Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effective Models In Community And Student Run Clinics, Jonathan Nyman

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Over 3.5 billion people—half of the world’s population, did not have access to any healthcare facilities or services in 2017.1 In order to provide more healthcare to more individuals, student run clinics (SRCs), community-based health systems, and other low-cost clinics have opened up all over the world.

Purpose: It is important, however, to understand how these clinics run, their effectiveness, and how they may increase healthcare access. This study analyzed articles involving free or low-cost clinics to determine which models are utilized within free or low-cost clinics to provide effective standard of care resulting in increased healthcare …

Impact Of Provider Cultural Competency On Latino/Hispanic Patients During End-Of-Life And Hospice Care, Nicholle Nacionales

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Cultural competency in healthcare means delivering high quality care to patients with diverse beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors. Latinos/Hispanics are one of the fastest growing ethnic group and with an aging population, there is an increased need for providers to deliver culturally sensitive end-of-life and hospice care. Latino/Hispanic patients face many disparities that affect their quality of care which cultural competency aims to address. Purpose: The purpose of this literature review is to identify factors that affect Latino/Hispanic patient’s end-of-life and hospice care and how cultural competency of providers can influence management of their pain and quality of …

A Review Of Monoclonal Antibody Regimens In Small Cell Lung Cancer Compared To Chemotherapy Standard Of Care, Rachael St. Clair

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive neuroendocrine tumor closely linked to tobacco use. Chemotherapy with platinum-etoposide is the current standard of care, with positive initial response rates and subsequently high rates of recurrence and death. Monoclonal antibodies are a therapeutic drug class attempting to block suppression of T cell activation, enabling a stronger immune response.

Purpose: The current predicament in SCLC treatment is determining if monoclonal antibodies have any effect on overall survival. Chemotherapy briefly suppresses SCLC, but given its rapid progression and recurrence, it is necessary to investigate alternative treatments. The following literature review …

Thermal Ablation As An Alternative To Standard Breast Conserving Surgery In The Treatment Of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Of The Elderly, Dani Ducharme

Theses and Graduate Projects

An aging population means an inevitable increase in cancer diagnoses, and thus, a novel solution is needed to address this looming problem. Within the field of breast cancer, thermal ablation has emerged as a promising alternative to surgical excision. As a minimally invasive treatment, it significantly reduces the morbidity and mortality for geriatric patients, as well as healthcare costs overall.

The purpose of this analysis is to understand the utility of thermal ablation for the treatment of invasive ductal carcinoma. Specifically in the context of elderly patients, it is determined if this treatment modality is superior to traditional breast conserving …

Immunotherapy Versus Chemotherapy: Which Treatment Offers Better Survival To Adults With Advanced Melanoma?, Nadeline Abro

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer that can lead to metastasis. The main treatment for melanoma is surgical removal — a wide excision. Patients with advanced melanoma require further treatment such as chemotherapy or immunotherapy due to the concern of continuous spread.

Purpose: Literature review of studies to examine if patients with advanced melanoma, treated with immunotherapy, enjoy better overall survival rates than patients treated with chemotherapy?

Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using using the search terms <(advanced melanoma) AND (immunotherapy)) AND (chemotherapy)) AND (skin cancer)>. Inclusion criteria were studies that were related to immunotherapy and chemotherapy among advanced melanoma patients. Exclusion …

Can Exercise Be An Alternative Treatment Option For Depression, Walker Rogers

Theses and Graduate Projects

As most people know, exercise has always been beneficial for our overall health. No matter which exercise program it is, they all provide some sort of benefit. A growing problem has been depression as more and more people are being diagnosed. Since normally, most people would be prescribed SSRIs, I wanted to find out if there were alternative options. I sought to determine if exercise can be an alternative treatment option for depression. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using the websites PubMed, NCBI, Science Direct, & Academic Search Premier and using the search terms depression, anxiety, exercise, yoga, resistance …

Investigating The Relationship Between Mental Health And Co- Morbidity Management During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Literature Review, Alejandra Soto

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused many disruptions to millions of lives, especially with the enforcement of government shutdowns, isolations, and social distancing. These measures lead to increased anxiety and depression in the general population. With many high- risk patient populations having chronic comorbidities, accessing routine medical care and supplies became difficult during the pandemic.

Purpose: How has mental health affected the management of pre-existing comorbidities during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using the research engine PubMed using the search terms: “pandemic”, “COVID-19”, “comorbidities”, “mental health”, “morbidity”, and “mortality”. Inclusion criteria were studies …

3d And Bio-Printing As An Efficient And Safe Alternative To Traditional Methods And Materials In Cardiovascular Diseases, Angela Asare-Ose

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally. Therefore, there is the need for more resources to be poured into the research of more treatment options, diagnostic methods and preventative steps for patients. Though several technological advancements are being made in the world of medicine, it is not a bad idea to look at other avenues that have great potential to improve patient outcomes in cardiovascular diseases. 3D and bioprinting, though a relatively new technology in the world of medicine, is showing a promising future. It is already being applied in the field of orthopedic surgery and …

The Visualization Of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms With The Aid Of Computed Tomography, Graham Dileo

Medical Imaging Senior Posters

The Visualization of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms with the Aid of Computed Tomography

Graham J. Dileo

Dr. Gina Capitano Ed.D., R.T. (R)

Geisinger Community Medical Center, Scranton, PA

Abstract

This research discusses Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) and the role of Computed Tomography (CT) in diagnosing and establishing a treatment plan. An AAA is a bulge or swelling in the descending aorta, the primary blood vessel in the human body, that can be life-threatening. This type of aortic aneurysm is one of the most common causes of death for patients with a history of high blood pressure or heavy smoking. AAAs typically …

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (Sbrt) For Treatment Of Lung Cancer, Camryn Frazier

Medical Imaging Senior Posters

This project explains stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and its role in treating lung cancers. Different types of SBRT treatment, statistics, toxicity, success rates, and data from studies are discussed. More than half of all cancer patients experience lung metastasis, many of these cases being inoperable. SBRT provides a noninvasive alternative to surgery as well as high rates of local tumor control and minimal toxicity. SBRT is a form of external beam radiation therapy that delivers a hypofractionated dose directly to the cancerous target volume. Two common types of SBRT utilized to treat lung cancer are intensity modulated radiation therapy …

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy For Spinal Metastases, Kendall Pearage

Medical Imaging Senior Posters

SBRT for Spinal Metastases

Kendall Pearage

Dr. Gina Capitano Ed. D, R.T. (R)

Cathy Moody R.T. (T)

Northeast Radiation Oncology Center

Abstract

Spinal metastases are the most common spinal tumors accounting for approximately 90% of cases and are a result of cancer arising from another part of the body. This research explains how Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) can treat spinal metastases. SBRT is a type of treatment that uses high fractionated doses of radiation to treat patients with different cancers. SBRT is commonly used to treat spinal metastases because it allows radiation therapists to treat a very precise location …

The Use Of Nuclear Medicine In Detecting And Treating Mental Health Diseases, Jena Simmons, Gina Capitano, Walter Kierzkowski

Medical Imaging Senior Posters

Mental health disorders affect over 792 million people around the world, and a leading cause for disability. Mental health disorders include a plethora of conditions that affect mood, thinking and behavior, including but not limited to, depression, dementia, anxiety, autism, and schizophrenia. The most common method of diagnosis is a psychological evaluation, which can lack accuracy if performed as the only method of diagnosis. Nuclear Medicine helps aid in diagnosis of these disorders in conjunction with psychological testing. Brain scans can help determine if there is a pathogenic cause for the symptoms. Brain scans are done utilizing Positron Emission Tomography …

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (Tavr), Ashlyn Case

Medical Imaging Senior Posters

Title of Poster: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) Student Researcher: Ashlyn Case Faculty Advisor: Loraine D. Zelna, M.S., R.T. (R)(MR) Internship Mentor: Stephanie Jugus, B.S., R.T., RCIS Internship Site: Cardiac Cath, Regional Hospital of Scranton, Scranton, PA Abstract Transcatheter aortic valve replacement

(TAVR) is a minimally invasive procedure option for patients suffering from severe aortic stenosis. The procedure is quickly evolving and is crucial to individuals who cannot receive open heart procedures. Aortic stenosis occurs when the aortic valve (valve connecting the aorta to the left ventricle) of the heart is unable to fully open. This is detrimental to a …

The Presentation Of Triple Negative Breast Cancer In Mammography, Reayanne C. Yokimcus, Gina Capitano, Crystal Crawn

Medical Imaging Senior Posters

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a type of breast cancer absent of estrogen and progesterone within the cancer cells. Additionally, TNBC is absent of a large amount of the protein HER2. Negative testing for all three elements is indicative of TNBC. Approximately 10-15% of women with breast cancer are diagnosed with TNBC. African American women under 40 years of age and women with the BRCA1 mutation are most commonly diagnosed with TNP. The BRCA1 gene is important when fighting off cancer. If there is a mutation within the BRCA1 gene, then that makes men and women more susceptible to …

Dopamine Transporter Scan (Datscan) For Diagnosis Of Parkinson’S Disease, Samantha Clark

Medical Imaging Senior Posters

The purpose of this project is to help provide clinical information for Parkinson’s disease (PD) diagnosis. The project will further explore the advantages of Dopamine Transporter Scan (DaTscan) in Nuclear Medicine as a diagnostic tool for the evaluation of Parkinson’s disease. Nuclear Medicine is a specialized area of radiology that uses radioactive pharmaceuticals to examine organ function and to diagnose and/or treat conditions or diseases. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and the parts of the body controlled by the nerves that causes uncontrollable movements that worsen overtime. Parkinsonian Syndromes such as Parkinson’s disease are …

When Should Screening Mammograms Begin?, Michaela Cragle, Lynn Blazaskie

Medical Imaging Senior Posters

When Should Screening Mammograms Begin?

Michaela Cragle

Lynn Blazaskie M.S., R.T. (R) (ARRT)

Abstract

Screening mammograms are imaging exams performed yearly to evaluate breast tissue. As women age, changes in breast tissue can be normal or can be an early sign of cancer. The age women should begin screening mammograms is not clear. According to literature it has created much controversy over the years. Most women begin the screening process at the age of 40, and even earlier depending on family history. Research groups from multiple institutions followed and evaluated women who received yearly mammograms. Most women were divided into …

Changes In Patterns And Outcomes Of Trauma Patients After Betterment In Law And Order Situation Of The City, Sabah Uddin Saqib, Hasnain Zafar

Section of General Surgery

Objective: To assess the impact of the law and order situation of a city on the pattern of traumatic injuries and the overall outcomes of trauma victims.
Methods: The retrospective study of prospective trauma surgery data was done at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised data of patients with torso injuries before the improvement of law and order situation from January 2012 to March 2013 in Group A, and of those with similar injuries after the law and order situation improved in the city from January 2018 to March 2019 in Group B. The required data was collected by …

Mental Health Interventions For International Seafarers During The Covid-19 Pandemic : A Pilot Study, Sanley Abila, Lijun Tang, Momoko Kitada, Serafin Malecosio, Rhea Subong

Reports

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the key role that seafarers play in the global supply chain. As the pandemic took hold in early 2020 a significant crew change crisis unfolded globally due to border closures, strict quarantine requirements and a faltering vaccination rollout. In normal times the mental health of seafarers has been recognised as crucial to their wellbeing and safety at sea. Stranded aboard their vessels and with an unclear pathway out of the pandemic the mental health of seafarers deteriorated significantly driving some to suicide.

With 400,000 seafarers stranded at sea at one point, the issue was framed …

Water-Soluble Alternative To Simethicone To Safely Visualize Gi-Tract. Have We Found Our White Whale?, Teri Mallard, Sandra Roswell, Amarnath Ramakrishnan

All Poster Presentations

Purpose: To evaluate a safe alternative to simethicone, that aligns with the scope manufacturer recommendations, and eliminates GI bubbles to improve provider visualization.

Hypothesis: GI Ease will improve bubble scale scores to improve visualization of the GI tract and facilitate polyp detection.

Background: Multiple independent studies have shown that simethicone, even when highly diluted, remains in the endoscope working channel after all manual cleaning and reprocessing protocols have been followed correctly. Although simethicone effectively eliminates gas bubbles, it carries unacceptable risks. It is insoluble in water and alcohol, challenging to remove, and may foster biofilm build-up and microbial proliferation. Due …

Targeting L-Arginine Metabolism To Control Small Cell Lung Cancer Transformation, Robert L. Burns Jr.

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Cancer is known for its unregulated and mutagenic characteristics. The topic of targeting cancer by inhibiting the metabolic pathways it uses to thrive has been a focus of modern cancer research. Specifically, in lung cancer, the transformation from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a focus. This transformation often comes with a grimmer prognosis and reduced survival rate. This is primarily due to SCLC being resistant to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors. This frontline treatment for EGFR mutant NSCLC has shown to be quite effective until transformation to SCLC occurs. To further study …

The Efficacy Of The Role Of Therapeutic Play In Alleviating Pain Or Anxiety In Pediatric Cancer Patients, Savannah B. Duke

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic play in alleviating pain or anxiety in the pediatric cancer patient.

Background: Therapeutic play is an intervention often incorporated within the care of pediatric cancer patients and children with other disease processes to promote well-being. Even though play therapy is supported by research, nurses have the option to implement nursing care interventions in a play-like manner. Therapeutic play is an individualized technique that provides an intentional opportunity for children to express their emotional responses in a controlled environment.

Method: The databases used in this search included CINAHL, MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, ERIC, and Education …

The Relationship Between The Population's Perception Of Herniated Intervertebral Disks And Their Known Physical Presentation, Jonah D. Gant

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The second most common lumbosacral diagnosis in the United States is a herniation or prolapse of the intervertebral disc. Individuals with herniated discs can have a wide variety of clinical presentations, ranging from asymptomatic to severe spinal cord compression and pain. Studies suggest that an individual’s pre-existing perception of a condition is likely to influence their course of recovery. Currently, perceptions the general public holds regarding the consequences of disc herniation is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess current views regarding disc herniations in the general population with their reported prevalence and clinical outcome. This was …

Examining The Use Of Digital Tools To Facilitate Multilingual Patient-Physician Communication: A Scoping Review, Esha V. Ghosalkar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The United States healthcare system cares for and supports a diverse patient population. Patients come from various ethnic backgrounds, speak different languages, hold distinct religious affiliations, and more. These differences can create a chasm in the patient-provider relationship, impacting the quality of care or health outcomes. Specifically, language-discordance can affect patient-provider communication; however, technological interventions, such as access to electronic medical record tools and digital translators, can facilitate this dyadic communication. This scoping review examines the literature present on the use of digital tools to facilitate multilingual patient-provider communication. The initial search in PubMed with MeSH terms resulted in 531 …

Evaluation Of Interactions Of Covid Nonstructural Proteins 3, 5, And 6 With Human Proteins And Potentially Therapeutic Molecules, Jessica Huitsing

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2, has been ongoing for over two years. The virus spreads easily and is more unpredictable than well-known viruses like the flu, making it important to have reliable combative measures before we fully drop non-vaccine preventive actions, like mask-wearing.Therefore, we used computational protein modeling to investigate the interactions of three nonstructural proteins (abbreviated Nsp) encoded in the viral RNA genome– Nsp3, Nsp5, and Nsp6 – which are involved in the viral life cycle, with human P-type polyamine transporting ATPases ATP13A2 and ATP13A3, whose disease symptoms when mutated mimic …

Investigating The Relationship Between Biological Age And Mutant Huntingtin Misfolding, Ratnesh Kesineni

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Huntington Disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by an expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat tract in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. This CAG tract expansion causes production of mutant HTT (mtHTT) protein, which misfolds and forms inclusions in the brain that accumulate with age. Misfolded mtHTT aggregates have been linked with increased cell death in neuron cell culture, leading to speculation that mtHTT aggregates cause cell death. However, there are mouse lines that have robust mtHTT inclusion deposition, but no HD-like signs or neurodegeneration. Furthermore, neuronal HD cultured cells with inclusions were found to be …

A Reflection On Modern Western Adolescent Transitional Care Of Patients With Chronic Conditions, Samuel Schepps

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Transitional care represents a critical juncture in the continuing care of patients with chronic conditions, particularly for adolescent patients. It also represents a significant point of failure in that process for adolescents, with many patients experiencing difficulties during the transition between adolescent and adult medicine that lead to negative long-term impact on health and wellbeing. This thesis aims at addressing adolescent transitional care processes and its obstacles through a broad medical humanities inquiry in a multidisciplinary dialogue between philosophy, social sciences, and medicine. The social, anthropological, and medical concepts of adolescence and autonomy were derived from a literature review and …

Uterine Fibroid Prevalence And Health Care Disparities By County. Florida, 2010-2019, Saarah K. Sherifi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Also known as uterine fibroids, leiomyomas occur in 70% of women. A uterine leiomyoma is a benign growth in the muscular wall of the uterus which, if left untreated, can grow, and affect surrounding organs, leading to complications, including hemorrhage and death. Symptomatic women often experience pain and debilitating menstrual cycles which, in turn, result in poor health, poor quality of life, and loss of income. Preventative and treatment services in Florida could benefit from the characteristics of women affected the most by this disease in the state. Thus, we describe the demographic characteristics and estimate the prevalence rate of …

Exploring Genz’S Attitudes About Mental Illness: Are They More Accepting?, Katelyn E. Yarbrough

Honors Undergraduate Theses

It is assumed that stigmas surrounding mental illnesses have begun to lessen over time. Generation Z seems to be the most accepting of neurodivergent individuals and people with mental illnesses (Bethune, 2019). However, existing literature suggests that college students continue to have negative attitudes toward mental illnesses, which could lead to a refusal of mental health services, unsafe social environments, and self-medication (Phelan & Basow, 2007). To further investigate GenZ’s stigmas toward mental illness, this study assesses college students’ attitudes toward various mental health diagnoses including Depression, Anxiety, Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Eating Disorders. Specifically, …

The Association Between Obesity And Covid-19: An Analysis Of Risk Factors, Talib H. Hakim

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to focus on whether solely obesity (measured by BMI) leads to an increased risk of COVID-19 mortality in terms of excess in-hospital deaths. As the grim milestone of one million deaths in the United States from COVID-19 was reached, one could assume the disease would continue to coexist with humanity in the long term. While vaccination continued to limit the spread of COVID-19, it was essential to investigate risk factors that may exacerbate the severity of the illness in humans. Obesity is already a global pandemic affecting 40% of Americans and over 650 million …

The Impact Of Head And Neck Surgical Scars On Appearance And Acceptance Of Dermatography As A Cosmetic Intervention, Simcha Chaitoff

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Many surgical procedures in the head and neck regions produce visible scarring. The most common of these surgeries are tracheotomies and thyroidectomies. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increase in tracheotomy scars, particularly in those who survived severe infection with the disease and required long-term ventilation. Individuals with neck scars are at an increased risk of health consequences such as reduced quality of life, depression, and negative body image. Research on attitudes toward and reactions to individuals with such scarring is limited. The purpose of this study is to examine how people rate images of scarred individuals on personality …