Digital Commons Network^™

Bridging Gaps: Enhancing Sleep And Health Disparities In Latino Families With Young Adults With Autism Using A Culturally Adapted Intervention, Antonio F Pagán, Alejandro L Pagán, Linda Hernandez, Matthew R Cribbet, Katherine A Loveland, Ron Acierno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The present study examined the effects of a culturally adapted intervention, ¡Iniciando! la Adultez, on sleep and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Latino young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their Spanish-speaking parents. The intervention targeted the transition to adulthood, a period associated with increased challenges in sleep and HRQoL, particularly for underserved Latino populations. Participants included 26 young adults and 38 parents who completed assessments at baseline and post-treatment. The results indicated significant improvements in several HRQoL domains for both groups, with young adults reporting enhanced emotional well-being, social functioning, and general health. Parents experienced notable improvements …

Factors Associated With Venous Complications In Lower Extremity Free Flap Reconstruction: A Multivariate Analysis, Bora Kahramangil, Ellen Wang, Imran Rizvi, Jessica R Nye, Kylie Swiekatowski, Alexandra Dunker, Kate Liao, Michael H Haydon, Jeffrey G Trost, Mohin A Bhadkamkar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Due to their dependent location, lower extremity (LE) free flaps (FFs) are at increased risk for venous complications. This study analyzes risk factors of venous complications in LE FFs.

Methods: A single-center retrospective review was conducted of adult patients undergoing LE FF reconstruction from 2016 to 2025. Variables included demographics, wound and operative characteristics, and the number of venous anastomoses. The primary outcome was venous complications, defined as a composite variable encompassing venous congestion, flap loss due to venous causes, and flap hematoma.

Results: The cohort consisted of 370 patients undergoing LE FF reconstructions. Single venous anastomosis was used …

A Patient-Centric Chatbot For Improving Clinical Trial Accessibility, Yumeng Yang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Clinical trial enrollment remains a major challenge, and low accrual continues to delay study completion, increase research costs, and slow the development of new therapies. A barrier is the scale of the trial-matching problem: patients and clinicians must search through a large and growing number of studies, while each trial contains complex eligibility criteria that may overlap only partially with other trials. Although public registries such as ClinicalTrials.gov make trial information available, they do not adequately help patients identify which studies are most relevant to their clinical profile. This dissertation addresses that information problem by developing and evaluating a patient-centric …

Graph And Language Models For Biomedical Inference Across Networks And Text, Evan Yu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Biomedical research increasingly relies on large and heterogeneous data sources to support scientific inference. However, relevant evidence is often distributed across environments that differ substantially in structure, reliability, and scale. Biomedical evidence may be represented in relational networks that encode interactions among entities and in large-scale text corpora that contain unstructured knowledge and discourse. Developing computational approaches capable of extracting reliable and interpretable signals from these diverse data environments remains a central challenge. This dissertation investigates how graph and language models can support robust biomedical inference across three evidence environments: relational epidemiologic networks, large-scale social media discourse, and biomedical scientific …

Making Value Visible: A Translational Informatics Study Of Independent Primary Care, Julia Pulliam

Translational Projects (Open Access)

The transition to Value-Based Care (VBC) challenges independent rural primary care practices due to heavy administrative burdens, interoperability barriers, and a reliance on claims data that often undervalues care. This project aimed to improve clinical data reporting to Medicare Advantage Quality Incentive Programs (QIPs) at Oregon City Family Practice (OCFP). By focusing on colon cancer screening metrics, the project sought to demonstrate how automating semantic interoperability can accurately reflect care quality, reduce manual waste, and increase revenue. Guided by the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice (JHEBP) framework, Plan-Do Study-Act (PDSA) cycles were used to design a transition from manual reporting to …

56-Year-Old Man With Dyspnea And Volume Overload, Altamish Daredia, Han Yu, Ryan Walsh, Benjamin Karfunkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Probability Of Fentanyl Adulteration In Cocaine Selectively Decreases Cocaine Demand, Cecilia Nunez, Jin H Yoon, James Mackillop, Margaret C Wardle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Fentanyl-related, cocaine-overdose deaths have drastically increased, yet research on how people who use cocaine perceive fentanyl adulteration is limited. This study developed the novel Adulterated Cocaine Purchasing Task (ACocPT), a modification of the original Cocaine Purchasing Task, to quantify how people respond to fentanyl adulteration in cocaine. In the ACocPT, participants indicated how much cocaine they would purchase when cocaine had no (0%) vs. some (10%) probability of fentanyl adulteration. Study aims were: 1) determine how possible fentanyl adulteration affects cocaine demand, and 2) determine which individual characteristics predict continued demand for cocaine despite fentanyl adulteration. This Amazon Mechanical Turk …

Carotid Endarterectomy Remains A Feasible Bailout For Progressive Disease After Transcarotid Artery Revascularization: A Case Report, Aidin Baghbani, Blaz Podgorsek, Jason B Storch, Gordon H Martin, Naveed U Saqib, Daniel G Miles

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) remains the gold standard for carotid revascularization, though transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) has emerged as a less invasive alternative. We present a 67-year-old man with prior bilateral TCAR who developed severe right internal carotid artery restenosis 14 months after the procedure. Imaging confirmed >80% stenosis due to progressive plaque burden compressing the stent. The patient underwent successful CEA with en bloc stent explant using a standard technique. Recovery was uneventful. This case demonstrates the technical feasibility and safety of surgical stent explant after TCAR and reinforces CEA as a reliable salvage strategy when stent failure or disease …

Carotid Endarterectomy Remains A Feasible Bailout For Progressive Disease After Transcarotid Artery Revascularization: A Case Report, Aidin Baghbani, Blaz Podgorsek, Jason B Storch, Gordon H Martin, Naveed U Saqib, Daniel G Miles

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) remains the gold standard for carotid revascularization, though transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) has emerged as a less invasive alternative. We present a 67-year-old man with prior bilateral TCAR who developed severe right internal carotid artery restenosis 14 months after the procedure. Imaging confirmed >80% stenosis due to progressive plaque burden compressing the stent. The patient underwent successful CEA with en bloc stent explant using a standard technique. Recovery was uneventful. This case demonstrates the technical feasibility and safety of surgical stent explant after TCAR and reinforces CEA as a reliable salvage strategy when stent failure or disease …

Weight Loss And Chronic Rhinosinusitis In The Obese Population: Associations With Disease Risk And Burden, Zain Mehdi, Akshay R Prabhakar, Jagan M R Dwarampudi, Justina R Varghese, Heli Majeethia, Faizaan Khan, Roshan Dongre, Franklin M Wu, Aatin Dhanda, Sebastian Guadarrama-Sistos-Vazquez, Tania Banerjee, Renjie Hu, Amber U Luong, Dennis M Tang, Edward D Mccoul, Mohammad Chaaban, Masayoshi Takashima, Omar G Ahmed

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Obesity is associated with increased risk and severity of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), yet the impact of weight loss (WL) on CRS development and burden is not well defined. This study investigates whether weight reduction influences the likelihood of developing CRS and improves clinical outcomes among obese adults.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study using the NIH All of Us database. Obese adults (BMI ≥ 30) with complete demographics and follow-up were included. To assess CRS onset, patients were stratified into sequential WL cohorts and followed for 1 year. To assess CRS outcomes, patients who lost ≥ 5 BMI points were categorized …

Dyadic Associations Between Stress And Sleep Quality And Moderating Effects Of Emotional Intimacy And In Survivors Of Young Adult Cancer And Their Spouses: An Observational Study, Haejeong An, Seokhun Kim, Michael Roth, Kathrin Milbury, Dalnim Cho

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Survivors of young adult (YA) cancer often experience substantial stress during the transition to survivorship, which may impair sleep. Although the stress-sleep link is well established, its role within survivor-spouse dyads remains unclear. Emotional intimacy may influence how couples regulate stress and affect sleep. This study examined dyadic associations between stress and sleep among survivors of YA cancer and their spouses and significant others (hereafter spouses) and tested emotional intimacy as a moderator.

Methods: A total of 103 survivor of YA cancer-spouse dyads completed self-reported measures of stress, emotional intimacy, and sleep quality. An actor-partner interdependence moderation model was …

Reply To Ozkok Et Al., Vikas Kannojiya, Akshita Sahni, Emily Eickhoff, Neha Zacharia, Nicole St Clair, Noah Schulz, Peter E Hammer, Pedro J Del Nido, Rahul H Rathod, David M Hoganson, Vijay Govindarajan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Prkg1 Pathogenic Variants Cause Thoracic Aortic Dissection With Minimal Aortic Dilation: Insights From The Uthealth Houston Multidisciplinary Aortic And Vascular Disease Conference, Ali Askari, Jennifer R Landes, Alana Cecchi, Cihan Duran, Bihong Zhao, Gustavo S Oderich, L Maximilian Buja, Dianna M Milewicz, Anthony L Estrera, Rana O Afifi, Siddharth K Prakash

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A single, recurrent, gain-of-function pathogenic variant in PRKG1 (p.Arg177Gln, also referred to as p.Arg192Gln) causes heritable thoracic aortic disease with a high lifetime risk for aortic dissections that frequently occur before there is enlargement of the proximal thoracic aorta. This report summarizes the clinical manifestations of the PRKG1 pathogenic variant in two unrelated families, including early-onset type A dissection, chronic thoracoabdominal dissection with visceral complications, and elective aortic repair of the proximal aorta with minimal enlargement. In both families, multiple individuals experienced acute dissections at young ages that led to five fatalities. These cases illustrate the early onset of manifestations …

Distinct Effects Of Complement C4a And C4b Copy Numbers In Systemic Sclerosis Serological And Clinical Subtypes, Javier Martínez-López, Carlos Rangel-Peláez, Inmaculada Rodriguez-Martin, Alfredo Guillen-Del-Castillo, Carmen P Simeón-Aznar, José L Callejas, Oliver Distler, Susanna M Proudman, Mandana Nikpour, Nicolas Hunzelmann, Gianluca Moroncini, Jeska K De Vries-Bouwstra, Ariane L Herrick, Yannick Allanore, Marta E Alarcon-Riquelme, Lorenzo Beretta, Shervin Assassi, Christopher P Denton, Maureen D Mayes, Javier Martin, Marialbert Acosta-Herrera, Martin Kerick

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Complement component 4 (C4), encoded by C4A and C4B within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on chromosome 6, regulates the immune response and clears immune complexes. The variable copy number (CN) of C4 genes and retroviral human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) element influence its function. Given the relationship of C4 CN with systemic sclerosis (SSc) risk, we assessed associations with SSc clinical and serologic subtypes.

Methods: We compared imputed C4 CNs across SSc subgroups (4,049 anticentromere positive [ACA+]; 2,200 anti-topoisomerase I [ATA+]; 577 anti-RNA polymerase [ARA+]; 1,078 triple-negative [TN] patients; 6,295 limited cutaneous SSc [lcSSc]; and 2,946 diffuse cutaneous …

Vascular Disease Patient Information Page: Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (Hht), Rohan R Kasthuri, Harish Eswaran, Karen Smith, Raj S Kasthuri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Associations Between Sociodemographic Predictors And Age Of Referral For Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd) Diagnosis Since The Beginning Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Mallika Mathur, Ruosha Li, Sandra Mckay, Christine Markham, Deepali K Ernest, Shreela Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Sociodemographic characteristics, such as race and ethnicity, are associated with delays in ASD diagnosis. However, limited literature has examined the characteristics associated with delayed diagnosis since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify the individual and aggregate sociodemographic characteristics associated with the age at which a child receives a referral for a diagnosis (from March 2020 to May 2023) and evaluate the impacts of the pandemic on this association.

Methods: Using cross-sectional data obtained from patients' electronic health records and the U.S. Census Bureau, we examined associations using linear regressions (N = 507). A subgroup …

Inflating Your Success: An Algorithmic Approach To Improving Outcomes In Pediatric Tissue Expansion, Jackson C Green, Samuel G Ruiz, Kylie R Swiekatowski, Ellen B Wang, Paul Won, Chioma G Obinero, Tien Do, Danielle Sobol, Matthew R Greives

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Tissue expanders (TEs) are vital for creating soft tissue for reconstruction. This study examines the challenges of pediatric TEs and proposes an algorithm to minimize complications and optimize outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective review (2014-2024) included patients younger than 18 years with TEs, excluding breast reconstruction cases. Initial TE fills were performed in-clinic 2 weeks postoperatively with parent education, whereas subsequent expansions were managed at home. Parents monitored for complications, started antibiotics, and scheduled urgent visits if needed. Data collected included demographics, TE characteristics, indications, defect size, and outcomes.

Results: Forty pediatric patients (median age: 5.2 y) had 96 TEs …

Growth Failure And Early Recurrence In Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: An International Cohort Study, Rachel C Bordelon, Kylie I Holden, Charles C Miller, Ashley H Ebanks, Kevin P Lally, Matthew T Harting, Allison L Speer, Representing The Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Study Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: The primary objective was to determine whether growth failure (GF) is associated with early recurrence in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). The secondary objective was to characterize the prevalence and severity of GF in CDH survivors.

Background: GF is common among CDH survivors, yet it is unclear how growth challenges affect overall morbidity, including hernia recurrence. CDH-specific nutritional guidelines include high calorie and protein targets during periods of acute illness but may benefit from clarifying the relationship between growth and adverse outcomes in this population.

Methods: This multicenter cohort study retrospectively analyzed prospectively collected data from the CDH Study Group …

A Treat-To-Target Approach For Obesity Management: A Post Hoc Analysis Of The Surmount-5 Trial., Carel W Le Roux, Luca Busetto, Louis Aronne, Deborah Bade Horn, Georgios K Dimitriadis, Beverly Falcon, Luis-Emilio Garcia-Perez, Elisa Gomez Valderas, Theresa Hunter Gibble, Cagri Senyucel, Julia P Dunn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: With new advancements in obesity medicine, clarity on goals and expectations for successful disease management is limited. This post hoc analysis assessed application of proposed treat-to-target (TtT) thresholds for obesity to the outcome measures of SURMOUNT-5, which randomised participants with obesity to tirzepatide or semaglutide.

Methods: The proportion of participants in each treatment group reaching proposed TtT thresholds for waist to height ratio (WHtR) < 0.53, body mass index (BMI) < 27 kg/m2, or a combination was evaluated. The associations between the thresholds and achieving low disease activity to remission (meeting goals for at least four of five defined cardiometabolic risk parameters) and normalisation or improvement in SF-36v2 physical component score (PCS) from baseline to week 72 were explored.

Results: About 23.1%-33.9% of participants treated with tirzepatide and 14.2%-20.7% treated with semaglutide reached the TtT thresholds, with greater weight reduction than the overall population. About 77% of participants who reached WHtR < 0.53 achieved low disease activity to remission, with an odds ratio of 2.31 (p < 0.001) compared to those who did not reach this target. The BMI threshold was not statistically associated with the assessed outcomes for SF-36v2 PCS.

Conclusion: In this …

Multiparametric Mri To Predict Response To Irreversible Electroporation Plus Anti-Pd-1 Immunotherapy In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Qizhen Cao, Mark D Pagel, Charles V Kingsley, Jingfei Ma, James P Long, Xiaoxia Wen, Seth T Gammon, Jorge Delacerda, Sanaz Javadi, Chun Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To investigate contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MRI and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) for early prediction of tumor response to combined irreversible electroporation (IRE) and anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.

Methods: Murine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells KRAS* were inoculated into the pancreas of C57BL/6 mice. IRE was performed when tumors became palpable. After IRE, mice received six intraperitoneal injections of anti-PD-1 over 2 weeks. T2-weighted MRI, T1-weighted MRI with macromolecular contrast agent poly(L-glutamic acid)-conjugated gadolinium (PG-Gd), and DWI were performed before and after IRE. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves. Mice surviving at least 100 days without recurrence after IRE were considered complete …

Natural Language Generation In Healthcare: A Review Of Methods And Applications, Mengxian Lyu, Xiaohan Li, Ziyi Chen, Jinqian Pan, Cheng Peng, Sankalp Talankar, Yonghui Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: This study presents a systematic review of natural language generation (NLG) methods and applications in the medical domain, providing quantitative and qualitative analyses to answer four key research questions regarding methods, evaluation, applications, and challenges of NLG in healthcare.

Methods: We searched PubMed, ACM Digital Library, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, Embase, and ACL Anthology for NLG-related studies in healthcare from 2018 to 2024. Out of 3,988 research articles, 113 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed across data modality, model architecture, evaluation metrics, and application domain.

Results and conclusion: NLG in healthcare has grown substantially, with annual …

Kidney Disease And Heart Failure: Recent Advances And Current Challenges: Conclusions From A Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (Kdigo) Controversies Conference, Carolyn S P Lam, Biykem Bozkurt, David Z I Cherney, Justin A Ezekowitz, Meg J Jardine, Sadiya S Khan, Magdalena Madero, Mark J Sarnak, Jozine M Ter Maaten, Michael Cheung, Jennifer M King, Morgan E Grams, Michel Jadoul, Nisha Bansal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) frequently coexist, which elevates the risks of hospitalization, disease progression, and death. Despite advances in treating each condition independently, many challenges remain in diagnosing and managing them in combination. In March 2024, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) held the Controversies Conference on Kidney Disease and Heart Failure: Recent Advances and Current Challenges. Discussions highlighted the complex, bidirectional relationship between HF and CKD, including shared risk factors and overlapping pathophysiology as well as nuances in interpreting biomarkers such as natriuretic peptides and serum creatinine. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, and emerging …

Cardiovascular Outcomes With Icosapent Ethyl By Burden Of Standard Modifiable Cardiovascular Risk Factors In Reduce-It, Rahul Aggarwal, Deepak L Bhatt, Michael Miller, Christie M Ballantyne, Eliot A Brinton, Terry A Jacobson, Steven B Ketchum, Jean-Claude Tardif, Matthew J Budoff, Gemma A Figtree, Ph Gabriel Steg

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Robotic Single-Incision Laparoscopic Surgery For The Management Of Endometriosis: First Experience Via The Da Vinci Sp Platform, Qiannan Yang, Daniel Y Lovell, Xiaoming Guan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: To demonstrate the feasibility and mid-term outcomes of Robotic single-port single-incision laparoscopic surgery (RSP-SILS) for endometriosis management.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 50 adult women with endometriosis who underwent RSP-SILS via the da Vinci SP platform between November 2023 and July 2025.

Results: Median total operative time was 142 min, robot dock time was 3 min, and robot console time was 99 min. Median estimated blood loss was 25 mL. No conversion occurred. Reported mid-term outcomes included 1 case each of pelvic haematoma, Clostridioides difficile colitis, and umbilical surgical site infection, as well as 3 cases of …

Robotic-Assisted Transumbilical Single-Site And Transvaginal Notes Resection Of Abdominal Wall Cesarean Scar Endometriosis: Two Case Reports, Xiaoming Guan, Qiannan Yang, Victoria Zhang, Chunhua Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Driveline Infections Among Patients Supported With Left Ventricular Assist Devices: A Single Center Sixteen-Year Longitudinal Profile, Anh Nguyen, Alexis Shafii, Gabriel Loor, Andrew Civitello, O Howard Frazier, Todd Rosengart, Kenneth Liao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) driveline infections significantly impact patient outcomes. This study aimed to identify their risk factors.

Methods: We analyzed LVAD data from our institutional Intermacs database (January 1, 2008-December 31, 2023), combining primary implants and pump exchanges. Patient characteristics were summarized as frequencies for categorical variables and median (IQR) for continuous variables. The nature of repeated infection events was handled by the Andersen-Gill method within a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model for cause-specific hazard of driveline infections, accounting for death and heart transplant as competing risks.

Results: Our cohort included 1026 LVAD implants. Median patient age …

Long-Term Outcomes Of Left Bundle-Branch Pacing Vs Biventricular Pacing In Heart Failure: The Heartsync-Lbbp Randomized Clinical Trial, Xueying Chen, Xi Liu, Ruogu Li, Zhongkai Wang, Yixiu Liang, Lei Zhang, Wei Wang, Jin Bai, Jingfeng Wang, Shengmei Qin, Weiwei Zhang, Tianbao Yao, Dong Huang, Ting Chen, Xianxian Zhao, Dening Liao, Jingbo Li, Jialiang Mao, Mihail G Chelu, Yangang Su, Kenneth A Ellenbogen, Junbo Ge

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: Left bundle-branch pacing (LBBP) has been proposed as an alternative to biventricular pacing (BiVP) for patients with heart failure with left bundle-branch block (LBBB). However, robust clinical evidence from randomized clinical trials is lacking.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of LBBP and BiVP.

Design, setting, and participants: This multicenter, prospective, randomized clinical trial enrolled 200 patients at 6 centers in China with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 35% or less and LBBB from October 2020 to March 2022. This study was took place from October 2020 to September 2024. These data were analyzed September 2024 …

Novel Variants Identified In Families With Snx27 -Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder, Aiding In Characterizing Its Genotypic And Phenotypic Spectrum, Tayyaba Shan, Abrar Hussain, Anushree Acharya, Mulazim Hussain, Yumei Li, Hafiz Muhammad Jafar Hussain, Kiran Afshan, Suzanne M Leal, Rui Chen, Asif Mir, Isabelle Schrauwen, Sabika Firasat

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background:

Sorting Nexin 27 (SNX27), a key regulator of synaptic receptor trafficking and endosomal recycling, has been implicated in maintaining synaptic homeostasis and cognitive function. To date, variants in SNX27 have been reported in a small number of patients across three publications with severe neurodevelopmental phenotypes. However, the genetic and functional landscape of SNX27-related disorders remains poorly understood, and further evidence is needed to confirm its association with disease and to better delineate the associated phenotype.

Methods and Results:

Two unrelated Pakistani families with a total of five affected individuals segregating a neurodevelopmental disorder were investigated via exome …

Aht Diagnoses: The Influences Of Clinical Presentation And Evidence Of Impact, Ruairi Smith-Dewey, Angela Bachim, Colleen Bressler, Kristine Campbell, Lori Frasier, Christopher Greeley, Danielle Horton, Nicole Johnson, Jan Leonard, Megan M Letson, Caitlin Mcnamara, Ashley Sherman, Shalon Nienow, Stuart Sommers, Joanne N Wood, James Anderst

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: The frequency of abusive head trauma (AHT) diagnoses by child abuse pediatricians (CAPs), especially regarding external evidence of head impact, has been questioned.

Objectives: To compare CAP diagnoses in subjects with subdural hemorrhage (SDH) across clinical presentations, including subgroups with and without external evidence of head impact. Additionally, we aimed to describe subjects with SDH and concomitant suspicious injuries (CSI) without evidence of head impact.

Participants and setting: Multicenter retrospective study including subjects < 24 months old with SDH.

Methods: Subjects were divided into groups based on clinical presentations: Ill SDH only, Non-ill SDH only, and SDH + CSI. Groups were subcategorized based on presence/absence …

Yield Of Injury Testing For Contacts Of Children Evaluated For Physical Abuse, Lígia Batista, Joanne N Wood, Tagrid M Ruiz-Maldonado, M Katherine Henry, Jan Leonard, Angela Bachim, James D Anderst, Farah W Brink, Hannah B Sahud, Lori D Frasier, Nancy S Harper, Natalie Laub, Colleen J Bressler, Daniel M Lindberg

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Siblings and household contacts of physically abused children are at increased risk for physical abuse and may have injuries that are not clinically apparent. However, injury testing recommendations for contact children remain debated.

Objective: Our objective was to describe testing practices and yield for contacts of physically abused children.

Participants and settings: This is a cross-sectional study of children < 10 years old evaluated for physical abuse at 10 US pediatric referral centers in the CAPNET research network.

Methods: We report the proportion of contact children who had a skeletal survey (SS) or neuroimaging and describe the proportion of tests that identified injuries.

Results: Among 6256 index evaluations, 4863 contacts were identified. Among 794 contacts with physical examinations, …