Medical Specialties Commons^™

Project Prevent: A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Preoperative Vaginal Metronidazole To Decrease Patient Issues And Infections After Hysterectomy, Tana Pradhan, Helen Zhang, Amanda Kadesh, Ama Buskwofie, Sonali Patankar, Sharifa Menon, Timothy Ryntz, Cara Grimes

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate if vaginal metronidazole for 5 days before hysterectomy decreases postoperative infections and patient issues.

DESIGN: This randomized trial compared vaginal metronidazole for 5 days before a scheduled hysterectomy to no intervention. Sample size calculation was based on a 20% difference in issues and infection (30% incidence and 10% in the intervention arm) with 80% power and an alpha error of 0.05 and indicated 62 subjects needed in each arm.

SETTING: Outpatient gynecology clinics at a single academic institution.

PARTICIPANTS: 154 subjects were screened for eligibility between July 2020 and September 2022. 133 underwent hysterectomy including 68 subjects …

Pericardial Effusions And Cardiac Tamponade In Hospitalized Systemic Sclerosis Patients: Analysis Of The National Inpatient Sample, Bikash Basyal, Waqas Ullah, Chris T. Derk

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Introduction

Clinically significant pericardial effusions and cardiac tamponade in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients is uncommon and the factors that contribute to progression of pericardial involvement in SSc patients have not been well established.

Methods

A review of the national inpatient sample database was performed looking SSc related hospitalizations between 2002 and 2019. Data was collected on patients with pericardial effusions and cardiac tamponade and analyzed to identify and describe patient characteristics and comorbidities.

Results

Out of a total of 523,410 SSc hospitalizations, with an overall inpatient mortality rate of 4.7% (24,764 patients), pericardial effusion was identified in 3.1% of all …

Metastatic Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Gone Wild, Khulood Talpur, Ambreen Soomro, Afrah Talpur

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Thyroid cancers account for only 1.5% of all cancers in adults and 3% of all cancers in children. In females, however, thyroid cancers are the fifth most common cancer, comprising 4% of all cases. Of all thyroid cancers, 74-80% of cases are papillary cancer. The prevalence of thyroid cancer is rising worldwide. Although thyroid cancer has a favorable prognosis, up to 20% of patients experienced recurrent disease during the follow-up period. Extra-thyroidal extension occurs in 8% to 32% of cases. Local or regional recurrences occur in 5-15% of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Distant metastasis occurs in only 1% …

Dipyridamole-Induced Stemi: Case Report And Review Of The Literature, Hussam Al Hennawi, Sunita Lakhani, Shayan Iqbal Khan, Sarin Atam, Usama Sadiq, Joseph Rigotti, Abhinav Nair

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Dipyridamole nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging is a safe and useful modality to assess for myocardial ischemia. It is the modality of choice for cardiac risk stratification in patients unable to exercise. Intravenous dipyridamole causes coronary vasodilation and may yield heterogeneity of coronary blood flow in significant coronary artery disease. Ischemic electrocardiographic changes following pharmacologic stress testing are less likely compared to exercise stress tests. Ischemia more likely presents in the form of ST depression, with ST-elevation being exceedingly rare. We present a case of a 73-year-old patient who developed ST-elevation myocardial infarction following pharmacologic stress testing.

Effect Of Fibrinolytic Therapy On St-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Clinical Outcomes During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Anwar Khedr, Hussam Al Hennawi, Muhammed Khuzzaim Khan, Mostafa Elbanna, Abbas B. Jama, Ekaterina Proskuriakova, Hisham Mushtaq, Mikael Mir, Sydney Boike, Ibtisam Rauf, Aalaa Eissa, Meritxell Urtecho, Thoyaja Koritala, Nitesh Jain, Lokesh Goyal, Salim Surani, Syed A Khan

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

BACKGROUND: ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is the result of transmural ischemia of the myocardium and is associated with a high mortality rate. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is the recommended first-line treatment strategy for patients with STEMI. The timely delivery of PPCI became extremely challenging for STEMI patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, leading to a projected steep rise in mortality. These delays were overcome by the shift from first-line therapy and the development of modern fibrinolytic-based reperfusion. It is unclear whether fibrinolytic-based reperfusion therapy is effective in improving STEMI endpoints.

AIM: To determine the incidence of fibrinolytic …

Scutellaria Baicalensis Enhances 5-Fluorouracil-Based Chemotherapy Via Inhibition Of Proliferative Signaling Pathways, Haizhou Liu, Hui Liu, Zhiyi Zhou, Jessica Chung, Guojing Zhang, Jin Chang, Robert A Parise, Edward Chu, John C Schmitz

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Fluoropyridine-based chemotherapy remains the most widely used treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we investigated the mechanism by which the natural product Scutellaria baicalensis (Huang Qin; HQ) and one of its main components baicalin enhanced 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) antitumor activity against CRC. Cell proliferation assays, cell cycle analysis, reverse-phase protein array (RPPA) analysis, immunoblot analysis, and qRT-PCR were performed to investigate the mechanism(s) of action of HQ and its active components on growth of CRC cells. HQ exhibited in vitro antiproliferative activity against drug resistant human CRC cells, against human and mouse CRC cells with different genetic backgrounds and …

Reduced Heart Failure-Related Healthcare Costs With Furoscix Versus In-Hospital Intravenous Diuresis In Heart Failure Patients: The Freedom-Hf Study, Daniel Bensimhon, William S. Weintraub, William Frank Peacock, Tamas Alexy, Dalton Mclean, Donald C. Haas, Kathleen L. Deering, Stefanie J. Millar, Matthew M. Goodwin, John F. Mohr

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Aim: Compare heart failure (HF) costs of Furoscix use at home compared with inpatient intravenous (IV) diuresis.

Patients & methods: Prospective, case control study of chronic HF patients presenting to emergency department (ED) with worsening congestion discharged to receive Furoscix 80 mg/10 ml 5-h subcutaneous infusion for ≤7 days. 30-day HF-related costs in Furoscix group derived from commercial claims database compared with matched historical patients hospitalized for <72 h.

Results: Of 24 Furoscix patients, 1 (4.2%) was hospitalized in 30-day period. 66 control patients identified and were well-matched for age, sex, ejection fraction (EF), renal function and other comorbidities. Furoscix patients had …

The Role Of Bispecific Antibodies In Relapsed Refractory Multiple Myeloma: A Systematic Review, Razwana Khanam, Omer S. Ashruf, Syed Hamza Bin Waqar, Zunairah Shah, Saba Batool, Rameesha Mehreen, Pranali Pachika, Zinath Roksana, Mohammad Ebad Ur Rehman, Faiz Anwer

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Multiple myeloma is a heterogeneous clonal malignant plasma cell disorder, which remains incurable despite the therapeutic armamentarium's evolution. Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) can bind simultaneously to the CD3 T-cell receptor and tumor antigen of myeloma cells, causing cell lysis. This systematic review of phase I/II/III clinical trials aimed to analyze the efficacy and safety of BsAbs in relapsed refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). A thorough literature search was performed using PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and major conference abstracts. A total of 18 phase I/II/III studies, including 1283 patients, met the inclusion criteria. Among the B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeting agents across 13 studies, …

When Images Don’T Explain Reality: A Case Of An Intravascular Extension Of An Endometrial Tumor, Kyle Marrache, Hussam Al Hennawi, Shayan Qadir, Angad Bedi, Kevin Ye Hou

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Endometrial stromal sarcoma is a rare mesenchymal tumor with the potential for intravascular metastases. We present the case of a 52-year-old female patient with a history of previously resected endometrial sarcoma who was found to have an inferior vena cava thrombus with intracardiac extension. Pathological assessment following resection revealed intravascular extension of an underlying endometrial stromal sarcoma. This case demonstrates the aggressive nature and intracardiac metastatic potential of endometrial sarcomas.

Delayed Presentation Of Biopsy-Proven Eosinophilic Myocarditis Following Covid-19 Mrna Vaccine, Chaitra Janga, Tirth Patel, Hussam Al Hennawi, Sarin Atam, Shreeja Shah Shah, Ifrah Naeem, Rahat Memon, Donald C. Haas

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Myopericarditis associated with COVID-19 mRNA vaccines has been recognized as an uncommon adverse reaction, especially among young, healthy adult males. Eosinophilic myocarditis is a rare form of inflammation reflecting a hypersensitivity reaction following an inciting event commonly caused by drugs including vaccines. Eosinophilic myocarditis, a subtype of myocarditis, is characterized by eosinophilic myocardial infiltrates. It is usually accompanied by systemic eosinophilia in the form of a drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome and is rarely associated with myocyte fibrosis and/or necrosis. In this report, we present a case of biopsy-proven eosinophilic myocarditis in a 24-year-old male patient, …

Gold 2023 Update: Implications For Clinical Practice, Diana R. Tamondong-Lachica, Neil Skolnik, John R. Hurst, Nathaniel Marchetti, Adrian Paul J. Rabe, Maria Montes De Oca, Bartolome R. Celli

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

In 2022, over 3 million people died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the global burden of the disease is expected to increase over the coming decades. Recommendations for the treatment and management of patients with COPD are published by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, and updated annually with scientific evidence-based recommendations. The 2023 updates, published in November 2022, contain key changes to recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of COPD that are anticipated to have a significant impact on clinical practice for patients with COPD. Updates to how COPD is defined and diagnosed, including the expansion …

Addressing The Surgical Workplace: An Opportunity To Create A Culture Of Belonging, Carla M. Pugh, Orlando C. Kirton, J. E. Betsy Tuttle, Ronald V. Maier, Yue-Yung Hu, John H. Stewart, Julie Ann Freischlag, Julie Ann Sosa, Selwyn M Vickers, Mary T. Hawn, Timothy J. Eberlein, Diana L. Farmer, Robert S. Higgins, Carlos A. Pellegrini, Sanziana A. Roman, Marie L. Crandall, Christian M. De Virgilio, Allan Tsung, L. D. Britt

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

No abstract provided.

Juvenile Granulosa Cell Tumor In An Adult Woman During Pregnancy: A Case Report And Review Of The Literature, Mackenzie Cummings, Pamela Edmonds, Mark S. Shahin, Joe I. Sorosky

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Objective

To report a case of stage IIIB juvenile granulosa cell tumor (JGCT) complicating pregnancy in a 33 year-old (y.o.) woman.

Methods

Retrospective review of the clinical data, imaging studies, and pathology reports of a case of JGCT diagnosed during pregnancy. Patient consent was obtained for review and presentation of the case. A literature review was conducted.

Results

A 33 y.o., gravida 3, para 1 was incidentally found to have an 8 cm left ovarian mass on an anatomy scan at 22 weeks gestation. Four days later, she presented to labor and delivery triage with abdominal pain. An ultrasound revealed …

Variance In Management Of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation-Associated Fibrin Sheaths At A Single Institution, Alexandra Tedesco Md, Monica Majumdar Md, Jamel P. Ortoleva Md, Christine Nayar Md, Masashi Kawabori Md, Payam Salehi Md, Ali Irshad Md

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Objective: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for patients with cardiac or respiratory failure has been increasingly used by advanced critical care practitioners. The thromboembolic complications of ECMO have been extensively discussed and researched; however, research and discussion on the development, risks, and management of cannulae-associated fibrin sheaths are lacking.

Methods: Institutional review board approval was not required. We have presented three cases detailing the identifi- cation and individualized management of ECMO-associated fibrin sheaths at our institution. The three patients provided written informed consent for the report of their case details and imaging studies.

Results: Of our three patients with ECMO-associated …

Reducing The Risk Of Mortality In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease With Pharmacotherapy: A Narrative Review, Matthew Mintz, Igor Barjaktarevic, Donald A. Mahler, Barry Make, Neil Skolnik, Barbara Yawn, Bree Zeyzus-Johns, Nicola A. Hanania

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

In 2020, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was the fifth leading cause of death in the United States excluding COVID-19, and its mortality burden has been rising since the 1980s. Smoking cessation, long-term oxygen therapy, noninvasive ventilation, and lung volume reduction surgery have had a beneficial effect on mortality; however, until recently, the effects of pharmacologic therapies on all-cause mortality have been unclear. Inhaled pharmacologic treatments for patients with COPD include combinations of long-acting muscarinic receptor antagonists (LAMAs), long-acting-β2-agonists (LABAs), and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). The recent IMPACT and ETHOS clinical trials reported mortality benefits with ICS/LAMA/LABA triple therapy compared with …

Ten Year Real World Experience With Ultrafiltration For The Management Of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure, Donald C. Haas, Maureen Hummel, Patricia Barrella, Waqas Ullah, Misung Yi, Robert Watson

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Background: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) of ultrafiltration (UF) have demonstrated conflicting results regarding its efficacy and safety.

Objective: We reviewed 10 years of data for adjustable UF during heart failure hospitalizations in a real world cohort.

Methods: We performed a retrospective, single center analysis of 335 consecutive patients treated with adjustable rate UF using the CHF Solutions Aquadex Flex Flo System from 2009 to 2019.

Results: Compared to previous RCTs investigating UF, our cohort was older, with worse renal impairment and more antecedent HF hospitalizations in the year preceding therapy. Mean fluid removal with UF was 14.6 l. Mean weight …

Symptom Phenotypes In Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: The Pah “Symptome”, Lee Ann Matura, Jamison D. Fargo, Kathleen Boyle, Jason S. Fritz, Kerri A. Smith, Jeremy A. Mazurek, Diane Pinder, Christine L. Archer-Chicko, Harold I. Palevsky, Allan I. Pack, Marilyn S. Sommers, Steven M. Kawut

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Women with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) experience multiple symptoms, including dyspnea, fatigue, and sleep disturbance, that impair their health‐related quality of life (HRQOL). However, we know little about phenotypic subgroups of patients with PAH with similar, concurrent, multiple symptoms. The objectives of this study were to define the “symptome” by symptom cluster phenotypes and compare characteristics such as biomarkers, cardiac structure and function (echocardiography), functional capacity (6‐min walk distance), and HRQOL between the groups. This cross‐sectional study included 60 women with PAH. Subjects completed an assessment battery: Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Symptom Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile, Patient‐Reported …

The Undesirable Communication: A Case Of Cerebral Air Emboli In The Setting Of Atrio-Esophageal Fistula Following Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation, Momin Islam, Hussam Al Hennawi, Anwar Khedr, Khaled Harmouch, Mohammad F. Mathbout

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Atrial-esophageal fistula is an extremely rare condition but is often a deleterious complication following catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation. The associated iatrogenic communication acts as a conduit for air and bacterial translocation, which may lead to cerebral air embolism and polymicrobial sepsis, respectively. Coupled with a history of invasive procedures, the diagnosis is largely based on the accompanying neurological symptoms. In this report, we present the case of a 73-year-old female who presented with neurological deficits attributed to cerebral vascular emboli three weeks after catheter ablation for the treatment of chronic atrial fibrillation.

The Curious Case Of An Isolated Right Coronary Artery Aneurysm Complicated By Thrombosis And Distal Embolization, Hussam Al Hennawi, Mohammad F. Mathbout, Katrina Bidwell, Christopher D. Nielsen

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

No abstract provided.

Inari Large-Bore Mechanical Thrombectomy In Intermediate-High Risk Submassive Pe Patients: Case Series And Literature Review, Mohammad F. Mathbout, Hussam Al Hennawi, Anwar Khedr, Medical University Of South Carolina, Thomas M. Todoran

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is one of the most common causes of cardiovascular (CV) mortality worldwide. Owing to the associated morbidity and mortality with other treatment modalities, including systemic thrombolysis, a discernible change in the era of acute pulmonary embolism management has been reported. Catheter-directed thrombectomy using the FlowTriever system (Inari Medical; Irvine, CA, USA) was shown to reduce endpoints of interest in patients with acute intermediate-high risk PE and was associated with rapid hemodynamic improvement. In this report, we describe our experience with three cases of patients presenting with submassive PE, whereby immediate pulmonary artery pressure improvement was evident in …

Outcomes Of Implant Removal And Capsulectomy For Breast Implant Illness In 248 Patients., Jacob Y. Katsnelson, Joseph R. Spaniol, Joshua C. Buinewicz, Frederick V. Ramsey, Brian R. Buinewicz

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Background: Breast implant illness (BII) is a term popularized by social media to describe systemic symptoms that patients ascribe to their breast implants. Though the concept of implants as an underlying cause for a systemic illness remains controversial, few studies have delineated the implant characteristics, capsular histology, and outcomes of patients who undergo explantation for BII.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the demographics, presenting symptoms, outcomes, capsular histology, and culture results of all women who presented to the senior author with symptoms attributed to BII and underwent breast implant removal with capsulectomy from August 2016 to February 2020. Chi-square and logistic …

Caregiver Health-Related Quality Of Life, Burden, And Patient Outcomes In Ambulatory Advanced Heart Failure: A Report From Revival., Nisha A. Gilotra, Salpy V. Pamboukian, Maria Mountis, Shawn W. Robinson, Michelle Kittleson, Keyur B. Shah, Rhondalyn C. Forde-Mclean, Donald C. Haas, Douglas A. Horstmanshof, Ulrich P. Jorde, Stuart D. Russell, Wendy C. Taddei-Peters, Neal Jeffries, Shokoufeh Khalatbari, Catherine A. Spino, Blair Richards, Matheos Yosef, Douglas L. Mann, Garrick C. Stewart, Keith D. Aaronson, Kathleen L. Grady

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Background

Heart failure (HF) imposes significant burden on patients and caregivers. Longitudinal data on caregiver health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) and burden in ambulatory advanced HF are limited.

Methods and Results

Ambulatory patients with advanced HF (n=400) and their participating caregivers (n=95) enrolled in REVIVAL (Registry Evaluation of Vital Information for VADs [Ventricular Assist Devices] in Ambulatory Life) were followed up for 24 months, or until patient death, left ventricular assist device implantation, heart transplantation, or loss to follow‐up. Caregiver HRQOL (EuroQol Visual Analog Scale) and burden (Oberst Caregiving Burden Scale) did not change significantly from baseline to follow‐up. At …

Predictors Of Permanent Pacemaker Implantation In Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement - A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis., Waqas Ullah, Salman Zahid, Syeda Ramsha Zaidi, Deepika Sarvepalli, Shujaul Haq, Sohaib Roomi, Maryam Mukhtar, Muhammad Atif Khan, Smitha Narayana Gowda, Nicholas Ruggiero, Alec Vishnevsky, David L. Fischman

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Background As transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) technology expands to healthy and lower-risk populations, the burden and predictors of procedure-related complications including the need for permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation needs to be identified.

Methods and Results Digital databases were systematically searched to identify studies reporting the incidence of PPM implantation after TAVR. A random- and fixed-effects model was used to calculate unadjusted odds ratios (OR) for all predictors. A total of 78 studies, recruiting 31 261 patients were included in the final analysis. Overall, 6212 patients required a PPM, with a mean of 18.9% PPM per study and net rate …

Rv Lead Placement - A Forgotten Cause Of Right Heart Failure., Muhammad Arslan Cheema, Talal Almas, Waqas Ullah, Donald C. Haas

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Introduction: Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) have opened new doors, improving the quality, and increasing the duration of life by providing support of heart rate, atrioventricular and interventricular synchrony, thereby preventing sudden cardiac death. Nevertheless, these devices can pose some risks to the patients, including pacemaker-mediated cardiomyopathy and endocarditis.

Case presentation: We elucidate the case of a patient who had severe Tricuspid Regurgitation as a result of single chamber Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) placement which led to right heart failure (RHF). His chief complaints were generalized fatigability and difficulty climbing steps at home. He also had orthopnea but denies paroxysmal …

Partial Vena Cava Occlusion (Vco) To Counteract Refractory Heart Failure: A New Era In Interventional Heart Failure Strategy., Yasar Sattar, Monil Majmundar, Talal Almas, David Song, Waqas Ullah, Homam Moussa Pacha, Mohamed Zghouzi, Islam Y Elgendy, Fatir Murtaza, M Chadi Alraies

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Background: Patients with acute decompensated heart failure are prone to recurrent exacerbation leading to poor quality of life when they do not respond to an optimal medical regimen. Due to the lack of linear positive inotropy response to increasing preload in heart failure patients, increasing preload is associated with poor outcomes. Partial occlusion of either IVC or SVC is a proposed novel treatment that can improve cardiac function or quality of life by altering preload/pressure in heart failure (HF) patients unresponsive to diuretics.

Methods: PubMed, Ovid (MEDLINE), and Cochrane database we searched using the MeSH terms including "Superior vena cava …

Implementation Of An Enhanced Recovery Protocol In Gynecologic Oncology., Tanvi V. Joshi, Shaina F. Bruce, Rod Grim, Tommy Buchanan, Sudeshna Chatterjee-Paer, Elizabeth R. Burton, Joel I. Sorosky, Mark S. Shahin, Mitchell I. Edelson

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) is an evidence-based approach that aims to reduce narcotic use and maintain anabolic balance to enable full functional recovery. Our primary aim was to determine the effect of ERAS on narcotic usage among patients who underwent exploratory laparotomy by gynecologic oncologists. We characterized its effect on length of stay, intraoperative blood transfusions, bowel function, 30-day readmissions, and postoperative complications. A retrospective cohort study was performed at Abington Hospital-Jefferson Health in gynecologic oncology. Women who underwent an exploratory laparotomy from 2011 to 2016 for both benign and malignant etiologies were included before and after implementation of …

Impact Of Body Mass Index On Covid-19-Related In-Hospital Outcomes And Mortality., Waqas Ullah, Sohaib Roomi, Nayab Nadeem, Rehan Saeed, Shafaq Tariq, Moataz Ellithi, Shujaul Haq, Ahmad Arslan, John Madara, Margot Boigon, Donald C. Haas, David L. Fischman

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Background: Given the high prevalence of obesity around the globe, patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are at an increased risk of devastating complications.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed to determine the association of basal metabolic index (body mass index (BMI)) with the need for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), dialysis, upgrade to an intensive care unit (ICU) and mortality. Independent t-test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to calculate mean differences and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with its 95% confidence interval (CI), respectively.

Results: A total of 176 consecutive patients with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis were included. …

The Reflection On The Management Of Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis In The Community Setting: An Internist's Perspective, Qian Zhang, Ali Raza Shaikh, Thomas Yoon, Shreeja Shah Shah, James W. Mahoney

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a dermatological emergency that is often associated with high mortality. It is differentiated from Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) based on the percentage of the total body surface area affected. There has been an established correlation with certain medications that could trigger the development of such a devastating disease. Despite numerous research studies conducted on aspects of this disease entity, TEN remains foreign to many general Internists situated in a community setting due to the extremely low disease prevalence that leads to a lack of overall experience and medical resources in dealing with this medical condition. Thus, …

Effects Of Left Ventricular Assist Device On Pulmonary Functions And Pulmonary Hemodynamics: A Meta-Analysis, Waqas Ullah, Casey Meizinger, Zain Ali, Ankur Panchal, Rehan Saeed, Donald C. Haas, Eduardo Rame

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

BACKGROUND: Given current evidence, the effect of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation on pulmonary function tests remains controversial.

AIM: To better understand the factors contributing to the changes seen on pulmonary function testing and the correlation with pulmonary hemodynamics after LVAD implantation.

METHODS: Electronic databases were queried to identify relevant articles. The summary effect size was estimated as a difference of overall means and standard deviation on a random-effects model.

RESULTS: A total of four studies comprising 219 patients were included. The overall mean forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and diffusion lung capacity …

Medical Therapy Vs Early Revascularization In Diabetics With Chronic Total Occlusions: A Meta-Analysis And Systematic Review, Muhammad Shayan Khan, Farhad Sami, Hemindermeet Singh, Waqas Ullah, Ma'en Al-Dabbas, Khalid Hamid Changal, Tanveer Mir, Zain Ali, Ameer Kabour

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

BACKGROUND: Management of chronic total occlusions (CTO) in diabetics is challenging, with a recent trend towards early revascularization [ER: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and bypass grafting] instead of optimal medical therapy (OMT). We hypothesize that ER improves morbidity and mortality outcomes in diabetic patients with CTOs as compared to OMT.

AIM: To determine the long term clinical outcomes and to compare morbidity and mortality between OMT and ER in diabetic patients with CTOs.

METHODS: Potentially relevant published clinical trials were identified in Medline, Embase, chemical abstracts and Biosis (from start of the databases till date) and pooled hazard ratios (HR) …