Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Contingency Management For Smoking Cessation In Pregnancy, Jacob Miller, Brady Reynolds, Courtney Crain, Hisham Keblawi, Lynne J. Goebel

Marshall Journal of Medicine

This pilot study examined the feasibility of applying Contingency Management (CM), where the woman receives financial compensation for abstinence from smoking. Eleven subjects were recruited from Marshall’s OB clinic for the program. CO levels were measured daily using online video recording. Quit rates were determined at the end of pregnancy. Birth outcomes were measured at delivery. 21 pregnant smokers from Marshall’s OB clinic were used as the control group. The results demonstrated a trend toward improved rates of smoking abstinence in CM participants as compared with the control group. Our study also showed a trend towards improved birth outcomes in …

Optimizing Heart Failure Outcomes Through Diet: A Review, Farley B. Neasman Iii

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Heart failure is a growing epidemic that will add significant monetary and human costs to an already overtaxed health-care system. Though promising new medications have recently been approved, this complex condition is largely preventable through aggressive risk factor modification, with diet being shown to have a greater effect than exercise. An underrated component of a healthy diet is the simple addition of nuts – the anti-inflammatory fatty acids, healthy proteins, and general availability have been shown to improve survival and reduce the primary risk factors contributing to heart failure, making the addition of nuts and legumes to the diet an …

Self-Reported Tobacco Use And Correlation With Umbilical Cord Blood Cotinine Levels At Delivery Among Appalachian Gravidas, Jesse Cottrell, Brenda L. Mitchell, Pooja N. Sangani, D'Andrea S. Thomas, Monica A. Valentovic

Marshall Journal of Medicine

The detrimental effects of cigarette use during pregnancy are well documented. Studies have shown that cigarette smoking while pregnant is associated with multiple adverse outcomes including: pre-term birth, placental abruption, placenta previa, fetal growth restriction, stillbirth, increased rate of birth defects, and increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Cotinine is the primary metabolite of nicotine and allows for measurement of active as well as passive exposure. Cotinine freely cross the placental barrier and maternal concentrations are closely correlated with newborn plasma levels. The aim of this study was to compare maternally reported rates of tobacco use to fetal umbilical …

West Virginia Needle Exchange Program, Briana Washington, Sara Johnson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: Needle Exchange Programs (NEPs) have been controversial aspects of public healthcare due to conflicting beliefs and opinions for public policies. NEPs allow Injection Drug Users (IDUs) the ability to exchange their used equipment for clean, unused supplies.

Purpose: The purpose of this literature review was to determine the effectiveness of needle exchange programs and the impact it has had on the reduction of HIV and viral hepatitis infections in people who inject drugs. It further explores if these strategies have had a positive impact on the reduction of HIV and viral hepatitis C in West Virginia.

Methodology …