Digital Commons Network^™

The Heart’S Hidden Influencer: Epicardial Adipose Tissue In The Pathogenesis Of Heart Failure, Aobo Li, Avilash Mondal, Jianli Zhao, John Zhang, Xin-Liang Ma

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Abstract – Heart failure (HF) is a complex, multifactorial clinical syndrome with diverse etiologies and phenotypic manifestations, affecting millions of people globally. HF is broadly classified into 3 subtypes: HF with reduced ejection fraction, HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction, and HF with preserved ejection fraction. Each subtype exhibits distinct pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical trajectories, and therapeutic responses, posing significant challenges in terms of diagnosis and management. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), a metabolically active visceral fat depot situated in close proximity to the myocardium, plays a dual role in physiological and pathological states, offering potential utility as a biomarker and therapeutic …

Gene Regulatory Programs Of Nk Cells Show That Ncam1 (Cd56) And Kirs Are Controlled By Genetically Polymorphic Distal Regulatory Elements, Mariam A. Salem, Aditi Varkey, Matthew D. Estrada, Kruthika Sharma, Caprice D. Eisele, Nitin Chakravarti, Dean A. Lee, Aharon G. Freud, Bethany L. Mundy-Bosse, Patrick L. Collins

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Owing to their immunoprotective properties, natural killer (NK) cells are critical for the innate immune response to pathogens, as well as a new wave of cancer immunotherapy that harnesses natural cytotoxicity. We sought to study the genetic and epigenetic drivers behind human-specific NK cell receptors, so that we can better understand the underlying cellular function. Here, we present a transcriptomic, proteomic (CITE-seq), and chromatin (single nuclei ATAC-seq) profiling of human peripheral NK cell subsets, which was then compared with genomic databases. Through integrative multi-omics, we demonstrate that CD56^bright versus CD56^dim NK cell subsets have differential distal regulatory element …

Epidemiology Of Healthcare-Associated Ventriculitis And Meningitis (Hcavm) And Community-Acquired Meningitis/Encephalitis And Evaluation Of An Off-Label Pcr Panel For Hcavm Diagnosis, Jaime Nassur, Katarina Schnell, Christine Dolon, Laura Walters, Devin Weber, Matthew Pettengill

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Healthcare-associated ventriculitis and meningitis (HCAVM) is associated with high morbidity and mortality, but rapid diagnostic tests intended to cover microorganisms that typically cause HCAVM are not commercially available. We sought to evaluate the etiology of HCAVM compared to community-acquired meningitis/encephalitis (CAME) at our healthcare system, and to study the utility of repurposing a multiplex molecular panel intended for positive blood cultures for HCAVM cases. Our epidemiologic review demonstrated that HCAVM cases were primarily caused by bacteria and fungi also associated with bloodstream infections, in contrast with CAME cases, which were primarily caused by herpesviruses and Cryptococcus. Eighty-two cerebrospinal fluid …

Two Faces Of Mitral Stenosis: Uncovering Structural And Hemodynamic Signatures Of Rheumatic And Mitral Annular Calcification-Induced Disease, Mohammad S. Hashemi, Peter Abdelmaseeh, Atif Nehvi, Gregg S. Pressman, Arash Kheradvar

Einstein Health Papers

BACKGROUND: Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is common and associated with increased cardiovascular risk and, when severe, mitral stenosis (MS). MAC-related MS differs anatomically and hemodynamically from rheumatic MS (RMS), challenging standard diagnostic methods. This study compares structural and flow characteristics, including  kinetic energy losses, across MAC-related MS, RMS, and normal mitral valves, and evaluates the applicability of conventional diagnostic metrics in MAC.

METHODS: Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic data sets from 70 patients (22 normal mitral valves, 26 RMS valves, 22 MAC valves) were used to obtain linear, area, and volumetric measurements for valve comparison. Representative valves from each group were converted …

Immunogenicity And Efficacy Of A Rabies-Based Vaccine Against Highly Pathogenic Influenza H5n1 Virus, Nir Paran, Christoph Wirblich, Randy Albrecht, Leila Zabihi Diba, Alessandro Tarquinio, Drishya Kurup, Charalambos C. Solomides, Adolfo García-Sastre, Matthias J. Schnell

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

The recent spillover of highly pathogenic influenza A/H5N1 (HPAI-H5N1) viruses to cattle, other mammals, and humans poses a major risk to animal and human health. Virus adaptation to new species highlights the need for effective vaccines for animals and humans. We recently developed a rabies virus-based H5 vaccine encoding the HPAI-H5 antigen and presenting it on the surface of the rabies virus particle. To test the immunogenicity and efficacy of the vaccine in eliciting systemic and mucosal immune response, we vaccinated mice intramuscularly or intranasally with either live or inactivated and adjuvanted vaccine. The vaccine elicited neutralizing antibodies against RABV …

Pilot Evaluation Of The Health Passport (Hse) For People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities (Pwidd), Sarah Halupa

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium

Purpose: People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (PWIDD) have disparities in health outcomes that are in part due to communication barriers. The Health Passport (HSE) application was developed in Ireland to promote participation and inclusion of PWIDD in their own healthcare experience. This evaluation’s aim was to examine the acceptability, usability, and feasibility of the Health Passport (HSE) among three United States (US) stakeholder groups: PWIDD, care partners, and healthcare and community service providers.

Methods: A sequential exploratory mixed-methods approach was used in this evaluation. In Phase 1, semi-structured qualitative interviews examined usability, acceptability, and feasibility of the …

Patient Geographical Area As A Risk Factor For Postoperative Outcomes Following Lumbar Fusion Surgery, Brady Stillman, Bs

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium

Introduction: Rural communities have limited spine surgery care, which disproportionately affects older adults. Research has evaluated how hospital location affects patient outcomes; however, minimal work has investigated the impact of home location. This work’s purpose was evaluating the impact of patient geographical classification (rural/suburban/urban) on lumbar fusion outcomes.

Methods: Adult patients who underwent elective lumbar fusion (2017-2022) at a single tertiary center were identified via Structured Query Language search. Patient demographic/surgical characteristics, surgical outcomes, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were collected. Rural/urban/suburban was assigned by zip code.

Results: 461 patients were included (11.9% urban [U], 78.3% suburban [S], 9.8% rural …

Italian Medical Students' Knowledge, Attitudes And Beliefs About Medical Marijuana And Their Implications On The Italian Medical Curriculum, Sneh S. Shah, Roberta Pastorino, Phd, Giovanni Gambassi, Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: Medical marijuana is gaining clinical and legislative relevance in Italy, yet little is known about Italian medical students’ knowledge, attitudes, and preparedness regarding its therapeutic use. As future physicians, medical students will play a key role in integrating cannabis-based therapies safely into patient care. This study assessed Italian medical students’ perceived knowledge, clinical exposure, and attitudes toward medical marijuana, and evaluated implications for the medical curriculum.

Methods: A cross-sectional, anonymous online survey was distributed to students across Italian medical universities from May 2023 to March 2024. The survey used Likert-scale items to assess attitudes, perceived knowledge, educational exposure, and …

Increasing Physical Activity In Moderate-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Protocol For A Two-Stage Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Remote, Mhealth-Enhanced Intervention, Tessa Hart, Monica Vaccaro, Lauren Krasucki, Inna Chervoneva, Amanda Rabinowitz

Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Papers

OBJECTIVE: Protocol for randomized controlled trial (RCT) examining effects of novel, remotely delivered intervention (called GetUp&Go) to increase physical activity (PA) in chronic, moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI), including a mobile health (mHealth) component.

DESIGN: RCT (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT06028334) with 1:1 randomization to 10 weeks of immediate treatment (IT) or waitlist (WL), with primary outcome measured at 10 weeks. A second randomization to 10 weeks of continued mHealth support vs. no treatment will allow for examination of effects of mHealth on maintenance of treatment gains.

PARTICIPANTS: 70 community-dwelling adults ≥6 months post msTBI; medically cleared and physically/ cognitively able to participate; …

Health Mentor Perspectives On (In)Effective Healthcare Teams: Insights To Inform Care Coordination For Chronically Ill Populations, Arianna Baffa, Kelly Tran, Jane Tobias, Dnp, Crnp-Pc, Nethra S. Ankam, Md, Maria Brucato, Phd

Phase 1

Background

- Disability and chronic illness are a major public health burden in the US 

• More than a quarter of Americans report a functional disability¹
• ~129 million Americans have at least one major chronic disease² 

- Interprofessional teamwork and coordination of care have potential to support the quintuple aim of healthcare³

- Patients with multiple chronic conditions and lower confidence in managing their own health experience more care coordination challenges⁴

- Patient perspectives are needed to improve healthcare services for chronically ill populations, but limited awareness of team approaches in care presents a methodological challenge to …

Designing A Multilingual Instructional Language Tool For Patient Communication In Interventional Radiology, Samuel Almodóvar, Ahlam Houssein, Gregg Khodorov, Md, Mba, Sahib Sohal, Md, Robert Pugliese, Pharmd, David Dwyer, Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Introduction: Current efforts to provide language-inclusive radiological care fall short, resulting in suboptimal imaging, increased procedural time, and greater radiation exposure. Inadequate language accessibility results in poor communication, suboptimal care, and increased patient dissatisfaction. A digital language tool was developed to provide patient instructions during interventional radiology (IR) procedures, addressing this gap and enhancing patient care.

Methods: Observations were carried out to better understand workflow during IR procedures and identify how to incorporate the tool. We conducted interviews with IR physicians, nurses, and technologists to gather common procedural phrases and patient instructions. Spanish and Mandarin were selected because they are …

Exploring Physician Views On Birth Method And Route Of Delivery, Vivian Nguyen, Vincenzo Berghella, Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: In the United States, rates of cesarean deliveries (CD) have been increasing. Despite recommendations from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology to prevent increasing rates of CDs, planned CD has been associated with lower rates of perinatal deaths and better maternal outcomes when compared to planned vaginal delivery (VD). However, the data is limited, so it is important that we conduct randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing maternal and perinatal outcomes in planned CD vs planned vaginal delivery (VD) for nulliparous, term, single, vertex pregnancies. The purpose of study is to survey obstetricians and gynecologists (ob/gyns) on their …

Medicine During The Holocaust: A Comparative Study Of Righteous Dutch, German, And Italian Physicians, Vincent Tse, Salvatore Mangione

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: Authoritarianism can hinder altruism, even among physicians, the most altruistic members of society. Hence, we postulated that the proportion of doctors who saved Jews during the Holocaust (i.e. “Righteous Among the Nations”) was higher in a democratic country like the Netherlands as compared to authoritarian ones like Germany and Italy.

Methods: We analyzed the Yad Vashem database and other census data to determine the total populations, numbers of physicians, numbers of “Righteous”, and numbers of “Righteous” physicians in Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands during WWII. A chi-squared analysis for independence evaluated the association between proportion of “Righteous” physicians to …

Exercise Performance In Ordinary Children And Adolescents: Baseline, Pandemic, And Post-Pandemic, Abby Skiena, Gina D'Aloisio, Ms, Takeshi Tsuda, Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic might have created considerable negative impacts on the physical fitness of ordinary adolescents, which may pose a major threat to long-term cardiovascular health.

Methods: Healthy adolescents (ages 11 to 18) who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) were grouped into baseline (~ 3/2020), pandemic (4/2020 ~12/2022), and post-pandemic (1/2023~ 5/2024) periods. Data are shown as mean ± standard deviation.

Results: Peak oxygen consumption (VO2/kg) and peak work rate (WR/kg) were significantly reduced during pandemic in both sexes and did not improve during post-pandemic in males (Table 1). The decline of peak oxygen pulse (OP/kg) …

Characterizing The Effects Of Antimuscarinics On Rhoa Signaling, Zuhra Tukhtamisheva, Elizabeth L. Mcduffie, Jordan Lee, Steven S. An, Reynold A. Panettieri Jr., Charles Scott

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: Airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma is driven by acetylcholine-mediated activation of the muscarinic acetylcholine 3 receptor (M3R), promoting bronchoconstriction, mucus hypersecretion, and airway remodeling. Despite directly targeting this pathway, antimuscarinics remain adjunctive rather than first-line therapy, suggesting a disconnect between biological rationale and clinical efficacy. Recent work from the Scott Lab at Thomas Jefferson University demonstrates that M3R in human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells drives muscle shortening through G_12/13–driven RhoA signaling rather than through G_q/11-dependent calcium flux. We therefore investigated whether clinically prescribed antimuscarinics effectively inhibit G_12/13-dependent RhoA signaling in HASM cells.

Methods: …

Interrelationship Between Body Mass Index, Venous Sinus Pressures, Craniospinal Elastance, And Intracranial Pressure In Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, Rachel Wang, Ba, Bs, Scott W. Keith, Phd, Pascal M. Jabbour, Md, Stavropoula I. Tjoumakaris, Md, Michael J. Marmura, Md, Michael R. Gooch, Md, Hsiangkuo Yuan, Md, Phd

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: To investigate the interrelationship between body mass index (BMI), venous sinus pressure (VSP), and craniospinal elastance in determining lumbar puncture opening pressure (LP OP) in idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH).

Methods: A single-center retrospective chart review was conducted to identify patients who received venous manometry (8/2021-11/2025) followed by LP within 7 days before stenting. VSPs were measured at standardized locations, including the torcula (TP) and sigmoid/jugular (SIJ) sinuses. Elastance was calculated as (OP – closing pressure)/volume of CSF removed. Statistical analysis (JASP 0.19.3) was performed using generalized linear model (Gaussian identity; scaled center) to assess relationships between LP OP, BMI, …

Comparative Analysis Of Fsrt And Srs For Vestibular Schwannoma Using A Large Multi-Institutional Dataset, Ian Argento, Bs, Daniel Uralov, Md, Jacob Beiriger, Md, Anika Walia, Bs, Kalena Liu, Bs, Wenyin Shi, Md, Jacob B. Hunter, Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) both achieve high control rates of vestibular schwannomas (VS), but their comparative effects on functional outcomes remain uncertain. Prior studies are limited by small sample sizes and heterogeneous methods.

Methods: Deidentified data were analyzed from 100 healthcare organizations through TriNetX. Adults with VS (ICD-10: D33.3) and sensorineural hearing loss (H90.A/H90.1–H90.8) were included. Patients with neurofibromatosis or prior surgical resection were excluded. Treatment cohorts consisted of single-session SRS or ≥2-sessions of FSRT. Propensity score matching (1:1) yielded 909 patients per cohort. Outcomes—including hearing loss, cerebral edema, hydrocephalus, and cranial nerve …

Assessing Familiarity And Comfortability Of Phase 2 Skmc Students In Working With The Intellectually Disabled Population, Lily N. Dudash, Jessica Tomaszewski, Md, Talia Gillespie, Katie Labgold, Phd, Mph

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: People living with an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD) are at increased risk of poor health outcomes due to inadequate access to quality healthcare. Literature suggests that trainees are underprepared to adjust their clinical practice to treat these patients, which may implicate undergraduate medical education curriculum. This study assessed the comfortability of SKMC students who have completed Phase 2 of the JeffMD curriculum in performing clinical tasks while caring for patients with IDD, and if that comfort is affected by prior experience. We predict that students will report low levels of comfort and be engaged in an educational intervention. …

The Impact Of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Factors And Insurance Status On Outcomes Following Reduction Mammoplasty, Teresa Chan, Kelsey Van Housen, Mspas, Emily Isch, Md, Judith Monzy, Julianne Bartz, Matthew Jekins, Md, David Kim, Md, Andrew Newsman, Md, Heather Mcmahon, Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: The impact of socioeconomic status (SES) and neighborhood-level deprivation on surgical outcomes in breast reduction remains unclear. This study evaluated the effect of area deprivation index (ADI) and insurance status on postoperative outcomes following reduction mammoplasty.

Methods: A retrospective review of reduction mammoplasty cases was conducted at a single institution over a 7-year period. Patients ≥18 years old who underwent reduction mammoplasty for benign macromastia were included. Zip-code linked ADI, insurance type, and postoperative complication rate were assessed.

Results: A total of 594 patients were analyzed. Mean age was 36.2 ± 13.1 years and mean body mass index (BMI) …

Neck Circumference As A Novel Predictor Of Cardiovascular Risk Assessed Using Framingham And Prevent Equations, Stephen Garrova, Roshaan Gilani, Steven Muller, Jean Pierre Charpentier, Brian Fedgchin, Glenn Cooper, Cindy Cheng

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: While body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) are standard clinical tools for anthropometric cardiovascular risk assessment, they are limited by measurement variability and patient discomfort. Neck circumference (NC) may offer a novel, convenient, and accurate alternative anthropometric measure for assessment of cardiovascular risk.

Methods: Standardized anthropometric measurements (NC, WC, BMI) were obtained by trained medical students from eligible patients (n = 110, 68% female, 75% African American) from primary care and cardiology offices in an IRB-approved cohort study with retrospective chart review. Electronic medical record data extraction via double data entry was used to calculate cardiovascular …

Jefferson Heart Health (Jhh): A Successful Student-Delivered Motivational Interviewing Pilot Program To Lower Cardiovascular Disease (Cvd) Risk, Nicholas Tomasko, Bs, Cindy Cheng, Md, Phd, Rafael Hernandez, Bs, Alessandra Sapon, Bs

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: The Jefferson Heart Health (JHH) program utilizes student health coaching by trained undergraduate and medical students supporting patients to sustain lifestyle changes and subsequently determine: how can we effectively educate patients by improving adherence to lifestyle recommendations? Also, what is the effectiveness of student-delivered health coaching for reducing patient cardiovascular risk? With our unique student-delivered program, we promote cost-effective lifestyle interventions for lowering overall cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden.

Methods: We successfully completed a four-week pilot with consistent patient attendance. Certified student JHH coaches, supervised by the certified obesity-management specialist and principal investigator, met weekly with 23 patients: 82.6% female/17.4% …

Systematic Evaluation Of Batch Effects In The Cancer Genome Atlas Program Underscores The Need For Batch-Controlled Analysis, Zhongxuan Chen, Stepan Nersisyan, Isidore Rigoutsos, Eric Londin

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: To systematically assess the impact of batch effects on differential expression of isomiR, mRNA, and non-coding RNA (sncRNA) across 13 The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cancer types and develop a standardized, batch-controlled analysis protocol for TCGA datasets.

Methods: Data analysis and visualization were performed using Python v3.12. Plots were generated using matplotlib and seaborn. isomiR, mRNA, and sncRNA sequences across 13 TCGA cancer types were used. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed using scikit-learn for dimensionality reduction. Differential expression was conducted using DESeq2 under the following protocols: 1) primary tumor samples vs matched normal samples processed in the same …

Elucidating The Binding Site Of The Arrestin-Biased Agonist Icl1-20, Kesara Wein, Roger Armen, Jeffrey L. Benovic, Charles P. Scott

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Background and Purpose: 6.7 million Americans live with congestive heart failure (CHF). In CHF, catecholamines are released into cardiac tissue, bind β-adrenergic receptors (βARs), and activate G-protein signaling cascades, causing ischemia and apoptosis. Accordingly, β-blockers are used to antagonize catecholamine binding to βARs and suppress apoptotic downstream effects. However, β-blockers have dose-limiting hypotension, bradycardia and fail to stimulate the cardioprotective β-arrestin signaling pathway. These limits create opportunities for the development of drugs that selectively stimulate β-arrestin signaling while suppressing cardiotoxic G protein signaling. We have previously reported a biased agonist of the β-arrestin pathway (ICL1-20) that selectively stimulates β-arrestin recruitment …

Survival Impact Of Intraoperative Co2 Dysregulation In Patients Undergoing Pancreaticoduodenectomy For Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Ashley Wetzel, Andrea Feci, Joseph Gorman, Isabel Lavine, Edoardo Manca, Richard Zheng, Md, Nader Hanna, Md, Harish Lavu, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Avinoam Nevler, Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) are aggressive malignancies with poor prognoses. Emerging evidence suggests tissue hypercapnia (elevated CO₂) promotes aggressive, treatment resistant tumor biology. End-tidal CO₂ (ETCO₂) offers a composite measure of ventilation, systemic perfusion, and tissue CO₂ production. During curative-intent pancreaticoduodenectomy, we hypothesized that intraoperative ETCO₂ could serve as a marker of tissue CO₂ dyscapnia; both low levels indicating decreased circulatory reserves and high levels indicating tissue hypercapnia may result in worse outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review (2017-2023) of 343 patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for PDAC. Intraoperative ETCO₂ data …

Evaluating The Impact Of Bard1 Isoform Targeting On Pdac Growth And Response To Olaparib, Lily Zekavat, Samuel Zion, Boxuan Wei, Avinoam Nevler, Aditi Jain

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Background

• BRCA-Associated Ring Domain 1 (BARD1), a heterodimeric binding partner of the tumor suppressor BRCA1, plays an essential role in homologous recombination-mediated DNA repair. Mutations in BARD1 increase cancer susceptibility and result in a molecular phenotype that predicts sensitivity to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibition (PARPi), including Olaparib.
• Several alternatively spliced isoforms of BARD1, including BARD1δ and BARD1φ, have also been implicated in tumor progression. These isoforms, characterized by deletion of exons 2-6 and 3-6, respectively, lack the RING domain required for BRCA1 interaction (Figure 1). 
• Upregulation of BARD1 isoforms is associated with poor prognosis in several tumor types. However, the …

National Landscape Of Pediatric And Adult Inpatient Sickle Cell Disease Care, Ashley M. Jenkins, Spoorthy Vangala, Matthew Mcintosh, Robert Legros, Sophie Lanzkron, Kevin Fiscella

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Primary Care Use And Clinical Outcomes In A Prevalent Cohort Of Patients Receiving Hemodialysis, Dustin Le, Hatem Najar, Zoheb Backer, Rohanit Singh, Byoungjun Kim, Morgan E. Grams, Laura Plantinga, Bernard G. Jaar

Division of Nephrology Faculty Papers

Rationale & Objective - Primary care is associated with improved health outcomes, but whether this is true for patients receiving dialysis is unclear. We evaluated the association of primary care use in the previous year and clinical outcomes using a prevalent cohort of patients receiving hemodialysis.

Study Design - Retrospective cohort study.

Setting & Participants - United States Renal Data System registry of prevalent patients requiring maintenance in-center on January 1, 2019, linked with Medicare claims data.

Exposure - Primary care use was defined as ≥ 1 outpatient visit to a provider with the specialty of Family, General, Geriatric, or …

Jackson-Pratt Drain-Related Challenges And A Potential Explanation For Associated Surgical Site Pain Variability Following Breast Mastectomy And Reconstruction, Spencer Haber, Bs, Krishna Koka, Bs, Elizabeth Simon, Bs, Devin Williams, Bs, Andrew Newman, Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Background: The Jackson-Pratt (JP) drain is a closed suction drain used in surgeries throughout the body. This prevents seroma formation through continual negative pressure drainage while resisting collapse and obstruction. JP drains are mainstays in breast reconstruction and mastectomy.

Methods: Through a literature review using keywords such as “Surgical Site Infection” (SSI), “Quality of Life” (QOL), and “Surgical Site Pain” (SSP), we summarized JP drain-related complications in breast reconstruction and mastectomy. Although the drain effectively reduces seroma formation, there has been a lack of innovation in addressing these issues. There is no standardized approach to JP drain post-operative care or …

Clinician Perceptions Of Barriers And Strategies To Improve Pediatric Hypertension Detection, Abbas H. Zaidi, Erica D. Sood, Sarah De Ferranti, Fabliha Khurshan, Samuel Gidding, Varsha Zadokar, Jonathan M Miller, Anne E Kazak

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: Pediatric hypertension remains underrecognized despite its high prevalence (approximately 5%) and long-term cardiovascular implications. Although guidelines for screening and diagnosis exist, less than 25% of affected children are diagnosed, and more than half do not receive timely follow-up care. Clinician-specific implementation barriers and directly informed strategies, which may alleviate this gap, are insufficiently described.

OBJECTIVE: To identify clinician-reported barriers and actionable recommendations to improve pediatric hypertension detection and follow-up in primary care using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted between November 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, with health care …

Use Of Hybrid Versus Video-Only Teledermatology Varies By Condition: A Cross-Sectional Study Of 2064 Encounters, Jacqueline Penn, Kathryn Achuck, Christine Deng, Richard W. Hass, Elizabeth Jones

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.