Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Simultaneous Diagnosis Of Hiv And Disseminated Kaposi Sarcoma, Catherine Loehr

Medicine Research Day

Case Report: A 26-year-old man with newly diagnosed HIV (on Biktarvy, recent undetected viral load, CD4 496) complicated by Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) presented to the ED for gradual severe left lower extremity (LLE) pain and edema radiating to his groin onset 2 weeks prior. Also complained of subjective fever, chills and night sweats. He had a previous episode of generalized swelling 7 months prior when his oropharyngeal mass was biopsied and found to be HIV positive with KS. He was initiated on antiretroviral therapy with Biktarvy and referred to oncology for KS management where he completed six cycles of Doxorubicin …

Sinister Sinusitis: Unraveling The Myserty Of Subgaleal Abscess, Salim Lutfallah

Medicine Research Day

No abstract provided.

Methotrexate Toxicity Induced Pancytopenia And Oral Ulcerations, Brooke Mcvaney, Salim Lutfalla

Medicine Research Day

Authors: Brooke McVaney, DO; Salim Lutfallah, MS3; Ashley Misky, DO; Najy Masri, MD Louisiana State University Internal Medicine, New Orleans, LA

Case: A 65-year-old male presented to the emergency department with painful oral ulcerations for 10 days and a generalized rash for 6 days. His medical history was significant for coronary artery disease, seropositive rheumatoid arthritis on MTX, and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Vital signs were within normal limits upon presentation. On exam he was noted to have scattered petechiae with central erosions and excoriations to the bilateral upper and lower extremities, palms, back and trunk. He had oral mucosal lesions …

Cryptogenic Pyogenic Liver Abscess Due To Parvimonas Micra And Fusobacterium Nucleatum, Hope Otto Moise, Allen Byl

Medicine Research Day

Cryptogenic Pyogenic Liver Abscess due to Parvimonas micra and Fusobacterium nucleatum

Authors and Affiliates: Allen Byl, DO, Hope Oddo Moise, MD, Danielle Gilbert, DO, Nataliya Khimitch, MD, Paul Videau, MD, Victoria Burke, MD

Case: A 30-year-old male presented with fevers, chills, body aches, and abdominal pain for 7 days. He had a medical history of obesity and alcohol use. He reported abdominal pain as colicky in nature and associated with nausea, persistent non-bloody and non-bilious vomiting. At the time of hospital admission, he was afebrile but tachycardic with a heart rate of 122 BPM. His physical exam was significant for …

Leptospirosis: An Uncommon Cause Of Fever And Transaminitis In The Continental United States, Hope Otto Moise, Allen Byl

Medicine Research Day

Leptospirosis: An Uncommon Cause of Fever and Transaminitis in the Continental United States

Authors and Affiliates: Allen Byl, DO; Hope Oddo Moise, MD; Danielle Gilbert, DO, MPH; Michael Olejniczak, MD; Ashley Misky, DO; Tom Fox, MD; Alexa Lapointe, MD; Michael Modica, MD; Michelle Blyth, MD.

Case: A 24-year-old man presented with fevers, rigors, body aches, and headache for 6 days. He had recently returned from a 2-week trip to Colombia, during which time he went white water rafting, drank filtered stream water, had prolonged insect exposure with bites, and ate locally prepared food, including various meats. No one else from …

Pyogenic Liver Abscess As A Late Complication Of Hernia Repair, Carter Pesson

Medicine Research Day

Pyogenic liver abscess as a late complication of hernia repair

• Carter Pesson, MD, MPH (LSUHSC) < cpesso@lsuhsc.edu > • Sidney Mejia, MD, MPH (LSUHSC) < smeji1@lsuhsc.edu > • Sanjay Kamboj, MD (LSUHSC) < skambo@lsuhsc.edu >

Clinical Vignette: An 81-year-old male with a past medical history significant for thoracic aortic aneurysm, HTN, enucleated right eye, and incarcerated inguinal hernia status post repair presented to the emergency department with progressive weakness associated with subjective fever, chills, and unintentional weight loss. On exam, he had epigastric abdominal tenderness overlying a palpable, immobile mass measuring approximately 3 cm, circumscribed with visible vasculature surrounding the tissue, along with 1+ pitting edema to bilateral …

Parkinsonism-Hyperpyrexia Syndrome: A Case Report Emphasizing Early Recognition And Management In Parkinson's Disease, Hannah Rader

Medicine Research Day

Parkinsonism-Hyperpyrexia Syndrome: A Case Report Emphasizing Early Recognition and Management in Parkinson's Disease

Nguyen, DD1,2, Rader, H1,2, Coe, B1,2, Bell, M1,2, Qureshi, H1,2, Olejniczak, M1,2, McCarron, RE1,2 1Department of Internal Medicine, LSU Health, New Orleans, LA 2Ochsner Medical Center, Kenner, LA

Abstract Parkinsonism-hyperpyrexia syndrome is an uncommon but severe clinical entity with diverse symptoms, including muscular stiffness, hyperthermia, autonomic dysfunction, respiratory distress, and altered consciousness. PHS can be triggered by the abrupt cessation of dopaminergic agents in Parkinson's disease patients. We present a case of a 67-year-old man with Parkinson's disease who developed PHS due to nonadherence to dopaminergic medications. …

A Rare Case Of Tuberculous Pyomyositis Masquerading As Dermatomyositis, Yasi Magharehabed, Tayana Rodriguez

Medicine Research Day

A Rare Case of Tuberculous Pyomyositis Masquerading as Dermatomyositis

Tayana Rodriguez M.D., Yasmeen Magharehabed MS, Amy Wolfe M.D., Crystal Zheng M.D., Laura Hutchins M.D. LSU Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care

Medicine Intro: Tuberculosis (TB) can manifest as two diseases: latent tuberculosis (LTI) or active tuberculosis. TB frequently involves the lung but can be extrapulmonary. Primary tuberculous myositis accounts for <1% of skeletal TBI.1 Here we discuss a rare case of primary tuberculous pyomyositis. The patient was treated for what was thought to be dermatomyositis (DM) given his presentation with bilateral upper extremity swelling and positive markers on the myositis panel. Immunosuppressive therapy was administered for approximately 9 months. After many hospitalizations, including ICU admissions, he was eventually diagnosed and treated for tuberculous pyomyositis.

Case: A healthy 44 year-old-male with no past medical history was admitted to the hospital for bilateral hand swelling, R periorbital edema, dyspnea and fever. On admission he was found to be hypoxic to 91%. Chest CT that showed ground …

A Rare Presentation Of Scurvy In A Well-Nourished Patient, Connor Robin

Medicine Research Day

A Rare Presentation of Scurvy in a Well-Nourished Patient

Connor Robin (LSUHSC School of Medicine)

Vitamin C deficiency, otherwise known as scurvy, is a rare diagnosis among populations with adequate nutritional resources. We present a 37-year-old female patient with bilateral lower extremity edema, episodic anasarca, petechiae, and easy bruising who was diagnosed with scurvy. Given the clinical presentation, a broad differential was investigated with no findings suggestive of hematologic or cardiovascular pathology. Initial laboratory studies were unremarkable. Progression of cutaneous symptoms and subsequent laboratory findings demonstrating low vitamin C levels supported a diagnosis of scurvy. Classical symptoms of scurvy include …

Marantic Endocarditis In Antiphospholipid Syndrome: An Incidental Discovery Leading To Aortic Valve Replacement, Sepehr Sadgeghi

Medicine Research Day

Marantic endocarditis in antiphospholipid syndrome: An incidental discovery leading to aortic valve replacement.

Sepehr Sadeghi, DO. Department of Medicine, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA.

Case Presentation: A 60-year-old female with a past medical history of left popliteal DVT, APS, pulmonary embolism with open embolectomy, and ischemic stroke presented to the hospital after being referred by her cardiologist after a large mobile aortic valvular vegetation was noted on a routine TTE. On presentation, patient was asymptomatic with unremarkable vital signs. Physical exam showed cyanosis and mottling in the left lower extremity, of which a venous doppler US was negative. …

Percutaneous Interventions In Recurrent Peripheral Artery Disease: A Case Of Total Popliteal Artery Occlusion Addressed With A Multi-Modality Approach, Sepehr Sadgeghi

Medicine Research Day

Percutaneous interventions in recurrent peripheral artery disease: A case of total popliteal artery occlusion addressed with a multi-modality approach

Sepehr Sadeghi, DO; Asad Mussarat, MD. Department of Medicine LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA

Case Presentation: A 67-year-old male with a medical history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and coronary artery disease with multiple prior interventions presented with acute-onset pain in his right lower extremity following bicycle exercise. Concurrent symptoms included dyspnea, chest pain, diaphoresis, and non-bloody emesis. Physical examination revealed notable pallor in the right lower limb, absent left pedal pulses, and an EKG indicating normal sinus rhythm with PVCs …

Reversal Of Vision Metamorphopsia: A Rare Presentation Of Status Migrainosus, Sepehr Sadgeghi

Medicine Research Day

Reversal of Vision Metamorphopsia: A Rare Presentation of Status Migrainosus

Sepehr Sadeghi, DO1; Sumrita Bindra, DO2; Tejal Naik, MD1; Mohammed Ziada, MD1. Department of Medicine1; Department of Neurology2 LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA

Case Presentation: Our patient is a 42-year-old female with a past medical history of migraines secondary to traumatic bifrontal small subarachnoid hemorrhages in 2017. She presented to the emergency department with left upper extremity weakness and a headache that began an hour before arrival. In the emergency department, she was stroke-activated. CT of the Head without contrast and CTA of the head and neck were …

West Nile Virus Encephalitis: An Atypical Case Presentation, Sepehr Sadgeghi

Medicine Research Day

West Nile Virus encephalitis: An atypical case presentation

Sepehr Sadeghi, DO; Gurtaj Mahil, OMS-4. Department of Medicine, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA.

Case Presentation: A 60-year-old male with a history of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, stroke with left-sided hemiparesis, and epilepsy presented after being found unconscious in his backyard. He could not provide history due to altered mental status, but his brother reported that the patient lived independently. Initially, he was only oriented to person, had a fixed rightward gaze, left hemineglect, increased muscle tone, and generalized tremors. He was hypertensive to 241/102 and febrile at 102.6 F. …

Percutaneous Interventions In Recurrent Peripheral Artery Disease: A Case Of Total Popliteal Artery Occlusion Addressed With A Multi-Modality Approach, Sepehr Sadgeghi

Medicine Research Day

Percutaneous interventions in recurrent peripheral artery disease: A case of total popliteal artery occlusion addressed with a multi-modality approach

Sepehr Sadeghi, DO; Asad Mussarat, MD. Department of Medicine LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA Case Presentation: A 67-year-old male with a medical history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and coronary artery disease with multiple prior interventions presented with acute-onset pain in his right lower extremity following bicycle exercise. Concurrent symptoms included dyspnea, chest pain, diaphoresis, and non-bloody emesis. Physical examination revealed notable pallor in the right lower limb, absent left pedal pulses, and an EKG indicating normal sinus rhythm with PVCs …

A Novel Approach To Vegetation Aspiration In Native Valve Infective Endocarditis With The Alphavac System, Luke Sharrock, Sepehr Sadeghi

Medicine Research Day

A novel approach to vegetation aspiration in native valve infective endocarditis with the AlphaVac System

Luke Sharrock, DO; Sepehr Sadeghi, DO; Fernanda Correa, MD; Walter B. Rentrop, MD; Scott Laura, MD; Frank Smart, MD LSU Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA/ Department of Cardiology

Vegetative valvular endocarditis from non-sterile injections in opioid-dependent patients presents a challenging dilemma in healthcare. Even when meeting guideline criteria, these patients are often not deemed an appropriate candidate for valvular replacement/repair. Therefore, these patients are often treated conservatively with long-term intravenous antibiotics alone. Alternatively, with the advancement of endovascular aspiration thrombectomy, providers have been able …

Ca 125 And Ascites: Using Clinical Reasoning To Avoid Further Decompensation, Domonique Smith

Medicine Research Day

CA 125 and Ascites: Using Clinical Reasoning to avoid Further Decompensation

Domonique Smith, MD (LSUHSC)- dsmi57@lsuhsc.edu

Case Presentation: 74-year-old woman with medical history of CAD presented to the ED with a primary complaint of right sided back pain, radiating to RUQ of abdomen. Onset weeks prior to presentation, but acutely worsened overnight. Upon examination, family endorsed decreased appetite, unintentional weight loss, progressive abdominal distension, and functional decline 6-8 months ago. Has chronic occasional productive cough with yellow phlegm, no hemoptysis. Only medication is Aspirin 81 mg. Family history significant for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), HCC, and lung cancer. Denied history of …

Recurrent Choledocolithiasis After Cholecystectomy And Endoscopic Treatment: A Case Report And Review Of Risk Factors, Wayne Wheeler

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Recurrent Choledocolithiasis After Cholecystectomy and Endoscopic Treatment: A Case Report and Review of Risk Factors

Authors: Wayne Wheeler, MD1 Connor Pate, MD1 Kent Broussard, MD2 Stephen Landreneau, MD, FACG2 1LSU Health Sciences Center Department of Internal Medicine 2LSU Health Sciences Center Department of Gastroenterology

Introduction: The presence of gallstones in the common bile duct (CBD) defines choledocolithiasis. Stones can form in the CBD or they can migrate to the CBD from the gallbladder, or less commonly, the intrahepatic biliary tree (hepatolithiasis). Symptoms include episodic right upper quadrant (RUQ) abdominal pain, nausea, fever, jaundice, and weight loss. Symptoms of biliary colic …

What Swims Within: A Case Of Enterobius Vermicularis Discovery, Wayne Wheeler

Medicine Research Day

Title: “What Swims Within: A Case of Enterobius Vermicularis Discovery”

Authors: Wayne Wheeler, MD, William Chastant, MD, John Hutchings, MD, FACG

Introduction: With increasing tourism and immigration into the United States, the incidence of intestinal helminth infections will rise. These parasitic worms can remain asymptomatic for years, causing increased morbidity and mortality if left undetected (1). When intestinal parasites are suspected, the laboratory testing of stool samples is typically diagnostic. In addition to microscopic evaluation, recent studies have highlighted the utility of endoscopy in making a diagnosis of intestinal parasite infection (2,3). This case is an example of asymptomatic enterobiasis …

Almost Gone But Never Forgotten: Scurvy With An Initial Presentation Of Hemarthrosis, Donnel White, Aleena Kazmi

Medicine Research Day

Almost gone but never forgotten: Scurvy with an initial presentation of hemarthrosis

Aleena Kazmi, MD1, Donnell White, III, PhD2, Austin Clark, BS2, Bradford Calvit, MD1, Guido DeJesus, MD1, and Vince Cataldo, MD3 1Department of Internal Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Baton Rouge, LA 2School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 3Department of Hematology and Oncology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Baton Rouge, LA

Case Presentation A 48-year-old female presents with a chief complaint of progressively worsening bilateral knee pain. She has a past medical history of squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx …

The Correlational Effects Of Academic And Demographic Factors On Nursing Students’ Attrition, Progression, And Completion At A University College Of Nursing, Adebusola A. Obafemi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High United States nursing student attrition rates have attracted political, organizational, and social interest for numerous reasons. This attrition places financial burdens on the students, results in revenue loss for the college, and exacerbates the existing nursing shortage. Students' success in a nursing program is crucial for nurses to practice nursing. The purpose of this retrospective study was to explore the effects of academic performance and demographic/categorical factors on nursing students' progression and completion at a University College of Nursing in the Southern United States. The target population consisted of students enrolled at the University College of Nursing from January …

Pilot Study: Effects Of Whole Body Vibrational Therapy On Equine Epaxial Muscle Soreness, Riley Leibeck

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Whole body vibrational therapy (WBV) is well-studied in people, but there is a paucity of research of its effect on horses. It is suggested that WBV use in horses increases performance, aids in recovery, and stimulates nerves, bones, and muscles in ways that normal exercise does not. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if frequent WBV therapy sessions affect back soreness in horses using pressure algometry. Most sporthorses will experience back soreness in their careers, and it is regarded as one of the most common causes of poor performance in equine athletes. Five horses were measured for …

The Impact Of Kangaroo Care On The Weight Gain Of Premature Infants, Heather Vincequere

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Premature birth remains a global health concern, affecting approximately 15 million infants annually (WHO, 2023). Kangaroo Care (KC), involving skin-to-skin contact between caregivers and infants, was developed as a promising intervention to mitigate the adverse effects of prematurity. This study aimed to investigate the impact of KC on weight gain among preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Doctors Hospital of Augusta (DHOA). A quasi-experimental quantitative posttest-only design was employed, with eight preterm infants (< 37 weeks gestation) participating in KC for at least 30 minutes daily. Daily weight measurements were collected over a four-week period and compared to the expected weight gain for infants receiving traditional incubator care. Results revealed a statistically significant increase in weight gain among infants receiving KC compared to the historical average for infants in traditional incubator care (t (7) = 2.443, p = 0.022). A large effect size (Cohen's d = 0.864) further supported the significance of these findings. Despite limitations such as a small sample size and convenience sampling, this study emphasizes that KC enhances weight gain in preterm infants, thus improving overall health outcomes. Implementation of KC requires ongoing support from nurse leaders to ensure proper education and successful integration into routine care practices. Nonetheless, continued research with larger samples and improved randomization is warranted to fully understand the long-term benefits of KC in neonatal care settings.

Playful Progress: A Parent's Guide To Growth And Development, Gabriella N. Lawrey

Honors Theses

This thesis presents a creative project aimed at empowering parents to recognize developmental achievements, as well as address potential developmental delays in their children. Grounded in the principles of child development, this project focuses on creating age-appropriate activities that facilitate the identification of developmental milestones. By utilizing foundational resources in the field of child development, this toolkit of engaging activities has been curated to support parental understanding and observation. The primary objective of this applied knowledge project is to better equip parents with the vocabulary and tools to facilitate their child’s development. Throughout these activities, parents are encouraged to engage …

Pharmacological Interventions Versus Non-Pharmacological Interventions On Pain In Chronic Pain Patients, Harley Page, Olivia Mcswain

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

The study is a comparison experiment that looks at the different types of interventions to treat chronic pain. This study is set at Haysmed Rehabilitation to gather data on adult patients with chronic pain. When studying the interventions used for chronic pain, we found numerous ways of treatment. They are categorized as pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. During the study we found, that an understanding of what is causing the pain and the use of both interventions is the best way to go about treating/managing chronic pain.

Use Of An Electronic Health Record System In The Nursing Education Lab & Simulation Setting, Easlyn Koch

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Simulation has become a significant component of nursing education in recent years, especially with the increasing demand for high-fidelity simulations. However, nursing education struggles to keep up with the ever-changing healthcare technology, specifically electronic health records (EHR). Integrating EHRs into nursing education in areas such as the lab or simulation settings has the potential to impact overall patient safety, familiarity with similar technology, critical thinking skills, and practice readiness of student nurses. A review of the literature was performed, and it was found that the implementation and integration of an EHR in nursing education has overwhelming effects on overall student …

Undergraduate Nursing Education Simulation Training Using Virtual Reality Goggles And Teamstepps Methodology, Jennifer Koalenz

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Abstract

Due to changes in educational processes during global pandemic restrictions and the rapid pace of innovation and developments in virtual reality technology, this modality of education is expected to become a common presence in healthcare education. Immersive simulation activities can be an effective way to facilitate collaboration and communication skills in a constructivist-based classroom. Evidence shows that virtual simulation improves critical thinking skills, psychomotor skills, and decision making (Padilha et al., 2019). In addition, the availability of an on-demand, customizable scenario is highly useful to supplement clinical learning when necessary. But many caution that virtual simulation, just like any …

Effects Of Postpartum Depression On Mothers And Children, Natalie Taylor, Kennedy Harrington, Jeffrey Wick

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Postpartum depression plagues many women in today’s society. To look deeper into postpartum depression, we questioned who could be affected other than the mother in this issue? The objective of this study is to analyze how postpartum affects children’s cognitive and behavioral development. We investigated cognitive and behavioral development of children 1-3 years old. Our research design of this study was a non-experimental observation approach. The setting used for our research was the Women’s Health Center at HaysMed. This research focuses on patients in the obstetrics department who recently gave birth. Participants of this study were the children of 75 …

Emotional Support Animals And Mental Health, Kyla E. Barnett, Kaia Miller

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Depression and anxiety disorders are a significant problem in adults and teenagers. These disorders continue to increase in prevalence year by year. One way to combat this is the use of emotional support animals (ESA’s), which have become increasingly popular. This study investigates the relationship between the use of emotional support animals and mental well-being of students with mental health disorders. This study is designed to illustrate the increase in sense of well-being in patients with mental health disorders who utilize ESA’s. This study applies both a qualitative and quantitative study design, the qualitative design of this study is phenomenological. …

Implementation Of Mindfulness & Stress Reduction Training For Medical Students, Jill Berenato

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Abstract

This proposal advocates for implementing mandatory mindfulness and stress reduction training sessions for surgical students at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). It is well-documented that medical students, particularly those in surgical disciplines, experience high levels of stress, which can negatively impact their mental health, academic performance and overall well-being. Mindfulness-based interventions have shown promise in reducing stress and enhancing resilience among medical students. By integrating mindfulness training into the surgical curriculum, PCOM aims to equip students with essential coping skills to effectively manage stress, thereby promoting their mental health and academic success. This handout serves to accompany the …

Student Physical Therapists’ Perceptions Of A First Semester Integrated Clinical Experience: A Descriptive Study, Alicia K. Rabena-Amen, Tyler Goslinga, Amber Orchard, Fatema Ghani, Todd E. Davenport

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The value of an Integrated Clinical Experience (ICE) is well documented, but student physical therapists’ perspectives of an early ICE are not. A first semester ICE allows practice of expected skills and behaviors from the onset of a professional program. The purpose of this study was to explore students’ perceptions of a first-semester ICE. Methods: A questionnaire was completed by 36 student physical therapists after a first semester part-time ICE. SPSS Statistics, thematic analysis, and a mixed-methods approach were used to analyze the data. Results: Students agreed the ICE emphasized the importance and allowed practice of professional and communication …