Medical Specialties Commons^™

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Amrit Kahlon, Ravina Ramnani, Kartik Rajpal, Yusra Irshad, Sudeep Chapagain, Arushee Bhatnagar, Steven B Lippmann

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Infant Isolation And Cohorting For Preventing Or Reducing Transmission Of Healthcare-Associated Infections In Neonatal Units, Morcos Hanna, Rita Shah, Lucila Marquez, Rebecca Barzegar, Adrienne Gordon, Mohan Pammi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Neonatal healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) result in increased morbidity and mortality, as well as increased healthcare costs. Patient isolation measures, i.e. single-room isolation or the cohorting of patients with similar infections, remain a recommended and commonly used practice for preventing horizontal spread of infections in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). OBJECTIVES: Our primary objective was to assess the effect of single-room isolation or cohorting, or both for preventing transmission of HAIs or colonization with HAI-causing pathogens in newborn infants less than six months of age admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Our secondary objective was to assess …

Pentoxifylline For Treatment Of Sepsis And Necrotising Enterocolitis In Neonates, Mohan Pammi, Khalid N Haque

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Mortality and morbidity due to neonatal sepsis and necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) remain high despite the use of potent antimicrobial agents. Agents that modulate inflammation may improve outcomes. Pentoxifylline (PTX), a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, is one such agent. This is an update of a review first published in 2003 and updated in 2011 and 2015.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness and safety of intravenous PTX as an adjunct to antibiotic therapy on mortality and morbidity in neonates with suspected or confirmed sepsis and neonates with NEC.

SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and trial registries in July 2022. We …

Tonb-Dependent Receptor Protein Displayed On Spores Of Bacillus Subtilis Stimulates Protective Immune Responses Against Acinetobacter Baumannii, Nor-Aziyah Matrahim, Kathryn Marie Jones, Brian P Keegan, Ulrich Strych, Bin Zhan, Hai-Yen Lee, Sazaly Abubakar

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains with limited treatment options has become a significant global health concern. Efforts to develop vaccines against the bacteria have centred on several potential protein targets, including the TonB-dependent receptors (TBDRs). In the present study, TBDRs from A. baumannii were displayed on the surface of Bacillus subtilis spores. The immunogenicity of the recombinant spores was evaluated in orally vaccinated mice. None of the immunized mice demonstrated signs of illness and were observed to be healthy throughout the study. Sera and the intestinal secretions from the recombinant spores-treated mice demonstrated mucosal and humoral antibody responses …

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Convalescent Plasma Outpatient Therapy To Prevent Outpatient Hospitalization: A Meta-Analysis Of Individual Participant Data From 5 Randomized Trials, Adam C Levine, Yuriko Fukuta, Moises A Huaman, Jiangda Ou, Barry R Meisenberg, Bela Patel, James H Paxton, Daniel F Hanley, Bart J A Rijnders, Arvind Gharbharan, Casper Rokx, Jaap Jan Zwaginga, Andrea Alemany, Oriol Mitjà, Dan Ouchi, Pere Millat-Martinez, Valerie Durkalski-Mauldin, Frederick K Korley, Larry J Dumont, Clifton W Callaway, Romina Libster, Gonzalo Perez Marc, Diego Wappner, Ignacio Esteban, Fernando Polack, David J Sullivan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Outpatient monoclonal antibodies are no longer effective and antiviral treatments for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease remain largely unavailable in many countries worldwide. Although treatment with COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) is promising, clinical trials among outpatients have shown mixed results.

METHODS: We conducted an individual participant data meta-analysis from outpatient trials to assess the overall risk reduction for all-cause hospitalizations by day 28 in transfused participants. Relevant trials were identified by searching Medline, Embase, medRxiv, World Health Organization COVID-19 Research Database, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from January 2020 to September 2022.

RESULTS: Five included studies from 4 …

Evolutionary And Functional History Of The Escherichia Coli K1 Capsule., Sergio Arredondo-Alonso, George Blundell-Hunter, Zuyi Fu, Rebecca A. Gladstone, Alfred Fillol-Salom, Jessica Loraine, Elaine Cloutman-Green, Pål J. Johnsen, Ørjan Samuelsen, Anna K. Pöntinen, François Cléon, Susana Chavez-Bueno, Miguel A. De La Cruz, Miguel A. Ares, Manivanh Vongsouvath, Agnieszka Chmielarczyk, Carolyne Horner, Nigel Klein, Alan Mcnally, Joice N. Reis, José R. Penadés, Nicholas R. Thomson, Jukka Corander, Peter W. Taylor, Alex J. Mccarthy

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Escherichia coli is a leading cause of invasive bacterial infections in humans. Capsule polysaccharide has an important role in bacterial pathogenesis, and the K1 capsule has been firmly established as one of the most potent capsule types in E. coli through its association with severe infections. However, little is known about its distribution, evolution and functions across the E. coli phylogeny, which is fundamental to elucidating its role in the expansion of successful lineages. Using systematic surveys of invasive E. coli isolates, we show that the K1-cps locus is present in a quarter of bloodstream infection isolates and has emerged …

Microbiome Alterations Driven By Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection In Two Disjunctive Murine Models, Sergio Castañeda, Marina Muñoz, Peter J Hotez, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Alberto E Paniz-Mondolfi, Kathryn M Jones, Rojelio Mejia, Cristina Poveda, Juan David Ramírez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Alterations caused by Trypanosoma cruzi in the composition of gut microbiome may play a vital role in the host-parasite interactions that shapes physiology and immune responses against infection. Thus, a better understanding of this parasite-host-microbiome interaction may yield relevant information in the comprehension of the pathophysiology of the disease and the development of new prophylactic and therapeutic alternatives. Therefore, we implemented a murine model with two mice strains (BALB/c and C57BL/6) to evaluate the impact of Trypanosoma cruzi (Tulahuen strain) infection on the gut microbiome utilizing cytokine profiling and shotgun metagenomics. Higher parasite burdens were observed in cardiac and intestinal …

Posttreatment Lyme Disease Syndrome And Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review And Comparison Of Pathogenesis, Natalie Bai, Christie Richardson

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States and has been causing significant morbidity since its discovery in 1977. It is well-documented that about 10% of patients properly treated with antibiotics never fully recover, but instead go on to develop a chronic illness dubbed, posttreatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) characterized by severe fatigue, cognitive slowing, chronic pain, and sleep difficulties. This review includes 18 studies that detail the symptoms of patients with PTLDS and uses qualitative analysis to compare them to myalgic encephalitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a strikingly similar syndrome. In the majority of the PTLDS …

Viral Dna Accumulation Regulates Replication Efficiency Of Chlorovirus Osy-Ne5 In Two Closely Related Chlorella Variabilis Strains, Ahmed Esmael, Irina V. Agarkova, David D. Dunigan, You Zhou, James L. Van Etten

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Many chloroviruses replicate in Chlorella variabilis algal strains that are ex-endosymbionts isolated from the protozoan Paramecium bursaria, including the NC64A and Syngen 2-3 strains. We noticed that indigenous water samples produced a higher number of plaque-forming viruses on C. variabilis Syngen 2-3 lawns than on C. variabilis NC64A lawns. These observed differences led to the discovery of viruses that replicate exclusively in Syngen 2-3 cells, named Only Syngen (OSy) viruses. Here, we demonstrate that OSy viruses initiate infection in the restricted host NC64A by synthesizing some early virus gene products and that approximately 20% of the cells produce a …

Tenofovir Induced Hypokalaemia - A Case Report, Ankisha Gupta, Kiran P. K, Rajendra Prasad S

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Tenofovir, an important medication for HIV/AIDS, carries the risk of hypokalemia in patients receiving treatment. Factors such as dietary deficits, vomiting, or diarrhea further increase this risk. Tenofovir acts as a mitochondrial toxin by inhibiting the DNA polymerase gamma enzyme, crucial for mitochondrial DNA replication. Consequently, ATP generation is depleted through the aerobic pathway, leading to dysfunction in the proximal tubule. This dysfunction manifests as renal acidosis type 2, which involves reduced bicarbonate excretion by the proximal tubule, resulting in renal bicarbonate wasting and decreased serum bicarbonate levels. Consequently, the lumen of the distal nephron becomes negatively charged, leading to …

Mapping Human Norovirus Antigens During Infection Reveals The Breadth Of The Humoral Immune Response, Lynn Su, Wanzhi Huang, Frederick H Neill, Mary K Estes, Robert L Atmar, Timothy Palzkill

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Human noroviruses (HuNoV) are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. The humoral immune response plays an important role in clearing HuNoV infections and elucidating the antigenic landscape of HuNoV during an infection can shed light on antibody targets to inform vaccine design. Here, we utilized Jun-Fos-assisted phage display of a HuNoV genogroup GI.1 genomic library and deep sequencing to simultaneously map the epitopes of serum antibodies of six individuals infected with GI.1 HuNoV. We found both unique and common epitopes that were widely distributed among both nonstructural proteins and the major capsid protein. Recurring epitope profiles suggest immunodominant antibody …

A Seven-Year Review Of Hospital- Onset Clostridioides Difficile Infection Reduction And The Case For A Multidisciplinary Taskforce Approach, Peggy Brown Mph, Cic, Michelle Charles Msn, Rn-Bc, Brittany S. Thorp Mph, Kristin Sims Mph Cic Cpps Fapic, R. Scott Stienecker Md

Infection Control

Presented at the 2023 APIC Annual Conference

Background: Hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection is a life-threatening disease that can prolong and complicate a patient's hospitalization. To reduce HO-CDIs and ensure positive health outcomes with reduced cost, utilization of a multi-disciplinary taskforce (MDT) is key to identify gaps, develop action plans, and implement and review interventions in the most efficient and effective manner.

Methods: Over the course of seven years, two rounds of interventions were executed consecutively across a nine-hospital healthcare system to reduce HO-CDI events. The first round (Round 1) driven solely by the Infection Prevention (IP) department spanned four years …

Candida Auris Screening In The Acute Care Setting: An Infection Control Partnership Between Hospitals And Skilled Nursing Facilities, Brittany S. Thorp Mph, Peggy Brown Mph, Cic, R. Scott Stienecker Md

Infection Control

Presented at 2023 APIC Annual Conference

Background: Candida auris (C. auris) is a drug-resistant fungus that can spread easily between hospitalized patients and nursing home residents. To mitigate risk of C. auris spread, a nine-hospital healthcare system developed a C. auris screening tool in January 2020. Infection Preventionists (IPs) use the screening tool to determine which patients qualify for C. auris screening, looking specifically at the facility type where the patient came from. The IP then initiates the isolation and testing protocol with the bedside nurse and provider.

Methods: Over the course of three years, the hospital epidemiologist collected data …

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Screening Of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Staff In An Outbreak Setting, R. Scott Stienecker Md, Fidsa, Fshea, Cic, Brittany S. Thorp Mph

Infection Control

Presented at 2023 APIC Annual Conference

In December 2020, our infection prevention (IP) department noted an increase in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates over baseline in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Our hospital sees a steady influx of parents colonized with MRSA and our weekly screening process regularly discovers neonates that subsequently become colonized with MRSA. A doubling of the number of cases per month led to deeper investigation. Epidemiologic data were collected on the neonates and matched to their mother’s screening cultures (when obtained). Sensitivity patterns were matched, and staff noted that a single sensitivity pattern predominated

Impact Of Covid-19 On Latinx And Black Communities, Carolina Zuluaga

Dissertations

This critical literature review project explored the impact of COVID-19 on Latinx and Black communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of September 28, 2022, around 16% of COVID-19 cases in the United States were among Latinx people, and 14% of cases were among Black people (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Since COVID-19 began, clinicians have become more conscious of the effects of health disparities within racial and ethnic minorities, which has warranted increased advocacy by educating health and mental health providers and creating and providing resources to these communities and clinicians. The review …

Physiological Age By Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Electrocardiograms As A Novel Risk Factor Of Mortality In Kidney Transplant Candidates, Elizabeth C Lorenz, Isabella Zaniletti, Bradley K Johnson, Tanya M Petterson, Walter K Kremers, Carrie A Schinstock, Hatem Amer, Andrea L Cheville, Nathan K Lebrasseur, Wolfgang C Winkelmayer, Sankar D Navaneethan, Abraham Baez-Suarez, Zachi I Attia, Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, Paul A Friedman, Cassie C Kennedy, Andrew D Rule

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Mortality risk assessment before kidney transplantation (KT) is imperfect. An emerging risk factor for death in nontransplant populations is physiological age as determined by the application of artificial intelligence to the electrocardiogram (ECG). The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between ECG age and KT waitlist mortality.

METHODS: We applied a previously developed convolutional neural network to the ECGs of KT candidates evaluated 2014 to 2019 to determine ECG age. We used a Cox proportional hazard model to examine whether ECG age was associated with waitlist mortality.

RESULTS: Of the 2183 patients evaluated, 59.1% were male, …

Symptom Duration And Resolution With Early Outpatient Treatment Of Convalescent Plasma For Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Randomized Trial, Sheriza N Baksh, Sonya L Heath, Yuriko Fukuta, David Shade, Barry Meisenberg, Evan M Bloch, Aaron A R Tobian, Emily S Spivak, Bela Patel, Jonathan Gerber, Jay S Raval, Donald Forthal, James Paxton, Giselle Mosnaim, Shweta Anjan, Janis Blair, Edward Cachay, Judith Currier, Piyali Das, Moises Huaman, Catherine Sutcliffe, Anusha Yarava, Arturo Casadevall, David Sullivan, Daniel Hanley, Kelly A Gebo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent plasma (CCP) reduces hospitalizations among outpatients treated early after symptom onset. It is unknown whether CCP reduces time to symptom resolution among outpatients.

METHODS: We evaluated symptom resolution at day 14 by trial arm using an adjusted subdistribution hazard model, with hospitalization as a competing risk. We also assessed the prevalence of symptom clusters at day 14 between treatments. Clusters were defined based on biologic clustering, impact on ability to work, and an algorithm.

RESULTS: Among 1070 outpatients followed up after transfusion, 381 of 538 (70.8%) receiving CCP and 381 of 532 (71.6%) receiving …

Tapped Twice: A Case Of A Rapidly Re-Accumulating Hepatic Hydrothorax In A Patient With Spontaneous Bacterial Empyema, Amir Khalil, Suma Alzouhayli, Silvia Novakova, Saad Shams, Ahmad Baiyasi, Maria Khalil, Mohammed Uddin, Aryan Shiari, Kareem Bazzy

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Hepatic hydrothorax (HH) is a complication of decompensated liver cirrhosis that only occurs in about 5–6% of cirrhosis patients, defined as a pleural fluid in the setting of known liver disease, with the absence of any other cardiopulmonary etiology. Infected HH is a rare complication, designated as spontaneous bacterial empyema (SBEM), found in only 13–16% of patients with HH. This case follows a patient with SBEM who developed a recurrent pleural effusion minutes after thoracentesis. Our patient is a 56-year-old female with a history of alcoholic cirrhosis with pleuritic pain found to have right-sided pleural effusion with decompensation. She had …

Influenza C And D Viruses Demonstrated A Differential Respiratory Tissue Tropism In A Comparative Pathogenesis Study In Guinea Pigs, Chithra C. Sreenivasan, Runxia Liu, Rongyuan Gao, Yicheng Guo, Ben M. Hause, Milton Thomas, Ahsan Naveed, Travis Clement, Dana Rausch, Jane Christopher-Hennings, Eric Nelson, Julian Druce, Miaoyun Zhao, Radhey S. Kaushik, Qingsheng Li, Zizhang Sheng, Dan Dan, Feng Li

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Influenza C virus (ICV) is increasingly associated with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children and its disease severity is worse than the influenza B virus, but similar to influenza A virus associated CAP. Despite the ubiquitous infection landscape of ICV in humans, little is known about its replication and pathobiology in animals. The goal of this study was to understand the replication kinetics, tissue tropism, and pathogenesis of human ICV (huICV) in comparison to the swine influenza D virus (swIDV) in guinea pigs. Intranasal inoculation of both viruses did not cause clinical signs, however, the infected animals shed virus in nasal …

Adenoviral-Vectored Epigraph Vaccine Elicits Robust, Durable, And Protective Immunity Against H3 Influenza A Virus In Swine, Erika M. Petro-Turnquist, Matthew J. Pekarek, Nicholas Jeanjaquet, Cedric Wooledge, David J. Steffen, Hiep Vu, Eric A. Weaver

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Current methods of vaccination against swine Influenza A Virus (IAV-S) in pigs are infrequently updated, induce strain-specific responses, and have a limited duration of protection. Here, we characterize the onset and duration of adaptive immune responses after vaccination with an adenoviral-vectored Epigraph vaccine. In this longitudinal study we observed robust and durable antibody responses that remained above protective titers six months after vaccination. We further identified stable levels of antigen-specific T cell responses that remained detectable in the absence of antigen stimulation. Antibody isotyping revealed robust class switching from IgM to IgG induced by Epigraph vaccination, while the commercial comparator …

Stewardship Opportunities For Cervical Lymphadenitis And Deep Neck Space Abscesses, Aaron Shaw, Brian R. Lee, Lauren Kazmaier, Emily Baker, Tina Dao, Sandra Arnold, Angela Myers

Research Days

Background: Cervical lymphadenitis (LAD) and deep neck space abscesses (DNSA) are common pediatric infections caused by similar bacteria. We sought to determine differences in presentation, diagnosis, and treatment between LAD and DNSA to identify antimicrobial and diagnostic stewardship opportunities.

Methods: Charts were obtained using ICD9/10 codes for retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscessed (DNSA), and LAD between 1/1/10-12/31/20 from two pediatric centers. 1981 charts were identified. Charts were excluded if the diagnosis was not a bacterial infection (e.g. Kawasaki disease), if the LAD was not in the neck, or if caused by less common bacteria (e.g. tuberculosis). Data on presenting signs, symptoms, …

Prevalence And Impact Of Gastrointestinal Manifestations In Covid-19 Patients: A Systematic Review, Bassam Hossain, Shoreh Qazi, Sumair Ahmad, Atif Saleem, Amanke Oranu, Fahad Malik

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Background and Objective: The aim of this study is to systematically analyze and summarize the implications of COVID-19 on the digestive system by quantitatively evaluating the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, anorexia. reported in COVID-19 cases. We simultaneously investigated other variables to determine the association of such symptoms in COVID-19 patients which can potentially influence the disease prognosis and outcome. This systematic review presents an updated literature on the issue as it requires more scientific discussion in order to better inform the medical community and authorities so that appropriate measures can be taken …

Home Oxygen And Monitoring For Covid-19 Patients: A Multidisciplinary Team Approach, Mahta Salehi, Shehrose Chaudry, Rebecca B. Newman, Josette Hartnett, Suzanne J. Rose, Forugh Homayounrooz

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Introduction: During the initial COVID-19 pandemic peak, Stamford Hospital implemented a home oxygen program (HOP) to create a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary outpatient initiative without sacrificing a safe discharge. Primary care physicians monitored program participants, whose only indication for remaining admitted was an oxygen requirement. We retrospectively examined participant co-morbidities and outcomes, including death and readmission rates to evaluate HOP safety.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of program participants discharged between April 2020-Janurary 2021 was performed. Variables included demographics, oxygen requirement, days enrolled in the HOP, and major comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes (DM), hypertension (HTN), obesity, chronic kidney disease, malignancies …

Knowledge And Misconceptions Among Lebanese Community On Immunizations, Hala Ahmadieh, Tala Safa, Ihab Nahle, Yahya Obeid, Dalal Hariri, Etaf Rawass, Tala Kanaan, Ahmad Sabalbal

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

Two centuries ago, immunization practices have become the greatest land mark in medical history as they significantly contributed to a decline in several major infectious diseases worldwide thus decreasing both the mortality and morbidity. Moreover, they have been able to eradicate small pox and eliminate poliomyelitis in most regions of the world. However, in recent years the general opinion towards vaccination began shifting due to the emergence of certain opposing views to it, questioning the vaccine's safety and efficacy. This study aims to shed light on the vaccination status in Lebanon by assessing the knowledge, attitude, awareness, and misconceptions among …

Elucidating The Impact Of Sos-Response Timing In On Escherichia Coli Survival Following Treatment With Fluoroquinolone Topoisomerase Inhibitors, Stephanie Schofield

Honors Scholar Theses

Antibiotic treatment failure is a public health crisis, with a 2019 report stating that roughly 35,000 deaths occur in the United States yearly due to bacterial infections that are unresponsive to antibiotics (1). One complication in the treatment of bacterial infection is antibiotic persistence which further compromises our battle to effectively treat infection. Bacterial persisters can exist in clonal bacterial cultures and can tolerate antibiotic treatment by undergoing reversible phenotypic changes. They can survive drug concentrations that their genetically identical kin cannot. Some persisters remain in a slow growing state and are difficult to target with current antibiotics. A specific …

Center Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Outcomes Associated With Covid-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study, Haley Williams, Kayla Woodworth

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Background: Traditional cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a multidisciplinary, multifaceted program for cardiac patients. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, health care, including center-based CR (CBCR) programs, were closed to in-person sessions. Even with the return to CBCR participation, patient outcomes may have been affected by this disruption in care. The goal of this study was to determine if CR participation outcomes differed before and after CBCR program closure due to Covid-19.

Methods: A retrospective comparative cohort design was used to examine CR participant outcome data before and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Convenience sampling of CR participants at a large, urban …

Icu Nurses’ Adherence To The Cdc’S Central Line Bundle: A Qualitative Study, Cherie Burke, Cherie Burke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are one of the most common healthcare associated infections and result in prolonged hospital stays, significant morbidity, and increased costs to the healthcare system. Adherence to the CDC central line maintenance bundle has been shown to be effective in decreasing CLABSI yet these infections continue to be a problem. ICU nurses play a vital role in managing central lines and adhering to the maintenance guidelines, however different situations may arise during the care that may impact CLABSIs.

Objectives: 1) To determine nurses’ adherence to the CDC’s maintenance central line

bundle; 2) To determine …

Home-Based Tdcs For Apathy In Alzheimer’S Disease: A Protocol For A Randomized Double-Blinded Controlled Pilot Study, Antonio L Teixeira, Laís Bhering Martins, Thiago Macedo E Cordeiro, Lijin Jose, Robert Suchting, Holly M Holmes, Ron Acierno, Hyochol Ahn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Apathy is among the most common behavioral symptoms in dementia and is consistently associated with negative outcomes in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Despite its prevalence and clinical relevance, available pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies to treat apathy in AD have been marked, respectively, by potentially severe side effects and/or limited efficacy. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a relatively novel non-pharmacological method of neuromodulation with promising results. Compared to previous tDCS formats, recent technological advances have increased the portability of tDCS, which creates the potential for caregiver-administered, home use. Our study aims to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of home-based …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Post-Recovery Memory, Chelsea Mcnamara, Alison Mancuso

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for the covid-19 pandemic, has had profound effects on countries worldwide. As the pandemic progressed, clinical and patient data continued to mount. A subset of symptoms named “Long Covid Syndrome” persisted in patients after recovering from infection. One commonly reported but understudied symptom was a deficit in memory function. Although commonly reported, prevalence of ‘brain fog’ has yet to be characterized using patient data. Using Rowan Medicine electronic patient data, we were able to collect information on patients before and after the emergence of the coronavirus. Data was collected on reported memory-related symptoms as well as …

An Unusual Ed Case: Spontaneous Necrotizing Fasciitis Presenting As Hypoxic Pneumonia, Chetna Thawani, Kishan Patel

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We present a case of necrotizing fasciitis initially presenting as septic hypoxic pneumonia, and discuss imaging modalities and diagnostic evaluation. Necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) is a rapidly progressive surgical emergency with a mortality rate of 30%. In approximately 80% of cases, it is introduced through a break in the skin. It can also occur after any invasive procedure or surgery. It is most commonly associated with skin flora including staph and strep, though polymicrobial infections are most common. It usually presents with signs of systemic infection, including fever, chills, sepsis, altered mental status - and signs of cutaneous involvement …