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Objective: To examine the healthcare utilization of patients with non-English language preference (NELP) who utilized a professional language interpreter (PLI) in the intensive care unit (ICU) compared to similar patients with NELP who did not utilize a PLI in the ICU., Methods: Single center cohort study of patients with NELP with at least one ICU admission a large academic medical center in the U.S. Midwest (1/1/2008-12/31/2022). The first model examined ICU length-of-stay (LOS) using a negative binomial and the second model examined whether a patient was readmitted to the ICU using a logistic regression with each model controlling for PLI utilization and covariates., Results: Patients with NELP who utilized a PLI in the ICU had 0.87-days longer in the ICU (p < 0.01) and had a 46 % decreased odds of being readmitted to the ICU (p < 0.01) than a comparable patient with NELP who did not utilize a PLI in the ICU., Conclusion: Providing patients with NELP with access to a PLI in the ICU can improve patient outcomes and reduce language barriers., Practice Implications: These results can provide the justification to potentially increase PLI staffing levels or increase the access to existing PLIs for more patients with NELP in ICUs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest No funding supported this research. Dr Kelleher, Dr Barwise and Kellie Robbins have no conflicts of interest whatsoever to report of. Dr. Borah is a consultant to Boehringer Ingelheim and Exact Sciences Corporation on studies unrelated to this work., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has developed over last century and is now becoming a more widely used medical tool having gained regulatory approval for the treatment of various diseases such as cancer and macular degeneration. It is a two-step technique in which the delivery of a photosensitizing drug is followed by the irradiation of light. Activated photosensitizers transfer energy to molecular oxygen which results in the generation of reactive oxygen species which in turn cause cells apoptosis or necrosis. Although this modality has significantly improved the quality of life and survival time for many cancer patients it still offers significant potential for further improvement. In addition to the development of new PDT drugs, the use of nanosized carriers for photosensitizers is a promising approach which might improve the efficiency of photodynamic activity and which can overcome many side effects associated with classic photodynamic therapy. This review aims at highlighting the different types of nanomedical approaches currently used in PDT and outlines future trends and limitations of nanodelivery of photosensitizers., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)