Over the years, medical education delivery has seen a change from teacher-centric to student-centric teaching-learning methods. Educators are constantly looking to develop interactive and innovative teaching-learning tools. One such supplementary tool is the use of the quiz for medical education. The Quiz has been used traditionally as a feedback assessment tool, but lately, it has found its way into the medical curriculum, mostly informally. The few available documented studies on the Quiz as a teaching and learning tool illustrate its acceptance and impact on the stakeholders. It could be one of the solutions to the endless search for a student-centric and engaging tool to deliver the medical curriculum. Commonly, the format for medical quiz is either on a case-based or image-based approach. Such an approach helps bridge the gap between traditional classroom teaching and clinical application. The Quiz is a readily acceptable tool that complements didactic lectures and improves students' learning and comprehension. Being an interactive student-centric tool, it enhances active student participation and encourages regular feedback mechanisms. It promotes healthy competition and peer-assisted learning by encouraging active discussion among students, hence improving student performance in standard examination techniques, along with teacher satisfaction. This literature review aims to enumerate the various formats of the Quiz, their role in improving the understanding and retention of knowledge among the students and assess their acceptability among the stakeholders.

Blood transfusion is a common therapeutic intervention in hospitalized patients. There are numerous indications for transfusion, including anemia and coagulopathy with deficiency of single or multiple coagulation components such as platelets or coagulation factors. Nevertheless, the practice of transfusion in critically ill patients has been controversial mainly due to a lack of evidence and the need to consider the appropriate clinical context for transfusion. Further, transfusion carries many risk factors that must be balanced with benefits. Therefore, transfusion practice in ICU patients has constantly evolved, and we endeavor to present a contemporary review of transfusion practices in this population guided by clinical trials and expert guidelines.

Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are considered to be a major risk factor for cardiovascular disorders (CVDs). In 2019, as per the National Drug Use and Health Survey (NSDUH), 20.4 million American adults suffered from a substance use disorder. The main purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of several SUDs (cigarette smoking, cigar, smokeless tobacco, marijuana, cocaine/heroin/methamphetamine, and injectable illegal drug) amongst patients diagnosed with various CVDs (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and coronary heart disease). Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study carried out using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database from 2013 to 2018, and respondents with CVDs were recognized using questionnaires. Different SUDs (active history) were identified amongst the adult population with a history of CVDs and without CVDs. Univariate analysis was performed using chi-square and unpaired t-test/Mann-Whitney test to identify characteristics of respondents with CVDs and mix effect multivariable logistic regression models were generated to find the prevalence of SUDs amongst the CVD population. Datasets were analyzed using Statistical Analysis System (SAS) software, and the p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of the 263465 respondents, 7.90% respondents were diagnosed with CVDs and were noted to be in older age group (median age: 69 years). CVDs were more prevalent amongst 66-years and above (19.36% vs. 45-64 years: 6.81% vs. 18-44 years: 1.17%), male (10.40% vs. female: 5.66%), Non-Hispanic White race (10.92%), and lower annual household income population (<$25000 vs. >$100,000:12.21% vs. 4.01%) (p<0.0001). When compared with respondents without a history of CVDs, respondents with a history of CVDs were noted to be more prevalent with a concurrent diagnosis of hypertension (85.98% vs. 79.53%), hypercholesterolemia (68.78% vs. 34.54%), diabetes (37.86% vs. 12.70%), stroke (17.4% vs. 2.71%), and congestive heart failure (28.80% vs. 1.31%) (p<0.0001). History of CVDs were more prevalent amongst the respondents using marijuana (overall 53.14%; CVD vs. no-CVD 65.42% vs. 52.81%; p<0.0001), cigarette smoking (60.47% vs. 40.41%; p<0.0001), cigar-smoking (47.05% vs. 35.58%; p<0.0001), methamphetamine/cocaine/heroin (23.82% vs. 16.71%; p<0.0001), smokeless tobacco use (18.53% vs. 14.59%; p<0.0001), and injectable illegal drug use (4.67% vs. 2.43%; p<0.0001). Additionally, prevalence of history of CVDs was almost double in respondents using cigarettes without filters (2.28% vs. 1.10%; p<0.0001) when compared with respondents using cigarettes with filters. Conclusion: Respondents who used marijuana or hashish, injectable illegal drugs, and e-cigars were at elevated risk for cardiovascular disorders. Providing situational awareness and offering a good support system can be a strategy to prevent the development of cardiovascular disorders among substance users.

Vasopressors used in critically ill patients with refractory shock pose a serious risk of non-occlusive peripheral limb ischemia leading to tissue necrosis and amputation. Acute limb ischemia is associated with high morbidity and mortality. There is a scarcity of evidence-based medical literature on the prevention and management of vasopressor induced acute limb ischemia (VIALI). Despite being a well-known and frequent complication of vasopressors, there is no standardized guideline for the prevention and management of vasopressor-induced limb ischemia. Vasopressors are required for the management of refractory shock which is defined as hypotension not responsive to intravenous fluid resuscitation alone. Distributive shock, which includes septic shock, causes inadequate tissue perfusion in adjunct with vasopressor use and is the most common cause of non-occlusive peripheral limb ischemia. This case study will focus on how early recognition and prompt treatment of VIALI are crucial in minimizing tissue necrosis and preventing amputations. We present a case of a middle-aged woman who developed distributive shock from sepsis of a urinary source secondary to obstructive uropathy (ureteral calculi). She presented with refractory shock and continued to remain in shock while undergoing emergent rigid cystoscopy with the placement of a ureteral stent. Despite adequate volume resuscitation, she required high doses of vasopressors resulting in peripheral extremity ischemia and necrosis of all her fingers and toes. By promptly initiating mitigation and preventive management strategies, we succeeded in minimizing tissue ischemia and reducing morbidity resulting from iatrogenic vasopressor-induced peripheral non-occlusive ischemia. These strategies include but are not limited to external warming of bilateral lower extremities, nitroglycerin paste application over the entire extremity, arterial assist pump, and low-dose therapeutic anticoagulation. The novel use of the arterial pump in acutely ischemic lower extremities likely helped salvage the toes which appeared to be at high risk of amputation.

The prone position is a crucial position used in the operating rooms and the intensive care units, with its importance highly recognized during the COVID-19 pandemic in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a cardinal procedure that is indicated and performed on any eligible patient who has cardiopulmonary arrest and resultant lack of perfusion and oxygenation. When a patient has a cardiopulmonary arrest in the prone position, the options include rotating the patient supine before starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or beginning CPR while prone. Prone CPR has not had a widely accepted use so far. In this article, we narrate the process of protocol development and staff education at our hospital for the initiation of prone CPR and review the literature related to it. Prone CPR is an effective technique with good outcomes and involves a learning curve. Appropriate training needs to be done before implementing the protocol, and adequate quality control measures need to be set to ensure that the skill set is maintained.

Hypertriglyceridemia is known to be the third most common etiology of acute pancreatitis. Triglyceride levels above 1,000 mg/dL are associated with an increased risk of acute pancreatitis. We present the case of a 22-year-old female, a known case of hypertriglyceridemia, who developed sudden onset severe epigastric abdominal pain. A marked elevation in triglyceride levels of >3,000 mg/dL, serum lipase levels of 722 U/L, and serum amylase levels of 161 U/L, in the absence of other risk factors of acute pancreatitis, suggested hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis with contrast confirmed acute pancreatitis with hepatic steatosis. She was initially placed nil per os (NPO) and intravenous (IV) fluids with normal saline were administered. However, she was subsequently transferred to the intensive care unit as she developed acute respiratory distress syndrome. She was started on IV insulin with 5% dextrose in normal saline and a hydromorphone hydrochloride patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump was used for pain control. The patient’s condition improved gradually. At the time of discharge, the triglyceride (311 mg/dL) and lipase levels (81 U/L) of the patient were within the normal range. The prognosis of hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis is considered to be worse than non-hypertriglyceridemic acute pancreatitis. Patients with hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis need swift diagnosis and treatment to avoid serious complications.