Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evidence For Gene-Smoking Interactions For Hearing Loss And Deafness In Japanese American Families, Jia Y Wan, Christina Cataby, Andrew Liem, Emily Jeffrey, Trina M Norden-Krichmar, Deborah Goodman, Stephanie A Santorico, Karen L Edwards

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the relationship between smoking and hearing loss and deafness (HLD) and whether the relationship is modified by genetic variation. Data for these analyses was from the subset of Japanese American families collected as part of the American Diabetes Association Genetics of Non-insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus study. Logistic regression with generalized estimating equations assessed the relationship between HLD and smoking. Nonparametric linkage analysis identified genetic regions harboring HLD susceptibility genes and ordered subset analysis was used to identify regions showing evidence for gene-smoking interactions. Genetic variants within these candidate regions were then each tested for interaction with …

Coaction Between Physical Activity And Fruit And Vegetable Intake In Racially Diverse, Obese Adults, Natalia I Heredia, Maria E Fernandez, Alexandra E Van Den Berg, Casey P Durand, Harold W Kohl, Belinda M Reininger, Kevin O Hwang, Lorna H Mcneill

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: There is minimal understanding of the potential for coaction, defined as action on one behavior increasing the likelihood of taking action on another behavior, between physical activity (PA) and fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. The purpose of this study was to assess the bidirectional coaction between FV intake and PA, as well as self-efficacy for these behaviors, in a racially diverse sample of obese adults.

DESIGN: This is a secondary analysis using data collected from the Path to Health study, a randomized controlled trial. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03674229.

SAMPLE: Obese adults who completed baseline and 6-month follow-up assessments.

MEASURES: For …

Fibrin Clots Maintain The Viability And Proliferative Capacity Of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells: An In Vitro Study, Ryan J Warth, Paul G Shupe, Xueqin Gao, Mohammad Syed, Walter R Lowe, Johnny Huard, Christopher D Harner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Augmentation of soft-tissue repairs with an autologous fibrin clot has been used clinically for nearly four decades; however, fibrin clots tend to produce an abundance of scar tissue, which is known to inhibit soft-tissue regeneration. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) embedded in fibrin clots before repair could reduce scar tissue deposition and facilitate soft-tissue regeneration. To our knowledge, no published studies have directly evaluated the viability or bioactivity of MSCs in fresh human fibrin clots over time. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the viability and bioactivity of human MSCs inside human fibrin clots over time in nutritive …

The Impact Of Diabetic Foot Ulcers And Unilateral Offloading Footwear On Gait In People With Diabetes, Erica Ling, Brian Lepow, He Zhou, Ana Enriquez, Ashley Mullen, Bijan Najafi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Unilateral offloading footwear prescribed to patients with diabetic foot ulcers elevates one limb relative to the other, which may lead to limp and abnormal gait. This study investigated whether the unilateral foot ulcer and offloading combination negatively impacts gait function beyond diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

METHODS: Eighty-six participants were recruited in 3 groups: 12 with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and unilateral foot ulcers wearing offloading footwear (offloading group, age = 55.6 ± 9.5 years, BMI = 30.9 ± 4.5 kg/m

FINDINGS: The offloading group exhibited deteriorated gait function compared to the non-diabetic group (p < 0.005, Cohen's effect size d = 0.90-2.61). They also had decreased gait speed (p < 0.001, d = 1.79) and stride length (p < 0.001, d = 1.76), as well as increased gait cycle time (p < 0.001, d = 1.67) and limp (p < 0.050, d = 0.72-1.49) compared to the neuropathy group. The offloading group showed increased gait unsteadiness compared to the neuropathy group, but the difference did not reach statistical significance in our samples.

INTERPRETATION: This study demonstrated that while diabetic …

Probable African Tick Bite Fever In The United States, Kami Lowery, Theodore Rosen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

African tick bite fever (ATBF) is a tick-borne rickettsial disease most often observed in North American and European tourists returning home from the southern portion of Africa. Ticks infected with Rickettsia africae transmit this parasitic bacterium to humans, who subsequently develop an influenza-like illness, one or more inoculation eschars, and in some cases, a cutaneous rash. Because ATBF often presents with non-specific symptoms that suggest other infectious diseases, establishing the diagnosis may be difficult. Confirmatory assays, including serology and nucleic acid amplification, may take weeks to return and cannot help with acute treatment decisions. We present a case of a …

Orthostatic Hypotension, Cardiovascular Outcomes, And Adverse Events: Results From Sprint, Stephen P Juraschek, Addison A Taylor, Jackson T Wright, Gregory W Evans, Edgar R Miller, Timothy B Plante, William C Cushman, Tanya R Gure, William E Haley, Imran Moinuddin, John Nord, Suzanne Oparil, Carolyn Pedley, Christianne L Roumie, Jeff Whittle, Alan Wiggers, Ciarán Finucane, Rose Anne Kenny, Lawrence J Appel, Raymond R Townsend

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is frequently observed with hypertension treatment, but its contribution to adverse outcomes is unknown. The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) was a randomized trial of adults, age ≥50years at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) with a seated systolic BP (SBP) of 130–180 mmHg and a standing SBP ≥110 mmHg. Participants were randomized to a SBP treatment goal of either <120 mmHg or <140 mmHg. OH was defined as a drop in SBP≥20 or diastolic BP ≥10 mmHg one minute after standing from a seated position. We used Cox models to examine the association of OH with CVD or adverse study events by randomized BP goal. During the follow-up period (median 3years), there were 1,170 (5.7%) instances of OH among those assigned a standard BP goal, and 1,057 (5.0%) among those assigned the intensive BP goal. OH was not associated with higher risk of CVD events (primary outcome: HR 1.06; 95%CI: 0.78,1.44). Moreover, OH was not associated with syncope, electrolyte abnormalities, injurious falls, or acute renal failure. OH was associated with hypotension-related hospitalizations or emergency department visits (HR 1.77; 1.11,2.82) and bradycardia (HR 1.94; 1.19,3.15), but these associations did not differ by BP treatment goal. OH was not associated with a higher risk of CVD events and BP treatment goal had no effect on OH’s association with hypotension and bradycardia. Symptomless OH during hypertension treatment should not be viewed as a reason to down-titrate therapy even in the setting of a lower BP goal.

Simulation-Based Mastery Learning Compared To Standard Education For Discussing Diagnostic Uncertainty With Patients In The Emergency Department: A Randomized Controlled Trial., Danielle M. Mccarthy, Rhea E. Powell, Kenzie A. Cameron, David H. Salzman, Dimitrios Papanagnou, Amanda Doty, Benjamin E. Leiby, Katherine Piserchia, Matthew R. Klein, Xiao C. Zhang, William C. Mcgaghie, Kristin L. Rising

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Diagnostic uncertainty occurs frequently in emergency medical care, with more than one-third of patients leaving the emergency department (ED) without a clear diagnosis. Despite this frequency, ED providers are not adequately trained on how to discuss diagnostic uncertainty with these patients, who often leave the ED confused and concerned. To address this training need, we developed the Uncertainty Communication Education Module (UCEM) to teach physicians how to discuss diagnostic uncertainty. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the UCEM in improving physician communications.

METHODS: The trial is a multicenter, two-arm randomized controlled trial designed to …

Comparison Of Microneutralization And Histo-Blood Group Antigen-Blocking Assays For Functional Norovirus Antibody Detection, Robert L Atmar, Khalil Ettayebi, B Vijayalakshmi Ayyar, Frederick H Neill, Ralph P Braun, Sasirekha Ramani, Mary K Estes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The development of an in vitro cultivation system for human noroviruses allows the measurement of neutralizing antibody levels.

METHODS: Serum neutralizing antibody levels were determined using a GII.4/Sydney/2012-like virus in human intestinal enteroids in samples collected before and 4 weeks after administration of an investigational norovirus vaccine and were compared with those measured in histo-blood group antigen (HBGA)-blocking assays.

RESULTS: Neutralizing antibody seroresponses were observed in 71% of 24 vaccinated adults, and antibody levels were highly correlated (r = 0.82, P < .001) with those measured by HBGA blocking.

CONCLUSIONS: HBGA-blocking antibodies are a surrogate for neutralization in human noroviruses.

Global Longitudinal Strain And Cardiac Events In Patients With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Related Myocarditis., Magid Awadalla, Syed S Mahmood, John D Groarke, Malek Z O Hassan, Anju Nohria, Adam Rokicki, Sean P Murphy, Nathaniel D Mercaldo, Lili Zhang, Daniel A Zlotoff, Kerry L Reynolds, Raza M Alvi, Dahlia Banerji, Shiying Liu, Lucie M Heinzerling, Maeve Jones-O'Connor, Rula B Bakar, Justine V Cohen, Michael C Kirchberger, Ryan J Sullivan, Dipti Gupta, Connor P Mulligan, Sachin P Shah, Sarju Ganatra, Muhammad A. Rizvi Md, Gagan Sahni, Carlo G Tocchetti, Donald P Lawrence, Michael Mahmoudi, Richard B Devereux, Brian J Forrestal, Anant Mandawat, Alexander R Lyon, Carol L Chen, Ana Barac, Judy Hung, Paaladinesh Thavendiranathan, Michael H Picard, Franck Thuny, Stephane Ederhy, Michael G Fradley, Tomas G Neilan

Department of Medicine

BACKGROUND: There is a need for improved methods for detection and risk stratification of myocarditis associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Global longitudinal strain (GLS) is a sensitive marker of cardiac toxicity among patients receiving standard chemotherapy. There are no data on the use of GLS in ICI myocarditis.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate the role of GLS and assess its association with cardiac events among patients with ICI myocarditis.

METHODS: This study retrospectively compared echocardiographic GLS by speckle tracking at presentation with ICI myocarditis (cases, n = 101) to that from patients receiving an ICI who did not …

Reactive Stepping After A Forward Fall In People Living With Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury Or Disease, Katherine Chan, Jae Woung Lee, Janelle Unger, Jaeeun Yoo, Kei Masani, Kristin E Musselman

Physical Therapy Publications

STUDY DESIGN: Cross sectional.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the reactive stepping ability of individuals living with incomplete spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D) to that of sex- and age-matched able-bodied adults.

SETTING: A tertiary SCI/D rehabilitation center in Canada.

METHODS: Thirty-three individuals (20 with incomplete SCI/D) participated. Participants assumed a forward lean position in standing whilst 8-12% of their body weight was supported by a horizontal cable at waist height affixed to a rigid structure. The cable was released unexpectedly, simulating a forward fall and eliciting one or more reactive steps. Behavioral responses (i.e., single step versus non-single step) were compared …

Age Of Acquisition Impacts The Brain Differently Depending On Neuroanatomical Metric, Hannah Claussenius-Kalman, Kelly A Vaughn, Pilar Archila-Suerte, Arturo E Hernandez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Although researchers generally agree that a certain set of brain areas underlie bilingual language processing, there is discrepancy regarding what effect timing of language acquisition has on these regions. We aimed to investigate the neuroanatomical correlates of age of acquisition (AoA), which has been examined previously, but with inconsistent results, likely influenced by methodological differences across studies. We analyzed gray matter density, volume, and thickness using whole-brain linear models in 334 bilinguals and monolinguals. Neuroanatomical correlates of AoA differed depending on gray matter metric. Relative to early bilinguals, late bilinguals had thicker cortex in language processing and cognitive control regions, …

Benefit Of Contact Force-Guided Catheter Ablation For Treating Premature Ventricular Contractions, Ziming Zhao, Xiaowei Liu, Lianjun Gao, Yutao Xi, Qi Chen, Dong Chang, Xianjie Xiao, Jie Cheng, Yanzong Yang, Yunlong Xia, Xiaomeng Yin

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

We evaluated whether an irrigated contact force–sensing catheter would improve the safety and effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation of premature ventricular contractions originating from the right ventricular outflow tract.

We retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients with symptomatic premature ventricular contractions who underwent ablation with a contact force–sensing catheter (56 patients, SmartTouch) or conventional catheter (59 patients, ThermoCool) at our hospital from August 2013 through December 2015. During a mean follow-up of 16 ± 5 months, 3 patients in the conventional group had recurrences, compared with none in the contact force group. Complications occurred only in the conventional group (one steam …

Prognostic Value Of 6-Minute Walk Distance In Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Veterans Affairs Prospective Study, Tarun W Dasari, Bhavin Patel, Siddharth A Wayangankar, David Alexander, Yan D Zhao, Joann Schlegel, Cheuk Leung, Pedro Lozano, Faisal Latif, Udho Thadani

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

The 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) test is a useful prognostic tool in chronic heart failure. Its usefulness after percutaneous coronary intervention is unknown.

In a prospective observational study, patients underwent a 6MWD test within 2 weeks after percutaneous coronary intervention. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (death, acute coronary syndrome, and heart failure admission) at one year. Receiver operating characteristic curves and area under the curve were used to determine the 6MWD test's predictive power, and the Youden index was used to measure its effectiveness.

A total of 212 patients were enrolled (98% men; mean age, 65 …

Modified Pull-Through Technique For Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Upgrades In Patients With Occluded Access Veins, Guram Imnadze, Khaled Awad, Wolfgang Kranig, Irakli Giorgberidze

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

The number of procedures for upgrading implantable devices for cardiac resynchronization therapy has increased considerably during the last decade. A major challenge that operators face in these circumstances is occlusion of the access vein. We have modified a pull-through method to overcome this obstacle. Six consecutive patients with occluded access veins and well-developed collateral networks underwent a procedure in which the occluded vein was recanalized by snaring the existing atrial lead via transfemoral access. Upgrading the device was successful in all patients; none had intraprocedural complications. Our experience shows that our modified pull-through technique may be a feasible alternative for …

Assessing Lymphatic Route Of Csf Outflow And Peripheral Lymphatic Contractile Activity During Head-Down Tilt Using Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging, John C Rasmussen, Sunkuk Kwon, Amanda Pinal, Alexander Bareis, Fred C Velasquez, Christopher F Janssen, John R Morrow, Caroline E Fife, Ron J Karni, Eva M Sevick-Muraca

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the lymphatics play a critical role in the clearance of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the cranial space. Impairment of CSF outflow into the lymphatics is associated with a number of pathological conditions including spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS), a problem that limits long-duration spaceflight. We used near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging (NIRFLI) to dynamically visualize the deep lymphatic drainage pathways shared by CSF outflow and disrupted during head-down tilt (HDT), a method used to mimic the cephalad fluid shift that occurs in microgravity. After validating CSF clearance into the lymph nodes of the neck in swine, a pilot …

Everolimus-Induced Pneumonitis: A Diagnostic Challenge, Andrew Gulde, Elshad Hasanov, Kayla Krug, Gus W Krucke

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Diagnostic Criteria For Detection Of Retinal Nerve Fibre Layer Thickness And Neuroretinal Rim Width Abnormalities In Glaucoma, Feihui Zheng, Marco Yu, Christopher Kai-Shun Leung

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although measurements of the Bruch's membrane opening minimum rim width (BMO-MRW) and retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFLT) with optical coherence tomography (OCT) have been widely adopted in the diagnostic evaluation of glaucoma, there is no consensus on the diagnostic criteria to define BMO-MRW and RNFLT abnormalities. This study investigated the sensitivities and specificities of different diagnostic criteria based on the OCT classification reports for detection of glaucoma.

METHODS: 340 eyes of 137 patients with glaucoma and 87 healthy individuals, all with axial length ≤26mm, had global and sectoral BMO-MRW and RNFLT measured with Spectralis OCT (Heidelberg Engineering). Six …

Final Two-Year Outcomes For The Sentry Bioconvertible Inferior Vena Cava Filter In Patients Requiring Temporary Protection From Pulmonary Embolism., Michael D Dake, Timothy P Murphy, Albrecht H Krämer, Michael D Darcy, Luke E Sewall, Michael A Curi, Matthew S Johnson, Frank Arena, James L Swischuk, Gary M Ansel, Mitchell J Silver, Souheil Saddekni, Jayson S Brower, Robert Mendes, Sentry Trial Investigators

Heart and Vascular Articles

PURPOSE: To report final 2-year outcomes with the Sentry bioconvertible inferior vena cava (IVC) filter in patients requiring temporary protection against pulmonary embolism (PE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a prospective multicenter trial, the Sentry filter was implanted in 129 patients with documented deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or PE (67.5%) or who were at temporary risk of developing DVT/PE (32.6%). Patients were monitored and bioconversion status ascertained by radiography, computed tomography (CT), and CT venography through 2 years.

RESULTS: The composite primary 6-month endpoint of clinical success was achieved in 97.4% (111/114) of patients. The rate of new symptomatic PE was …

A Retrospective Matched-Cohort Study Of 3994 Lower Extremity Wounds Of Multiple Etiologies Across 644 Institutions Comparing A Bioactive Human Skin Allograft, Theraskin, Plus Standard Of Care, To Standard Of Care Alone, Geoff C Gurtner, Aimee D Garcia, Katie Bakewell, Jason B Alarcon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Most chronic wounds are related to comorbidities, for which no clinical trials are performed. This retrospective propensity matched-cohort study examined data from 2 074 000 lower extremity wounds across 644 institutions to determine the effectiveness of TheraSkin plus standard of care (SOC; n = 1997) versus SOC alone (n = 1997). Multivariate modelling comparing outcomes such as healing rates, percent area reductions (PARs), amputations, recidivism, treatment completion, and medical transfers were evaluated. A higher proportion of wounds in the treatment group compared with the controls were more likely to close (68.3% versus 60.3%), particularly wounds with exposed structures (64% versus …

Treatment Of Atopic Dermatitis With Ruxolitinib Cream (Jak1/Jak2 Inhibitor) Or Triamcinolone Cream, Brian S Kim, Michael D Howell, Kang Sun, Kim Papp, Adnan Nasir, Michael E Kuligowski, Incb 18424-206 Study Investigators

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a highly pruritic chronic inflammatory skin disorder. Ruxolitinib, a selective inhibitor of Janus kinase 1 and Janus kinase 2, potently suppresses cytokine signaling involved in AD pathogenesis.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib (RUX) cream in adults with AD.

METHODS: In this phase 2 study (NCT03011892), 307 adult patients with AD, an Investigator's Global Assessment score of 2 or 3 (mild or moderate), and 3% to 20% affected body surface area were equally randomized for 8 weeks of double-blind treatment to RUX (1.5% twice daily [BID], 1.5% once daily [QD], …

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy With Instillation: International Consensus Guidelines Update., Paul J Kim, Christopher E Attinger, Thomas Constantine, Brett D Crist, Elizabeth Faust, Christoph R Hirche, Lawrence A Lavery, Valerie J Messina, Norihiko Ohura, Laurie J Punch, Garrett A Wirth, Ibby Younis, Luc Téot

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The use of negative pressure wound therapy with instillation and dwell time (NPWTi-d) has gained wider adoption and interest due in part to the increasing complexity of wounds and patient conditions. Best practices for the use of NPWTi-d have shifted in recent years based on a growing body of evidence and expanded worldwide experience with the technology. To better guide the use of NPWTi-d with all dressing and setting configurations, as well as solutions, there is a need to publish updated international consensus guidelines, which were last produced over 6 years ago. An international, multidisciplinary expert panel of clinicians was …

Psychosocial Mediators Of Perceived Stigma And Suicidal Ideation Among Transgender Women, Krishna Kiran Kota, Laura F. Salazar, Rachel E. Culbreth, Richard A. Crosby, Jamal Jones

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Transgender women (TGW) in the U.S. experience high rates of stigma, depression, and elevated rates of suicide. This study examined correlates of suicidal ideation and estimated the conditional indirect effects of perceived stigma and psychosocial mediators on suicidal ideation.

METHODS: Using a cross-sectional study design, TGW (N = 92) were recruited through snowball sampling in Atlanta, Georgia. Structured interviews were conducted. Suicidal ideation was assessed by combining two variables that measured suicidal thoughts. Logistic regression models were performed to identify the potential risk and protective factors for suicidal ideation. We examined hypothesized psychosocial factors, including anxiety, depression, psychosocial impact …

Elagolix For Heavy Menstrual Bleeding In Women With Uterine Fibroids., William D. Schlaff, Ronald T. Ackerman, Ayman Al-Hendy, David F. Archer, Kurt T. Barnhart, Linda D. Bradley, Bruce R. Carr, Eve C. Feinberg, Sandra M. Hurtado, Jinhee Kim, Ran Liu, R. Garn Mabey, Charlotte D. Owens, Alfred Poindexter, Elizabeth E. Puscheck, Henry Rodriguez-Ginorio, James A. Simon, Ahmed M. Soliman, Elizabeth A. Stewart, Nelson B. Watts, Ozgul Muneyyirci-Delale

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Uterine fibroids are hormone-responsive neoplasms that are associated with heavy menstrual bleeding. Elagolix, an oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist resulting in rapid, reversible suppression of ovarian sex hormones, may reduce fibroid-associated bleeding.

METHODS: We conducted two identical, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 6-month phase 3 trials (Elaris Uterine Fibroids 1 and 2 [UF-1 and UF-2]) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of elagolix at a dose of 300 mg twice daily with hormonal "add-back" therapy (to replace reduced levels of endogenous hormones; in this case, estradiol, 1 mg, and norethindrone acetate, 0.5 mg, once daily) in women with fibroid-associated bleeding. An elagolix-alone …

Assessment Of Outcomes And Novel Immune Biomarkers In Metaplastic Breast Cancer: A Single Institution Retrospective Study., Evan Morgan, Anupama Suresh, Akaansha Ganju, Daniel G Stover, Robert Wesolowski, Sagar Sardesai, Anne Noonan, Raquel Reinbolt, Jeffrey Vandeusen, Nicole Williams, Mathew A Cherian, Zaibo Li, Gregory Young, Marilly Palettas, Julie Stephens, Joseph Liu, Amanda Luff, Bhuvaneswari Ramaswamy, Maryam Lustberg

Women’s Health Articles

BACKGROUND: Metaplastic breast cancer remains poorly characterized given its rarity and heterogeneity. The majority of metaplastic breast cancers demonstrate a phenotype of triple-negative breast cancer; however, differences in clinical outcomes between metaplastic breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer in the era of third-generation chemotherapy remain unclear.

METHODS: We compared the clinical outcomes between women with metaplastic breast cancer and women with triple-negative breast cancer diagnosed between 1994 and 2014. Metaplastic breast cancer patients were matched 1:3 to triple-negative breast cancer patients by stage and age at diagnosis. Distant disease-free survival (DDFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan Meier …

Clinical Mortality In A Large Covid-19 Cohort: Observational Study., M. Jarrett, S. Schultz, J. Lyall, J. Wang, L. Stier, M. De Geronimo, K. Nelson

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Northwell Health, an integrated health system in New York, has treated more than 15,000 inpatients with COVID-19 at the US epicenter of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: We describe the demographic characteristics of patients who died of COVID-19, observation of frequent rapid response team/cardiac arrest (RRT/CA) calls for non-intensive care unit (ICU) patients, and factors that contributed to RRT/CA calls.

METHODS: A team of registered nurses reviewed the medical records of inpatients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 via polymerase chain reaction before or on admission and who died between March 13 (first Northwell Health inpatient expiration) and April 30, 2020, …

Delay In Diagnosis Of Barrett's Esophagus Cancer During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned., A. J. Trindade, A. Rishi

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Global Survey On Pancreatic Surgery During The Covid-19 Pandemic., A. Oba, T. F. Stoop, M. Löhr, T. Hackert, N. Zyromski, W. H. Nealon, M. Unno, R. D. Schulick, M. H. Al-Musawi, M. Del Chiaro, +6 Additional Authors

Journal Articles

OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to clarify the role of pancreatic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic to optimize patients' and clinicians' safety and safeguard health care capacity. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA:The COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacts health care systems worldwide. Cancer patients appear to have an increased risk for adverse events when infected by COVID-19, but the inability to receive oncological care seems may be an even larger threat, particularly in case of pancreatic cancer. METHODS:An online survey was submitted to all members of seven international pancreatic associations and study groups, investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pancreatic surgery …

Current Smoking With Or Without Chronic Bronchitis Is Independently Associated With Goblet Cell Hyperplasia In Healthy Smokers And Copd Subjects, Victor Kim, Stephanie Jeong, Huaqing Zhao, Mehmet Kesimer, Richard C. Boucher, J. Michael Wells, Stephanie A. Christenson, Meilan K. Han, Mark Dransfield, Robert Paine, Christopher B. Cooper, Igor Barjaktarevic, Russell Bowler, Jeffrey L. Curtis, Robert J. Kaner, Sarah L. O'Beirne, Wanda K. O'Neal, Stephen I. Rennard, Fernando J. Martinez, Prescott G. Woodruff

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

COPD, chronic bronchitis (CB) and active smoking have all been associated with goblet cell hyperplasia (GCH) in small studies. Active smoking is strongly associated with CB, but there is a disconnect between CB clinical symptoms and pathology. Chronic cough and sputum production poorly correlate with the presence of GCH or COPD. We hypothesized that the primary determinant of GCH in ever smokers with or without airflow obstruction is active smoking. Goblet Cell Density (GCD) was measured in 71 current or former smokers [32 subjects without COPD and 39 COPD subjects]. Endobronchial mucosal biopsies were stained with Periodic Acid Schiff-Alcian Blue, …

Self-Reported Oral Health Status Among Adults Aged 40+ Years With And Without Vision Impairment: National Health Interview Survey, 2008, John E. Crews, Chiu-Fang Chou, Shillpa Naavaal, Susan O. Griffin, Jinan B. Saaddine

Dental Public Health and Policy Publications

Purpose: To examine self-reported oral health among adults aged 40 years and older with and without vision impairment.

Design: Cross-sectional, with a nationally representative sample.

Methods: We used publicly available data from the Oral Health Module, last administered in 2008, of the National Health Interview Survey. Outcome variables included fair/poor oral health status, mouth condition compared to others the same age, mouth problems (mouth sores, difficulty eating, dry mouth, bad breath, and/or jaw pain), teeth problems (toothache; broken/missing fillings or teeth; loose, crooked, or stained teeth; and/or bleeding gums), and lack of social participation. Using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic …

Heme Metabolism Genes Downregulated In Copd Cachexia, Ava C. Wilson, Preeti L. Kumar, Sool Lee, Margaret M. Parker, Itika Arora, Jarrett D. Morrow, Emiel F.M. Wouters, Richard Casaburi, Stephen I. Rennard, David A. Lomas, Alvar Agusti, Ruth Tal-Singer, Mark T. Dransfield, J. Michael Wells, Surya P. Bhatt, George Washko, Victor J. Thannickal, Hemant K. Tiwari, Craig P. Hersh, Peter J. Castaldi, Edwin K. Silverman, Merry-Lynn N. Mcdonald

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

INTRODUCTION: Cachexia contributes to increased mortality and reduced quality of life in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and may be associated with underlying gene expression changes. Our goal was to identify differential gene expression signatures associated with COPD cachexia in current and former smokers.

METHODS: We analyzed whole-blood gene expression data from participants with COPD in a discovery cohort (COPDGene, N = 400) and assessed replication (ECLIPSE, N = 114). To approximate the consensus definition using available criteria, cachexia was defined as weight-loss > 5% in the past 12 months or low body mass index (BMI) (<  20 kg/m

RESULTS: The prevalence of …