when general anaesthesia is used.
Project description:Due to the anatomic complexity of the head and neck and variable proximity between laboratory and operating room (OR), effective communication during frozen section analysis (FSA) between surgeons and pathologists is challenging. This proof-of-concept study investigates an augmented reality (AR) protocol that allows pathologists to virtually join the OR from the laboratory. Head and neck cancer specimens were scanned ex vivo using a 3-dimensional scanner and uploaded into an AR platform. Eight head and neck specimens were discussed by surgeons and pathologists in an AR environment. AR-guided intraoperative consultation was used for specimen orientation and discussion of FSA margin sampling sites. One patient had positive initial margins on FSA and was re-resected to negative final margins. AR-guided FSA is possible and allows pathologists to join the operating from any location for intraoperative discussion.