Digital Commons Network^™

Improvements On The Inhaler, Jesse Evensky, Bradley Freid, Kabir Malkani, Alex Reibstein, Gregory C. Kane, Md

Phase 1

Background: Inhalers are a commonplace in American health care and deliver crucial drugs to patients with COPD and asthma. Inhaler use has been shown to be unsatisfactory among patients resulting in ineffective medication delivery. The goal of this project was to improve the inhaler design for increased effectiveness and ease of use.

Methods: Our team first interviewed a Pulmonologist regarding patient inhaler use. Dr. Harry Kane demonstrated the proper use of an inhaler as well and described errors in inhaler use are due to patient technique. A variety of inhalers currently available were examined and were compared for ease of …

Improving The Inhaler, Kabir Malkani, Jesse Evensky, Bradley Freid, Alex Reibstein, Gregory C. Kane, Md

Phase 1

Background: It is estimated that about 1 in 10 Americans use inhalers to deliver inhaled drugs for respiratory disease such as COPD and asthma. Some studies have shown that up to 84% of people use their inhaler incorrectly, which can cause long term problems and acute flareups. Therefore, improving the inhaler design to allow for ease of use was the main focus of our project.

Methods: We had a discussion with a pulmonary critical care attending who provided information on proper patient inhaler use and common user errors. He also gave us a sample of different inhalers on the market …

Protocol For Ground Glass Opacity, Elissa Goldman

Phase 1

Rationale: Pure ground glass opacities (GGO), identified incidentally or on lung cancer screening, may indicate pre-invasive subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma. These neoplasms typically demonstrate indolent patterns of growth, and Fleischner Society guidelines recommend up to five years of serial imaging. Our aim was to determine the frequency of diagnosed lung adenocarcinoma arising from GGO detected beyond 5 years of CT surveillance.

Methods: We reviewed all pathologic diagnoses of lung adenocarcinoma (n=442) between 2016 and 2018 of a tertiary academic hospital and National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center to identify all cancers that arose from ground glass opacities detected on CT scan. …

Retrospective Review Of Fluoroscopic Swallowing Studies And Outcomes At An Academic Health Center, Rachel Strock, Priyha Mahesh, Baskaran Sundaram, Md, Gregory C. Kane, Md

Phase 1

Introduction: Aspiration is often associated with underlying medical conditions and can cause pneumonia or death. Aspiration risk can be assessed via video fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) or barium swallow (BaSw). We aimed to assess the diagnoses and clinical course of patients who were evaluated for potential aspiration through VFSS or BaSw to determine if there is a degree of aspiration that increases the risk of developing pneumonia and/or death.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 374 patients in TJUH who were evaluated via VFSS or BaSw from January 1 to June 30, 2017. We recorded the degree and …

Treatment Of Persistent Air Leaks Using Endobronchial Valves, Michael Zimmerman, Cole Zingas, Achala Donuru, Scott W. Cowan, Nathaniel Evans Iii, Boyd Hehn

Phase 1

Introduction: Persistent air leaks (PAL) are from bronchopleural fistula resulting from communication between the bronchial tree and pleural space. Endobronchial valves (EBVs) are unidirectional valves placed bronchoscopically preventing airflow to the diseased lung lobe. For non-operable patients with PALs, EBVs offer a potential non-invasive treatment approach to stop air leak and allow lung healing. The purpose of this study is to retrospectively analyze EBV placement to treat non-operable adult patients with PALs.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all adult patients that underwent EBV placement for PAL treatment at our institution from January 2016 to June 2019. All patients failed conservative …

Perspectives On Lung Cancer Screening In The Philadelphia Lgbtq Community, Kaitlin Demarest, Kristine Pham, Mph, Rickie Brawer, Phd

Phase 1

Introduction: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, but there are low screening rates across the country. While the prevalence of smoking in the LGBTQ population is disproportionately high, the LGBTQ community may have decreased access to screening, since they are reported to be less likely to have health insurance, more likely to receive inferior care or be denied care. The objective of this project was to better understand the knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward lung cancer screening in the LGBTQ community in Philadelphia in order to develop appropriate, community-focused educational materials to increase …

Improving The Inhaler, Bradley Freid, Jesse Evensky, Kabir Malkani, Alex Reibstein, Gregory C. Kane, Md

Phase 1

Background: Inhaled drugs play a critical role in caring for patients with respiratory disease such as COPD and asthma. It is understood that many of the patients that use inhalers to deliver these drugs to their lungs use them entirely improperly or in a sub-optimal manner. Improving the inhaler design for increased effectiveness and ease of use was the focus of this project.

Methods: A pulmonary critical care attending was interviewed regarding patient inhaler use. The attending provided information about proper inhaler use and also described patient errors in using the inhaler that were observed. Inhalers that are currently in …

Improving The Inhaler, Alex Reibstein, Jesse Evensky, Bradley Freid, Kabir Malkani, Gregory C. Kane, Md

Phase 1

Background: Inhalers used to dispense various pharmacological agents play an important role in the care of patients with pulmonary disease. These pharmacological agents can be very effective, however, many patients that use inhalers often deliver these drugs incorrectly or in a sub-optimal manner. Our project aims to improve the design of the inhaler in order to increase the effectiveness of drug delivery and also ease of patient use.

Methods: We interviewed a critical care pulmonologist regarding patient inhaler use and compliance. This physician offered information about proper inhaler use and described common errors that patients encounter when attempting to dispense …