Medical Specialties Commons^™

Answers About The Need For Vitamin D Supplementation, Halle Orlinski, Hannah Stewart, Amanda Lanker, Sarah Kradel, Sandra L. Hrometz

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Vitamin D has a significant role in bone health, calcium homeostasis, immune function and other biological functions. In our bodies, the main source of vitamin D is linked to our skin's exposure to sunlight. It can also be obtained through foods that contain vitamin D. Despite these two sources, vitamin D supplementation is often necessary. It is available in two forms, cholecalciferol and ergocalciferol as over-the-counter (OTC) products, as well as calcitriol as prescription only. Reasons for vitamin D deficiency include lack of sunlight, poor diet, malabsorption of vitamin D, liver and/or kidney disease. Vitamin D deficiencies lead to diseases …

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: A Targeted Review For Pharmacists, Andrew Skouby, Gabi Gegenheimer, Kelsey Lindsley, Sarah Kradel, Michael Rush

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a disease that impacts drug-exposed infants and describes an array of issues that arise in newborns just hours after birth. Patient presentation and disease symptomatology vary widely based upon the specific substance utilized by the mother while pregnant and duration of exposure. Treatment is dependent on which symptoms are present and, assuming an opioid-derived abstinence syndrome, is based primarily on opioid supplementation to prevent symptoms of withdrawal. Treatment of non-opioid derived abstinence syndrome is often slightly more complex and involves the use of different agents depending on the drug of exposure. Due to the intricate …

Whooping Cough: A Pharmacist's Role In An Emerging Endemic, Haley Armstrong, Lydia Suchecki, Sarah Lipperman, Taylor Roberson, Andrew M. Roecker

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Pertussis is an acute infectious disease caused by the organism Bordetella pertussis and characterized by a "whooping cough." Incidence of the disease had declined since the development of a vaccine, but is now increasing in reported cases. This increase has been attributed to both an increased awareness but also surmised to be related to a decrease in vaccinations. The pertussis vaccine is given in conjunction with tetanus and diphtheria vaccines to children before the age of 6 in five separate injections over the course of four to six years. A booster is now recommended for the older child and adults …

Evidence For The Potential Use Of Polyphenols And Their Derivatives In Moderating Allergic Immune Responses, Jamie Kellner, Lindsay Mark, Kasie Bellmann, Kelly Shields

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds that are found within numerous plant sources. They have a wide variety of structures and functions and have potential clinical uses in multiple disease states. Emerging studies involving polyphenols have demonstrated their antioxidative properties, as well as reduced risks of cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer. Due to these discoveries, there has been a marked increase in research related to the chemical properties of polyphenols and their potential uses in prevention of common acquired and inherited disease states. This article focuses on the effects that some polyphenolic compounds exert on immune function in regard …

Celiac Disease: Current And Investigational Therapies And The Role Of The Pharmacist, Sarah Turley, Gabriella Gegenheimer, Emily Blum, Erin Petersen

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Celiac disease is a genetically-linked autoimmune disease which affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is an inflammatory reaction to ingested gluten-containing substances that produces the most frequent symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating and intermittent or chronic diarrhea. Diagnosis can be made by blood testing for specific IgA autoantibodies and a confirmation duodenal biopsy to look for the characteristic scalloping and villous atrophy that occurs in response to the inflammation. A gluten-free diet, until recently, was the only treatment available and continues to be the mainstay of treatment. Newer adjunct therapies to dietary management include larazotide acetate, peptidases, the use of parasite …

A Comparison Of Mipomersen (Kynamro®) And Lomitapide (Juxtapid®): Medications For The Treatment Of Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia, Ann Marie Ruhe, Austin Brown, Ginny Daniels, Kelsey Fink, David Bright

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) is a rare disease that involves mutations in the genes coding for low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors, preventing the uptake of LDL cholesterol from the serum and resulting in extremely high cholesterol levels.1 Between December 2012, and January 2013, two orphan drugs were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of HoFH. Mipomersen (Kynamro®) is a subcutaneous injection that functions as an antisense oligonucleotide inhibitor and ultimately prevents the translation of mRNA coding for apolipoprotein B (apoB)-100 which binds to LDL and very low density lipoprotein (vLDL) cholesterol.7 Lomitapide (Juxtapid®) is …

Signifor® Receives Fda Approvalfor The Management Of Cushing's Disease, Justin Steele, Ann Marie Ruhe, Andrew Skouby, Eric Stack, Sandra L. Hrometz

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Cushing's disease is a disorder characterized by supraphysiologic levels of circulating cortisol due to excessive adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion. Most often hypersecretion of ACTH is due to a pituitary adenoma, where surgical resection of the tumor is considered first-line treatment for the disease. Alternatively, the FDA has recently approved the somatostatin analogue, Signifor® (pasireotide), for the management of Cushing's disease in patients for whom surgery is not an option. In clinical trials, pasireotide has shown a statistically significant reduction in urinary free cortisol levels, as well as significant improvements in quality of life. Based on current data, pasireotide appears to …

Novel Oral Anticoagulants: A Comparative Study Of The Clinical Potential For Dabigatran, Rivaroxaban, And Apixaban Versus Warfarin, Lindsay Mark, Joanne Tran, Zachary Jones, Jessica Beck, David Bright

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Although Coumadin® (warfarin) has been the standard outpatient anticoagulant for long-term prevention of thrombosis for many decades, it presents with significant challenges for both patients and health care providers in optimizing standards of care including dietary and drug restrictions, regular monitoring of the patient's International Normalized Ratio (INR), and difficulty maintaining therapeutic levels. Despite its unmistakable effectiveness, there has been an interest from the medical community in developing potential alternative drug therapies. As a result, within the past three years the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of three new oral anticoagulant drugs (dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and …

Fda Approves New Tuberculosis Drug: Bedaquiline (Sirturo®), Megan Ruffner, Kent Wilin, Charles Hay, Zachary Crawford, Andrew Roecker

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by the acid-fast bacilli (AFB) Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is an infectious disease that continues to greatly impact morbidity and mortality worldwide; in 2011 it caused 1.4 million deaths. Some strains of the bacteria have become resistant to current treatment regimens, resulting in multidrug-resistant (MOR) and extensively drugresistant (XOR) TB. The emergence of these resistant strains of bacteria calls for new treatment regimens that can quickly and effectively eradicate the organism. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Sirturo® (bedaquiline) with the indication of MDR pulmonary TB. Bedaquiline introduces a novel mechanism of action via the inhibition …

Endometriosis: The Etiology And Recommended Treatment, Amanda Lovell, Kasie Bellmann, Kelsey Fink, Jessica Beck, Michelle Musser

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Endometriosis is a gynecological condition that occurs in women between the ages of 15 and 49 years, in which endometrial cells grow outside the uterus. Normally, endometrial cells form the endometrium and respond to hormones throughout the menstrual cycle, but when endometrial cells are located outside the endometrium, painful bleeding and other side effects may occur. Treatment of endometriosis is usually symptomatic relief, including the use of oral contraceptives and other hormone replacement options, as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. To ensure that patients receive the appropriate treatment for this condition, pharmacists should be able to recognize the signs and …

Sildenafil As An Appropriate Monotherapy Option In The Treatment Of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (Pah), Kaitlin Horton, Kent Wilin, Sarah Ginty, Lara Long, David Bright

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a debilitating disease characterized by constriction in the diameter of the pulmonary arterial lumen.1,2 This leads to increased pressure and stress on the right ventricle of the heart, which may lead to heart failure and death.2,3 Currently there are only a few treatment options for patients with PAH. Sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitor, can be used to treat PAH. Sildenafil inhibits the degradation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Increased cGMP concentration results in pulmonary vasculature relaxation. Current clinical trials have indicated that sildenafil can significantly improve many of the symptoms of PAH. The …

Overview Of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome And Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, Christina Spinaris, Sarah Kradel, Tara Tokar, Zachary Crawford, Michael M. Milks

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are immunologic reactions that typically present due to drug hypersensitivity. These reactions present with serious mucocutaneous manifestations that can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. The pathogeneses of SJS and TEN have yet to be clearly elucidated, but three potential immunologic mechanisms have been defined in literature: granulysin, Fas-FasL, and perforin and granzyme B. Medications have been immunologically linked as the primary causative agents of SJS/TEN. Corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin administration (IVIG) and cyclosporine have been employed as treatments; however, none have resulted in consistent positive outcomes. Pharmacists have a significant role in …

A Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Choosing Non-Instrumental Bedside Screenings In Patients With Low Risk Factors For Ped Not Meeting The Cms Criteria Of Pmv (Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation), Kyle Barjon Do, Giselle Falconi, Bharat Upadhyay Md

Family Medicine

No abstract provided.

Nocardia Beijingensis: A Rare And Unusual Cause Of Intracranial Abscess, Lakshpaul Chauhan Md, Nirali Vassa Md, Elizabeth Henderson Md, Ateeq Mubarik Md, Danish M. Siddiq Md, Abdulmagid Eddib Md

Infectious Disease

Background : Nocardia species are thin, aerobic, filamentous, gram-positive bacilli that are ubiquitous in soil worldwide. Nocardia infections are divided into three main categories: pulmonary nocardiosis, disseminated nocardiosis, and cutaneous nocardiosis.

Methods : We present a case of cerebral nocardiosis in an immunocompetent patient caused by Nocardia beijingensis (NB).

Results : A 60-year-old Caucasian lady from Florida with type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, presented to the emergency room with complaints of altered mentation. Per husband, she was having episodes of emesis and diarrhea three days prior to admission that resolved however, her mentation significantly deteriorated to where she was …

Ecthyma Gangrenosum In An Immunocompromised Patient Without Detectable Bacteremia, Jonathan Miles, Alex Mari, Matthew Crabtree, Vinod Nambudiri, Jilian Sansbury

Dermatology

Ecthyma gangrenosum (EG) is typically pathognomonic of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia among immunocompromised patients, particularly with underlying malignancy. Recently, other pathogens and clinical histories have been implicated, challenging the classic picture of patients with EG. The cutaneous findings in patients follow a pattern of lesion progression from indurated pustules and hemorrhagic vesicles evolving to necrotic ulcers with central black eschar and surrounding erythema. While lesions typically occur on the perineum or lower extremities, their presence has also been described elsewhere. Herein, we describe a case of an immunocompromised man with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma actively undergoing chemotherapy presenting with …

Neurotransmitter, Fall 2019, George Washington Institute For Neuroscience Neurological Institute, George Washington University Hospital

Neurotransmitter

No abstract provided.

Improving Care Of The Small Baby, Beckie Palmer, Abdebayo Oshodi, Brandy Huitt, Kaylee Hurt, Pamela Kliethermes, Trudy Koons, Patricia Lanzer, Ashley Mirabile, Allyson Owen, Christian Anthony Schneider, Betsi Anderson, Steven Olsen

Posters

Hierarchy of Aims:

• Global Aim: Create a Small Baby Unit for infants admitted to our NICU that arebirth, in which 90% of our patients are admitted to F pod on day of admission, by March 2019
• Interim Aim: Staff 80% of our micropremie patients with a Small Baby Team nurse from admission until >32 weeks by May 2019.
• Sub Aim: Increase rates of developmentally appropriate care (2 person cares, kangaroo care compliance) by 50% by August 2019.

Making The Management Of Acute Otitis Media A Snap, Cassandra Newell, Donna Wyly, Tanis Stewart, Alaina N. Burns, Brian R. Lee, Rana El Feghaly

Posters

AIM:

To improve Watchful Waiting or Safety Net Antibiotic Prescription (WW/SNAP) in children >6 months old diagnosed with acute otitis media by Advanced Practice Nurses in the Emergency Department by May 2020.

Optimizing Antibiotic Management Of Pediatric Acute Otitis Media In An Emergency Department, Alicia Daggett, Alaina N. Burns, Brian R. Lee, Nirav Shastri, Patricia Phillips, Rana E. El Feghaly

Posters

Problem

Children diagnosed with acute otitis media (AOM) at the Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas Emergency Department routinely get antibiotic prescriptions. There is rarely discussion with families about watchful waiting (defined as discussion of observation with parents and providing a safety-net antibiotic prescription that parents can ill if the patient is not improving or is worsening over the next 48 hours).

The aim of this quality improvement project is to increase watchful waiting for AOM at the CMK ED by 20% by March 2020, with an overall goal of decreasing antibiotic use for AOM.

Safe Sleep In The Nicu, Ashley Mirabile, Barb Haney, Dianne Wilderson, Beckie Palmer, Ashley Domsch, Eugenia K. Pallotto

Posters

Goal: To evaluate a staff education program on approach to improve in the rate of eligible NICU infants in safe sleep in a busy 84-bed level IV NICU.

Outcome Measures; Improve safe sleep compliance for eligible patients to 90% or greater by December 2019.

Process Measures: Audits from bedside RNs showing compliance with safe sleep.

Planned Intervention: In December of 2018 a multidisciplinary work group brainstormed and implemented best practice safe sleep education for staff and parents. September 2019 a Safe Sleep Educational Toolkit was made available for staff.

Results: Safe Sleep compliance has gone from 53% to 90% in …

Improving Malnutrition Identification In The Outpatient Setting, Kristi Thaete, Karen Stephens

Posters

Identification of Pediatric Malnutrition in Outpatient Clinics is the First Step to Allowing Registered Dietitian (RD) Involvement in the Improvement of Patient Care.

Lighting The Way To Ensure Safe Transition Home, Barb Haney, Ashley Mirabile, Dianne Wilderson, Beckie Palmer, Ashley Lewis, Cris Mills, Eugenia K. Pallotto

Posters

All aspects of discharge (education, screenings, appointments, plans and home services" must be completed and appropriately communicated prior to discharge to ensure safe transition to home.

Goal: Standardize all aspects of discharge in a large, busy 84-bed Level IV NICU with >1000 admissions/year and >300 nurses, >60 NNPs, and >25 neonatologists.

• 95% of patients with lengths of stay >3 days have all discharge planning completed prior to discharge/Parent Care Unit overnight stay

Regional Variation In Chronic Kidney Disease And Associated Factors In Hypertensive Individuals In Rural South Asia: Findings From Control Of Blood Pressure And Risk Attenuation-Bangladesh, Pakistan And Sri Lanka, Liang Feng, Hithanadura Asita De Silva, Imtiaz Jehan, Anuradhani Kasturiratne, Gulshan Himani, Mohammad Abul Hasnat, Tazeen Jafar, Cobra-Bps Study Group

Community Health Sciences

Background: We aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its cross-country variation among hypertensive individuals in rural Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. We also explored the factors associated with CKD in these populations.
Method: We studied baseline data from the Control of Blood Pressure and Risk Attenuation-Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka (COBRA-BPS) trial, an ongoing cluster randomized controlled trial on 2643 hypertensive adults ≥40 years of age from 30 randomly selected rural clusters, 10 in each of the three countries. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) /min/1.73 m2 or a urine albumin:creatinine …

Comparison Of Echocardiographic Measurements To Invasive Measurements Of Diastolic Function In Infants With Single Ventricle Physiology: A Report From The Pediatric Heart Network Infant Single Ventricle Trial., Suma P. Goudar, Victor Zak, Andrew M. Atz, Karen Altmann, Steven D. Colan, Christine B. Falkensammer, Mark K. Friedberg, Michele Frommelt, Kevin D. Hill, Daphne T. Hsu, Jami C. Levine, Renee Margossian, Christopher R. Mart, Joshua Sticka, Peter Shrader, Girish S. Shirali, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: While echocardiographic parameters are used to quantify ventricular function in infants with single ventricle physiology, there are few data comparing these to invasive measurements. This study correlates echocardiographic measures of diastolic function with ventricular end-diastolic pressure in infants with single ventricle physiology prior to superior cavopulmonary anastomosis.

METHODS: Data from 173 patients enrolled in the Pediatric Heart Network Infant Single Ventricle enalapril trial were analysed. Those with mixed ventricular types (n = 17) and one outlier (end-diastolic pressure = 32 mmHg) were excluded from the analysis, leaving a total sample size of 155 patients. Echocardiographic measurements were correlated to …

Clabsi Prevention Through Prevention Huddles And Clabsi Risk Assessment And Prevention Form In Electronic Medical Record, Tara Benton, Barb Haney, Lacey Bergerhofer, Yolanda Ballam, Kaitlyn Hoch

Posters

Our aim is to increase the awareness of high risks for central line associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) and decrease the CLABSI rate with the implementation of CLABSI prevention huddles and an electronic medical record (EMR) "CLABSI Risk Assessment and Prevention" form.

A Multifaceted Approach To Improve Quarterly Visit Rates At A Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Care Center, Paula Capel, Jessica Banks, Micaela Mckenna, Ashley Andrews, Christopher M. Oermann

Posters

Standard quality improvement methodology was used to improve quarterly visit rates among cystic fibrosis patients at Children's Mercy Kansas City Cystic Fibrosis Center.

• A family-centered, team-based approach was adopted
• A change in culture led to sustained improvement

Improved quarterly visit rates should drive improvement in outcomes including pulmonary function and nutritional status.

Improving Pneumococcal Vaccination Rates In High Risk Patients Across Multiple Specialty Divisions, Rachel Moran, Julia G. Harris, Claire Olsen, Rana El Feghaly, Liset Olarte, Douglas Blowey, Luke A. Harris

Posters

Pediatric patients with deficient immune systems or certain chronic medical conditions have an increased risk of acquiring invasive pneumococcal disease.

The 23-valent pneumococcal (PPSV23) vaccine provides protection against 23 pneumococcal serotypes and is recommended for patients aged 2 years or older who are high-risk for invasive pneumococcal disease.

Unfortunately, many high-risk patients are not properly vaccinated due to lack of provider knowledge or understanding of accountability between primary care and specialty providers.

The goal of this project was to improve PPSV23 vaccination rates by 10-20% across multiple Children's Mercy Kansas City specialty divisions.

The Kanga-Croo: Nurse Resident Champions Creating Momentum For Improvement, Brett Butler, Jacob Burden, Carly Creekmore, Blair Griffin, Taylor Godemann, Taylor Hagen, Theresa Koelling, Mary Anne Kucera, Halle Magid, Makenna Miller, Monica Page, Mary Riffel, Madison Stebbins, Sarah Stokes, Skylar Suppes

Posters

Topic Summary:

Kangaroo Care (skin to skin care) is a parent-led, evidence-based intervention which improves outcomes in neonatal patients including: decreased apnea, increased weight gain, increased parent satisfaction and decreased length of stay.

Results:

Nurse resident team interventions to support parent engagement and remove barriers to Kangaroo Care (KC) through iterative PDSA cycles from January 2018 to July 2019 yielded positive results within a subset of ICN patients.

End Tidal Carbon Dioxide Monitoring (Capnography) In The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Madeline Elaine Huff, Kenneth T. Shelton

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Carbon dioxide levels can be monitored throughout the respiratory cycle via capnography. In this way, capnography allows healthcare professionals to follow several respiratory factors in real-time, including respiratory depression, apnea, and hypercapnia. Postoperative patients are subjected to significant harm while receiving sedating medications without appropriate monitoring and intervention. Earlier detection of alterations to ventilation status will better enable providers to more accurately dose medications during procedures, especially in high-risk patient populations.

Methods: Patient selection included post-operative patients in the intensive care unit that were receiving sedation/analgesia, high dose or high frequency opioids, epidural or intrathecal pain management, patients that …

Bridging The Gap On Schistosomiasis: A Cross-Sectional Study Examining The Knowledge Gap And Common Attitudes And Practices Regarding S. Mansoni Infections Among Varying Education Levels In Luanda K’Otieno, Western Kenya, Kathy Zhang

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Schistosomiasis is considered one of the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases in the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the most effective strategy for schistosomiasis control is through preventive chemotherapy with praziquantel (PZQ). In order to successfully control morbidity rates, the WHO recommends mass treatment targeting high risk groups, such as school-age children and adults considered to be at risk.

Methods: This cross-sectional study examined the effects of the National School-Based Deworming Programme (NSBDP) on knowledge of schistosomiasis and subsequent prevalence rates and intensity. A total of 43 residents in Luanda K’Otieno were interviewed, and 34 of …