Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Re:Align, George Washington University Cancer Center

RE:

No abstract provided.

Neurotransmitter, Summer 2017, George Washington Institute For Neuroscience Neurological Institute, George Washington University Hospital

Neurotransmitter

No abstract provided.

Motor Learning And Adaptation In People With Knee Osteoarthritis And Chronic Pain, Heather Turcotte, Katherine S. Rudolph

Osteopathic Medicine Student Research Posters

Osteoarthritis (OA) affects an estimated 50 million people in the US, and approximately 43% have limitations in daily function due to arthritis pain.3 Individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA) have heightened sensitization to pain2,5 as well as reduced strength, diminished function and quality of life1 that prompts them to seek care from health care providers. Physical therapists commonly work with patients to improve function and quality of life by helping them learn to move without pain. Unfortunately, chronic pain causes changes to the nervous system that may impact the ability to learn new ways but the extent to which chronic pain …

Knowledge Base Of Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease, Mark Gelatt, Julie Martin, Jennifer A. Marshall, Jennifer Panuco, Jenea Schmidt, Pamela Finn

Posters

Introduction:

Most congenital heart disease [CHD] is diagnosed and treated in early childhood with parents responsible for decision-making. The adolescent assumes this role in preparation for transition to an adult congenital heart program. We studied the knowledge base of our adolescent CHD patients and their parents.

Methods:

Established CHD patients, >11 y.o. and their parents, were independently surveyed in the outpatient clinic. Participation was voluntary. Cardiomyopathy, electrophysiology and transplant patients were excluded. Scores were assessed as full, partial or incomplete.

Results:

Most (98% parents; 83% adolescents) reported that their cardiologist had provided education. Adolescents provided a full (49%) and partial …

The Effect Of Statins In Primary Prevention On All-Cause Mortality, Brian Adams

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

During routine yearly physicals, primary care providers often evaluate serum laboratory lipid levels. Many of these patients have no past medical history of cardiovascular events related to atherosclerotic disease. Some patients do not have secondary risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus or smoking history.

Previous cardiovascular events provide stronger indications for the use of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). In the absence of these, the provider may turn to current guidelines, in this case the 2013 the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association published the 2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular …

Determinants Of Hiv Screening Among Adults In New Jersey After Hurricane Sandy, Nathaniel R. Geyer

2017 Program & Posters

HIV screening is recommended to destigmatize the condition, prevent partner transmission, and postpone AIDS progression. However, determinants associated with implementation of opt-out HIV screening are not well understood. In order to examine determinants that predicted HIV screening for people impacted by Hurricane Sandy, this study aims to evaluate this screening to medical care after a natural disaster.

Analysis Of Metabolic Syndrome As A Modifiable Risk Factor For Prostate Cancer, Michael Butler

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Prostate cancer and metabolic syndrome are both prevalent among men in developed countries with peak incidence after age 50.

• Prostate cancer has no known modifiable risk factors.

• Most risk factors for metabolic syndrome are modifiable.

• If metabolic syndrome is identified as contributing to the risk of prostate cancer it would give an element of self determination to men at risk for prostate cancer.

• Past studies provide conflicting results in the correlation between these two conditions.

• A literature review was performed to evaluate consistencies in current literature.

• Metabolic syndrome or its components do not …

Prophylactic Use Of Metformin To Decrease The Incidence Of Breast Cancer In High Risk, Predisposed Women, Aly Dahl

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in American women and is the second leading cause of mortality.

• In 2015, 234,190 new diagnoses were made and 40,730 deaths from breast cancer.

• Along with a thorough history from the patient, there are also several risk assessment models that should be utilized, such as the common Gail-2 model.

• Any women with a significant family history should also be educated on genetic counseling and/or testing to detect a BRCA1 or 2 mutation.

• Numerous individuals who are positive for this gene elect to undergo prophylactic …

Brugada Syndrome; Preventive Screening Measures To Decrease Associated Cardiac Deaths, Matthew Ryba

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Brugada syndrome is a sodium channel deficiency in the myocardium that can cause arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The myocardium deficient sodium channels can be inherited or affected by environment factors such as fever or medications.

• Screening for this syndrome can be challenging because many times the first symptom of Brugada syndrome is cardiac arrest. Though incidents of sudden cardiac deaths are low, sudden cardiac death can impact families and communities.

• In Italy, screening ECG’s is claimed to have reduced sudden cardiac events by 85% (Maron, 2014). Preventing sudden cardiac death in these patients through sensible, reasonable …

Anticoagulation Therapy For The Elderly With Atrial Fibrillation, Rebecca Hoistad

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Atrial fibrillation increases in occurrence as we age with about 9% of patients developing it by age 90. When a patient is diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, one of the drugs that they are prescribed is an anticoagulant. The purpose of this drug is to prevent thrombus formation in addition to preventing an ischemic stroke. Today, there are many options available for anticoagulation therapy. The options include aspirin, vitamin K antagonists like warfarin, factor Xa inhibitors like rivaroxaban and apixaban, direct thrombin inhibitors like dabigatran, and antiplatelet agents such as clopidogrel.

• A review of the literature was done of …

Effectiveness And Safety Of The Bronchial Thermoplasty Procedure, Kathy Mohammadi

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Asthma: a heterogeneous disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation resulting in respiratory difficulty.

• Bronchial Thermoplasty (BT): a bronchoscopy procedure that delivers radiofrequency energy to the tissues of airway walls thus heating the tissue, causing ablation to reduce the mass of the airway smooth muscle (ASM), hence attenuating bronchoconstriction.

• BT was designed to decrease, de-bulk or partially eliminate excess smooth muscle tissue in the distal airways, with a subsequent decrease in the number of severe asthma attacks.

• BT is an alternative treatment for patients with severe, uncontrolled asthma in which the airway smooth muscle is eliminated using …

Fructose And Its Contribution To Cardiovascular Disease And Metabolic Syndrome, Jessica Anderson

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

The incidence of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and combination of symptoms classified as “metabolic syndrome” that eventually leads to type 2 diabetes have risen dramatically over the past few decades. The current dietary guidelines that advised patients to avoid dietary fats were originally developed in the 1960’s. This led the way for food manufacturers to remove fats in processed foods and replace them with sugars, particularly fructose. At the time there was no clinical trial data that definitively supported these guidelines.

The increased use of fructose as a food additive has dramatically increased the per-capita consumption of this sugar. More recent …

Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency, An Under Considered Diagnosis, Lindsay Venn

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Persistent gastrointestinal (GI) complaints are a common problem in patients presenting to family practice for care.

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a diagnosis that adult patients are labeled with when clinicians have exhausted their differential list and no other cause of their GI symptoms can be confirmed.

• Sucrase-isomaltase deficiency (SID) has been historically shown to present early in life as a congenital disorder, but researchers are now recognizing occurrence later in life as a mild or secondary disorder.

• The literature emphasizes the disconcerting prevalence of sucrase-isomaltasedeficiency (SID), the persistent symptoms associated with it, and the need …

Hepatitis C Screening In The Baby Boomer Cohort, Peter Hyson

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

The USPSTF recommends a one-time screening for Hepatitis C, irrespective of prior risk factors, for individuals born between 1945-1965. Many patients in this group may not be aware of this recommendation or understand very much about Hepatitis C infection. This project sought to educate and promote screening among the "Baby Boomer" cohort at Hinesburg Family Medicine Clinic. A literature review on HCV screening in the age group cohort was carried out and a poster was created.

Education On Tick Bites, Tick Borne Disease, And Prevention In Middlebury, Vt, Florence Dibiase

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Tick borne disease and tick encounters are continuing to increase significantly in Vermont, and represent a significant portion of primary and urgent care visits. In order to spread awareness and educate both providers and patients as to the incidence, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of tick borne diseases, an informational guide was made. This guide includes information for providers including up to date statistics, a tick identification and life cycle guide, and a chart explaining symptoms, lab findings, diagnosis, and treatment of the diseases found in Vermont. It also includes a patient education handout with a cut out identification card. This …

Alpha-1 Deficiency: Better Detection May Improve Outcomes For Copd Patients, Angela Schuster

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a genetic disorder that results in debilitating illnesses like: emphysema, COPD, liver disease, and panniculitis. AATD is highly under-diagnosed based on epidemiologic and population studies that suggest that fewer than 10% of the 60,000-100,000 individuals in the U.S. suspected to have severely deficient alleles have been identified ( Rahaghi et al., 2012). This study examines strategies aimed at improving detection of AATD. The findings indicate that utilizing flags to alert providers of the need for AATD testing initiated by RTs or automated within EMR systems are effective strategies for increasing testing rates and potentially improving …

The Postnatal Management Of Gestational Diabetes, Savannah Prodzinski

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Diabetes mellitus is growing substantially in our nation. Between its natural progression and effects on other body systems, this epidemic is costing us billions of dollars a year.

• Although gestational diabetes typically resolves after pregnancy, women who have had gestational diabetes in the past have a largely increased risk for the development of diabetes mellitus in the future.

• Several things contribute to the development of GDM and DM: decline in β-cell function, lower adiponectin levels and HgbA1C levels in the third trimester.

• Intervening during the critical time after delivery in women with gestational diabetes, will theoretically …

Treatment Options For Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome & Comorbid Depression, Elizabeth Morton

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Irritable bowel syndrome & depression are common comorbidities, however there is a wide variability regarding the appropriate treatment regimens for these patients.

• IBS is classified as a functional bowel disease in which patients suffer from recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort associated with alterations in bowel habits.

• While the cause of IBS is multifactorial, studies have revealed that the dysfunction of the brain-gut pathways are a culprit to disease appearance and progression, as seen in the biopsychosocial model of IBS. This model proposes that abdominal symptoms secondarily impact anxiety & depression symptoms and that psychological factors influence physiologic …

Combating Diabetes In Chittenden County: A Healthcare Provider Referral Campaign To Increase Patient Participation In The Vermont Diabetes Prevention Program, Samantha Magier

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

As of 2016, diabetes affects more than 29 million people in the United States and is the 7th leading cause of death nationwide. In Vermont, 1/10 people are diagnosed with either diabetes or prediabetes, with 6% of Vermonters affected by prediabetes and 5% of Chittenden Country affected by prediabetes. The public health burden of this chronic disease is immense: diabetes costs Vermont an estimated $543 million each year and is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower limb amputations, and adult-onset blindness. Prediabetes occurs when blood sugar is higher than normal but not at the diagnostic threshold of diabetes. Prediabetes …

"Beaver Fever" - Giardiasis In Vermont, Anthony Sassi

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

“Beaver Fever,” or Giardiasis, is caused by a single-celled parasite called Giardia intestinalis. According to the most recent reports by the CDC, Vermont consistently has the highest rate of Giardia infection in the nation. Since the risk of infection for Vermonters is so high, it is important for both patients and providers to understand the transmission, symptoms, and treatment of this very common disease.