Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (Tens) For Pain Management In Sickle Cell Disease., Sudipta Pal, Ruchita Dixit, Soe Moe, Myron Anthony Godinho, Adinegara Bl Abas, Samir K. Ballas, Shanker Ram, Uduman Ali M. Yousuf

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease (SCD), one of the most common inherited disorders, is associated with vaso-occlusive pain episodes and haemolysis leading to recurrent morbidity, hospital admissions and work or school absenteeism. The crises are conventionally treated with opioids, non-opioids and other adjuvants with the risk of developing complications, addictions and drug-seeking behaviour. Different non-pharmacological treatments, such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) have been used for managing pain in other painful conditions. Hence, the efficacy of TENS for managing pain in SCD needs to be reviewed.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the benefits and harms of TENS for managing pain in people …

Cardiac Interventions In Patients With Achondroplasia: A Systematic Review., Amrita Sukhavasi, Thomas J O'Malley, Elizabeth J Maynes, Jae Hwan Choi, Jonathan S Gordon, Kevin Phan, Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili

Jefferson Hospital Staff Papers and Presentations

Patients with achondroplasia and other causes of dwarfism suffer from increased rates of cardiovascular disease relative to the remainder of the population. Few studies have examined these patients when undergoing cardiac surgery or percutaneous intervention. This systematic review examines the literature to determine outcomes following cardiac intervention in this unique population. An electronic search was performed in the English literature to identify all reports of achondroplasia, dwarfism, and cardiac intervention. Of the 5,274 articles identified, 14 articles with 14 cases met inclusion criteria. Patient-level data was extracted and analyzed. Median patient age was 55.5 [interquartile ranges (IQR), 43.8, 59.8] years, …

Proximal Tibial Replacement In Revision Knee Arthroplasty For Non-Oncologic Indications., Brianna Fram, Eric B. Smith, Gregory K. Deirmengian, John A. Abraham, John Strony, Michael B. Cross, Danielle Y. Ponzio

Rothman Institute Papers

Proximal tibial metaphyseal bone loss compromises the alignment and fixation of components during revision total knee arthroplasty. In massive, segmental defects with loss of collateral ligamentous support and lack of bone to support the use of prosthetic augments or metaphyseal cones or sleeves, a hinged proximal tibial replacement or a so-called "megaprosthesis" should be available. While proximal tibial replacement is the reconstructive method of choice in the setting of bone tumor resection, applications in non-oncologic joint arthroplasty are rare and may offer an opportunity for limb salvage in dire clinical scenarios with massive proximal tibial bone loss. This report reviews …

Bone Marrow Dendritic Cells Deficient For Cd40 And Il-23p19 Are Tolerogenic In Vitro, Tahereh Kalantari, Bogoljub Ciric, Eskandar Kamali-Sarvestani, Abdolmohamad Rostami

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Objective(s): In addition to pro-inflammatory role, dendritic cells (DCs) can also be anti-inflammatory when they acquire tolerogenic phenotype. In this study we tested the role of CD40 and IL-23p19 in antigen presenting function of bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) by comparing BMDCs derived from CD40 knockout (CD40KO-DCs) and IL-23p19 (IL-23p19KO-DCs) knockout mice with those from C57BL/6 mice (Cont-DCs). We have focused on CD40 and IL-23, as these molecules have well established pro-inflammatory roles in a number of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Materials and Methods: The expression of maturation markers MHC II and co-stimulatory molecules CD40, CD80, and CD86 was analyzed by …

Our Wicked Problem, John Pourdehnad, Larry M. Starr, Venard Scott Koerwer, Harry Mccloskey

School of Continuing and Professional Studies Coronavirus Papers

The Coronavirus is more than a health problem. It is a “wicked” problem disrupting work, education, travel, politics, financial indicators, and more. This label came about in 1973 to help describe a special class of situations that are volatile, uncertain and ambiguous, often difficult to recognize, and difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements. There is no clear problem definition due to interdependencies so the problem cannot be fully understood until after the solution comes about.

Our Invisible Enemy, Larry M. Starr, Darshi Mody

School of Continuing and Professional Studies Coronavirus Papers

The novel coronavirus is invisible to the eye because it is microscopic measuring 80-160 nanometers in size; a nanometer is one billionth of a meter.

While we cannot see it in the air or on a surface, millions of us have seen the virus in full color when we discuss it on the local and national TV news, in articles and stories online, and in print media. This is because the virus is routinely pictured and used to attract us to the information being presented. The paradox is that millions of people can now recognize this invisible enemy.

Repeatedly presenting …

Disruptive Effects Of The Coronavirus – Errors Of Commission And Of Omission?, John Pourdehnad, Larry M. Starr, Venard Scott Koerwer, Harry Mccloskey

School of Continuing and Professional Studies Coronavirus Papers

It is increasingly evident that the coronavirus disease, COVID-19, is more than a health problem; it is and will continue to adversely affect work and workplaces, education, families and social engagements, political and environmental dimensions, and financial indicators. Apart from its health ramifications, the crisis is revealing serious challenges in the global supply chain. Those difficulties are, at least in part, consequences of unwise, short-sighted business decisions made over the course of decades to outsource and downsize.

Pandemic Lockdown Must Fail: Save Lives Without Crippling The Economy, Larry Hirschhorn, Phd

School of Continuing and Professional Studies Coronavirus Papers

In the following working paper, I want to make a plea for what I am calling a “reverse quarantine”—quarantining people who are over 65 (who number 52 million), before they get sick. We need to complement this policy with federally funded and locally organized efforts to support seniors in place, drawing on the wellsprings of American pragmatism, the capacity to respond in emergencies, American volunteerism, and neighbor-to-neighbor assistance. We can’t turn quarantine into imprisonment. We must work as hard as we can to create a psychological sense of community at a moment when, paradoxically, social distancing is driving us apart. …

Mount Fuji Sign Following Nasal Polypectomy: Conservative Management Of Pneumocephalus, Matthew Szymaszek, Gentian Toshkezi

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Pneumocephalus is seen in conjunction with a variety of conditions, particularly traumatic injury, neurosurgical, and ears, nose, and throat (ENT) procedures. We describe the successful, non-operative management with supplemental oxygen of symptomatic pneumocephalus following polypectomy without further complication. This case adds to other case reports of pneumocephalus but differs in the non-invasive, conservative management with supplemental oxygen obviating the need for more invasive neurosurgical intervention such as decompressive craniectomy, burr holes, or drain placement.

Treatment Patterns Of Patients Diagnosed With Major Headache Disorders: A Retrospective Claims Analysis, David Kudrow, Sagar Munjal, Leah Bensimon, Tasneem Lokhandwala, Binglin Yue, Anna D’Souza Coutinho, Stephen D. Silberstein

Department of Jefferson Headache Center Papers and Presentations

Objective: To describe patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and health care costs among patients diagnosed with major headache disorders overall and by type (tension-type headache [TTH], migraine, cluster headache [CH], or >1 primary headache type), and secondarily to evaluate drug treatment patterns among triptan initiators with a major headache diagnosis.

Methods: Using US claims data from January 2012 through December 2017, we identified adults with evidence of a major headache disorder: TTH, migraine, or CH; the first diagnosis date was deemed the index date. To evaluate triptan use specifically, patients who initiated triptans were identified; the first triptan claim date was …

Youth Single-Sport Specialization In Professional Baseball Players., Patrick S Buckley, Michael C Ciccotti, Meghan Bishop, Patrick Kane, Stephen Selverian, Dominique Exume, John D'Angelo, William Emper, Kevin B Freedman, Sommer Hammoud, Steven B Cohen, Michael G Ciccotti

Rothman Institute Papers

Background: An increasing number of youth baseball athletes are specializing in playing baseball at younger ages.

Purpose: The purpose of our study was to describe the age and prevalence of single-sport specialization in a cohort of current professional baseball athletes. In addition, we sought to understand the trends surrounding single-sport specialization in professional baseball players raised within and outside the United States (US).

Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods: A survey was distributed to male professional baseball athletes via individual team athletic trainers. Athletes were asked if and at what age they had chosen to specialize in …

Correlation Of Early Outcomes And Intradiscal Interleukin-6 Expression In Lumbar Fusion Patients., John D Koerner, Dessislava Z Markova, Greg D Schroeder, Christopher L Antonacci, Joseph Mendelis, Alexander R Vaccaro, D Greg Anderson, Chris K Kepler

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: To determine if there is correlation between intradiscal levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and early outcome measures in patients undergoing lumbar fusion for painful disc degeneration.

METHODS: Intervertebral disc tissue was separated into annulus fibrosus/nucleus pulposus and cultured separately in vitro in serum-free medium (Opti-MEM). Conditioned media was collected after 48 hours. The concentration of IL-6 was quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pearson correlation coefficients quantified relationships between IL-6 levels and pre- and postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) back pain and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), as well as change in VAS/ODI.

RESULTS: Sixteen discs were harvested from 9 patients undergoing …

Causes Of Congenital Corneal Opacities And Their Management In A Tertiary Care Center., Remzi Karadag, Christopher J Rapuano, Kristin M Hammersmith, Parveen K Nagra

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To evaluate causes and management of congenital corneal opacities (CCO) diagnosed in a tertiary care eye center and to compare the data with a previous study at the same institution.

METHODS: Computerized medical records in all patients with congenital corneal opacities diagnosed in the Cornea Service at Wills Eye Hospital (Philadelphia, PA) between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2015, were retrospectively reviewed. Children aged 12 years and younger at the first visit were included in the study. Patients' demographics, ocular diagnosis, laterality, associated ocular abnormalities, other ocular surgery performed prior or subsequent to the first visit, and their …

Health Of Special Immigrant Visa Holders From Iraq And Afghanistan After Arrival Into The United States Using Domestic Medical Examination Data, 2014-2016: A Cross-Sectional Analysis., Gayathri S Kumar, Clelia Pezzi, Simone Wien, Blain Mamo, Kevin Scott, Colleen Payton, Kailey Urban, Stephen Hughes, Lori Kennedy, Nuny Cabanting, Jessica Montour, Melissa Titus, Jenny Aguirre, Breanna Kawasaki, Rebecca Ford, Emily S Jentes

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Since 2008, the United States has issued between 2,000 and 19,000 Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) annually, with the majority issued to applicants from Iraq and Afghanistan. SIV holders (SIVH) are applicants who were employed by, or on behalf of, the US government or the US military. There is limited information about health conditions in SIV populations to help guide US clinicians caring for SIVH. Thus, we sought to describe health characteristics of recently arrived SIVH from Iraq and Afghanistan who were seen for domestic medical examinations.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: This cross-sectional analysis included data from Iraqi and Afghan SIVH …

Reversing Heart Failure With A Ventricular Anchoring Device: Another Hope For Myopathic Mitral Regurgitation., J. Eduardo Rame

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Of Ocriplasmin Versus Watchful Waiting For Treatment Of Symptomatic Vitreomacular Adhesion In The Us, Arshad M Khanani, Pravin U Dugel, Julia A Haller, Alan L Wagner, Benedicte Lescrauwaet, Ralph Schmidt, Craig Bennison

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Aim: Evaluate the cost-effectiveness of ocriplasmin in symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) with or without full-thickness macular hole ≤400 μm versus standard of care.

Methods: A state-transition model simulated a cohort through disease health states; assignment of utilities to health states reflected the distribution of visual acuity. Efficacy of ocriplasmin was derived from logistic regression models using Ocriplasmin for Treatment for Symptomatic Vitreomacular Adhesion Including Macular Hole trial data. Model inputs were extracted from Phase III trials and published literature. The analysis was conducted from a US Medicare perspective.

Results: Lifetime incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was US$4887 per quality-adjusted life year gained …

Review/Overview Of Pain In Sickle Cell Disease., Samir K. Ballas, Deepika S. Darbari

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a highly complex inherited disorder of hemoglobin structure. Although the molecular lesion is a single-point mutation, the sickle gene is pleiotropic in nature causing multiple phenotypic expressions that constitute the various complications of the disease. Its manifestations could be acute, chronic, nociceptive, neuropathic that could occur singly or in various combinations. Pain continues to be the major factor of SCD phenotypic complications and the most common cause of admissions to the Emergency Department and/or the hospital. Although progress has been made in understanding the pathophysiology of SCD as well as in developing curative therapies such …

Management Of Patients With Isolated Acute Cervical Carotid Artery Occlusion And Normal Neurological Exam: Technical Note And Case Series, Joshua H. Weinberg, Nohra Chalouhi, Ahmad Sweid, Stavropoula Tjoumakaris, Michael Reid Gooch, Robert H. Rosenwasswer, Pascal Jabbour, Hekmat Zarzour

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Objectives

Limited data exists on the management and outcome of patients with isolated acute cervical internal carotid artery (cICA) occlusion presenting with normal neurologic exam after experiencing a period of neurological deficits. These patients are at risk for progressive neurologic deterioration but have not yet progressed to stroke. Current management is no intervention due to intervention risk of embolization. We aim to determine the optimal management of patients with isolated acute cICA occlusion presenting with a normal neurological exam after experiencing neurological deficits.

Patients and methods

Data was collected on 3 patients with acute cICA occlusion that presented with a …

The Bull Or The Horn - What Are Outcomes Data?, James Harrop

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Cystoid Macular Edema In A Child., Jordan Hamburger, Xiaolu Yang, Carol L Shields

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

N/A

Pilomatrix Carcinoma Of The Lacrimal Caruncle: A Case Report., Ibrahim Inan Harbiyeli, Altan A Ozcan, Arbil Acıkalin, Emine Ciloglu, Carol L Shields

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

A 45-year-old man presented with a 3-month history of a mass located in the caruncle of his right eye. An incisional biopsy had been performed one month prior by another specialist, and the histopathology report showed basal cell carcinoma. The mass was completely excised with a 2 mm safety margin, and the large conjunctival defect was reconstructed with one sheet of amniotic membrane allograft. A histological diagnosis of pilomatrix carcinoma was established. To prevent recurrence after surgery, we added bevacizumab (25 mg/mL, 1.25 mg/mL per drop) eye drops four times per day for three months. At the one-year follow-up, the …

Disestablishmentarianism: Or Why Political Correctness Is Racist, Anti-Gay, Anti-Transgender, Misogynist, Anti-Science, And Anti-You., W Clark Lambert, Shreya Patel, Lawrence Charles Parish

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

Disestablishmentarianism is known to most of us as one of the longest words in the English language (before some over-eager college students, even a few doctors, invented some mostly quite silly longer ones). A few may also know it as a rather dull, perhaps equally silly facet of British history. This is a shame, because this rather bizarre movement that began in eighteenth century England, has much to teach us about modern times.

Using The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey To Explore The Association Between High Healthcare Utilization And Behavioral Health Diagnoses In A Pediatric Population With Chronic Conditions, Marlon D. Satchell, Phd, Mph

Population Health Science Program Doctoral Dissertations

The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) introduced an era of changing healthcare delivery and utilization, which is still evolving and changing to this day. Healthcare providers and healthcare systems need to identify strategies to provide better care to patients, that results in better patient outcomes, in a cost effective way. One strategy to accomplish this goal is to focus on managing the care of the most vulnerable patients, particularly including pediatric patients with one or more chronic conditions. The objective of this study was to assess the extent to which a behavioral health diagnosis in addition to another chronic condition …

Setting The Standards: Examining Research Productivity Among Academic Urologists In The Usa And Canada In 2019., Thenappan Chandrasekar, Timothy M. Han, Lydia Glick, Joon Yau Leong, Seth Teplitsky, Rodrigo Noorani, Hanan Goldberg, Zachary Klaassen, Christopher J.D. Wallis, James R. Mark, Edouard J. Trabulsi, Costas D. Lallas, Leonard G. Gomella

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Research productivity among academic urologists is strongly encouraged, but little data are available on productivity metrics within the field.

OBJECTIVE: To provide the first comprehensive survey of research productivity among academic urologists in the USA and Canada.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Using the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Canadian Resident Matching Service, and individual program websites, all active accredited urology faculties were identified. For each individual, we collected data on American Urological Association section, title, gender, fellowship training, Scopus H-index, and citations. Comprehensive searches were completed during March-May 2019.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics for …

Effects Of Co-Infection On The Clinical Outcomes Of Clostridium Difficile Infection, Muhammad Shafiq, Hani Alturkmani, Yousaf Zafar, Vishal Mittal, Hafsa Lodhi, Waqas Ullah, Joseph Brewer

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Background: Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a spore-forming, Gram-positive rod that is known to be associated with antibiotic use. It is one of the leading causes of nosocomial diarrhea in the industrialized world and therefore warrants further study of its nature. It isn't clear if co-infection by other organisms can affect the outcome of C. difficile infection (CDI).

Methods: A single center retrospective study was done and it used inclusion criteria of 18 years of age and being tested positive for CDI on FilmArray® multiplex gastro-intestinal (GI) panel. Exclusion criteria were a GI panel performed on an outpatient …

Shedding Light On Endometriosis: Patient And Provider Perspectives On A Challenging Disease, Madalene Zale, Emily Lambert, Marianna Lanoue, Amy E. Leader

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

Background: Endometriosis is a serious yet understudied medical condition impacting millions of women worldwide.

Methods: This mixed methods study aimed to understand health care provider perceptions and patient experiences with endometriosis in the United States. Providers were surveyed to assess their understanding of disease prevalence. A subset of providers also participated in short, open-ended interviews about treating patients who have or are suspected to have endometriosis. Interviews were also conducted with women diagnosed with endometriosis to understand their experiences with the disease. Means and frequencies were calculated for survey data; interviews were transcribed and separately analyzed by two coders using …

Modular Stem In Total Hip Arthroplasty For Patients With Trochanter Valgus Deformity: Surgical Technique And Case Series., Xiangpeng Kong, Wei Chai, Minzhi Yang, Alvin Ong, Jiying Chen, Yan Wang, Yonggang Zhou

Rothman Institute Papers

BACKGROUND: Trochanter valgus deformity (TVD) is a rare condition of total hip arthroplasty (THA). Femoral osteotomy could be required in correcting the deformity to implant femoral stem in severe TVD. In this study, we described one unpublished technique of reverse sleeve of S-ROM to get through the complex situation. This study aimed to summarize and evaluate its technical challenges, safety and effectiveness.

METHODS: From January 2006 to December 2014, we enrolled patients whose sleeves were implanted towards the great trochanter in THA with TVD. Their demographics, perioperative and postoperative information were recorded. To explore its indication, we measured and analyzed …

Unexpected Cell Type-Dependent Effects Of Autophagy On Polyglutamine Aggregation Revealed By Natural Genetic Variation In C. Elegans., J Alexander-Floyd, S Haroon, M Ying, A A Entezari, C Jaeger, M Vermulst, T Gidalevitz

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Monogenic protein aggregation diseases, in addition to cell selectivity, exhibit clinical variation in the age of onset and progression, driven in part by inter-individual genetic variation. While natural genetic variants may pinpoint plastic networks amenable to intervention, the mechanisms by which they impact individual susceptibility to proteotoxicity are still largely unknown.

RESULTS: We have previously shown that natural variation modifies polyglutamine (polyQ) aggregation phenotypes in C. elegans muscle cells. Here, we find that a genomic locus from C. elegans wild isolate DR1350 causes two genetically separable aggregation phenotypes, without changing the basal activity of muscle proteostasis pathways known to …

Mucopolysaccharidosis Iva: Diagnosis, Treatment, And Management., Kazuki Sawamoto, José Víctor Álvarez González, Matthew Piechnik, Francisco J. Otero, Maria L. Couce, Yasuyuki Suzuki, Shunji Tomatsu

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

Mucopolysaccharidosis type IVA (MPS IVA, or Morquio syndrome type A) is an inherited metabolic lysosomal disease caused by the deficiency of the N-acetylglucosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase enzyme. The deficiency of this enzyme accumulates the specific glycosaminoglycans (GAG), keratan sulfate, and chondroitin-6-sulfate mainly in bone, cartilage, and its extracellular matrix. GAG accumulation in these lesions leads to unique skeletal dysplasia in MPS IVA patients. Clinical, radiographic, and biochemical tests are needed to complete the diagnosis of MPS IVA since some clinical characteristics in MPS IVA are overlapped with other disorders. Early and accurate diagnosis is vital to optimizing patient management, which provides a …

Empathy As Related To Gender, Age, Race/Ethnicity, Academic Background, And Career Interest: A Nationwide Study Of Osteopathic Medical Students In The United States., Mohammadreza Hojat, Jennifer Desantis, Stephen Shannon, Mark Speicher, Lynn Bragan, Leonard H. Calabrese

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

CONTEXT: Research on associations between medical student empathy and demographics, academic background, and career interest is limited in number, lacks representative samples, and suffers from single institutional feature. This study was designed to fill the gap by examining associations between empathy in patient care, and gender, age, race/ethnicity, academic background, and career interest in nationwide, multi-institutional samples of medical students in the United States and to provide more definitive answers to the aforementioned associations with more confidence in the internal and external validity of the findings.

METHODS: Four nationwide samples participated in this study (n=10,751). Samples 1, 2, 3, and …