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Mechanical Complications Following Acute Myocardial Infarction, Awais Ashfaq, Hasanat Sharif

Department of Surgery Docs

Objective: To outline the outcome and management of patients with acute myocardial infarction presenting with mechanical complications such as post-infarction ventricular septal defect, mitral regurgitation and left ventricular rupture.Methods: The retrospective study, conducted in September and October, 2010 at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, included cases from January 1990 to December 2009. Only 18 cases were found who had presented with such complications. They were assessed for demographics as well as pre-operative, per-operative and post-operative management patterns. Data was analysed using SPSS version 17.0.Results: Out of the 18 patients, 10 had post-infarction ventricular septal defect, while 8 had mitral …

Multidrug Resistant Pulmonary Tuberculosis Treatment Regimens And Patient Outcomes: An Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis Of 9,153 Patients, Shama D. Ahuja, David Ashkin, Monika Avendano, Rita Banerjee, Melissa Bauer, Jamie N. Bayona

Dartmouth Scholarship

Dick Menzies and colleagues report findings from a collaborative, individual patient-level meta-analysis of treatment outcomes among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Background: Treatment of multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is lengthy, toxic, expensive, and has generally poor outcomes. We undertook an individual patient data meta-analysis to assess the impact on outcomes of the type, number, and duration of drugs used to treat MDR-TB.

Undergraduate Neurosurgical Learning Opportunities At Jefferson, Leadership Committee Neurosurgery Student Interest Group

JHN Journal

On the evening of November 29, 2011, Jefferson’s Neurosurgery Interest Group (NSIG) hosted fourteen Jefferson Medical College students for a technical course entitled “Foundations in Neurosurgery” taught by Dr. Ashwini Sharan, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Director of the Division of Functional Neurosurgery, and Dr. Joshua Heller, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Additional instructors included Jefferson neurosurgery residents Rohan Chitale (PGY5), Chengyuan Wu (PGY4), and Karl Balsara (PGY2). Stryker MedED provided equipment, models, and instructors Ryan Dugan and Devin Opdendyk (Figure 1).

Complications Of Decompressive Craniectomy, Sandra Ho, Bs, Yinn C. Ooi, Md, Muhamad A. Sheikh, Mbbs, Mitchell Maltenfort, Phd, Jack Jallo, Md, Phd

JHN Journal

Introduction:

Persistent elevation of intracranial pressure (ICP), if untreated, may lead to brain ischemia or lack of brain oxygen and even brain death.1-6,10 When standard treatments for elevated ICP are exhausted without any signs of improvement, decompressive craniectomy can be an effective alternative solution.7,19 Decompressive craniectomies (DC) have been used as a method of controlling intracranial pressure in patients with cerebral edema secondary to cerebral ischemia, subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and traumatic brain injury (TBI), among others. 8-10 Several studies over the years have demonstrated the efficacy of this procedure.7-9,11,35,36 However, consensus is still lacking in the utility of DC as …

Fractionated Stereotactic Radiosurgery Alone For The Treatment Of A Papillary Craniopharygioma, Tyler J. Kenning, Md, James J. Evans, Md

JHN Journal

The use of radiation treatment (RT) is usually reserved for residual or recurrent craniopharyngiomas, and the role of RT alone and not as an adjunctive therapy to surgery has not been clearly defined. The authors describe a case of a 50-year-old man presenting with a large suprasellar craniopharyngioma with extension into the third ventricle, producing acute hydrocephalus. A ventriculoperitoneal shunt was performed concurrently with an endoscopic biopsy. Treatment with fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery (FSR) resulted in near resolution of the lesion with no evidence of recurrence over six years. A review of RT for the treatment of craniopharyngiomas without surgical resection …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The Blood Pressure Plus Program At Thomas Jefferson University, Adam C. Winters

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s Blood Pressure Plus program enhances the role of the community in chronic disease prevention and management. There is much evidence that controlling disease and cost is greatly improved through the involvement of community leaders and resources. By offering free blood pressure screenings, the BP+ program was able to document the current status of many underserved individuals in the city of Philadelphia, provide the necessary education and referrals. Perhaps more importantly, the program allowed us to foster relationships with individuals who could further the efforts of chronic care management within their communities. More and more we’re seeing …

The Impact Of Epidural Steroid Injections On The Outcomes Of Patients Treated For Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Subgroup Analysis Of The Sport Trial., Kristen Radcliff, Alan Hilibrand, Jon D Lurie, Tor D Tosteson, Lawrence Delasotta, Jeffrey Rihn, Wenyan Zhao, Alexander Vaccaro, Todd J Albert, James N Weinstein

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) is a prospective, multicenter study of operative versus nonoperative treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation. It has been suggested that epidural steroid injections may help improve patient outcomes and lower the rate of crossover to surgical treatment.

METHODS: One hundred and fifty-four patients included in the intervertebral disc herniation arm of the SPORT who had received an epidural steroid injection during the first three months of the study and no injection prior to the study (the ESI group) were compared with 453 patients who had not received an injection during the first …

A Prospective Analysis Of Glove Perforation In Primary And Revision Total Hip And Total Knee Arthroplasty., Aaron H Carter, Md, David S Casper, Md, Javad Parvizi, Md, Mathew Austin, Md

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Literature in regard to glove perforation rates in revision total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is scarce. Our purpose was to determine the incidence of perforation in revision TJA. Gloves from all scrubbed personnel were tested based on the American Society for Testing and Materials. A total of 3863 gloves were collected from 58 primary and 36 revision arthroplasty cases. Surgeons had a 3.7% outer-glove perforation rate in primary TJA compared with 8.9% in revision TJA. When both gloves were perforated, the outer-glove perforation was recognized intraoperatively 100% of the time, and the inner-glove perforation was noted only 19% of the time. …

“That Pregnancy Can Bring Noise Into The Family”: Exploring Intimate Partner Sexual Violence During Pregnancy In The Context Of Hiv In Zimbabwe, Simukai Shamu, Naeemah Abrahams, Marleen Temmerman, Tamara Shefer, Christina Zarowsky

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Globally, studies report a high prevalence of intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) and an association with HIV infection. Despite the criminalisation of IPSV and deliberate sexual HIV infection in Zimbabwe, IPSV remains common. This study explored women’s and health workers’ perspectives and experiences of sexuality and sexual violence in pregnancy, including in relation to HIV testing.

Methods: This qualitative study was part of a larger study of the dynamics of intimate partner violence and HIV in pregnancy in Zimbabwe. Key informant interviews were conducted with health workers and focus group discussions were held with 64 pregnant or nursing mothers …

Observer Variation In Mri Evaluation Of Patients With Suspected Lumbar Disc Herniation And Nerve Root Compression: Comparison Of Neuroradiologist And Neurosurgeon's Interpretations, Imaad-Ur Rehman, Rana Shoaib Hamid, Waseem Akhtar, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Rohana Naqi, Haji Ismail Siddiq

Department of Radiology

Objective: To analyse inter-observer variation between a neuroradiologist and neurosurgeon in the MRI diagnosis of lumbar nerve root compression. Although lumbar MFI is primarily analyzed and reported by a radiologist, neurosurgeons often analyse it independently as they have sufficient clinical background as well as radiological expertise to diagnose most spinal pathologies on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
Methods: Retrospective analysis was carried out for images of 54 patients who underwent MRI between March and July 2010 of lumbar spine with suspected lumbar disc herniation and nerve root compression, at Aga Khan Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. One fellowship trained neuroradiologist and one neurosurgeon …

Idiopathic Pulmonary Haemosiderosis Presenting As Severe Iron Deficiency Anaemia--A Case From Pakistan, Noureen Afzal, Ammara Mushtaq, Arshalooz Rahman, Sonia Qureshi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis is an uncommon disorder, which is characterized by iron deficiency, recurrent haemoptysis and diffuse parenchymal infiltration on chest radiograph. We report an 8 year old child who had past history of multiple blood transfusions with diagnosis of iron deficiency anaemia and recurrent chest infection since the age of 21/2 year. At the age of 8 years, the child presented with fever and severe respiratory distress requiring intubation and ventilation. On Chest X-ray, bilateral white out was found and CT scan lung showed diffuse alveolar involvement. Lung biopsy confirmed haemosiderin-laden macrophages. Child was put on steroids and despite …

Healing Of Cornea Following An Electric Burn, Tanveer Anjum Chaudhry, Farheen Shaikh, Khabir Ahmad

Department of Surgery Docs

ABSTRACT Electrical injuries have become a significant health problem in developing countries because of increase in access to electricity in the last few decades and lack of adequate safety measures. Electrical injuries of eyes are relatively uncommon. A case report of a rapid and complete corneal healing accompanied by satisfactory visual recovery after an electric burn event in a 20-year-old male is reported. The patient had accidental exposure to high voltage live wire while he was repairing it, resulting in severe ocular and superficial body burn. He was not wearing any protective equipment at the time of injury. On examination, …

Clinical Review Of Pediatric Pilocytic Astrocytomas Treated At A Tertiary Care Hospital In Pakistan, Muhib A. Khan, Saniya Siraj Godil, Halima Tabani, Sukaina A Panju, S. Ather Enam

Department of Surgery Docs

Abstract Background: Pilocytic Astrocytoma (PA) is a common type of brain tumor in the pediatric population. They have a fairly good prognosis. This study describes PAs in detail, with a focus on the demographic factors, presenting features, management and prognosis, and aims, to identify the negative outcome predictors in our population, which can affect the course of the disease. This article will add to the understanding of PAs from a third world perspective. Methods: The Aga Khan University medical records (1995 – 2007) were reviewed, to study the clinical features, management, and outcome of patients (0 – 15 years) with …

The Ventricular Volume Variability Study Of The Pediatric Heart Network: Study Design And Impact Of Beat Averaging And Variable Type On The Reproducibility Of Echocardiographic Measurements In Children With Chronic Dilated Cardiomyopathy., Steven D. Colan, Girish S. Shirali, Renee Margossian, Dianne Gallagher, Karen Altmann, Charles Canter, Shan Chen, Fraser Golding, Elizabeth Radojewski, Michael Camitta, Michael Carboni, Jack Rychik, Mario Stylianou, Lloyd Y. Tani, Elif Seda Selamet Tierney, Yanli Wang, Lynn A. Sleeper, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Clinical trials often rely on echocardiographic measures of left ventricular size and function as surrogate end points. However, the quantitative impact of factors that affect the reproducibility of these measures is unknown. To address this issue, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded Pediatric Heart Network designed a longitudinal observational study of children with known or suspected dilated cardiomyopathy aged 0 to 22 years from eight pediatric clinical centers.

METHODS: Clinical data were collected together with 150 echocardiographic indices of left ventricular size and function. Separate observers performed duplicate echocardiographic imaging. Multiple observers performed measurements from three cardiac cycles …

Meld Score: Utility And Comparison With King's College Criteria In Non-Acetaminophen Acute Liver Failure., Om Parkash, Khalid Mumtaz, Saeed Hamid, Syed Hasnian Ali Shah, Wasim Jafri

Department of Medicine

Objective: To compare Model for End-stage Liver Disease Score (MELD Score, MS) and King’s College Hospital (KCH) criteria for finding correlation of mortality in non-acetaminophen induced acute liver failure (NAI-ALF).

Study Design: An analytical cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from 2005 to 2007.

Methodology: The study included patients with NAI-ALF. KCH criteria were labelled as good and bad prognosis groups. MELD score were calculated by using the MELD calculator. ROC was plotted and sensitivity analysis was done. ETA was used to see correlation between MELD and KCH.

Results: Ninety-one patients with mean …

Extending The Window For Thrombolysis In Acute Stroke., Muhammad Faisal Wadiwala,, Ayeesha Kamran Kamal

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Hcv Behavioral Health Preparation Of The Racial/Ethnic Minority: Measurement Development Of A Hcv Treatment Readiness Tool In Spanish And English, Michele Vella, Joseph L. Yozviak Do, Facp, Judith Lash Rn

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Line Probe Assay For Detection Of Rifampicin And Isoniazid Resistant Tuberculosis In Pakistan, Joveria Qais Farooqi, Erum Khan, Syed Muhammed Zaheer Alam, Asho Ali, Zahra Hasan, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective:
To assess the efficacy of a line-probe assay delta (LiPA) as rapid diagnostic test for early detection of drug-resistant tuberculosis compared to conventional susceptibility methods in Pakistan.
Methods:
Resistance to rifampicin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH) in 108 smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis samples was detected using a line-probe assay [GenoType MTBDRplus (Hain Lifescience, GmbH, Nehren, Germany)] at the clinical microbiology laboratory of Aga Khan University Hospital in May, 2009. Results were compared with susceptibilities performed while using agar proportion.
Results:
In comparison to the agar proportion method, the detection rate and specificity of resistance using MTBDR plus was 92.5% and 98.2% …

Low Levels Of Β-Lactam Antibiotics Induce Extracellular Dna Release And Biofilm Formation In Staphylococcus Aureus., Jeffrey B. Kaplan, Era A. Izano, Prerna Gopal, Michael T. Karwacki, Sangho Kim, Jeffrey L. Bose, Kenneth W. Bayles, Alexander R. Horswill

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

UNLABELLED: Subminimal inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics have been shown to induce bacterial biofilm formation. Few studies have investigated antibiotic-induced biofilm formation in Staphylococcus aureus, an important human pathogen. Our goal was to measure S. aureus biofilm formation in the presence of low levels of β-lactam antibiotics. Fifteen phylogenetically diverse methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) strains were employed. Methicillin, ampicillin, amoxicillin, and cloxacillin were added to cultures at concentrations ranging from 0× to 1× MIC. Biofilm formation was measured in 96-well microtiter plates using a crystal violet binding assay. Autoaggregation was measured using a visual test tube …

Contribution Of The Staphylococcus Aureus Atl Am And Gl Murein Hydrolase Activities In Cell Division, Autolysis, And Biofilm Formation., Jeffrey L. Bose, Mckenzie K. Lehman, Paul D. Fey, Kenneth W. Bayles

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

The most prominent murein hydrolase of Staphylococcus aureus, AtlA, is a bifunctional enzyme that undergoes proteolytic cleavage to yield two catalytically active proteins, an amidase (AM) and a glucosaminidase (GL). Although the bifunctional nature of AtlA has long been recognized, most studies have focused on the combined functions of this protein in cell wall metabolism and biofilm development. In this study, we generated mutant derivatives of the clinical S. aureus isolate, UAMS-1, in which one or both of the AM and GL domains of AtlA have been deleted. Examination of these strains revealed that each mutant exhibited growth rates comparable …

The Importance Of Amino Acid Composition In Natural Amps: An Evolutional, Structural, And Functional Perspective., Biswajit Mishra, Guangshun Wang

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

No abstract provided.

Classroom Misbehavior In The Eyes Of Students: A Qualitative Study, Rachel C. F. Sun, Daniel T. L. Shek

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Using individual interviews, this study investigated perceptions of classroom misbehaviors among secondary school students in Hong Kong (N = 18). Nineteen categories of classroom misbehaviors were identified, with talking out of turn, disrespecting teacher, and doing something in private being most frequently mentioned. Findings revealed that students tended to perceive misbehaviors as those actions inappropriate in the classroom settings and even disrupting teachers' teaching and other students' learning. Among various misbehaviors, talking out of turn and disrespecting teacher were seen as the most disruptive and unacceptable. These misbehaviors were unacceptable because they disturbed teaching and learning, and violated the values …

Postlecture Evaluation Of A Positive Youth Development Subject For University Students In Hong Kong, Daniel T. L. Shek

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the postlecture evaluation by the students taking a course (Tomorrow's Leaders) that attempted to promote their leadership qualities and intrapersonal competencies at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong. Except for the last lecture, students were invited to respond to a 12-item postlecture questionnaire after each lecture. Results showed that the students had positive perceptions of the subject, class, and teacher attributes, and they had positive global evaluation of the teacher and the subject. The postlecture evaluation questionnaire was found to possess good psychometric properties. Multiple regression analyses showed that subject, …

A Comparison Of Individual Versus Community Influences On Youth Smoking Behaviours: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study, Anna M. Adachi-Mejia, Heather A. Carlos, Ethan M. Berke, Susanne E. Tanski, James Sargent

Dartmouth Scholarship

Objectives: To compare individual with community risk factors for adolescent smoking. Design: A cross-sectional observational study with multivariate analysis.Setting: National telephone survey.Participants: 3646 US adolescents aged 13–18 years in 2007 recruited through a random digit-dial survey.

Epoxide-Mediated Cifr Repression Of Cif Gene Expression Utilizes Two Binding Sites In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Alicia E. Ballok, Christopher D. Bahl, Emily L. Dolben, Allia K. Lindsay, Jessica D. St. Laurent, Deborah Hogan, Dean Madden, George A. O'Toole

Dartmouth Scholarship

Pseudomonas aeruginosa secretes an epoxide hydrolase virulence factor that reduces the apical membrane expression of ABC transporters such as the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). This virulence factor, named CFTR inhibitory factor (Cif), is regulated by a TetR-family, epoxide-responsive repressor known as CifR via direct binding and repression. We identified two sites of CifR binding in the intergenic space between cifR and morB, the first gene in the operon containing the cif gene. We have mapped these binding sites and found they are 27 bp in length, and they overlap the -10 and +1 sites of both the cifR …

Early Stage Drug Treatment That Normalizes Proinflammatory Cytokine Production Attenuates Synaptic Dysfunction In A Mouse Model That Exhibits Age-Dependent Progression Of Alzheimer's Disease-Related Pathology, Adam D. Bachstetter, Christopher M. Norris, Pradoldej Sompol, Donna M. Wilcock, Danielle Goulding, Janna H. Neltner, Daret St. Clair, D. Martin Watterson, Linda J. Van Eldik

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines in the CNS has been implicated as a key contributor to pathophysiology progression in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and extensive studies with animal models have shown that selective suppression of excessive glial proinflammatory cytokines can improve neurologic outcomes. The prior art, therefore, raises the logical postulation that intervention with drugs targeting dysregulated glial proinflammatory cytokine production might be effective disease-modifying therapeutics if used in the appropriate biological time window. To test the hypothesis that early stage intervention with such drugs might be therapeutically beneficial, we examined the impact of intervention with MW01-2-151SRM (MW-151), an experimental therapeutic that …

Landmark Optimization Using Local Curvature For Point-Based Nonlinear Rodent Brain Image Registration., Yutong Liu, Balasrinivasa R. Sajja, Mariano Uberti, Howard Gendelman, Tammy Kielian, Michael D. Boska

Journal Articles: Radiology

Purpose. To develop a technique to automate landmark selection for point-based interpolating transformations for nonlinear medical image registration. Materials and Methods. Interpolating transformations were calculated from homologous point landmarks on the source (image to be transformed) and target (reference image). Point landmarks are placed at regular intervals on contours of anatomical features, and their positions are optimized along the contour surface by a function composed of curvature similarity and displacements of the homologous landmarks. The method was evaluated in two cases (n = 5 each). In one, MRI was registered to histological sections; in the second, geometric distortions in EPI …

A Thermoplastic Vest To Prevent Self Mutilation In Experimental Flap Surgery In Rats, Eli A. Gordin, Md, Sarah M. Drejet, Md, Ryan N. Heffelfinger, Md

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

Poster presented at: 8th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer in Toronto, Canada.

Introduction:

Rats are frequently utilized for both research and training related to reconstructive head and neck surgery. The femoral neurovascular complex represents a useful mode for microvascular anastomosis, both for the purposes of testing adjuncts designed to improve anastomotic patency rates, as well as for residents and students to gain experience in microvascular surgery outside the operating room. Additionally, the rat proves useful in investigations examining the survivability of both random and axial pattern skin flaps.

The Effect Of Pre-Operative Coumadin Therapy On Patients Who Develop Hemorrhagic Events Post Bariatric Surgery, Richard Boorse Md, Peter J. Bechtel Md, Cathleen Webber Rn, Mshs, Suzanne L. Smith Mba, Rrt, Tas, Cathy Fuhrman Rn, Msn

Department of Surgery

No abstract provided.

Monocarboxylate Transporter 4 And Caveolin-1 Expression In Squamous Cell Carcinoma Of The Oral Cavity, Julie A. Ames, Md, Aileen Butera, Md, Joseph Curry, Md, Madalina Tuluc, Md, Ubaldo E. Martinez-Outshoorn, Md, Diana Whitaker-Menezes, Phd, Federica Sotgia, Phd, Michael P. Lisanti, Md, Phd

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

Poster presented at: 8th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer in Toronto Canada, July 21-25, 2012.

Objective: To determine the significance of caveolin-1 (cav-1) and monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. We hypothesized that high stromal MCT4 would predict a worse prognosis and correlate with low stromal Cav-1.