Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Essentials Of Herb-Drug Interactions In The Elderly With Cardiovascular Disease, Sulaiman Sultan, Maria Viqar, Rabaiya Ali, A. Jamil Tajik, Arshad Jahangir

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

As the number of individuals, particularly the elderly, using herbal products with prescription drugs continues to grow, the risk for adverse interactions increases but remains poorly recognized. The true incidence and nature of adverse herb reactions or herb-drug interactions remains unknown since no postmarketing surveillance mechanism exists. Adverse events are greatly underreported, and information regarding safety mainly comes from case reports and suboptimally conducted studies in a limited number of healthy young volunteers or patients with limited comorbidities. Therefore, convincing evidence for the safety of herbal products in the elderly is lacking, and the true magnitude of problems that herb-drug …

Model Assessment And Development Of Risk Stratification Of Surgical Site Infection Following Cesarean Delivery For A High-Risk, Urban Population, Dakisha N. Lewis, Nicole P. Salvo, Kiley A. Bernhard, Danielle M. Greer

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) remains a major cause of morbidity despite efforts aimed at prevention and treatment. Risk stratification tools identify patients at greatest risk of SSI. Two models of stratification are: 1) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network SSI Risk Index (NHSN), which assigns risk based on surgery duration, surgical wound contamination and physical status; and 2) the New Risk Stratification Schema (NRSS). The NRSS aimed to improve upon NHSN by incorporating five variables: diabetes control, body mass index (BMI), chorioamnionitis, methods of placental extraction and skin closure.

Purpose: Our objectives were to: …

Echocardiographic Predictors Of Admission Among Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction, Chi C. Cho, Yang Shi, Robyn Shearer, Nasir Z. Sulemanjee, Dianne L. Zwicke, T. Edward Hastings, Omar M. Cheema, Vinay Thohan

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Congestive heart failure afflicts 5.7 million people in the United States with annual incidence of 600,000 and mortality of 280,000. Heart failure accounts for greater than 1 million hospitalizations annually and the single largest inpatient Medicare expense. As the U.S. population ages and greater emphasis is placed on population health as a means to bend projected health care expenditures, large health care organizations will need to develop algorithms to identify patients at high risk with heart failure and possibly preempt hospitalizations. Doppler echocardiography is routinely performed in clinical assessment of severe heart failure.

Purpose: We sought to determine echocardiographic …

Score Big For Decreasing Mortality: Icd Risk Score Model, Linda Francaviglia, Rachel Petersen, Maria Stone, M. Eyman Mortada

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Aurora Health Care, a system of 14 acute care hospitals in eastern Wisconsin, has been a long-time participant in the American College of Cardiology’s National Cardiovascular Data Registries, submitting data to its ICD Registry™ since 2005. Our system’s implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) procedure volume averages 930 cases annually. During 2012 we experienced an increase in in-hospital mortality/morbidity for ICD cases.

Purpose: A single-center study examining in-hospital mortality/morbidity post-ICD implant before and after changes in practice and patient selection.

Methods: ICD implants and generator changes discharged from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2012, were included in developing a risk model …

Stent Thrombosis: Regional Prevalence, Risk Factors, And Outcomes, Andrew M. Ayers, Chi C. Cho, Robyn Shearer, M. Fuad Jan, Anjan Gupta

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Stent thrombosis is an infrequent but catastrophic complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Many studies usually involve few stent thrombosis patients, generally less than 60, given its prevalence. While dual antiplatelet therapy has decreased stent thrombosis significantly in the general population, there are still patients who present with occurrence and recurrence of stent thrombosis.

Purpose: We sought to define the prevalence of site-specific stent thrombosis in a larger cohort of patients by specific coronary territories and determine if this had an effect on cardiovascular outcomes. In addition we sought to elucidate the role of previous coronary artery bypass grafting …

Practc: Practice Readiness Academic Clinical Training Collaborative –– Gap Analysis To Advance Clinical Training For Nurse Practitioner Students, Jennifer Hartlaub, Mary Ann Muzi, M. Jamie Cairo, John R. Brill, James Weese, Kristin Rivera, Susan Hafemann, Ann M. Rohrer, Julia Schumacher, Terri L. Vandenhouten

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Multiple factors have created a perfect storm of health care provider shortages in the United States. Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), long established as high-quality, cost-effective health care providers, are meeting health care needs across the nation in a variety of settings, and in Wisconsin will be needed to augment the primary care workforce. With 5.7% of its registered nurses credentialed as APRNs, Wisconsin lags behind the national average of 8.7%. However, current capacity to educate this workforce is strained, requiring innovative data-driven clinical education models.

Purpose: To identify gaps in the current clinical educational framework for nurse practitioner …

Incidence Of Breast, Colorectal And Lung Cancers And Mortality Among Women Within Midwestern States, Ruth M. Perez, Matthew Rappelt, Kathryn Kossow, Maharaj Singh

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Breast, colorectal and lung cancers have been shown to be the most common cancers as well as the leading causes of cancer death among women. Previous studies suggest that the Northeast had significantly higher rates in incidence and mortality than the Midwest, South and Western regions. However, new data indicates that the Midwest now harbors the highest mortality rates. In Wisconsin, the sixth largest state in the Midwest, cancer is the leading cause of death. Differences in incidence and mortality of breast, colorectal and lung cancers have been observed between Wisconsin, other Midwestern states and national data, warranting further …

Reducing Readmission Rates In Acute Pancreatitis Through Patient Education And Risk Assessment, Jordan T. Vulcano

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Early hospital readmissions are a direct burden on both our patients’ well-being and health care system as a whole. Acute pancreatitis is a top offender, with countless 30-day readmissions. Studies have showed a consistently higher than average 30-day readmission rates in acute pancreatitis, around 19%. This is significantly higher than the average all-cause readmission rate at Aurora Health Care hospitals. This quality improvement project aimed to reduce the rate of acute pancreatitis 30-day readmission rates at several Aurora hospitals through patient education and a readmission risk assessment tool.

Purpose: To clarify some of the risk factors associated with acute …

Integrative Medicine: In With The New, Tiffany A. Mullen

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Integrative medicine is not "alternative," which implies the substitution of conventional medicine with often unproven natural treatments. Rather, integrative medicine is defined as the combination of conventional biomedicine with nontraditional and holistic practices to help patients on their journey to health.

Triple Aim For Clinical Teachers (Tact): Faculty Physician Perceptions On Their Ability To Balance Clinical Quality, Trainee Learning, And Teaching Efficiency, Minuja Muralidharan, Anne Getzin, Kjersti E. Knox, Bonnie L. Bobot, Marie M. Forgie, Nicole P. Salvo, Deborah Simpson

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: A common challenge facing teaching physicians is balancing high-quality student and resident teaching with efficient, high-quality care and patient service. Publicly accessible clinic performance reports increasingly affect where patients seek care and demand that teaching clinics rise to consumer expectations while training future physicians to function in the modern health care workplace. Limited information is available to guide physicians to achieve the triple aim for clinical teachers (TACT): clinical quality/patient experience, trainee learning, and teaching efficiency.

Purpose: To understand clinical teachers’ TACT-related experiences, perceptions and preferences for how to learn TACT-associated skill sets to improve their competence as teachers. …

Coronary Aorta Systolic And Diastolic Pressure Indices: Two Novel Indicators For Predicting Significant Coronary Stenosis –– A Validation Against Fractional Flow Reserve, Mirza Mujadil Ahmad, Khawaja Afzal Ammar, Mirza Nubair Ahmad, Arsalan Riaz, Fatima A. Husain, Syed Shahab Kazmi, Imran Husain, Anjan Gupta

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Since most of the coronary flow occurs in diastole, either mean Pd/Pa or iFR has been used to measure the hemodynamic significance of a coronary stenosis. We have observed that a significant pressure gradient exists in coronary stenosis even in systole, which is contrary to general understanding but similar to ankle brachial index. Furthermore, prior studies have evaluated baseline Pd/Pa (mean coronary artery/mean aorta pressure) ratio as well as iFR (instantaneous wave-free ratio obtained during entire period of diastole) to predict fractional flow reserve (FFR) ≤ 0.80. We hypothesized a simple end-systolic and -diastolic pressure measurement in the coronary …

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth: A Case-Based Review, Kristen H. Reynolds

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a condition of increased microbial load in the small intestine. The microbes feed on dietary carbohydrates and starches via fermentation, leading to gas production, inflammation and damage to the lining of the small intestine. Clinical presentation is varied, including abdominal pain, bloating, malabsorption and systemic symptoms. SIBO is associated with many challenging and chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and chronic pain syndromes, and has been shown to be a causative factor in two out of three cases of irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms improve with antimicrobial treatment, but recurrence is common. Many providers …

The Role Of Traditional Chinese Medicine In The Management Of Chronic Pain: A Biopsychosocial Approach, John Burns, Tiffany A. Mullen

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The National Institute of Medicine revealed that chronic pain affects more than 100 million adults in the United States, citing chronic pain as the leading reason patients seek medical care. Pain is also an extremely costly problem, with $635 billion per year spent nationally, more than cancer, heart disease and diabetes combined. The biomedical model of chronic pain management has largely revolved around the use of narcotic analgesics for pain control. Unfortunately, this corresponds to a growth in the rate of abuse, misuse and overdose of these drugs. Additionally, there is an inherent failure rate to the myriad procedures used …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Implementation Of Unified Workflow In Improvement Of Medication Reconciliation For Aurora St. Luke’S Family Medicine Residency Outpatients, Katherine Meyers, Jessica Konarske, Jessica J.F. Kram, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Medication errors are the most common errors occurring in hospitals. Preventable adverse drug events are linked with 1 in 5 injuries or deaths; 23% of medication errors in primary care occur due to inaccuracies in the medication list. Quality improvement projects designed to improve accuracy of outpatient medication reconciliations may decrease the number of medication errors and increase patient safety by preventing adverse drug events.

Purpose: To determine whether a unified workflow for medication reconciliation improves the accuracy of ambulatory, electronic medical record (EMR)-based patient medication records.

Methods: Retrospective study of random sample of patients from Aurora Family Medicine …

Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing-Based Algorithm And Its Usefulness In Clinical Cardiology, Mirza Nubair Ahmad, Syed Hasan Yusuf, Rafath Ullah, Mary Ellis, Haroon Yousaf, Timothy E. Paterick, Khawaja Afzal Ammar

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Only cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) testing provides information on the ability of the cardiovascular system to meet the body’s metabolic demands in terms of oxygen consumption (VO₂) and carbon dioxide production (VCO₂). However, CPX testing is underutilized by cardiologists due to complex diagnostic algorithms involving up to 30 variables as well as lack of validation studies. In addition, CPX also provides oxygen (O₂) pulse as a continuous measure of stroke volume, which is its superiority to other stress modalities in which systolic function is measured at peak stress and rest. In the literature, it …

An Automated Model Using Electronic Health Record Data To Identify Delirium Among Hospitalized Older Adults: A Pilot Project, Ariba Khan, Maharaj Singh, Hina Singh, Ayesha Maria, Michelle Simpson

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Delirium is a serious change in mental status with adverse outcomes, but remains underrecognized. The electronic health record (EHR) may assist in the identification of delirium.

Purpose: This study was performed to generate an automated delirium identification model using data from the EHR among hospitalized older adults.

Methods: Inpatients 65 years and older were included in this cross-sectional study. The researchers used “confusion assessment method” as the gold standard to identify delirium. Four categories of variables were obtained from the EHR on the day of and the day prior to researcher assessment: 1) hypoactive delirium (any one of the …

Chronic Illness Management In Teams Of Urban Multidisciplinary Scholars (Cimtums) –– Part Ii, John R. Brill, Diane Ames, Christine B. Groth, Helen Yu

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Diabetes is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality as well as the single most expensive health care condition in the world. Numerous interventions have attempted to improve control of this disorder and reduce its complications. Traditional care for diabetes centers on an individual clinician. More recently, recognition of the central role of the patient has come into vogue. Payors, including Medicare, now cover up to 13 hours of diabetes self-management and education programs annually. Patient-centered medical home efforts add an aspect of inclusiveness, but retain a medical focus and are being increasingly advocated and trained. To date, no …

A Meta-Analysis Of Incidence And Risk Factors Of Trastuzumab-Induced Cardiotoxicity In Breast Cancer, Zeeshan Ali Jawa, Ruth M. Perez, Lydia Garlie, Maharaj Singh, Rubina Qamar, Bijoy K. Khandheria, Arshad Jahangir, Yang Shi

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: A monoclonal antibody, trastuzumab targets the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) oncogene that is overexpressed in 25–30% of breast cancers. In combination with first-line therapy, trastuzumab resulted in significant improvement in survival outcomes for those with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Due to its improvement in outcome and prolonged survival, trastuzumab has been established as standard of care in both adjuvant and metastatic settings. However, along with common adverse events, trastuzumab has been found to be associated with cardiotoxicity. An estimated 1–4% of patients treated with trastuzumab will develop heart failure and ~10% of patients will experience a …

Β-Thujaplicin: A Soil Antifungal, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: β-thujaplicin (β-Th), also known as hinokitiol, naturally occurs in cedar mulch, is found in personal care products and has in vitro antitumor activities. It is antibacterial and antifungal, but has not been tested on soil. Scedosporium apiospermum (Sce) is an emerging “extremophile” fungal pathogen found in built outdoor environments.

Purpose: Pilot β-Th as “natural” soil antimicrobial or for isolation of extremophiles, and to explore β-Th resistance as selective advantage to Sce in mulched landscape.

Methods: A variety of outdoor and indoor environments were used for 2 sets of 24 paired soil samples. Soil/H20 slurry (0.1 ml) was spread on …

Mailed At-Home Fit Intervention To Increase Colorectal Screenings At Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, Alexander V. Herrera, Brian Hilgeman, Michelle Buelow, Melissa A. Lemke

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Mailed at-home FIT intervention kits to increase colorectal cancer screenings at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers (SSCHC).

Purpose: It is our goal to increase the current SSCHC colorectal cancer baseline screening rate of 23% to 50% within three years of full at-home FIT kit implementation.

Methods: Colon cancer is the second and third most common cause of cancer death in the United States in Hispanic men and women, respectively. Colonoscopy is the most common method of colon cancer screening, even among low-income patients. However, it has been shown in community health centers that mailed FIT kits are a more …

Maternal Intuition Of Fetal Gender, Michael P. Mcfadzen, David P. Dielentheis, Ronda Kasten

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Many pregnant mothers feel they have a perception or intuition as to the gender of their unborn baby. There is very little published scientific literature regarding this topic. The study’s goal is to determine accuracy of mothers’ perceptions as to gender of their unborn babies. Many scientists believe a pregnant woman could not determine her baby’s gender by intuition, with a 50% probability of correctly determining the gender. This study should be considered fun science.

Purpose: To objectively measure a pregnant mother’s perception as to the gender of her unborn baby and compare to sonographically proved gender. The study …

Disease-Management In Family Medicine Clinics Through The Addition Of A Health Coach: A Pilot Study, Crystal Y. Cichon, Jessica J.F. Kram, Tiffany A. Mullen, Pamela Voelkers, Kristin J. Magliocco, Kiley A. Bernhard, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: In the United States, more than 80% of health care spending is focused on the management of chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia. Controlling these chronic diseases can lead to better health outcomes and decrease the number of preventable deaths. Patient self-management has shown to improve clinical outcomes. In a primary care setting, a multidisciplinary approach can more effectively educate patients on improving their health.

Purpose: To assess the impact of a health coach in a primary care setting as it relates to clinical outcomes.

Methods: Patients from two Aurora family medicine clinics were referred to a …

Real-World Relevance Of Manual Electrocardiography Qt Interval Measurement, Satish Velagapudi, Zahra Nur Khaled, Bilal Omery, Firas Zahwe, Michael Anigbogu, Sarah Zukkoor, Indrajit Choudhuri

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Electrocardiography (ECG) QT interval (QTI) prolongation independently predicts sudden death. Hospitalized patients are commonly exposed to multiple QT-prolonging drugs, and manual measurement of ECG QTI based on identifying the intersection of isoelectricity with the tangent to the terminal phase T-wave slope (QTTTT) is advocated due to inaccuracies in automated detection algorithms that may imprecisely identify QT duration.

Purpose: We evaluated the performance of QTTTT compared to a standard automated (12SL, GE Healthcare) method (QT-12SL).

Methods: Consecutively obtained ECGs of 250 hospitalized patients were reviewed. The QTI in leads II, aVR, V5 and V6 determined by QT-12SL and QTTTT were …

Feasibility Of Atrial Delivery And Tracking Of Stem Cells In A Porcine Model, Nina Garlie, Timothy Hacker, Eric G. Schmuck, Jill Koch, Jayant Khitha, Amish Raval, Indrajit Choudhuri

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Many patients undergoing open heart surgery have sinus node dysfunction and atrial fibrillation, leading to adverse outcomes. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) delivered at the time of surgery may have a reparative effect on atrial tissue, thereby improving sinus node function and reducing or preventing atrial fibrillation. Stem cell delivery to the atrium is entirely unstudied. This is a significant gap in medical research, as atrial disease contributes significantly to health care costs.

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study is to establish a technique to deliver MSC to the atria through an open-chest model, to assess the safety of …

The Effect Of Percutaneous Closure Of Large Atrial Septal Defects On Right Ventricular Function In Adults, Armaan Shaikh, Alejandro Lopez-Mas, Suhail Allaqaband, Bijoy K. Khandheria, Abraham Getenet, Matt M. Umland, Maharaj Singh, Tanvir Bajwa

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Percutaneous closure of atrial septal defects has been shown to be a safe alternative to surgery. Despite this, past studies have largely been focused on either small- to medium-sized atrial septal defects or percutaneous closure in children and young adults.

Purpose: Our study sought to examine if right ventricular function and size improved after percutaneous closure of large atrial septal defects in the adult population.

Methods: Over a 5-year span, 25 patients underwent percutaneous closure of a secundum atrial septal defect with an occluder device. A retrospective examination was conducted for each patient, including both echocardiography and chart review …

Contemporary Usage Of Intra-Arterial Catheter-Directed Thrombolytic (Cdt) Power Pulse Spray With Rheolytic Thrombectomy In Failed Cdt Alone For Acute Limb Ischemia, Hani Hashim, M. Fuad Jan, Maharaj Singh, Suhail Allaqaband, Tanvir Bajwa, Anjan Gupta

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Acute lower limb ischemia (ALI) caused by arterial embolism, thrombosis of native vessels, and/or grafts is a serious condition associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Peripheral arterial thrombolysis utilizing catheter-directed thrombolytic (CDT) has become established as a useful option in the management of ALI. However, use and outcome of adjunctive power pulse spray with rheolytic thrombectomy (PPSRT) following unsuccessful CDT is underreported in the literature.

Purpose: To evaluate outcome of contemporary use of intra-arterial CDT PPSRT as an adjunct to unsuccessful standard CDT for ALI.

Methods: We reviewed 78 consecutive patients (mean age 69 ± 14.2 years, 48.8% female) …

Geographic Distribution Of Infant Death During Birth Hospitalization And Maternal Group B Streptococcus Colonization: Eastern Wisconsin, Jessica J.F. Kram, Dennis J. Baumgardner, Kiley A. Bernhard, Melissa A. Lemke

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Neonatal death rate in the United States is 4/1,000 live births; infant death rate is 6/1,000. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) may be transmitted from a colonized mother (rates vary from 15% to 35%) to the newborn during a vaginal delivery, and may contribute to neonatal death.

Purpose: To explore the geographic distribution and associated risk factors for maternal GBS colonization and infant death prior to discharge in eastern Wisconsin births.

Methods: Retrospective study of institutional data from PeriData.net, a comprehensive birth registry, utilizing data from 2007 through 2013 at all Aurora medical centers. Categorical variables were analyzed with chi-square …

In Vitro Growth Suppression Of Renal Carcinoma Cells By Curcumin, Santhi D. Konduri, Madhavi Latha Yadav Bangaru, Phu Thanh Do, Shenglin Chen, Jeffrey Woodliff, Sanjay Kansra

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose

Malignant clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) is an aggressive tumor highly resistant to chemotherapy and radiation. Current therapeutic approaches to management of ccRCC have not significantly improved patient survival, therefore novel therapies are needed. Activated NFκB and STAT3 expression is associated with ccRCC pathogenesis. The dietary polyphenol curcumin is a well-documented antitumor agent and a known inhibitor of NFκB and STAT3 activation. Given the lack of effective therapies that block ccRCC progression, our objective was to examine whether curcumin could suppress the growth and migration of ccRCC cells, and whether this suppression was mediated via inhibition of NFκB and …

Operating Room First Start Efficiency Throughout A Large Urban Hospital System, Callie Cox Bauer, Kiley A. Bernhard, Danielle M. Greer, Scott Kamelle

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Operating room delays decrease health care system efficiency and increase hospital costs. Data on delays in a multihospital system are sparse.

Purpose: In an effort to improve our operating room efficiency, we investigated operating room delays, the causes and the impending financial impact.

Methods: A retrospective analysis on first case-of-the-day surgeries at three hospitals during 2013 was conducted. Delays were defined as in-room time being after scheduled surgery start time. Length of delay and causes were recorded. Patient demographics, body mass index, hospital facility, total number of procedures, provider specialty and time of patient arrival were incorporated into a …

Using An Automated Model To Identify Older Patients At Risk For 30-Day Hospital Readmission And 30-Day Mortality, Ariba Khan, Mary L. Hook, Maharaj Singh, Marsha Vollbrecht, Aaron Malsch, Michael L. Malone

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: A real-time electronic health record (EHR) predictive model that identifies older patients at risk for readmission and mortality may assist the health care team in improved patient care.

Purpose: This study was performed to generate an automated 30-day readmission and 30-day mortality risk model using data from the EHR in hospitalized older adults.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. Included were patients age 65 years and older admitted to the hospital from July 2012 to December 2013. An automated predictive model was derived from variables collected from the EHR including socioeconomic factors, medical diagnoses and health care utilization. …