Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Comes In Waves: Clinical Overview Of Vibrio Species, Natalie M. Prosser, Ms

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Earth’s oceans, despite their beauty and vast ecosystems, pose numerous threats to marine life and humans living along the coastline. Vibrio species (spp.) is a common species of oceanic bacteria native to coastal and brackish waters. This bacterium is capable of causing various degrees of human disease among different populations. Three clinically significant species of Vibrio include Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio cholera; all three species share virulence factors, but each are capable of causing varying degrees of vibriosis infections. Vibriosis infections include but are not limited to wound infections, necrotizing fasciitis, and gastroenteritis. In particular, …

Maggot Therapy And Its Clinical Application In The War Against Microbial Resistance, Nicholas Leidy, Ms

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Antibiotic resistance poses a growing threat across the globe. The United Nations estimates that up to 10 million deaths by 2050 will be due to superbugs and antimicrobial resistance. Finding effective solutions has been obstructed by the expensive and time-intensive research and development process. Maggot therapy, however, has emerged as a promising, cost-effective approach to wound debridement or cleaning. This unconventional method takes advantage of the natural capabilities of maggots to effectively debride chronic, non-healing wounds, even those infected with multidrug-resistant bacteria. Through the utilization of proteolytic and digestive enzymes, maggots are able to break down necrotic tissue and promote …

Emerging Role Of Circulating Tumor Dna For Early Detection Of Recurrence In Biliary Tract Cancers, Matthew D. Bloom, Babar Bashir

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Thoracic Canal Morphology On Preoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging In Spinal Cord Stimulation Patients, Kevin Hines, Christian Tran, Anusha Koka, Nikolaos Mouchtouris, Karim Hafazalla, Ellina Hattar, Chengyuan Wu, Ashwini Sharan

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: In high-frequency spinal cord stimulation anatomic placement targeting of the T9-10 disc space is based on "empiric" results that are best replicated with coverage broadly from T8 to T10. This study contains the largest cohort of patients evaluating low thoracic morphology and seeks to address the lack of MRI morphological analysis in literature.

METHODS: This study was a retrospective review of a database of 101 consecutive patients undergoing permanent implant of thoracic SCS for chronic pain. Measurements were carried out on preoperative MRI imaging. Anteroposterior (AP) and lateral dimensions of the spinal cord as well as dural sac were …

Proteoglycans Of Basement Membranes: Crucial Controllers Of Angiogenesis, Neurogenesis, And Autophagy, Maurizio Mongiat, Gabriel Pascal, Evelina Poletto, Davion M. Williams, Renato V. Iozzo

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Anti-angiogenic therapy is an established method for the treatment of several cancers and vascular-related diseases. Most of the agents employed target the vascular endothelial growth factor A, the major cytokine stimulating angiogenesis. However, the efficacy of these treatments is limited by the onset of drug resistance. Therefore, it is of fundamental importance to better understand the mechanisms that regulate angiogenesis and the microenvironmental cues that play significant role and influence patient treatment and outcome. In this context, here we review the importance of the three basement membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), namely perlecan, agrin and collagen XVIII. These HSPGs are …

Mhealth-Based Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention To Improve The Physical Activity Levels Of Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury: Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Rachel Carey, Ha Le, Donna Coffman, Inbal Nahum-Shani, Mohanraj Thirumalai, Cole Hagen, Laura Baehr, M. Schmidt-Read, Marlyn Lamboy, Stephanie A Kolakowsky-Hayner, Ralph Marino, Stephen Intille, Shivayogi Hiremath

Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Papers

BACKGROUND: The lack of regular physical activity (PA) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) in the United States is an ongoing health crisis. Regular PA and exercise-based interventions have been linked with improved outcomes and healthier lifestyles among those with SCI. Providing people with an accurate estimate of their everyday PA level can promote PA. Furthermore, PA tracking can be combined with mobile health technology such as smartphones and smartwatches to provide a just-in-time adaptive intervention (JITAI) for individuals with SCI as they go about everyday life. A JITAI can prompt an individual to set a PA goal or …

The Cns Relapse In T-Cell Lymphoma Index Predicts Cns Relapse In Patients With T- And Nk-Cell Lymphomas, Rahul S. Bhansali, Fredrik Ellin, Thomas Relander, Miao Cao, Wenrui Li, Qi Long, Nivetha Ganesan, Robert Stuver, Steven M. Horwitz, Kitsada Wudhikarn, Steven R. Hwang, N. Nora Bennani, Julio Chavez, Lubomir Sokol, Hayder Saeed, Frank Duan, Pierluigi Porcu, Priyanka Pullarkat, Neha Mehta-Shah, Jasmine M. Zain, Miguel Ruiz, Jonathan E. Brammer, Rishab Prakash, Swaminathan P. Iyer, Adam J. Olszewski, Ajay Major, Peter A. Riedell, Sonali M. Smith, Caroline Goldin, Bradley Haverkos, Bei Hu, Tony Z. Zhuang, Pamela B. Allen, Wael Toama, Murali Janakiram, Taylor R. Brooks, Deepa Jagadeesh, Nisha Hariharan, Aaron M. Goodman, Gabrielle Hartman, Paola Ghione, Fatima Fayyaz, Joanna M. Rhodes, Elise A. Chong, James N. Gerson, Daniel J. Landsburg, Sunita D. Nasta, Stephen J. Schuster, Jakub Svoboda, Mats Jerkeman, Stefan K. Barta

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Little is known about risk factors for central nervous system (CNS) relapse in mature T-cell and natural killer cell neoplasms (MTNKNs). We aimed to describe the clinical epidemiology of CNS relapse in patients with MTNKN and developed the CNS relapse In T-cell lymphoma Index (CITI) to predict patients at the highest risk of CNS relapse. We reviewed data from 135 patients with MTNKN and CNS relapse from 19 North American institutions. After exclusion of leukemic and most cutaneous forms of MTNKNs, patients were pooled with non-CNS relapse control patients from a single institution to create a CNS relapse-enriched training set. …

Neutrophil To Lymphocyte Ratio As A Prognostic Marker For Cardiovascular Outcomes In Patients With St-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Hassan Ul Hussain, Kanwal Ashok Kumar, Marium Zahid, Muhammad Husban Burney, Zayeema Khan, Muqaddus Asif, Syeda Tayyaba Rehan, Huzaifa Ahmad Cheema, Sarya Swed, Farah Yasmin, Waqas Ullah, M. Chadi Alraies

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

BACKGROUND: Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been considered a prognostic biomarker of mortality and other major cardiac events. This study investigates NLR's efficacy in predicting in-hospital and long-term outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS: Electronic databases (PUBMED, Cochrane CENTRAL, ERIC, Embase, Ovid, and Google Scholar) were searched till June 2022 to identify studies having STEMI patients who underwent PCI. Risk ratios and mean differences (MDs), along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (Cis) and standard deviations (SDs), were pooled using a random-effect model. This meta-analysis has been registered on Prospero …

Remote Monitoring App For Endocrine Therapy Adherence Among Patients With Early-Stage Breast Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Ilana Graetz, Xin Hu, Mehmet Kocak, Rebecca A. Krukowski, Janeane N. Anderson, Teresa M. Waters, Andrea N. Curry, Andrew Robles, Andrew Paladino, Edward Stepanski, Gregory A. Vidal, Lee S. Schwartzberg

Kimmel Cancer Center Papers, Presentations, and Grand Rounds

IMPORTANCE: Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) use among women with early-stage, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer reduces the risk of cancer recurrence, but its adverse symptoms contribute to lower adherence.

OBJECTIVE: To test whether remote monitoring of symptoms and treatment adherence with or without tailored text messages improves outcomes among women with breast cancer who are prescribed AET.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This nonblinded, randomized clinical trial (RCT) following intention-to-treat principles included English-speaking women with early-stage breast cancer prescribed AET at a large cancer center with 14 clinics across 3 states from November 15, 2018, to June 11, 2021. All participants had …

Frontline Nursing Staff’S Perceptions Of Intravenous Medication Administration: The First Step Toward Safer Infusion Processes-A Qualitative Study, Masashi Uramatsu, Naoko Kimura, Takako Kojima, Yoshikazu Fujisawa, Tomoko Oto, Paul Barach

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Intravenous medication errors continue to significantly impact patient safety and outcomes. This study sought to clarify the complexity and risks of the intravenous administration process.

DESIGN: A qualitative focus group interview study.

SETTING: Focused interviews were conducted using process mapping with frontline nurses responsible for medication administration in September 2020.

PARTICIPANTS: Front line experiened nurses from a Japanese tertiary teaching hospital.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was to identify the mental models frontline nurses used during intravenous medication administration, which influence their interactions with patients, and secondarily, to examine the medication process gaps between the …

Beyond The Airway, Volume 1, Issue 1, May 2024

Beyond the Airway

Table of Contents

3 - Foreword from the Editors-In-Chief

4 - A message from Dr. Eric S. Schwenk

5 - An Interview with Dr. Rishi Kothari

7 - Anesthesia Considerations for Patients on Semaglutide

9 - An Interview with Dr. Jeffrey Mojica

11 - The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Match: Is Anesthesiology Becoming More Competitive?

13 - An Interview with Dr. Katherine Dillon and Dr. Matteo Petrera

15 - History of Ketamine in Anesthesia

17 - Editorial Staff

Randomized Controlled Trial Of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocols In Live Kidney Donors: Eraskt Study, Jacob Saks, Uzung Yoon, Natalie Neiswinter, Eric Schwenk, Stephen Goldberg, Linh Nguyen, Marc Torjman, Elia Elia, Ashesh Shah

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways represent a comprehensive approach to optimizing perioperative management and reducing hospital stay and cost. In living donor kidney transplantation, key impediments to postoperative discharge include pain, and opioid associated complications such as nausea, vomiting, and the return of gastrointestinal function.

METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, living kidney transplantation donors were assigned to either the ERAS or control group. The ERAS group patients received 15 preoperative, 17 intraoperative, 19 postoperative element intervention. The control group received standard care. The ERAS group received a multimodal opioid sparing pain management including an intraoperative transverse abdominis …

Evaluation Of Surface Type And Time Of Day On Agility Course Performance, Arielle Pechette Markley, Nina R. Kieves, Linda Blake Rivas, Abigail B. Shoben

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

INTRODUCTION: Canine agility competitions are performed on a variety of surfaces. In the equine and human literature, surface type has been associated with speed, performance, and injury risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of general surface type and time of day on calculated speed (yards per second over a measured course distance) and course performance during the UKI Agility International (UKI) U.S. Open. We hypothesized that surface type would affect calculated speed, with sand being the slowest.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on course performance from the 2021 and 2022 events were obtained directly from UKI. …

Real-Life Experience On The Effect Of Sglt2 Inhibitors Vs. Finerenone Vs. Combination On Albuminuria In Chronic Kidney Disease, Mohamad Hanouneh, Dustin Le, Bernard G. Jaar, Christina Tamargo, C. Elena Cervantes

Division of Nephrology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: There have been several recent advances in the care of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), including the use of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs). There are very few data reporting the outcomes of these treatments in real-world experience. The aim of this retrospective study is to report the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors, finerenone, and their combination in CKD patients in our community-based setting.

METHODS: Ninety-eight patients with CKD with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between 25 and 90 mL/min per 1.73 m² and a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥ …

Neuroendocrine Gene Subsets Are Uniquely Dysregulated In Prostate Adenocarcinoma, Nicole M. Naranjo, Anne Kennedy, Anna Testa, Cecilia E. Verrillo, Adrian D. Altieri, Rhonda Kean, D. Craig Hooper, Jindan Yu, Jonathan Zhao, Oliver Abinader, Maxwell W. Pickles, Adam Hawkins, William Kevin Kelly, Ramkrishna Mitra, Lucia R. Languino

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Prostate cancer has heterogeneous growth patterns, and its prognosis is the poorest when it progresses to a neuroendocrine phenotype. Using bioinformatic analysis, we evaluated RNA expression of neuroendocrine genes in a panel of five different cancer types: prostate adenocarcinoma, breast cancer, kidney chromophobe, kidney renal clear cell carcinoma and kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma. Our results show that specific neuroendocrine genes are significantly dysregulated in these tumors, suggesting that they play an active role in cancer progression. Among others, synaptophysin (SYP), a conventional neuroendocrine marker, is upregulated in prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) and breast cancer (BRCA). Our analysis shows that SYP …

Why Medicine Needs The Humanities: An Argument For Arguments, Suraj R. Nyalakonda, Md

The Medicine Forum

As medicine plunges deeper into the 21st century, there appear to be three forces coming together that hold both promise and peril as technology’s march of progress continues unabated through the healing profession.

Musings Of A House Staff Officer On The Wards, Suraj R. Nyalakonda, Md

The Medicine Forum

I am told I am part of the house staff. I am told I am a resident. I am told my predecessors, who are now my teachers, earned the title of resident by residing at their place of work, which was also their place of passion, which was the hospital, that institution that, with the advent of the industrial revolution, came to be a producer of health, a fixer of bodies. I am also now told that we residents are increasingly the sort of thing that can burn out. The other thing I know that can burn out - when …

Shadows And Echoes Of Understanding: A Physician's Reflection On Plato's Allegory Of The Cave And Medicine, Michael Dong, Md, Tamar Wolinsky Md, Benjamin Claxton, Md, Mph, Chantel Venkataraman, Md

The Medicine Forum

Plato's Allegory of the Cave offers a lens through which one can contemplate the complexities of medicine, where the shadows and echoes of illness obscure the true forms of disease. As physicians, we seek to illuminate the shadows that shroud our patients’ understanding of their illnesses and provide clarity to help patients navigate the labyrinth of diagnoses and treatments.

Unmasked, Rehana Persaud, Ms

The Medicine Forum

The world was quiet

A virtual reality

I existed

you lived

in it

We lived

In

a

world,

that was h u s h e d …

A quiet one

The silence was DeafeninG

But

I HEARD what consumed

me

Quantum Of Solace, Jeffrey White, Md

The Medicine Forum

Dr. R was back on 3 West and looking the worse for wear. Colon cancer, partial resection, bowel obstruction, ischemia, second surgery, bleeding, third surgery, infectious colitis, four days in the ICU—this 90-year-old man, who his wife assured us was bright and vibrant before his admission, was not long for this world. His baseline dementia had begotten daily delirium. He had had heart failure and COPD before his admission, and his fluid retention had swelled his already substantial body habitus to uncomfortable proportions.

Cadaver Dissection — A Reminder Of Humanity, Samuel De Matte, Ms

The Medicine Forum

I wash my hands, pick up a pair of purple forearm gloves, and gown up in an apron. The large overhead lights flood the room with sterile illumination, reflecting off the metal cabinets onto the white walls. I approach one of the thirty-four body bags with a group of classmates. The slow growl of the zipper fills the otherwise silent room. We pull back the formaldehyde-soaked sheet to reveal our cadaver. We all notice the rose tattoo on her chest.

A Curious Case Of Ards, Normonique Dyer, Do

The Medicine Forum

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a well-known description of progressive respiratory decline. ARDS can be suspected in patients that meet the following criteria: (1) progressive dyspnea with onset within 1 week of a suspected clinical insult, (2) reduction in arterial oxygen saturation, and (3) bilateral alveolar infiltrates not due to a primary cardiogenic process.¹ The management of ARDS is largely unchanged regardless of the etiology and thus will not be within the scope of discussion for this report. However, the etiology of ARDS is of significance given that the cause of a patient’s respiratory failure has prognostic implications. …

A Case Of Reactivation Tuberculosis, Edwin Perez, Md, Avish Patel, Md, Taha Awan, Md, Amman Bhasin, Md, Gautam George, Md

The Medicine Forum

Approximately 22 percent of the world population is estimated to be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The largest number of cases are seen in Sub-Saharan Africa, India, and the islands of Southeast Asia, while North America and Western Europe are “low incidence” regions.¹ In the US, most cases are seen in foreign-born individuals who emigrate from high-incidence countries. Despite the low incidence in the US, prevention and control of Tuberculosis (TB) remain an important component of Public Health.² Here we present a case of a patient of Vietnamese origin with reactivation TB and rare manifestations of TB.

Nodular Al Amyloidosis — An Unusual Etiology Of A Solitary Pulmonary Nodule, Benjamin B. Claxton, Md, Mph, Shruti Nanivadekar, Md, Stacey Gargano, Md, Prarthna C. Kulandaisamy, Md

The Medicine Forum

Solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN) are defined as single intraparenchymal opacities less than 3 centimeters. The differential diagnosis of the SPN is broad. AL amyloidosis is a protein conformational disease which occurs when certain monoclonal light chains develop an unstable tertiary structure with resultant polymerization of insoluble amyloid fibrils that deposit in the extracellular space of sundry tissues. In the lung, diffuse interstitial amyloid deposition is the most common form of the disease.

When Obstruction Meets Infection: A Case Of Multi- Drug Resistant (Mdr) E. Coli Community Acquired Pneumonia In A Patient With Metastatic Melanoma, Victor Diaz, Ms, David Saeed, Ms

The Medicine Forum

Multidrug resistant Escherichia Coli (MDR E. Coli) is a less common cause of bacterial community-acquired pneumonia as compared to Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. We present a case of MDR E. Coli community-acquired pneumonia diagnosed on culture of bronchoalveolar lavage specimens (BAL) after bronchoscopic debulking of a metastatic melanoma mass completely obstructing the left main stem bronchus (LMSB).

Renal Cell Carcinoma Manifesting As A Tumor Thrombus Identified On Transthoracic Echocardiography & Ct Scan, Kashka Mallari, Md

The Medicine Forum

This is a 60 year old male who presented with increased lower extremity edema for a month and right upper quadrant abdominal pain for a week. A CT of his abdomen showed a right renal mass consistent with renal cell carcinoma (Figure 1, red arrow), along with a tumor thrombus extending into the inferior vena cava (IVC) to the level of the junction with the right atrium (Figure 1, blue arrow, and Figure 2). An echocardiogram revealed an enlarged IVC with an increased echogenicity likely representative of an extensive tumor (Figure 3). Subsequently, he underwent a right radical nephrectomy, vena …

Case Study: Diagnosis Of Acute Myeloid Leukemia In A Middle-Aged Patient With A History Of Aplastic Anemia, Umma Fatemam Md, Marc Yorker, Md

The Medicine Forum

The clinical and diagnostic landscape of hematologic disorders such as Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is complex and multifaceted, with particular challenges arising in the identification and differentiation of related conditions like aplastic anemia and hypoplastic MDS.¹ MDS, a heterogeneous group of clonal marrow disorders, is typified by dysplasia and ineffective hematopoiesis, which often culminate in cytopenias. A subset of MDS patients may experience leukemic transformation, marked by the proliferation of undifferentiated blasts, ultimately progressing to AML, a malignancy characterized by rapid growth and accumulation of these cells.² Aplastic anemia shares the clinical hallmark of …

Primary Care Provider Awareness And Attitudes Regarding Updated Brca1/2 Screening Recommendations And Genetic Testing, Emily Foecke Munden, Ms, Maria Poluch, Ms, Jennifer S. Zeiger, Ms, Maya Rosenberg, Md, Swati Shroff, Md

The Medicine Forum

Detection of BRCA1/2 gene mutations opens the door for breast cancer prevention; however, many high-risk individuals are not screened until after their first cancer diagnosis. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) updated its BRCA1/2 screening recommendations in 2019. This study explores provider awareness of this update and attitudes towards BRCA1/2 genetic testing. A survey was sent to Obstetrics/ Gynecology (Ob/Gyn), Internal Medicine (IM), and Family Medicine (FM) providers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals (TJUH). 66% of responders felt familiar with BRCA1/2 screening guidelines, and 38% were aware of the 2019 USPSTF update. Ob/Gyn providers were more familiar with …

Looking For The Unseen: Application Of Wood’S Lamp In The Ambulatory Clinic, Alexandros Grivas, Md, John Caruso, Md

The Medicine Forum

A 56-year-old female patient with a personal medical history of class III obesity and uncontrolled DM presented to the ambulatory clinic with a pruritic rash behind her knees. The rash was of 4 weeks duration and did not improve with topical application of nystatin powder. Examination revealed an erythematous patch in the intertriginous area behind the knees bilaterally, associated with mild desquamation and clear demarcation from the normal skin. No satellite lesions were noticed. (figure 1A) The patient was evaluated for an intertriginous skin rash. The differential diagnosis included intertrigo, fungal infection, psoriasis, and lichen planus. Wood’s lamp examination was …

Minocycline-Induced Hyperpigmentation In A Patient With Multiple Causes Of Skin Discoloration, Jeffrey White, Md, Amman Bhasin, Md, Gregary Marhefka, Md

The Medicine Forum

Minocycline-induced hyperpigmentation is a well-documented but poorly understood adverse effect of the popular tetracycline antibiotic minocycline, mainly affecting patients who use it for a prolonged duration. When patients develop dark skin lesions, the etiology may be clouded if a patient on minocycline has other risk factors. We describe a patient on suppressive minocycline therapy as well as anticoagulation and a history of chronic venous stasis who developed ecchymosis after an invasive procedure.