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Examining Menstrual Health Experiences In Philadelphia, Pa: A Qualitative Investigation, Allison Casola, Oriana Pando, Lynette Medley, Brianna Kunes, Nya Mcglone, Olivia Rea

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: While menstruation is a physiologic process, it remains highly stigmatized. Despite the sheer number of menstruators, menstruation is a highly individualized experience, with wide variation in duration, symptoms, and management. This wide variability lends itself to large disparities in access to menstruation management products and subsequently the lived experience of menstruators.

OBJECTIVES: The research team sought to understand lived menstrual experiences, symptoms, management tactics, and commonly used and desired resources among 20 cisgendered women aged 18-45 years in Philadelphia.

DESIGN: This project was a qualitative research study.

METHODS: We used a collaborative, community-based participatory research approach with No More …

Major Cardiovascular Events After Covid-19, Event Rates Post-Vaccination, Antiviral Or Anti-Inflammatory Therapy, And Temporal Trends: Rationale And Methodology Of The Corona-Vte-Network Study, Behnood Bikdeli, Candrika D Khairani, Darsiya Krishnathasan, Antoine Bejjani, Andre Armero, Anthony Tristani, Julia Davies, Nicole Porio, Ali A Assi, Victor Nauffal, Umberto Campia, Zaid Almarzooq, Eric Wei, Aditya Achanta, Sirus J Jesudasen, Bruce C Tiu, Geno J. Merli, Orly Leiva, John Fanikos, Aditya Sharma, Alec Vishnevsky, Judith Hsia, Mark R Nehler, James Welker, Marc P Bonaca, Brett J Carroll, Zhou Lan, Samuel Z Goldhaber, Gregory Piazza

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with excess risk of cardiovascular and thrombotic events in the early post-infection period and during convalescence. Despite the progress in our understanding of cardiovascular complications, uncertainty persists with respect to more recent event rates, temporal trends, association between vaccination status and outcomes, and findings within vulnerable subgroups such as older adults (aged 65 years or older), or those undergoing hemodialysis. Sex-informed findings, including results among pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as adjusted comparisons between male and female adults are similarly understudied.

METHODS: Adult patients, aged ≥18 years, with polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID-19 …

Conditional Metastasis Of Uveal Melanoma In 8091 Patients Over Half-Century (51 Years) By Age Group: Assessing The Entire Population And The Extremes Of Age, Carol L. Shields, Annika Samuelson, Glenn Oh, Joseph D. Desimone, Zaynab Sajjadi, Zeynep Bas, Nicholas E Kalafatis, Sara E. Lally, Jerry A. Shields, Philip W. Dockery

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To evaluate cumulative incidence of metastasis at specific timepoints after treatment of uveal melanoma in a large cohort of patients and to provide comparison of conditional outcomes in the youngest and oldest cohorts (extremes of age).

METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 8091 consecutive patients with uveal melanoma at a single center over a 51-year period. The patients were categorized by age at presentation (0-29 years [n = 348, 4%], 30-59 years [n = 3859, 48%], 60-79 years [n = 3425, 42%], 80 to 99 years [n = 459, 6%]) and evaluated for nonconditional (from presentation date) and conditional (from specific …

Long-Term Outcomes Of Bevacizumab And Chemoradiation For Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial, Nancy Y. Lee, Jonathan Harris, John Kim, Adam Garden, James Mechalakos, David G. Pfister, Anthony T.C. Chan, Kenneth Hu, A. Dimitrios Colevas, Steven Frank, George Shenouda, Voichita Bar-Ad, John N. Waldron, Paul M. Harari, Adam Raben, Pedro Torres-Saavedra, Quynh-Thu Le

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: The long-term outcomes associated with adding bevacizumab, a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor, to standard chemoradiation have continued to be favorable for a group of patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

OBJECTIVE: To assess long-term toxic effects and clinical outcomes associated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy (RT), and bevacizumab for NPC.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This single-arm phase II nonrandomized controlled trial was conducted by the National Cancer Trials Network group and NRG Oncology (formerly Radiation Therapy Oncology Group), with accrual from December 13, 2006, to February 5, 2009, and data analysis from June 26 to July 1, 2019. …

Parental Perceptions Of The Hpv Vaccine For Prevention Of Anogenital And Oropharyngeal Cancers, Beth I. Schwartz, Merissa Maccani, Shalini Bansal, Meghan Gannon

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

Background and Objectives

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is implicated in the development of both anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers. Although HPV vaccination prevents the majority of anogenital and head and neck cancers (HNC), vaccination rates remain low, especially among males. Known barriers to vaccination are knowledge gaps and vaccine acceptability. The objective of this study is to explore parental knowledge, perceptions, and decision-making processes about HPV and HPV vaccination for both anogenital and HNC.

Methods

This qualitative study recruited parents of children and adolescents aged 8–18 to participate in semi-structured telephone interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic analyses, informed by an inductive …

Association Of Initial Sars-Cov-2 Test Positivity With Patient-Reported Well-Being 3 Months After A Symptomatic Illness., Lauren E Wisk, Michael A Gottlieb, Erica S Spatz, Huihui Yu, Ralph C Wang, B. H. Slovis, Sharon Saydah, Ian D Plumb, Kelli N O'Laughlin, Juan Carlos C Montoy, Samuel A Mcdonald, Zhenqiu Lin, Jin-Mann S Lin, Katherine Koo, Ahamed H Idris, Ryan M Huebinger, Mandy J Hill, Nicole L Gentile, Anna Marie Chang, Jill Anderson, Bala Hota, Arjun K Venkatesh, Robert A Weinstein, Joann G Elmore, Graham Nichol

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: Long-term sequelae after symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection may impact well-being, yet existing data primarily focus on discrete symptoms and/or health care use.

OBJECTIVE: To compare patient-reported outcomes of physical, mental, and social well-being among adults with symptomatic illness who received a positive vs negative test result for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study was a planned interim analysis of an ongoing multicenter prospective longitudinal registry study (the Innovative Support for Patients With SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry [INSPIRE]). Participants were enrolled from December 11, 2020, to September 10, 2021, and comprised adults (aged ≥18 years) with acute symptoms suggestive …

Experiences With Menses In Transgender And Gender Nonbinary Adolescents., Beth I. Schwartz, Arielle Effron, Benjamin Bear, Vanessa L Short, Julia Eisenberg, Sarah Felleman, Anne E Kazak

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To describe menstrual history, associated dysphoria, and desire for menstrual management in transgender male and gender diverse adolescents who were assigned female at birth

DESIGN: Retrospective chart review

SETTING: Tertiary care children's hospital

PARTICIPANTS: All patients seen in a multidisciplinary pediatric gender program from March 2015 through December 2020 who were assigned female at birth, identified as transgender male or gender nonbinary, and had achieved menarche

INTERVENTION: None

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient demographics, menstrual history, interest in and prior experiences with menstrual management, parental support, and concerns about menstrual management

RESULTS: Of the 129 included patients, 116 (90%) …

Adolescent Hiv Pre Exposure Prophylaxis Prescribing Practices Among Family Medicine Physicians: Limited Immediate Uptake, Marshal Miller, E. Cooper, S. Elsesser, A. Cunningham

Department of Family & Community Medicine Posters

This study aims to:

• Examine the adolescent PrEP prescribing practices and knowledge of family medicine physicians.
• Begin to identify areas that might be key targets for interventions which may lead to increased adolescent PrEP prescribing uptake.

Parents' Reports Of Children's Physical And Sedentary Behavior Engagement Among Parents In Weight Management, Catherine Van Fossen, Haley Kiser, Callie Lambert Brown, Joseph Skelton, Keeley Jean Pratt

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between demographics, family exercise participation, family discouragement of exercise, and the children's physical and sedentary behaviors to identify specific areas of physical activity intervention for children with parents engaged in medical weight management (MWM).

Methods: Parents (n = 294) of children aged 2-18 years old were recruited from two university MWM programs to complete a one-time survey. Bivariate analyses tested associations.

Results: Parents reported that sedentary activity was higher for children who identified as racial minorities (t(141) = -2.05, p < 0.05). Mobile phone and tablet use was higher for adolescents compared to school age and young children (H(2) = 10.96, p < 01) Exercise game use was higher for racial minority children compared to white children (U = 9440.5, z = 2.47, p ≤ 0.03). Male children (t(284) = 1.83, p < 0.07), children perceived to have a healthy weight status (t(120) = 4.68, p < 0.00), and younger children (t(289) = 1.79, p < 0.08) all engaged in more strenuous physical activity. Family exercise participation (t(162) = -2.93, p < 0.01) and family discouragement of exercise (U = 7813.50, z = -2.06, p ≤ 0.04) were significantly higher for children in racial minority families.

Conclusions: Future work should determine methods to engage children …

Study Protocol For The Innovative Support For Patients With Sars-Cov-2 Infections Registry (Inspire): A Longitudinal Study Of The Medium And Long-Term Sequelae Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection, Kelli N O'Laughlin, Matthew Thompson, Bala Hota, Michael Gottlieb, Ian D Plumb, Anna Marie Chang, Lauren E Wisk, Aron J Hall, Ralph C Wang, Erica S Spatz, Kari A Stephens, Ryan M Huebinger, Samuel A Mcdonald, Arjun Venkatesh, Nikki Gentile, B. H. Slovis, Mandy Hill, Sharon Saydah, Ahamed H Idris, Robert Rodriguez, Harlan M Krumholz, Joann G Elmore, Robert A Weinstein, Graham Nichol

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: Reports on medium and long-term sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infections largely lack quantification of incidence and relative risk. We describe the rationale and methods of the Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Registry (INSPIRE) that combines patient-reported outcomes with data from digital health records to understand predictors and impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: INSPIRE is a prospective, multicenter, longitudinal study of individuals with symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection in eight regions across the US. Adults are eligible for enrollment if they are fluent in English or Spanish, reported symptoms suggestive of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, and if they are within 42 days …

When Eating Becomes Torturous: Understanding Nutrition-Related Cancer Treatment Side Effects Among Individuals With Cancer And Their Caregivers, Brandy-Joe Milliron, Lora Packel, Dan Dychtwald, Cynthia Klobodu, Laura Pontiggia, Ochi Ogbogu, Byron Barksdale, Jonathan Deutsch

Institute of Emerging Health Professions Faculty Papers

Individuals living with cancer often experience multiple nutrition-related side effects from cancer treatment, including changes in taste and smell, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and pain during eating. These side effects can profoundly impact nutritional status and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to explore experiences with nutrition-related cancer treatment side effects among cancer patients and their family caregivers, the way they manage such side effects, and the resulting changes in food preferences and behaviors. Structured surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted. Interviews focused on the presence and management of treatment side effects, how those changes influenced …

Opioids Are Not A Major Cause Of Death Of Patients With Sickle Cell Disease., Samir K. Ballas

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) database, the total number of deaths due to opioid overdose from 1999 through 2018 was 840,629. Given the alarming nature of these statistics, patients who requested prescription for opioids became targets of suspicion and possible accusation of maladaptive behavior. Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) were often not exempt from such accusations and became guilty by association. In order to clarify the effect of opioids on the mortality of patients with SCD, the mortality rates for children and adults with SCD were investigated using the CDC Wide-ranging Online Data for …

Vitamin A And Fish Oils For Preventing The Progression Of Retinitis Pigmentosa., Stephen G. Schwartz, Xue Wang, Pamela Chavis, Ajay E. Kuriyan, Samuel A. Abariga

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

BACKGROUND: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) comprises a group of hereditary eye diseases characterized by progressive degeneration of retinal photoreceptors. It results in severe visual loss that may lead to blindness. Symptoms may become manifest during childhood or adulthood which include poor night vision (nyctalopia) and constriction of peripheral vision (visual field loss). Visual field loss is progressive and affects central vision later in the disease course. The worldwide prevalence of RP is approximately 1 in 4000, with 100,000 individuals affected in the USA. At this time, there is no proven therapy for RP.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to …

Internet And Social Media Access Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness: Mixed-Methods Study., Lauren A. Houdek Vonholtz, Rosemary Frasso, Jesse M. Golinkoff, Alicia J. Lozano, Alexandra Hanlon, Nadia Dowshen

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Youth experiencing homelessness are at a risk for a variety of adverse outcomes. Given the widespread use of the internet and social media, these new technologies may be used to address their needs and for outreach purposes. However, little is known about how this group uses these resources.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated how homeless adolescents use these technologies for general and health-related purposes, whether the scope of their use changes with housing status, and their interest in a website dedicated to youth experiencing homelessness.

METHODS: A convenience sample of youth aged 18 to 21 years was recruited from a …

Effects Of Adjunctive Eslicarbazepine Acetate On Serum Lipids In Patients With Partial-Onset Seizures: Impact Of Concomitant Statins And Enzyme-Inducing Antiepileptic Drugs., Scott Mintzer, Robert T. Wechsler, Joanne B. Rogin, Barry E. Gidal, Matthias Schwab, Elinor Ben-Menachem, Mar Carreño, Patrício Soares Da Silva, Joana Moreira, Yan Li, David Blum, Todd Grinnell

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) on lipid metabolism and to determine whether reduced statin exposure during ESL therapy has clinical consequences.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We conducted a post-hoc analysis of pooled data for serum lipids (laboratory values) from three phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of adjunctive ESL therapy (400, 800, or 1200 mg once daily) in patients with treatment-refractory partial-onset seizures. Changes from baseline in serum lipid levels were analyzed according to use of statins and/or enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (EIAEDs) during the baseline period.

KEY FINDINGS: In total, 426 and 1021 placebo- and ESL-treated …

Treatments For Opioid Use Disorder Among Pregnant And Reproductive-Aged Women., Dennis J. Hand, Vanessa L. Short, Diane J. Abatemarco

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

The increased prevalence of opioid use disorder and access to medical insurance is subsequently increasing the likelihood that medical professionals will encounter individuals with opioid use disorder. Sharp increases in opioid use disorder among women mean that obstetricians, gynecologists, and other reproductive medicine providers may be especially likely to encounter such patients. Medical professionals' understanding of treatment for opioid use disorder and their roles in their patients' treatment may increase referrals to treatment, reduce stigma, and improve the quality of medical care. Treatment for opioid use disorder falls into four overlapping domains: medication management, medical care, behavioral/mental health care, and …

Recurrent Violent Injury: Magnitude, Risk Factors, And Opportunities For Intervention From A Statewide Analysis., Elinore Kaufman, Kristin L. Rising, Md, Ms, Douglas J. Wiebe, David J. Ebler, Marie L. Crandall, M. Kit Delgado

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Although preventing recurrent violent injury is an important component of a public health approach to interpersonal violence and a common focus of violence intervention programs, the true incidence of recurrent violent injury is unknown. Prior studies have reported recurrence rates from 0.8% to 44%, and risk factors for recurrence are not well established.

METHODS: We used a statewide, all-payer database to perform a retrospective cohort study of emergency department visits for injury due to interpersonal violence in Florida, following up patients injured in 2010 for recurrence through 2012. We assessed risk factors for recurrence with multivariable logistic regression and …

Racial Disparities In Intravenous Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator Use Persist At Primary Stroke Centers., Hugo J. Aparicio, Brendan G. Carr, Scott E. Kasner, Michael J. Kallan, Karen C. Albright, Dawn O. Kleindorfer, Michael T. Mullen

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Primary stroke centers (PSCs) utilize more recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) than non-PSCs. The impact of PSCs on racial disparities in rt-PA use is unknown.

METHODS AND RESULTS: We used data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2004 to 2010, limited to states that publicly reported hospital identity and race. Hospitals certified as PSCs by The Joint Commission were identified. Adults with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke were analyzed. Rt-PA use was defined by the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision procedure code 99.10. Discharges (304 152 patients) from 26 states met eligibility criteria, and of these 71.5% were …

The Evolution Of Epilepsy Surgery Between 1991 And 2011 In Nine Major Epilepsy Centers Across The United States, Germany, And Australia., Lara Jehi, Daniel Friedman, Chad Carlson, Gregory Cascino, Sandra Dewar, Christian Elger, Jerome Engel, Robert Knowlton, Ruben Kuzniecky, Anne Mcintosh, Terence J O'Brien, Dennis Spencer, Michael R. Sperling, Gregory Worrell, Bill Bingaman, Jorge Gonzalez-Martinez, Werner Doyle, Jacqueline French

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: Epilepsy surgery is the most effective treatment for select patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. In this article, we aim to provide an accurate understanding of the current epidemiologic characteristics of this intervention, as this knowledge is critical for guiding educational, academic, and resource priorities.

METHODS: We profile the practice of epilepsy surgery between 1991 and 2011 in nine major epilepsy surgery centers in the United States, Germany, and Australia. Clinical, imaging, surgical, and histopathologic data were derived from the surgical databases at various centers.

RESULTS: Although five of the centers performed their highest number of surgeries for mesial temporal sclerosis …

Age At Onset In Patients With Medically Refractory Temporal Lobe Epilepsy And Mesial Temporal Sclerosis: Impact On Clinical Manifestations And Postsurgical Outcome., Ali Akbar Asadi-Pooya, Michael R. Sperling

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: To evaluate the demographic and clinical manifestations and postsurgical outcome of childhood-onset mesial temporal sclerosis and temporal lobe epilepsy (MTS-TLE) and establishing the potential differences as compared to the patients with adult-onset MTS-TLE.

METHOD: In this retrospective study all patients with a clinical diagnosis of medically refractory TLE due to mesial temporal sclerosis, who underwent epilepsy surgery at Jefferson comprehensive epilepsy center, were recruited. Patients were prospectively registered in a database from 1986 through 2014. Postsurgical outcome was classified into two groups; seizure-free or relapsed. Clinical manifestations and outcome were compared between patients with childhood-onset MTS-TLE (i.e., age at …

Adolescent And Adult African Americans Have Similar Metabolic Dyslipidemia., Samuel S. Gidding, Scott W. Keith, Bonita Falkner

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: African Americans (AAs) have lower triglyceride (TG) and higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) than other ethnic groups; yet, they also have higher risk for developing diabetes mellitus despite the strong relationship of dyslipidemia with insulin resistance. No studies directly compare adolescents and adults with regard to relationships among dyslipidemia, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and insulin resistance. Here, we compare AA adolescents to adults with regard to the relationships of adiposity-related lipid risk markers (TG-to-HDL ratio and non-HDL-C) with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HOMA), and hs-CRP.

METHODS: Two cohorts of healthy AA …

Immune Reconstitution But Persistent Activation After 48 Weeks Of Antiretroviral Therapy In Youth With Pre-Therapy Cd4 >350 In Atn 061., Bret J. Rudy, Bill G. Kapogiannis, Carol Worrell, Kathleen E. Squires, James Bethel, Su Li, Craig M. Wilson, Allison Agwu, Patricia Emmanuel, Georgine Price, Stephanie Hudey, Maureen M. Goodenow, John W. Sleasman

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Measures of immune outcomes in youth who initiate combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) early in HIV infection are limited.

DESIGN: Adolescent Trials Network 061 examined changes over 48 weeks of cART in T-cell subsets and markers of T-cell and macrophage activation in subjects with pre-therapy CD4 > 350 cells/mm. All subjects had optimal viral suppression from weeks 24 through 48.

METHODS: Subjects (n = 48) initiated cART with tenofovir/emtricitabine plus ritonavir-boosted atazanavir. Data were collected at baseline and weeks 12, 24, and 48. Trends were compared to uninfected controls.

RESULTS: Significant increases over 48 weeks were noted in all CD4 populations, …

A Double-Blind Randomized Trial Of Fish Oil To Lower Triglycerides And Improve Cardiometabolic Risk In Adolescents., Samuel S. Gidding, Carol Prospero, Jobayer Hossain, Frances Zappalla, Prabhakaran Babu Balagopal, Bonita Falkner, Peter Kwiterovich

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy of 4 g/day fish oil to lower triglycerides and impact lipoprotein particles, inflammation, insulin resistance, coagulation, and thrombosis.

STUDY DESIGN: Participants (n = 42, age 14 ± 2 years) with hypertriglyceridemia and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol/dL were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial comparing 4 g of fish oil daily with placebo. Treatment interval was 8 weeks with a 4-week washout. Lipid profile, lipoprotein particle distribution and size, glucose, insulin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and thrombin generation were measured.

RESULTS: Baseline lipid profile was total cholesterol 194 (5.4) mg/dL (mean …

High-Speed Optical Coherence Tomography As A Reliable Adjuvant Tool To Grade Ocular Anterior Chamber Inflammation., Ann O. Igbre, Mario C. Rico, Sunir Garg

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To evaluate the high-speed anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) grading of the AS inflammation in patients with ocular inflammation.

METHODS: A retrospective consecutive case series study. Patients with clinically visible AS inflammation in at least one eye underwent AS-OCT (Visante; Zeiss Meditec) with three to eight line scans per eye, performed by a trained masked examiner. The images were reviewed for hyperreflective spots, noise, and artifact, and these were correlated to clinical examination.

RESULTS: Seventy-eight eyes of 41 patients were imaged. Forty-seven eyes had anterior chamber cells on clinical examination, and 68 had hyperreflective spots visible on AS-OCT. …

A Prospective, Multicenter, Phase I Matched-Comparison Group Trial Of Safety, Pharmacokinetics, And Preliminary Efficacy Of Riluzole In Patients With Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury., Robert G Grossman, Michael G Fehlings, Ralph F Frankowski, Keith D Burau, Diana S L Chow, Charles Tator, Angela Teng, Elizabeth G Toups, James Harrop, Bizhan Aarabi, Christopher I Shaffrey, Michele M Johnson, Susan J Harkema, Maxwell Boakye, James D Guest, Jefferson R Wilson

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

A prospective, multicenter phase I trial was undertaken by the North American Clinical Trials Network (NACTN) to investigate the pharmacokinetics and safety of, as well as obtain pilot data on, the effects of riluzole on neurological outcome in acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Thirty-six patients, with ASIA impairment grades A-C (28 cervical and 8 thoracic) were enrolled at 6 NACTN sites between April 2010 and June 2011. Patients received 50 mg of riluzole PO/NG twice-daily, within 12 h of SCI, for 14 days. Peak and trough plasma concentrations were quantified on days 3 and 14. Peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and …

The Effect Of Malnutrition On Patients Undergoing Elective Joint Arthroplasty., Ronald Huang, Md, Max Greenky, Bs, Glenn J. Kerr, Md, Mathew S. Austin, Md, Javad Parvizi, Md, Frcs

Rothman Institute Faculty Papers

Malnutrition has been linked to serious complications in patients undergoing elective total joint arthroplasty (TJA). This study prospectively evaluated 2,161 patients undergoing elective TJA for malnutrition as defined by either an abnormal serum albumin or transferrin. The overall incidence of malnutrition was 8.5% (184 of 2,161) and the rate of overall complications in the malnourished group was 12% as compared to 2.9% in patients with normal parameters (P55years-old undergoing TJA and is associated with a significant increase in post-operative complications.

Synchronous And Asynchronous Theta And Gamma Activity During Episodic Memory Formation., John F Burke, Kareem A Zaghloul, Joshua Jacobs, Ryan B Williams, Michael R Sperling, Ashwini D Sharan, Michael J Kahana

Department of Neuroscience Faculty Papers

To test the hypothesis that neural oscillations synchronize to mediate memory encoding, we analyzed electrocorticographic recordings taken as 68 human neurosurgical patients studied and subsequently recalled lists of common words. To the extent that changes in spectral power reflect synchronous oscillations, we would expect those power changes to be accompanied by increases in phase synchrony between the region of interest and neighboring brain areas. Contrary to the hypothesized role of synchronous gamma oscillations in memory formation, we found that many key regions that showed power increases during successful memory encoding also exhibited decreases in global synchrony. Similarly, cortical theta activity …

A Genome-Wide Methylation Study On Essential Hypertension In Young African American Males., Xiaoling Wang, Bonita Falkner, Haidong Zhu, Huidong Shi, Shaoyong Su, Xiaojing Xu, Ashok Kumar Sharma, Yanbin Dong, Frank Treiber, Bernard Gutin, Gregory Harshfield, Harold Snieder

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: There is emerging evidence from animal studies suggesting a key role for methylation in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension. However, to date, very few studies have investigated the role of methylation in the development of human hypertension, and none has taken a genome-wide approach. Based on the recent studies that highlight the involvement of inflammation in the development of hypertension, we hypothesize that changes in DNA methylation of leukocytes are involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension.

METHOD & RESULTS: We conducted a genome-wide methylation analysis on 8 hypertensive cases and 8 normotensive age-matched controls aged 14-23 years and performed …

Influence Of Body Mass Index And Antibiotic Dose On The Risk Of Surgical Site Infections In Pediatric Clean Orthopedic Surgery., Jeffrey J Cies, Shannon Chan, Jobayer Hossain, B Randall Brenn, M Cecilia Di Pentima

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate body mass index (BMI) and antimicrobial dose as risk factors for surgical site infections in pediatric patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Children between 2 and 19 years of age undergoing clean orthopedic procedures and receiving at least one dose of perioperative antibiotics (cefazolin, vancomycin, or clindamycin) were studied. The retrospective case-controlled study was conducted at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, a 180-bed tertiary-care academic pediatric hospital in Wilmington, DE. Data were collected from January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2005.

RESULTS: Underweight children had a higher risk for SSIs than overweight and normal-weight children. American Society …

B-Vitamin Deficiency In Patients Treated With Antiepileptic Drugs., Scott Mintzer, Christopher T Skidmore, Michael R Sperling

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) produce many alterations in metabolism, including vitamin levels. Whether they produce clinically relevant deficiency of B vitamins has rarely been assessed. We obtained B-vitamin levels in patients who were being converted from an inducing AED (phenytoin or carbamazepine) to a non-inducing AED (levetiracetam, lamotrigine, or topiramate), with measurements both before and ≥ 6 weeks after the switch. A group of normal subjects underwent the same studies. Neither folate nor B12 deficiency was seen in any patient. Vitamin B6 deficiency was found in 16/33 patients (48%) taking inducers, compared to 1/11 controls (9%; p=0.031). After switch to …