Other Medical Sciences Commons^™

Antibiotics May Be Unnecessary In The Treatment Of Acute Uncomplicated Diverticulitis, Madison Gump

Capstone Showcase

Acute diverticulitis is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases worldwide and is increasing in prevalence. Symptoms include abdominal pain, fever, changes in bowel habits, nausea, and vomiting. Traditionally, this disease has been treated with antibiotics, but new research has emerged that has provided evidence that it may be safe to treat acute uncomplicated cases without antibiotics. This represents an area of medicine where it may be possible to reduce the use of unnecessary antibiotics and, therefore, contribution to bacterial antibiotic resistance. The current research studies do have some limitations and future studies with larger, more diverse patient populations and …

Auto- Ethnography With A Deep Dive Into Changes Mental Health During The Pandemic And A Look Into The Way The Pandemic Has Shaped Nursing Protocols For Recent Nursing College Graduates, Audrey Shaffer, Sarah Bereznay

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this project we completed a deep dive into how the Covid-19 pandemic reshaped our mental health and has affected our preparation for careers as registered nurses through a series of auto- ethnographic narrative journals using scholarly articles to support this idea. By utilizing personal narratives, we analyzed and reflected upon the cognitive and mental changes we experienced throughout this pandemic. We fulfilled this by comprising two personal narratives with inquiries pertaining to each shared narrative by utilizing the common themes of being nursing students and living through a pandemic. Within these personal narratives, we discussed how the pandemic influenced …

Autologous Cellular Therapy For Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized, Crossover Trial, Charles S Cox, Jenifer Juranek, Steven Kosmach, Claudia Pedroza, Nivedita Thakur, Allison Dempsey, Kimberly Rennie, Michael C Scott, Margaret Jackson, Akshita Kumar, Benjamin Aertker, Henry Caplan, Fabio Triolo, Sean I Savitz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We examined an autologous mononuclear-cell-therapy-based approach to treat cerebral palsy using autologous umbilical cord blood or bone-marrow-derived mononuclear cells. The primary objective was to determine if autologous cells are safe to administer in children with cerebral palsy. The secondary objectives were to determine if there was improvement in motor function of patients 12 months after infusion using the Gross Motor Function Measure and to evaluate impact of treatment on corticospinal tract microstructure as determined by radial diffusivity measurement. This Phase 1/2a trial was a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover study in children aged 2–10 years of age with cerebral palsy enrolled …

Conservative Management Of Low Back Pain, Se Won Lee, Dan Nguyen, Denny Mack, Eric Aguila, Mary Thomas, Karyn Doddy

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Low back pain (LBP) is frequently encountered in outpatient clinics and affects individual patients and society in general with decreased physical function, quality of life, disability, and/or economic burden. Although most acute LBP resolves on its own, recurrent and chronic LBP is a common reason for outpatient clinic visits. This review explores pragmatic approaches to LBP in the clinical setting, focusing on recognizing prognostic factors, initial approaches to evaluation, including selective imaging, and conservative management including patient education, therapeutic exercises and bracing.

Substance Abuse Relapse Is Not About Willpower But Is The Culmination Of Psychological And Socioeconomic Stress, Paul A. Steffes

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

The author reflects on the impact of non-judgmental listening on patient care outcomes.

Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging For The Early Prediction Of Treatment Response In Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Benjamin C. Musall

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer which lacks upregulated hormone receptors. Because of this, it is not vulnerable to clinically available targeted therapies. When treated with standard of care neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAST), TNBC only shows approximately a 40% rate of pathologic complete response (pCR). A biomarker which could predict TNBC response to NAST early during treatment would be useful, as it would allow for non-responders to be triaged to alternative therapies and potentially allow for the treatment of responders to be de-escalated.

Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) may be used to probe and …

Advancement Of A 3d Computational Phantom And Its Age Scaling Methodologies For Retrospective Dose Reconstruction Studies, Aashish Gupta

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

We have used a 3D age-scalable computational phantom for over two decades for retrospective dose reconstruction studies of childhood cancer survivors (CCS) treated with 2D historic radiotherapy (RT). However, our phantom and its age scaling functions (ASF) must be updated so that it can be used in studies that include survivors treated with contemporary RT. We aimed to implement our phantom and its age scaling functions in DICOM format and determine the feasibility of applying our ASFs to accurately scale the whole-body CT-based anatomies.

In the implementation study, we developed Python scripts that model the phantom and ASFs in a …

Reiki For Recovery: Incorporating Japanese Health Practices To Increase Contemporary Resiliency In American Health, Leif Peterson

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Japanese health practice of Reiki attempts to maximize the latent ability of the human system to heal itself. The Reiki system, established over a century ago, combines multiple Asian health traditions, experimenting with practices that maximize the natural processes of the body to perform its own repairs. Reiki encourages healthy behaviors that balance the mind and body, return the human system to a lowered stress level, and allow for an optimal recovery state for the patient. This paper illustrates how this Japanese health-affirming method can be integrated and utilized within existing health and medical practices. An area that is …

Effects Of Social Determinants Of Health In Progression To Type 2 Diabetes, Folabi I. Ariganjoye

Applied Research Projects

The prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes in the United States and around the world has increased faster than expected in the last 30 years. The economic burden this costs a nation can be astronomic both in terms of expense and loss in productivity. One-third of U.S. adults, 86 million people, have prediabetes. Effective management is needed that can reach these 86 million, and others at high risk, to reduce their progression to diagnosed Type 2 diabetes. After the literature review, there was not enough literature to support how these led to the progression to diabetes. The abundant literature is centered …

Save The Rich, Connor Harris

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

The problem of medication pricing and lobbying in the healthcare industry has caused millions of people within the United States to not be able to afford medications essential to their lives. Pharmaceutical companies are taking advantage of the need people have for certain drugs by setting the sale price far higher than it costs to produce. My suggested solution is to make lobbying illegal in the United States so that pharmaceutical companies would not have control over government officials who pass laws to help or hurt the issue of medication pricing. Illegalizing government lobbying will take away the incentive politicians …

Dnp Final Report: Breaking The Cycle: Care Coordination Interventions And Sickle Cell Readmissions, Naphtali Edge

DNP Final Reports

Background

Approximately 100,000 people in the United States are affected by Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Sickle Cell Disease represents the second highest readmitting diagnosis at Houston Methodist Hospital. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of implementing care coordination interventions to reduce hospital readmissions of patients with SCD.

PICOT

In adult patients with SCD in the acute care hospital setting, how does care coordination intervention compared to no care coordination intervention affect the readmission rate for patients with SCD over a 3 – 6-month period?

Body of Evidence

Eleven studies were critical appraised and included in the …

Opioid Use Disorder: The Timeline For Medication Assisted Therapy, Alexander Cristofori

Capstone Showcase

Opioid Use Disorder is patterns of opioid use leading to withdrawal, giving up important life events in order to use opioids, and excessive time spent using opioids, to name a few diagnostic criteria. The clinical progression of the disorder involves periods of acute exacerbation and remission that are cyclic in nature. Treatment is most effective when it includes both pharmacological and psychosocial modalities, referred to as medication assisted therapy (MAT). Three drugs used commonly in MAT-based treatment for OUD from oldest to newest include Methadone, Buprenorphine-naloxone, and Naltrexone. Treatment program models that prioritize total abstinence from the addictive substance attached …

Antioxidative And Lipid-Reducing Activities Of Ficus Deltoidea In Palmitic Acid-Induced Wrl68 Cells, Noor Nazirahanie Abrahim

Student Works (2020-2029)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a series of liver disorder caused by deposition of fat without involving alcohol. This chronic liver disease has become a major concern globally due to its high mortality and morbidity rate. This situation leads to the quest of finding natural remedy to overcome this condition. Ficus deltoidea or commonly known as mistletoe fig or Mas Cotek, is a plant that is very well known especially in Malaysia for its blood glucose lowering effect. However, the potential value of F. deltoidea has not been fully evaluated, and no studies have been published on the effects …

Deep Brain Stimulation Of The Subcallosal Cingulate Gyrus In The Treatment Of Treatment Resistant Depression, Megan Caravas, Melanie Sov

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: a systematic review to determine the efficacy of deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting the subcallosal cingulate gyrus (SCG) for the treatment of treatment resistant depression (TRD). Methods: PubMed database was utilized in a search for clinical randomized control trials that were completed after the year 2000, using the terms deep brain stimulation, treatment resistant depression, and subcallosal cingulate gyrus. Results: Three clinical trials were chosen based on specific inclusion criteria as noted in the PRISMA flow chart (Chart 1). The results of the three articles showed various discrepancies. Two of the three studies demonstrated some statistical significance in reduction …

Nuclear-Targeted Gold Nanoparticles Enhance The Effects Of Radiation Therapy With And Without Liposomal Delivery, Maureen Aliru

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Less that 10% of pancreatic cancer patients are eligible for curative resection, and clinical trials evaluating chemoradiation in locally advanced patients with unresectable disease have been largely disappointing. New and creative therapeutic approaches are needed to address the unment need for treatment options. The objective of this thesis is to advance radiosensitization of treatment-resistant densely desmoplastic pancreatic cancer using nanoparticles to surmount biological barriers to effective particle distribution for DNA-targeting.

Clinical translation of radiosensitizing nanoparticles has stalled owing to technical challenges. Current strategies to use AuNPs for radiosensitization require large quantities of gold, kilovoltage x-rays, immediate irradiation after intravenous administration, …

Modeling Anatomic Changes For Adaptive Radiotherapy In Locally Advanced Lung Cancer Patient Population, James Alexander Kavanaugh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Anatomic changes occurring mid-treatment for patients undergoing radiation therapy for locally advanced lung cancer can degrade the quality of the intended treatment plan. These changes include tumor regression, geometric misalignment, and lung density changes (atelectasis and pleural effusion), and are visible on the daily 3D cone beam CT (CBCT). To maintain the intended treatment quality, adaptive radiotherapy (ART) can be employed to modify the treatment plan to account for these anatomic changes. However, the evaluation on when to adapt is currently completed manually by the treating clinicians, resulting in a subjective and inconsistent application. To address these limitations, a series …

Chronic Pain, Sleep Disruption, And Work Performance In The Military, Jeffrey Ransom

Dissertations

Abstract

Background and Significance: Managing pain is a challenge for many organizations, including the U.S. military. The added complication of managing sleep disruption compounds the issue. Examining pain and sleep disruption in the context of work performance within the military is critical to understanding the impact of these conditions on our nation’s fighting forces.

Purpose: Examine the associations of chronic pain and sleep disruption in the context of work performance among active duty military service members.

Research Aims: 1) Describe sociodemographic characteristics, military service characteristics, clinical characteristics, and work performance of active duty service members, 2) Examine relationships between these …

The Use Of Animal-Assisted Therapeutic Interventions In The Hospital Setting During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alicia Cesare

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Handlers of therapy and/or facility dogs working within hospital settings have experienced various barriers and challenges within their practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Animal-assisted interventions, specifically therapeutic working dogs, are a valued source of support to individuals, communities, hospital settings, and disaster sites during times of community distress. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers and solutions to the continued use of animal-assisted therapeutic interventions in support of patients and families within the hospital setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. This researcher’s position within the research is the knowledge and experience of being a facility dog handler within the …

Education And Safety For Children With Autism To Prevent Elopement (E.S.C.A.P.E.) Kits, Silvia Pereira-Smith, Jessie Montezuma, Nicole Vonada, Laura A. Carpenter, Andrea Boan

MUSC Conference Presentations

Per a study published in 2019, two-thirds of patients with autism seen by the Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (DBP) at MUSC engaged in elopement behavior, a potentially life-threatening behavior also known as wandering, that can lead to serious injury or death. E.S.C.A.P.E. kits were created by Dr. Pereira and the MUSC DBP autism research team in 2017 to help prevent elopement. Original kits included a door/window alarm, child ID kit, stop sign visual aids, ID bracelet, and printed materials with additional prevention tips. Initial survey data showed that 17 of 22 caregivers who completed surveys after receiving a kit reported …

A Protocol Driven Stroke Code's Impact On Door-To-Needle Times, Jesse Osborne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is most effective the faster it is able to be administered to a patient that has been affected by stroke. A Stroke Code is a strategy that acute care facilities implement to reduce the time from diagnosing a stroke to administering tPA. The purpose of this study was to determine if the initiation of a Stroke Code in an acute care hospital reduces the door-to-needle time for patients affected by a stroke. In particular, does a Stroke Code reduce door-to-needle times. The research was conducted using data from April 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014 (pre-Stroke …

Implementing Inter-Professional Patient-Family Centered Plan Of Care Meetings On An Inpatient Hospital Unit, Nicolas Hernandez, Alice Fornari, Sage Rose, Leanne Tortez

Patient Experience Journal

Inpatient plan of care meetings support efforts to encourage collaborative practice and patient-family centered care and result in an effective strategy to enhance communication and patient satisfaction. Clinical team members participated in patient/family centered plan of care meetings at a community hospital in a selected inpatient unit with full time hospitalist physicians. Quantitative data were gathered pre/post implementation from the external Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers (HCAHPS) survey. HCAHPS data were collected independently, specifically for questions related to communication between patients, family members/guardians and the medical team and also the effects of care transition. There was a slow …

Challenges Of Pediatric Disease In Adulthood, Dennis J. Baumgardner, Brian Chicoine

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Some chronic diseases — such as the rare bone disease X-linked hypophosphatemia, the impetus for a study reported within Volume 7, Issue 2 of the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews — are diagnosed in childhood but become more symptomatic in adulthood. In this editorial, the challenges, pitfalls, and opportunities regarding the care of adults with childhood-onset chronic diseases are examined using Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, congenital heart disease, and Hirschsprung disease as examples.

How Immune T-Cell Augmentation Can Help Prevent Covid-19: A Possible Nutritional Solution Using Ketogenic Lifestyle, Ravi K. Kamepalli Md,Fidsa,Cwsp

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Delayed Umbilical Cord Clamping (Dcc) Compared To Early Cord Clamping (Ecc) In Preterm Infants, Madelynn Fretto

Capstone Showcase

Early cord clamping (ECC) versus delayed cord clamping (DCC) has been studied in preterm infants. The question that was researched is, in pregnant women who are giving birth [P], does delayed umbilical cord clamping (DCC) [I] as compared to early cord clamping [C] improve outcome of preterm infants born before 37 weeks gestation [O]? Results showed preterm infants with DCC had increased hematocrit and hemoglobin, decreasing their risk of anemia. There was not a significant difference in the incidence of jaundice between the two groups. Results suggested DCC has long-term neuroprotective effects. There were no significant differences in intraventricular hemorrhage …

Developing A Novel Bioink From Hyaluronic Acid-Alginate-Silk Fibroin (Ha- Alg-Sf) For Cartilage 3d Printing, Truc Thanh Nguyen

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In the development of a bioink for cartilage 3D printing, Hyaluronic acid (HA), Alginate (Alg) were modified into amine-hyaluronic acid (HA-NH2) and aldehyde alginate (Alg-CHO). Magnetic Nuclear Resonance (NMR) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the successful modification of HA-NH2 and Alg-CHO. The hydrogel HA-Alg was crosslinked as a result of Schiff's base reaction, between primary amines and aldehydes to form imine bonds. By varying volume ratios, the optimal hydrogel HA-Alg (5:5) exhibited its printability, biocompatibility, and functionality as a bioink for cartilage tissue. HA-Alg (5:5) was printable with a custom-made extrusion 3D printer, had slow degradation, shear-thinning behavior, …

The Performance Effect Of Scheduled Carbohydrate And Caffeine Intake During Simulated Team Sport Match-Play, John Keane, Aidan Shovlin, Simon Devenney, Shane Malone, Damien Young, Giuseppe Coratella, Kieran Collins, Marcus Shortall

Articles

The aim of the current investigation was to identify the effects of scheduled carbohydrate (CHO) and caffeine (CAF) supplementation on simulated team sport match-play performance. Ten male hurling players completed three hurling match-play simulation protocols (HSP) performed 7 days apart in a double-blind, randomized design. Supplementation included CHO, CHO + CAF, and placebo (PLA). In a randomized order, participants ingested either a 6% CHO solution, a PLA solution of similar taste, or a combined intake of 6% CHO solution + 200 mg CAF capsule. At specific time points (Pre-0 min; half time (HT)-30 min; full time (FT)-60 min), participants completed …

The Make ‘Em Well Project -Rewards And Recognition Phase, Diann M. Krywko

Journal of Wellness

The Make ‘EM Well Project- Rewards and Recognition

Background: Physicians report high burnout levels and difficulty finding joy in work, causing a healthcare system crisis. Our institution assessed burnout by administering the Areas of Work-life (AWS) and Maslach Burnout Inventory™ (MBI) Surveys. Emergency Medicine (EM) results were alarming. Effectively rewarding and recognizing employees requires understanding different appreciation languages. Administrators should understand what enhances and detracts from joy in the workplace. This study describes the “Make ‘EM Well Project” and its focus on Rewards and Recognition (RR).

Methods: Two surveys were sent to EM providers including faculty, residents, fellows, and advanced …

Modeling Proton Relative Biological Effectiveness Using Monte Carlo Simulations Of Microdosimetry, Mark A. Newpower

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Proton therapy is a radiotherapy modality that can offer a better physical dose distribution when compared to photon radiotherapy by taking advantage of the Bragg peak, a narrow region of rapid energy loss. Proton therapy is also known to offer an enhanced relative biological effectiveness (RBE) compared to photons. In the current clinical standard, RBE is fixed at 1.1 at all points along the proton beam, meaning protons are assumed to require 10% less dose than photons to achieve target coverage and organ at risk (OAR) sparing. However, there is mounting clinical evidence, and a significant number of in vitro …

Aortoduodenal Fistula Forms From Primary Aortic Stump Graft In A Two-Time Multi-Visceral Transplant Patient With Presentation Of Gastrointestinal Bleed And Bowel Perforation: A Case Report, Brielle Corrente

Graduate Student Research Symposium

Usually not diagnosed until open laparotomy, aortoduodenalfistulas (ADF) are one of the rarest complications of intestinal transplant surgery. With an incidence rate of only 0.04% at autopsy and only 250 documented cases since the early 1800’s, aortoduodenal fistulas are the most deadly complications of intestinal transplantation with a mortality rate of 100% without surgical intervention. A 39 year old, two-time multi-visceral transplant African American female patient suffered from a primary aortoduodenal fistula formation in a primary modified multi-visceral transplant aortic stump graft site. With emergency open laparotomy repair, revascularization of the secondary multi-visceral transplant was performed, saving the life of …

Adults’ Knowledge And Beliefs Surrounding Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Mazen Homoud

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Undiagnosed individuals with signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are at higher risk of severe health complications than healthy individuals, and they pose a huge economic burden on society as well. Some scholars reported the lack of public knowledge of OSA as a major contributor to this phenomenon. However, there is a lack of information about assessing public knowledge and health belief of OSA and its nature across the risk level of having OSA.

Two self-reporting questioners were used in this mixed method study, a PI developed survey, the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Knowledge and Belief (OSA-KAB) © was …