Equipment and Supplies Commons^™

Breaking The Cycle Of Telemetry Overuse: A Resident-Led Quality Improvement Initiative, Jose Donis, Jose J. Loayza Pintado, Luis Salcedo, Renzo Aller, Andres Suarez

Research Symposium

Background: Telemetry monitoring is a critical tool in detecting arrhythmias but is frequently overutilized outside of guideline-based indications, contributing to alarm fatigue, unnecessary costs, and resource strain. National guidelines (AHA 2017; BHRS 2020) recommend targeted use, yet adherence remains inconsistent. This quality improvement (QI) project was designed to assess baseline adherence and implement a resident-led intervention to optimize telemetry utilization in a general medicine unit.

Methods: The project was conducted in the 2-West Internal Medicine Unit at Rio Grande Regional Hospital. Residents were integrated into daily telemetry decision-making beginning in November 2024, following structured education with workshops, simulation training, and …

Brief Review : Listening Closely--Stethoscopes, Hygiene Gaps, And The Unfinished Work Of Healthcare-Associated Infection Prevention, James Espinosa, Swet Patel, Robin Lahr, Sergey Medlenov, Russell Mordecai, James Lee, Alan Lucerna, Henry Schuitema

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a persistent patient safety challenge. While hand hygiene has received sustained institutional focus, stethoscope hygiene remains inconsistently addressed despite longstanding evidence of contamination. Stethoscopes function as portable, patient-to-patient devices that may serve as under-recognized fomites in emergency and inpatient settings. Prior pilot work demonstrated that clinicians were unable to reliably distinguish between disposable and standard stethoscopes, and that perceived acoustic degradation from a diaphragm barrier was minimal. These findings suggest that acoustic concerns may not represent a primary barrier to hygiene-enhancing strategies. This brief review examines the literature surrounding stethoscope contamination and cleaning behavior, frames the …

Comparative Evaluation Of Iris And Traditional Feeding Tube Placement Methods: A Review Of The Literature, Justin Le Oms-Ii, Nishant Patel Oms-Iii, Amy Glasofer Phd, Drnp, Rn, Emilio Mazza Md, Phd

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background

Enteral nutrition (EN) is preferred in patients with functional gastrointestinal tracts. Traditional feeding tube placement methods are time-consuming, radiation-dependent, and prone to misplacement. IRIS and electromagnetic (EM)-guided systems enable real-time bedside placement, though comparative data remain limited.

Methods

A qualitative literature review was conducted using PubMed (2004–2024) to identify studies evaluating IRIS technology compared with EM-guided and traditional placement methods. Outcomes of interest included procedural success, safety, complication rates, efficiency, and cost considerations across ICU and ward populations.

Results

IRIS demonstrated success rates ranging from 75–91.7%, with higher success observed in ICU and sedated patients. EM-guided placement showed consistent …

A Retrospective Comparison Of Dobhoff Nasogastric Feeding Tubes To Iris Feeding Tubes, Nishant Patel Oms-Iii, Justin Le Oms-Ii, Amy Glasofer Phd, Drnp, Rn, Emilio Mazza Md, Phd

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background

Postpyloric feeding is essential in critically ill patients. Traditional Dobhoff tube (DHT) placement, often performed blindly, is widely used due to low cost but carries risks of misplacement and reliance on radiographic confirmation. In contrast, Kangaroo™ IRIS (camera-guided) technology enables real-time visualization during placement, potentially improving accuracy and workflow, though at higher cost.

Hypothesis

IRIS-guided placement provides comparable safety and success to DHT, with similar procedural efficacy without increasing complications.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the electronic medical records from multiple Virtua Health hospitals (01/01/13, through 01/31/25), including 200 patients undergoing nasogastric tube placement with DHT …

Pcl And Pegdma Nanoyarns Feasibility For Antimicrobial Suture Applications, Wynn Bastianelli, Dominique Hassinger, Vincent Beachley, Sean Mcmillan

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Abstract Title: PCL and PEGDMA Nanoyarns Feasibility for Antimicrobial Suture

Nanofibers represent an innovative class of materials with diverse applications, including tissue engineering and drug delivery.¹ Among the most promising areas of research is their use in surgical sutures, particularly for complex orthopedic injuries with high re-tear rates. Polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers have shown promise as alternatives to standard sutures as their unique properties support superior healing compared to standard materials.² Our lab aims to further optimize these healing capabilities by adding Poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA), a molecule that tethers peptides to PCL nanoyarns, developing a suture with greater …

When The Machine Lets Go: Designing Drug Delivery Devices Patients Can Rely On, Katie Stubits, Liam Brennan

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Semi-automated drug delivery systems, such as closed-loop insulin pumps, smart infusion devices, and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) tools, are transforming healthcare by improving dosing precision and empowering patients with greater autonomy. However, their safety and efficacy depend critically on trust calibration—the dynamic alignment between patient trust in automation and actual system reliability (Hoff & Bashir, 2015; Lee & See, 2004). Miscalibrated trust can lead to misuse or disuse, jeopardizing patient safety in high-stakes contexts (Fallon et al., 2010). Grounded in theories of human–automation interaction (Lee & See, 2004) and recent empirical research findings (Zheng et al., 2022), this work conceptualizes trust …

Temperature Monitoring In The Cardiac Operating Room, Abby Pint, Clint Humpherys, Dave Stubler, Nathaniel Lata

Research Days

Background: The goal of this project is to improve the accuracy of temperature readings in the cardiac operating room and, in turn, improve patient safety.

Methods: The project obtained nasopharyngeal, tympanic, and bladder/rectal temperature measurements from twenty CPB cases. Measurements were obtained at six critical points: time of incision, initiation of CPB, aortic cross clamping, removal of aortic cross clamping, CPB termination, sternal closure. Data was analyzed to determine discrepancies among methods of measuring temperature for each type of probe utilized. Plan: Tympanic probes are unreliable and provide lower temperature measurements when compared to other probes Do: Temperatures recorded from …

Carbon Footprint Of Inhaled Anesthetics – Do The Risks Outweigh The Benefits?, Liam Kerrick, Joseph Moschella

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Global warming presents many challenges to the healthcare system. Not only does the increasing global temperature have detrimental health effects itself, but the healthcare sector is also a huge contributor to global warming. One big contributor to global warming is the use of inhaled anesthetics, which possess global warming potentials up to 2,000 times greater than carbon dioxide. Recent proposals, such as a prospective ban of desflurane in 2026 by the European Commission, demonstrate the need to reevaluate many of the common practices within anesthesiology. This review looks to investigate the environmental impact, cost, and clinical efficacy of various anesthetic …

Blunt And Penetrating Trauma In Resource-Limited Settings: Challenges, Innovations, And Opportunities For Improvement​, Tallon Muhlestein

Annual Research Symposium

This literature review explores key challenges with innovative solutions to managing blunt and penetrating trauma in resource-limited settings. Healthcare gaps can be closed in resource-limited settings through technology advances and these innovative solutions.

The Impact Of Teleophthalmology On Underserved Populations: A Review Of Literature, Rutu H. Vyas, Marietta Kaloyan, Brian Leung, Isha Gondi, Yinwen Wang, Sherli Chenthittayil

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Internal Thermal Injury From Renuvion Lipo Procedure, Priyanka Mehrotra, Henry Manijat, Qaas Shoukat, Priyanka Mehrotra

HCA-NSU MD Research Day

INTRODUCTION: Renuvion (J-lipo) is an FDA-approved minimally invasive procedure for skin tightening and fat reduction using helium gas and radiofrequency to create plasma energy. Despite its benefits, Renuvion can cause serious complications such as burns, with a complication rate of 0.04% between 2020 and 2021. This report describes a rare complication—third-degree burns from internal thermal injury—and explores its pathophysiology. CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old Hispanic female with no significant medical history presented with worsening abdominal pain and skin discoloration two weeks after Renuvion. She had undergone hyperbaric oxygen therapy and daily fluid drainage. Examination revealed severe pain with movement, paresthesias, and …

Use Of Electrical Bone Growth Stimulators In High-Risk Patients Following Spinal Fusion, Soumya Malhotra, Khavir Sharieff

HCA-NSU MD Research Day

Title: Use of Electrical Bone Growth Stimulators in High-Risk Patients Following Spinal Fusion Authors: Soumya Malhotra, BA., MS1 & Khavir Sharieff, DO, MBA2 1Class of 2027, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, FL 2Assistant Professor of Surgery, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tampa Bay, FLNova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the advantages of EBGSs following high-risk spinal fusions. Background: Pseudarthrosis is a condition where bones fail to fuse after an injury or surgery. It causes significant …

The Effect Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Sanitation Practices And Anxiety In The General Population, Leah Cliatt, Joanna Petrides

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Illness anxiety and fear of contracting coronavirus increased considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic. The media, being in lockdown, and cyberchondria had the largest impact on the population’s anxiety surrounding illness. While this kind of reaction to illness is expected during the pandemic, there is limited data on post-pandemic illness anxiety levels in the general population. Patients’ perception of disease impacts medicine at every level; medical professionals need to understand the concerns and fears of their patients in order to treat the post-pandemic patient. We hypothesized that sanitation practices and anxiety surrounding illness have not returned to baseline pre-COVID-19 …

Use Of Point-Of-Care Ultrasound In The Diagnosis Of Postpartum Cardiomyopathy, Muhammad Noman, Frank A. Wheeler, James A. Espinosa, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Postpartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), also known as peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare form of heart failure (HF) that occurs in the late stages of pregnancy or in the early postpartum period. For it to be classified as PPCM, it must occur in the absence of another identifiable cause for HF and have left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction with an LV ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 45%. Here we present the case of a 46-year-old female G3P2 presented 5 days postpartum cesarean section delivery in acute respiratory distress where point of care ultrasound was used for assessment of the lungs to visualize …

Unveiling The Potential: The Role Of Ai-Enhanced Ecg In Cardiovascular Disease Detection, Alisha Vincent

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: The Electrocardiogram (ECG) is a widely utilized, non-invasive, cost-effective cardiac test. Its integration with Artificial Intelligence (AI) has empowered it to become a potent screening tool and a predictor for various cardiovascular diseases, especially in asymptomatic individuals. Objective: This review investigates the utility of AI-powered ECG in early detection of cardiac conditions, focusing on conditions such as low ejection fraction (LEF), atrial fibrillation (AF), aortic valve stenosis (AVS), and cardiac amyloidosis (CA). Methods: A literature review spanning 2018 to 2024 was conducted, analyzing 10 articles - 3 on AF, 3 on AVS, 3 on LEF, and …

Singh Thattha Beard Covering Technique And Quantitative Fit Testing Of A Tight-Fitting Filtering Facepiece (Ffp3), Harmann Singh, Allen Ecker, Todd Schachter, Thomas Boyle, Matthew Vanek

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Singh Thattha beard covering technique when quantitatively fit testing tight-fitting filtering face masks (N95 respirators) on male members of the Sikh religious group. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sikh healthcare workers faced the difficult decision of either shaving their unshorn beards to continue their profession or finding alternative solutions to maintain adequate respiratory protection. The study used a quantitative fit test method to measure the number of particles inside and outside the mask, calculating a fit factor. Participants performed exercises while wearing an N95 respirator and then repeated the exercises with a …

Case Report: Overdrive Pacing In Refractory Ventricular Tachycardia, Alyssa A. Baldini, Kishan B. Patel

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We report a case of a 67-year-old male who presented to the emergency department (ED) for palpitations and complaint of his automated implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD) firing at home who had multiple episodes of persistent ventricular tachycardia (VT) during his course of stay in the ED. Patients with pacemakers and AICDs can present an additional layer of complexity when treating these conditions. Temporary overdrive pacing (TOP) should be considered as a treatment to correct refractory ventricular tachycardia in patients with implanted pacemakers and AICDs presenting to the ED.

Measurement And Imaging Of Intra Matrix Igg Diffusion, Riya Debbarma, Antonio C. F. Dos Santos, Diana Milena Ramiez Gutierrez, Fernanda M. Da Cunha, Michael Ladisch

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Bovine IgG diffusion measurement by tracking the movement of the protein over time in an in-vitro matrix is motivated by the large number of protein/peptide therapeutics currently under various stages of development in the pharmaceutical industry. Many of these therapeutics are monoclonal antibodies (IgG type proteins) that are candidates for subcutaneous, intra-vitreous and intra-articular administration depending on the target of the therapeutic. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a major constituent and determines the key attributes of the subcutaneous environment, vitreous humor of the eye and synovial fluid of the knee joint. HA exhibits varying molecular weight at these anatomic locations thereby …

Enhancing The Safety Of Medication Administration: The Synergistic Role Of Closed Loop Electronic Medication Management And Iv Medication Administration, Kelly Goetz, Angela Schoenung, Lauren Daugherty, Kaitlyn Hornsby

Posters-at-the-Capitol

The high acuity of patients in the ICU results in numerous medications being administered, increasing the risk of medication errors. The purpose of this project is to investigate the impact of integrating consistent closed loop electronic medication management (CLEMM) to decrease medication errors in the ICU for bedside nurses who use electronic health records (EHRs). The project type is a comprehensive literature review, with studies that included a single prospective cohort study, case report, single non-randomized trial, quasi experimental study, single cross-sectional studies, and systematic reviews. The importance of this project is to address the break in the loop of …

Practicality In Pocus: Benefits Of Ultrasound Training In Medical Education, Robert Martin, Ho An Lau, Ryan Morrison, Kate Deiling

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

As point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) becomes an integral component of healthcare, both undergraduate and graduate medical POCUS education is urgently necessary in curricula. Despite the apparent need of POCUS curricula, there remains a lingering question: Are there evidence-based benefits to POCUS training in undergraduate and/or graduate medical education settings? This systematic review utilized PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus to identify articles of interest that met the inclusion criteria and relevance to undergraduate and/or graduate medical education. Qualitative evaluation of research was conducted to identify common themes for benefits of POCUS and the requirements or characteristics for effective POCUS educational curricula. Results …

Isolated Temazepam Overdose: A Unique Case Of An Unresponsive Female, Eric Doane

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Cases of acute overdose presenting to the emergency department pose a great challenge given that history can sometimes be limited or at times be inaccurate. While naloxone is routinely given in the field to help reduce opiate’s sedating effects, the routine use of flumazenil has not been routinely adopted in cases of benzodiazepine overdose. This is because, unlike naloxone, there are many medications that act on the GABA receptor, and flumazenil is only specific for binding to the benzodiazepine/GABA receptor. This can lead to an unmasking of other medications that may be co-ingested that also effect the GABA receptor leading …

Design And Preliminary Testing Of A Multi-Use 3d-Printed Splint For Wilderness Medicine, Ryan Desrochers, John Desrochers

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Splinting devices are commonplace in emergency medicine, as musculoskeletal and soft tissue injuries account for a majority of nonfatal events in wilderness medicine. Current splint designs, such as the SAM splint, sacrifice site-specific stability for their portability. This leads to the need for a similarly portable, but more securely fitting splint device. This design aims to provide a lightweight, multi-use, reusable, biodegradable, and inexpensive solution for splinting in wilderness medicine. A thin plate constructed of polylactic acid extruded from a 3D printer becomes easily malleable after submersion in hot water and can be form fitted to almost any location on …

Purple Urine Bag Syndrome (Pubs) In A Patient With A Chronic Indwelling Foley, Kelsey Murray, Kishan B. Patel

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Purple urine bag syndrome (PUBS) is a rare medical condition characterized by the appearance of purple discoloration in the urine collection bag of patients who use catheters for urinary drainage. PUBS is primarily seen in elderly, female, and institutionalized patients who have chronic indwelling catheters. The discoloration occurs due to the presence of certain bacteria that produce pigments, which react with the plastic materials of the catheter and urine collection bag, leading to the formation of a purple color. In addition to the aesthetic concerns, PUBS may also indicate an underlying urinary tract infection or other medical conditions that require …

Importance Of Serial Ekgs In The Emergency Room Setting, Swet Patel, James Espinosa, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Chest pain is one of the most common chief complaints that presents to the emergency department. More than 8 million patients with chest related complaints present each year with about 10% of all ED visits comprise of cardiovascular emergencies. Immediate evaluation is the standard of care to differentiate between life threatening conditions and non-life threatening ones with the use of 12-lead electrocardiograph (EKG) and bedside monitors. The 12 lead EKG remains gold standard for initial screening and evaluating patients with chest pain and angina equivalents. The test is fairly inexpensive and noninvasive with providing vital information about cardiac rhythm. The …

The Effectiveness Of Cleaning Protocols In Medical School Omm Labs By Medical Students, Harrison Patrizio, Riley Phyu, Thomas Boyle, Todd Schachter

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, disinfection in healthcare has taken center stage. Healthcare has adjusted workflows to accommodate for more robust cleaning regimens to help protect the community. This has resulted in the need for medical institutions to reevaluate the current cleaning protocols down to the student level. Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) lab provides an optimal avenue for assessing medical student’s examination table cleaning effectiveness. With OMM labs being an activity with a high level of interaction, the quality of examination table cleaning is important for the health and safety of students and teaching faculties. Our study highlights that …

The Angiovac® Device Limits Lethal Complications Of Sepsis And Severe Infective Endocarditis With A Large Tricuspid Valve Vegetation: A Case Report, Dua Xiao, Raeann Dalton, Adam Fineman, Michael Benz, Antonios Tsompanidis

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Introduction: Infectious endocarditis of the tricuspid valve is a common complication of intravenous drug use. Endocarditis caused by viridans streptococci can lead to heart valve vegetations which may be life threatening due to the potential for embolism and obstruction. Management of large valvular vegetations is often difficult due to the risks involved with open heart surgery, especially in patients with comorbid conditions. The AngioVac® device has been shown in rare cases to be effective at debulking vegetations without the need for invasive surgery.

Case Presentation: We present a patient with a history of intravenous heroin use disorder, hepatitis C, spinal …

Case Report: Anaphylactic Reaction To Magnesium Sulfate, Nicholas Coan, Kelly Schiers, James Espinosa, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We report a case of a 65-year-old female who prior to being discharged from the hospital developed an anaphylactic reaction after receiving an intravenous magnesium sulfate infusion. After extensive literature review, there are few documented hypersensitivity reactions documented. This case report is to highlight a known human response, anaphylaxis, but in response to the repletion of an essential electrolyte to human life, magnesium.

Handheld Bedside Pocus In The Evaluation Of Neck Swelling: A Case Of Ludwig's Angina, Alex Gechlik, Frank Wheeler, James Espinosa, Alan Lucerna, Henry Schuitema

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Ludwig's angina is a rare and life threatening cellulitic infection, first described by German physician, Wilhelm Frederick Von Ludwig in 1836, as a gangrenous infection of the soft tissue floor of the mouth and neck. The potential to spread rapidly to contiguous tissues surrounding the upper airways, notably the glottis, resulted in Ludwig's angina carrying a high mortality rate near 50% in the pre- antibiotic era. It necessitates rapid detection and management to assure respiratory compromise does not occur. This case study is novel as it illustrates handheld bedside POCUS utilization in diagnosing Ludwig’s Angina.

Infective Endocarditis Secondary To Needle Embolization To The Heart, Tony Elias, David Barsoum, Robert Malak, Veyola Rezkalla, Maziyar Daneshvar, Howard Weinberg, Rafail Beshai

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Needle embolisms in the heart are very rare, even though the number of intravenous drug users (IVDUs) has increased over the past 10 years.Due to varied symptomology-chest pain, dyspnoea, fever, or asymptomatic, this remains a complex and likely underdiagnosed condition. We describe a 31-year-old female with past medical history of IV drug use who presented to the emergency room with heart palpitations and described it as her “heart feels funny” and shortness of breath. She acknowledged intravenous (IV) heroin use and stated that the last time to use IV drugs was 2 days before coming to the hospital.

To our …

The Effectiveness Of Examination Table Cleaning Protocols In Osteopathic Family Medicine Offices, Riley Phyu, Harrison A. Patrizio, Thomas Boyle, Todd Schachter

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Contaminated environmental surfaces are responsible for acquisition of healthcare associated infections. In 2002 there were approximately 1.7 million healthcare associated infections, resulting in about 99,000 annual deaths. Appropriate disinfection of environmentally contaminated surfaces are required to reduce transmission of pathogens. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence is being used in hospital settings to audit the cleanliness in the hospital settings. However, there is a paucity of literature in different healthcare settings outside of hospital settings. This may unintentionally result in a more relaxed cleaning protocol in outpatient settings.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of disinfecting protocol in osteopathic family medicine offices using …