Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect and affects approximately 8 out of every 1,000 infants born each year. Despite antenatal screening and at least one examination before discharge infants with critical CHD (CCHD) are routinely not detected before discharge from the newborn nursery. Newborn screening for CCHD using pulse oximetry is widely endorsed however until recent efforts, CCHD screening programs had only been implemented at the individual hospital level. The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of CCHD screening across the entire Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD), in collaboration with Children's National Medical Center (Children's National), successfully implemented CCHD screening at the emirate level using a "train-the-trainer," two-tiered approach, starting with two pilot hospitals then rolling the program out to all birthing facilities. In the first year, CCHD screening was added as a mandatory test to the HAAD Newborn Screening Standard, has been implemented in most birthing facilities, and occurs for the majority of infants (86 %) in Abu Dhabi. This led to the identification of ten newborns with CCHD. Based on the successful identification and mitigation of barriers to implementation, the approach may be adapted for similar programs in other populations.

Background: The recent pandemic condition developed from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, have a profound effect on almost all the aspects of society. This outbreak has greatly compromised both the mental and physical health of the frontline healthcare workers and supporting hospital staff since they are responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of infected individuals with COVID-19. This study aimed to investigate the psychological impacts and factors causing stress among the healthcare workers & supporting hospital staff during the COVID-19 outbreak and also to identify the preferred coping strategies. Methodology: This cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted from 1st to 30th February 2020. The sample comprised of frontline healthcare workers & hospital staff providing supporting services like laboratory personnel & administrative workers. The data was collected using a structured self-administered online questionnaire focusing on the impacts of COVID-19, factors causing stress and the coping strategies used by frontline medical workers to deal with the psychological impacts of such pandemics. Results: A total of 127 frontline medical workers completed the survey. The findings from the present study suggested that frontline healthcare workers & hospital staff experience both psychological as well as emotional impacts due to COVID-19. The mean Impact of Event Scale (IES) score was 24.44±19.41 indicating partial PTSD or at least a few symptoms of PTSD. The major factor causing stress among these health workers was their fear of inflicting COVID-19 on family (33.1%). Among the coping strategies, emotion-focused coping techniques and positive thinking were found to be the most preferred strategies among the frontline medical workers and hospital staff in coping stress associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. Conclusion: The current study emphasizes the significance of the psychological impacts of COVID-19 among healthcare workers and the importance of psychiatric help for these long-term traumatic influences.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is the study of algorithms that enable machines to analyze and execute cognitive activities including problem solving, object and word recognition, reduce the inevitable errors to improve the diagnostic accuracy, and decision-making. Hepatobiliary procedures are technically complex and the use of AI in perioperative management can improve patient outcomes as discussed below. Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of images obtained via ultrasound, computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging, can help surgeons better visualize the surgical sites with added depth perception. Pre-operative 3D planning is associated with lesser operative time and intraoperative complications. Also, a more accurate assessment is noted, which leads to fewer operative complications. Images can be converted into physical models with 3D printing technology, which can be of educational value to students and trainees. 3D images can be combined to provide 3D visualization, which is used for preoperative navigation, allowing for more precise localization of tumors and vessels. Nevertheless, AI enables surgeons to provide better, personalized care for each patient.

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Liver transplantation (LT) withstands as the most preferred therapeutic option for patients afflicted with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis. To improve prognosis post-transplant, as well as to prevent the occurrence of rejection, a life-long immunosuppression strategy is implemented. The following letter to the editor highlights and provides novel evidence from recently published literature on topics discussed within the review article titled “Trends of rapamycin in survival benefits of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma” in World J Gastrointest Surg 2021; 13: 953-966. In the recent manuscript, the authors compared immunosuppressive drugs such as the newer option first-generation mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor, also known as sirolimus, with the most widely used first-generation calcineurin inhibitors, such as tacrolimus (TAC). TAC is commonly known as the most effective immunosuppressive drug after LT, but it has been reported to cause intolerable side effects such as nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, diabetes, hypertension, gastrointestinal disturbances, increased risk of infections, and malignancies. It is necessary for physicians to be aware of recent advances in tacrolimus and sirolimus therapies to compare and understand distinctly the effectiveness and tolerability of these drugs. This will assist clinicians in making the best treatment decisions and improve the clinical prognosis of LT recipients with HCC.