Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons^™

The Influence Of Age On The Diagnostic Performance Of White Blood Cell Count And Absolute Neutrophil Count In Suspected Pediatric Appendicitis., Richard G. Bachur, Peter S. Dayan, Nanette C. Dudley, Lalit Bajaj, Michelle D. Stevenson, Charles G. Macias, Manoj K. Mittal, Jonathan Bennett, Kelly A. Sinclair, Michael C. Monuteaux, Anupam B. Kharbanda

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: White blood cell (WBC) count and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) are a standard part of the evaluation of suspected appendicitis. Specific threshold values are utilized in clinical pathways, but the discriminatory value of WBC count and ANC may vary by age. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the diagnostic value of WBC count and ANC varies across age groups and whether diagnostic thresholds should be age-adjusted.

METHODS: This is a multicenter prospective observational study of patients aged 3-18 years who were evaluated for appendicitis. Receiver operator characteristic curves were developed to assess overall discriminative power of …

Neural Networks: Using Biomarkers To Inform Diagnosis, Classification Of Disease And Approach To Therapy, Paula Grajdeanu

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

The Postfinasteride Syndrome; An Overview, David L. Rowland, Ion G. Motofei, Florian Popa, Vlad D. Constantin, Adriana Vasilache, Ioana Păunică, Cristian Bălălău, Georgeta P. Păunică, Petrisor Banu, Stana Păunică

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

As a 5-α reductase inhibitor, Finasteride has proven effective in ameliorating two conditions documented to be androgen dependent, namely male androgenic alopecia and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Therapeutic results are maintained as long as the drug is administered, with treatment cessation generally leading to the return of symptomatology for each condition. In addition, during the therapeutic phase, several adverse effects have been reported, some of which persist long or indefinitely after treatment cessation, known as “post-finasteride syndrome.”

Herein we present and discuss the most common finasteride side effects, along with a psycho-neuroendocrine rationale that could explain the persistence of many adverse …

Changing Diagnostic Methods And Increased Detection Of Verotoxigenic Escherichia Coli, Ireland, Thomas Rice, Noreen Quinn, Roy D. Sleator, Brigid Lucey

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The recent paradigm shift in infectious disease diagnosis from culture-based to molecular-based approaches is exemplified in the findings of a national study assessing the detection of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections in Ireland. The methodologic changes have been accompanied by a dramatic increase in detections of non-O157 verotoxigenic E. coli serotypes.

A Comparison Of Imaging Modalities For The Diagnosis Of Osteomyelitis, Brandon J. Smith, Md, Grant S. Buchanan, Md, Franklin D. Shuler, Md, Phd

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Osteomyelitis is an increasingly common pathology that often poses a diagnostic challenge to clinicians. Accurate and timely diagnosis is critical to preventing complications that can result in the loss of life or limb. In addition to history, physical exam, and laboratory studies, diagnostic imaging plays an essential role in the diagnostic process. This narrative review article discusses various imaging modalities employed to diagnose osteomyelitis: plain films, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, bone scintigraphy, and positron emission tomography (PET). Articles were obtained from Pubmed and screened for relevance to the topic of diagnostic imaging for osteomyelitis. The authors …

Unconfessing Transgender: Dysphoric Youths And The Medicalization Of Madness In John Gower’S “Tale Of Iphis And Ianthe”, M W. Bychowski

Accessus

On the brink of the twenty-first century, Judith Butler argues in “Undiagnosing Gender” that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) defines the psychiatric condition of “Gender Identity Disorder” (or “Gender Dysphoria”) in ways that control biological diversity and construct “transgender” as a marginalized identity. By turning the study of gender away from vulnerable individuals and towards the broader systems of power, Butler works to liberate bodies from the medical mechanisms managing difference and precluding potentially disruptive innovations in forms of life and embodiment by creating categories of gender and disability.

Turning to the brink of the 15 …

A Systematic Review Of Dual-Sensory Impairment In Older Adults, Abby F. Malawer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The elderly population (ages 65 years and older) in the United States is estimated to double between 2000 and 2030 to approximately 72 million people. Among this population, sensory impairment is a chronic disability. The combination of both hearing and vision impairment, referred to as dual-sensory impairment (DSI) is a chronic condition on the rise. The prevalence of DSI ranges from a low of 1.6% to as high as 22.5% depending on the population (Appollonio et al., 1995). Higher prevalence rates tend to emerge in populations receiving rehabilitative and hospital care. DSI impacts independent physical function and verbal communication, along …

Diagnostic Practices Of Autism Spectrum Disorders In Brazil, Ana Claudia Vesper Manier Dias

Honors Theses

In Brazil, in spite of over half a million students with special needs in primary education, little research has been conducted about ASD diagnostic practices. This involves learning about the training that professionals are receiving, what diagnostic practices are being implemented on the field, and whether those are being contextualized according to the Brazilian culture. Students with special needs are directly affected by the results of diagnostic practices, since identifying the individuals is one of the first steps. Lack of understanding about that stage may lead to the problematic realities of underidentification or overidentification, exclusion of children who should receive …

Urethral Solitary Fibrous Tumor: A Rare Pathologic Diagnosis Of A Periurethral Mass, Gaby N. Moawad, Elias Abi Khalil, Cheryl Silverbrook, Stephanie Barak, Alice Semerjian, Michael Phillips

Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Publications

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) may occur at any site in the body. SFTs can only be conclusively diagnosed based on histopathologic and immunohistochemical characteristics of the tumor. The presence of SFTs in the abdomen and pelvis is extremely rare. To our knowledge no cases of urethral solitary fibrous tumor in the literature have been reported so far. We present a case of a solitary fibrous tumor arising from the urethra in a twenty-three-year-old female presenting with vaginal mass.

Acute Appendicitis: Transcript Profiling Of Blood Identifies Promising Biomarkers And Potential Underlying Processes, Lakhmir S. Chawla, Ian Toma, Danielle L. Davison, Khashayar Vaziri, Juliet Lee, Raymond Lucas, Michael G. Seneff, Aobhinn Nyhan, Timothy A. Mccaffrey

Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

The diagnosis of acute appendicitis can be surprisingly difficult without computed tomography, which carries significant radiation exposure. Circulating blood cells may carry informative changes in their RNA expression profile that would signal internal infection or inflammation of the appendix.

Methods

Genome-wide expression profiling was applied to whole blood RNA of acute appendicitis patients versus patients with other abdominal disorders, in order to identify biomarkers of appendicitis. From a large cohort of emergency patients, a discovery set of patients with surgically confirmed appendicitis, or abdominal pain from other causes, was identified. RNA from whole blood was profiled by microarrays, and …

Patient-Specific Inference Of Average Glucose From Glycated Hemoglobin, Roy Malka, David M. Nathan, John M. Higgins

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

"What's App?" Utilizing Evidence Based Medicine Apps In The Clinical Setting, Kathryn C. O'Donovan

BU Well

The medical community has utilized evidence-based medicine, or EBM, in practice for decades, and healthcare personnel are used to the idea of utilizing research and statistics to determine the treatment of patients. However, as technology advances, the use of electronics and EBM apps has increased in the clinical setting. While there are advantages to clinicians having resources at their fingertips as they talk with patients, there are also hurdles that could harm or offend patients. So as healthcare inevitably becomes more and more electronic, can providers strike the balance needed to effectively use EBM apps in practice to provide optimum …

Characterization Of Bacterial Pathogens Involved In Aerobic Vaginitis: Prevalence, Strain Characterization And Sequelae, Leslie A. Lafferty

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a more recently defined infection that involves aerobic pathogenic bacteria that replace the normal flora of the vaginal tract. It is commonly mistaken for other vaginal infections, such as bacterial vaginosis (BV), because they share many common symptoms. AV leads to complications during pregnancy, such as premature delivery and amnion infection, and is diagnosed by indications that range from vaginal discharge to inflammation. Because this infection is difficult to diagnose differentially from other vaginal infections, it is important to determine what pathogens are involved in AV so that we may have the ability to detect them. …

Modern Evaluation Of Abdominal Trauma, Errington C. Thompson, Md, Chadwick J. Knight, Md

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Abdominal trauma can be mysterious to some physicians. If patients are evaluated for being stable or unstable, then abdominal trauma can be easily managed. Using a combination of physical examination, ultrasound and CT scans, patients can be quickly and efficiently evaluated.

Is Ca-125 The Leading Biomarker In Determining Early-Onset Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis In 2016?, Alexa Clark

Senior Honors Projects

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy with very ineffective efforts at early detection and therapeutic methodologies to reduce mortality. The origin and pathogenicity of ovarian cancer is vastly unclear, which is why diagnosing the disease early on is difficult. CA-125 is a used as therapeutic tumor marker for ovarian cancer, but it is not diagnostic or specific. The role of CA-125 in the early detection of ovarian cancer is extremely controversial and has not been widely accepted for screening in women who do not show any symptoms. In order to enhance the sensitivity for early disease detection …

Prediction Of Communication Risk Before 12 Months With The Iscbs: Group Outcomes At 3 Years, Kristi Leutzinger, Maggie Steinhauser, Emma Fleisher

UCARE: Research Products

This study reports communication outcomes of typically developing infants given the Infant Social and Communication Behavior Scales (ISCBS) at 2-12 months. Results indicate patterns of infant behaviors on the ISCBS that differed between infants who later demonstrated language impairments or autism at age three years from those who did not.

The Genomic Cds Sandbox: An Assessment Among Domain Experts., Ayesha Aziz, Kensaku Kawamoto, Karen Eilbeck, Marc S Williams, Robert R Freimuth, Mark A Hoffman, Luke V Rasmussen, Casey L Overby, Brian H Shirts, James M Hoffman, Brandon M Welch

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Genomics is a promising tool that is becoming more widely available to improve the care and treatment of individuals. While there is much assertion, genomics will most certainly require the use of clinical decision support (CDS) to be fully realized in the routine clinical setting. The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes of Health recently convened an in-person, multi-day meeting on this topic. It was widely recognized that there is a need to promote the innovation and development of resources for genomic CDS such as a CDS sandbox. The purpose of this study was to evaluate …

Severity Of Pain Is Not Associated With Urgency Of Diagnosis In Ed Patients With Abdominal Pain, Ryan Brunetti, Caitlin David, Lorna Richards, Melissa J. Mccarthy, Andrew C. Meltzer

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Background

Abdominal Pain is the most common cause of visits to US Emergency Departments (EDs) and the causes range from urgent to non-urgent diagnoses. Distinguishing urgent versus non-urgent causes of abdominal pain is done through the use of clinical exam, lab studies and diagnostic imaging such as CT scans. There are no validated clinical decision rules to assist physicians in discriminating urgent from non-urgent causes of abdominal pain or which patient needs a CT scan. There is controversy regarding the use of CT scans for patients with abdominal pain due to the increased cost, radiation exposure and length of stay. …

Why Smart Watches Shouldn't Just Become A Trend: Using Smart Watches In The Treatment Of Diabetes, Caelan Rapp

Missouri S&T’s Peer to Peer

As mobile technologies have advanced, the idea of using them in health care applications has expanded greatly. In a 2011 paper by Boulos et al, the impact of mobile technology such as smartphones in health care was examined. Numerous benefits of the implementations were noted, such as how smartphones are able to provide a connection between both doctors and patients due to the network access capabilities of the device. Additionally, using the existing monitoring and sensor technologies on a smartphone can eliminate the need for other external devices, thus reducing the maintenance required by the patient. All in all, keeping …

Role Of Serum Biomarkers In Early Detection Of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy In The West Virginian Population, Adam Shaver, Alexandra Nichols, Ellen A. Thompson, Amrita Mallick, Nandini Manne, Shanmuga Sundaram, Joseph I. Shapiro Md, Komal Sodhi

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Objectives: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is an established complication of diabetes mellitus. In West Virginia, the especially high incidence of diabetes and heart failure validate the necessity of developing new strategies for earlier detection of DCM. Since most DCM patients remain asymptomatic until the later stages of the disease when the fibrotic complications become irreversible, we aimed to explore biomarkers that can identify early-stage DCM.

Methods: The patients were grouped into 4 categories based on clinical diabetic and cardiac parameters: Control, Diabetes (DM), Diastolic dysfunction (DD), and Diabetes with diastolic dysfunction (DM+DD), the last group being the preclinical DCM group.

Results: …

The Value Of Contrast Echocardiography, Shannon C. Treiber, Bijoy K. Khandheria

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose

There is much evidence-based research proving the effectiveness of contrast echocardiography, but there are still questions and concerns about its specific uses. This study tested the effectiveness of contrast echocardiography in defining the left ventricular endocardial border.

Methods

From 30 patients, a total of 60 echocardiograms –– 30 with and 30 without use of contrast –– were retrospectively reviewed by four blinded cardiologists with advanced training in echocardiography. No single cardiologist reviewed contrast and noncontrast images of the same patient. Each set of 30 echocardiograms was then studied for wall-motion scoring. Visualization of left ventricular wall segments and a …

A Novel Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay For Serogroup Identification Of Neisseria Meningitidis In Cerebrospinal Fluid, Dokyung Lee, Eun Jin Kim, Paul E. Kilgore, Hideyuki Takahashi, Jun Tomono, Shigehiko Miyamoto, Daisuke Omagari, Dong Wook Kim, Mitsuko Seki

Department of Pharmacy Practice

We have developed a novel Neisseria meningitidis serogroup-specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for six of the most common meningococcal serogroups (A, B, C, W, X, and Y). The assay was evaluated using a set of 31 meningococcal LAMP assay positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from 1574 children with suspected meningitis identified in prospective surveillance between 1998 and 2002 in Vietnam, China, and Korea. Primer specificity was validated using 15 N. meningitidis strains (including serogroups A, B, C, E, W, X, Y, and Z) and 19 non-N. meningitidis species. The N. meningitidis serogroup LAMP detected down to ten copies …

What Is Causing This Man's Rectal Pain And Urinary Retention?, Mikaela L. Mckenney-Drake, Kali E. Veness, Christopher T. Roman

Scholarship and Professional Work – COPHS

Case: A 23-year-old man presented to an urgent care office with a 2-week history of rectal pain and scant rectal bleeding. In the few days leading up to his presentation, he also had a fever of 101° F (38.3° C), inguinal lymphadenopathy, and urinary retention.

Aptameric Sensors: In Vitro Selection Of Dna That Binds Bromocresol Purple, Derek B. Miller

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aptamers being used as sensors is an emerging field that has capabilities of being tomorrow’s diagnostic tools. As aptameric sensors have become more popular, their visualization systems have been limited. The majority of today’s aptameric sensors require expensive machinery such as a fluorometer in order to visualize results. We propose a system that will cut the need for instrumentation and be detected via the naked eye. With the selection of an aptamer to bind the pH indicating dye bromocresol purple (BCP) this may be achieved. When rendered active, the binding towards BCP will facilitate a color change from yellow to …

The Physician’S Perspective On The Impact Of Interpretive Services On The Physician- Patient Relationship, Amrita Pandey

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The basis of the physician-patient relationship relies heavily on communication. It has been known that conversation between physician and patient is important in both diagnosing and providing therapeutic support. However, according to the US Census Bureau twenty percent of the US population does not use English as their first language. These residents face language barriers on a daily basis, including when they are being treated medically. The aim of this study was to research the physician’s perspective on the use of interpretive services and how it impacts the physician- patient relationship. The research consisted of surveying physicians who encounter patients …

Vague Neuroglycopenic Complaints Camouflage Diagnosis Of Adolescent Insulinoma: A Case Report., Kelsee Halpin, Ryan Mcdonough, Patria Alba, Jared Halpin, Vivekanand Singh, Yun Yan

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Insulinoma is a rare diagnosis in the general population with estimates of 1 in 250,000 people per year. Reports of these pancreatic islet cell tumors are even more unusual in children and adolescents. Chronic hypoglycemia due to an insulinoma often presents with neuroglycopenic symptoms that can easily be overlooked, especially in adolescents where nonspecific complaints are common. This may result in delayed diagnosis with prolonged periods of untreated hypoglycemia and associated complications. The rarity of pediatric insulinoma, vagueness of presenting symptoms, and challenge of tumor localization make insulinoma a true diagnostic quandary for clinicians.

CASE PRESENTATION: In this report, …

Reducing Overutilization Of Testing For Clostridium Difficile Infection In A Pediatric Hospital System: A Quality Improvement Initiative., J Michael Klatte, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Mary Anne Jackson, Angela Myers

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: Study objectives included addressing overuse of Clostridium difficile laboratory testing by decreasing submission rates of nondiarrheal stool specimens and specimens from children ≤12 months of age and determining resultant patient and laboratory cost savings associated with decreased testing.

METHODS: A multifaceted initiative was developed, and components included multiple provider education methods, computerized order entry modifications, and automatic declination from laboratory on testing stool specimens of nondiarrheal consistency and from children ≤12 months old. A run chart, demonstrating numbers of nondiarrheal plus infant stool specimens submitted over time, was developed to analyze the initiative's impact on clinicians' test-ordering practices. A …

Chronic Pain Causal Attributions In An Interdisciplinary Primary Care Clinic: Patient-Provider And Provider-Provider Discrepancies, Bryan Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of pain causal attributions on patient pain-related functioning, treatment engagement, and clinical outcomes. Additionally, the impact of discordant pain causal attributions between patients and their providers as well as between interdisciplinary providers was examined. Patients rated their pain functioning and causal pain attributions during a regular clinic visit. Following the patient’s visit both the behavioral medicine provider and internal medicine resident provided ratings of similar pain-related functioning domains and causal attributions. Follow-up data were collected from the electronic medical record three months following that clinic visit. Overall, results revealed …

Diagnostic Practices Of Autism Spectrum Disorders In Brazil, Ana Claudia Vespa Mainer Dias

Master's Theses

In Brazil, in spite of over half a million students with special needs in primary education, little research has been conducted about ASD diagnostic practices. This involves learning about the training that professionals are receiving, what diagnostic practices are being implemented on the field, and whether those are being contextualized according to the Brazilian culture. Students with special needs are directly affected by the results of diagnostic practices, since identifying the individuals is one of the first steps. Lack of understanding about that stage may lead to the problematic realities of underidentification or overidentification, exclusion of children who should receive …

Test–Retest, Retest, And Retest: Growth Curve Models Of Repeat Testing With Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment And Cognitive Testing (Impact), Arthur C. Maerlender, Caitlin J. Masterson, Tiffany D. James, Jonathan Beckwith, Per Gunner Brolinson, Joe Crisco, Stefan Duma, Laura A. Flashman, Rick Greenwald, Steven Rowson, Beth Wilcox, Tom W. Mcallister

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Computerized neuropsychological testing has become an important tool in the identification and management of sports-related concussions; however, the psychometric effect of repeat testing has not been studied extensively beyond test–retest statistics. The current study analyzed data from Division I collegiate athletes who completed Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) baseline assessments at four sequential time points that varied over the course of their athletic careers. Administrations were part of a larger National Institutes of Health (NIH) study. Growth curve modeling showed that the two memory composite scores increased significantly with successive administrations: Change in Verbal Memory was best represented …