Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Commons^™

Is Acupuncture Effective In Reducing The Pain Intensity Due To Primary Dysmenorrhea?, Allison Eichenlaub

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: the objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not acupuncture is effective in reducing the pain intensity due to primary dysmenorrhea in women ages 15 to 35.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three randomized control trials (RCTs) written in English, one of which was published in 2011 and two in 2013.

DATA SOURCES: Three non-blind randomized control trials published in peer reviewed journals found via PubMed.

OUTCOME MEASURED: Pain intensity due to primary dysmenorrhea was measured using visual analog scale (VAS), Cox Menstrual Symptom Scale (CMSS), and Cox Retrospective Symptom Scale (RSS COX2 – average …

Is Aprepitant Effective In Preventing Postoperative Nausea And Vomiting?, Rebeccah M. Gomberg

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not aprepitant is effective in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary randomized controlled trials from 2012-2014.

DATA SOURCES: Three double-blind, randomized controlled trials comparing oral aprepitant with placebo. All articles were found using PubMed.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The three studies measured nausea severity using a verbal rating system and number of episodes of nausea and vomiting recorded by a blinded study investigator.

RESULTS: Vallejo et al found that 29.7% of the patients in the placebo group vomited compared to 9.3% of …

Is Desvenlafaxine Effective For Reducing Hot Flashes In Postmenopausal Females?, Maria Graziano

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) review is to determine whether or not Desvenlafaxine is effective in reducing daily hot flashes in postmenopausal females.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three primary randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published after the year 2000 in the English language.

DATA SOURCES: Three double-blind, randomized controlled trials were found using PubMed and EBSCOhost Web. All trials selected compared treatment with Desvenlafaxine to a visually matched placebo.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Patients completed daily diary cards on which they recorded the number and severity of daily hot flashes from the screening period through the 12 weeks …

Perceptions And Attitudes Of A Sample Of Primary Care Patients Receiving Psychological Care From Their Pcp, Nadine Henzes Gowarty

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

With millions of Americans suffering from a mental health disorder and slightly more than half receiving treatment, the demand for psychological services far outweighs the number of practitioners available to provide direct care. Therefore, the majority of all primary-care visits are based on psychosocial factors; one third of a PCP’s caseloads consist of patients with mental-health problems. Given the fact that PCPs provide comprehensive psychosocial care, it is important to determine the beliefs and perceptions of their patients. Results from this study identified numerous factors that influence the relationship between patients receiving mental health care from their PCP. Specifically, if …

Is Ginger An Effective Treatment For Moderate Or Severe Dysmenorrhea In Females Over The Age Of 18?, Katy N. Degraw

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not ginger is a safe and effective treatment for moderate or severe dysmenorrhea in females over the age of 18.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three randomized controlled studies. All three studies are published in English between 2009-2013.

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized placebo controlled studies found using PubMed and Medline.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcomes that were measured were severity of pain, duration of pain, change in symptoms, and change in severity. This was done by using a visual analogue scale, 5-point Likert scale, Wilcoxon’s rank-sum test, and verbal …

Is Lubiprostone Effective In Treating Symptoms Of Chronic Constipation?, Christine M. Macdonald

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not lubiprostone is effective in treating symptoms of chronic constipation.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary randomized controlled trials from 2007- 2010.

DATA SOURCES: Three double-blind, randomized, controlled trials were found using PubMed. These studies compared treatment with lubiprostone to a visually matched placebo.

OUTCOME MEASURED: The frequency of each patient’s spontaneous bowel movements within the first 24 hours after initial treatment was recorded from the data collected from the patient’s daily diary.

RESULTS: All three trails demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the rates …

Are Topical Heat Patches More Effective At Relieving Pain Associated With Dysmenorrhea Than Otc Nsaids (Ibuprofen 400 Mg Po Q8h Or Acetaminophen 500 Mg Po Q6h) In Menstruating Women 18 And Over?, Samantha R. Murray

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not topical heat patches are more effective at relieving pain associated with dysmenorrhea than OTC NSAIDs (Ibuprofen 400 mg PO Q8h or Acetaminophen 500mg PO Q6h) in menstruating women 18 and over.

Study Design: Review of three English-language randomized control trials (RCTs) that were published in 2001, 2004, and 2012.

Data Sources: Three single-blinded randomized control trials that were found using PubMed

Outcome Measured: Dysmenorrhea and any associated pain relief was measured using patient-reported scales of NRS-10 Pain scale, 6-Point categorical scale, and patient reports of sensual, …

An Analysis Of Abnormal Electrocardiograms In First And Second Year Medical School Students, Molly Anne Kalish

PCOM Biomedical Studies Student Scholarship

The high stress level placed upon medical school students, particularly during their first and second didactic years, may have a negative effect on their health. Although surveys and subjective questionnaires have been used to evaluate the effects medical school has upon a student’s cardiovascular health, there has been little clinical data obtained to confirm this notion. The aim of this longitudinal study was to demonstrate whether any abnormal cardiovascular parameters, specifically QTc wave interval, cardiac axis vector and blood pressure abnormalities, could be documented to occur in two different classes of medical students during their first two years. Such information …