Early Lead Extraction for Infected Implanted Cardiac Electronic Devices: JACC Review Topic of the Week

Infection remains a serious complication associated with the cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), leading to substantial clinical and economic burden globally. This review assesses the burden of cardiac implantable electronic device infection (CIED-I), evidence for treatment recommendations, barriers to early diagnosis and appropriate therapy, and potential solutions. Multiple clinical practice guidelines recommended complete system and lead removal for CIED-I when appropriate. CIED extraction for infection has been consistently reported with high success, low complication, and very low mortality rates. Complete and early extraction was associated with significantly better clinical and economic outcome compared with no or late extraction. However, significant gaps in knowledge and poor recommendation compliance have been reported. Barriers to optimal management may include diagnostic delay, knowledge gaps, and limited access to expertise. A multipronged approach, including education of all stakeholders, a CIED-I alert system, and improving access to experts, could help bring paradigm shift in the treatment of this serious condition.

The Digital Transformation of Business Model Innovation: A Structured Literature Review

This paper has a two-fold aim: to analyze the development of the digital transformation field, and to understand the impact of digital technologies on business model innovation (BMI) through a structured review of the literature. The results of this research reveal that the field of digital transformation is still developing, with growing interest from researchers since 2014. Results show a need for research in developing countries and for more collaboration between researchers and practitioners. The review highlights that the field is fragmented among disruptive technologies, shared platforms and ecosystems, and new enabling technologies. We conclude that digital transformation has impacted value creation, delivery, and capture in almost every industry. These impacts have led to the employment of a variety of new business models, such as those for frugal innovation and the circular economy.

The Effect of Trauma on Religious Beliefs: A Structured Literature Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Empirical research has shown that religious beliefs support people recovering from traumatic experiences. However, there is relatively little research on the inversion of this dynamic, the way that trauma changes a person's religious beliefs. The authors of this article conducted a structured literature review and meta-analysis of published quantitative and qualitative literature related to the effects of interpersonal trauma on religious beliefs in adults. Their aims were to determine whether religious beliefs act as cognitive schemas, to support or reject the "shattered assumptions" hypothesis, and to assess whether post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms have an additive effect on changing beliefs.

METHOD

Five academic databases were searched using permutations of the key words: Religion, Trauma, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The resulting references were compared to predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria, and the reference lists of these papers were also searched for additional matches. Included papers were then subjected to a meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Five quantitative, two qualitative, and two mixed-methodologies papers were matched. Aggravated analyzes confirmed the hypothesized effect (r = .19, p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

The reviewed literature suggests that most people do not change their religious beliefs after a trauma but significant changes occur for a smaller proportion of people-either increasing or decreasing their religious beliefs. These effects are greatest for people who develop PTSD. This review supports the shattered assumptions hypothesis of Janoff-Bulman, explains the cognitive mechanisms of change, and proposes a model for the additive effects of PTSD.