Medical Specialties Commons^™

Factors Affecting Inpatient Mortality In Elderly People With Acute Kidney Injury, Muhammad Abdul Mabood Khalil, Safia Awan, Rabeea Azmat, Muhammad Ullah Khalil, Nazish Naseer, Jackson Tan

Section of Nephrology

Background: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is common in elderly people (EP). There is paucity of data on predictor of mortality in EP with AKI.
Objective: This study was done to know more about factors associated with inpatient mortality in EP with AKI.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients aged 65 years or above hospitalized with a diagnosis of AKI at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, between January 2005 and December 2010. Binary logistic regression models were constructed to identify factors associated with mortality in EP with AKI.
Results: 431 patients had AKI, with 341 (79.1%) having stage I …

Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis: A 17 Year Experience From A Tertiary Care Hospital In Pakistan, Omar Irfan, Haris Khan, Zarrar Khan, Alina Ashraf, Rimsha Ahmed, Javaid Khan, Ali Bin Sarwar Zubairi

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

Objective: Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA) is an autoimmune, multi-system, small and medium vessel vasculitis with granulomatous inflammation. Aim of this study was to assess the clinical and radiological presentations of patients with GPA amongst the Pakistani population. It is a single centre retrospective single observation study.

Results: Study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi with records were reviewed from January 2000 to December 2017. Definitive diagnosis was made using a combination of serological anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) testing along with the clinical and radiological presentation. A total of 51 patients met the diagnostic criteria in the time …

A Preexisting Rare Pik3ca E545k Subpopulation Confers Clinical Resistance To Mek Plus Cdk4/6 Inhibition In Nras Melanoma And Is Dependent On S6k1 Signaling, Gabriele Romano, Pei-Ling Chen, Ping Song, Jennifer L. Mcquade, Roger J. Liang, Mingguang Liu, Whijae Roh, Dzifa Y. Duose, Fernando C.L. Carapeto, Jun Li, Jessica L.F. Teh, Andrew A. Aplin, Merry Chen, Jianhua Zhang, Alexander J. Lazar, Michael A. Davies, P. Andrew Futreal, Rodabe N. Amaria, David Y. Zhang, Jennifer A. Wargo, Lawrence N. Kwong

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Combined MEK and CDK4/6 inhibition (MEKi + CDK4i) has shown promising clinical outcomes in patients with NRAS- mutant melanoma. Here, we interrogated longitudinal biopsies from a patient who initially responded to MEKi + CDK4i therapy but subsequently developed resistance. Whole-exome sequencing and functional validation identified an acquired PIK3CA ^E545K mutation as conferring drug resistance. We demonstrate that PIK3CA ^E545K preexisted in a rare subpopulation that was missed by both clinical and research testing, but was revealed upon multiregion sampling due to PIK3CA ^E545K being nonuniformly distributed. This resistant population rapidly expanded after the initiation of MEKi + CDK4i therapy and …

Gastric Hibernoma: A Novel Location And Presentation Of A Rare Tumor., Shane P Smith, Andrew F Feczko, Matias Mihura, Jey-Hsin Chen, Alexander S Farivar

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

We present a case of gastric hibernoma, an unusual tumor with a location novel to the literature. A 39-year-old female presented with one year of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and dysphagia. Gastroenterology performed an esophagogastroduodenoscopy with ultrasound and identified a 6 cm mass within the muscularis propria of the antrum. Computed tomography demonstrated a 9.7 × 7.8 × 4.8 cm

Extracellular Vesicle Rnas Reflect Placenta Dysfunction And Are A Biomarker Source For Preterm Labour., Shannon Fallen, David Baxter, Xiaogang Wu, Taek-Kyun Kim, Oksana Shynlova, Min Young Lee, Kelsey Scherler, Stephen Lye, Leroy Hood, Kai Wang

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Preterm birth (PTB) can lead to lifelong complications and challenges. Identifying and monitoring molecular signals in easily accessible biological samples that can diagnose or predict the risk of preterm labour (PTL) in pregnant women will reduce or prevent PTBs. A number of studies identified putative biomarkers for PTL including protein, miRNA and hormones from various body fluids. However, biomarkers identified from these studies usually lack consistency and reproducibility. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) in circulation have gained significant interest in recent years as these vesicles may be involved in cell-cell communication. We have used an improved small RNA library construction protocol and …

Simpson Grading As Predictor Of Meningioma Recurrence, Ayesha Quddusi, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim

Section of Neurosurgery

Meningimas are one of the commonest primary brain tumours and the commonest extra-axial primary brain tumour. Despite better understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of the tumours, surgical excision remains the treatment of choice, and in a large proportion of cases, complete excision is curative. Simpson grading for the extent of resection of meningiomas, was introduced more than six decades ago, and has stood the test of time. With modern technological advancements, however, the relevance of Simpson grading has been questioned. Herein we review the recent literature on the relevance of Simpson grading more than sixty years after its introduction.

Role Of Leptin And Dyslipidemia In Chronic Kidney Disease, Sabeela Noor, Faiza Alam, Syeda Sadia Fatima, Mahnur Khan, Rehana Rehman

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are at an increased risk of cardiovascular complications and plasma leptin level is elevated in cardio renal syndrome. We wanted to explore leptin levels in patients with different stages of CKD and find its association with risk of cardiovascular disease. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Nephrology Department of Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) from January 2014 to September 2014. Group I comprised of controls (GFR=116±8.3, n = 44) acquired from general population, CKD patients were grouped as II, III and IV respectively with GFR; 85.77±9.9 (n = 42), 53.84±9.9 (n=42) and 20.22±8.4 (n …

Alt-803, An Il-15 Superagonist, In Combination With Nivolumab In Patients With Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Non-Randomised, Open-Label, Phase 1b Trial., John M Wrangle, Vamsidhar Velcheti, Manish R Patel, Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer, Elizabeth G Hill, James G Ravenel, Jeffrey S Miller, Mohammad Farhad, Kate Anderton, Kathryn Lindsey, Michele Taffaro-Neskey, Carol Sherman, Samantha Suriano, Marzena Swiderska-Syn, Amy Sion, Joni Harris, Andie R Edwards, Julie A Rytlewski, Catherine M Sanders, Erik C Yusko, Mark D Robinson, Carsten Krieg, William L Redmond, Jack O Egan, Peter R Rhode, Emily K Jeng, Amy D Rock, Hing C Wong, Mark P Rubinstein

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

BACKGROUND: Immunotherapy with PD-1 or PD-L1 blockade fails to induce a response in about 80% of patients with unselected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and many of those who do initially respond then develop resistance to treatment. Agonists that target the shared interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-15Rβγ pathway have induced complete and durable responses in some cancers, but no studies have been done to assess the safety or efficacy of these agonists in combination with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. We aimed to define the safety, tolerability, and activity of this drug combination in patients with NSCLC.

METHODS: In this non-randomised, open-label, phase 1b …

Population-Specific Genetic Modification Of Huntington's Disease In Venezuela., Michael J Chao, Kyung-Hee Kim, Jun Wan Shin, Diane Lucente, Vanessa C Wheeler, Hong Li, Jared C Roach, Leroy Hood, Nancy S Wexler, Laura B Jardim, Peter Holmans, Lesley Jones, Michael Orth, Seung Kwak, Marcy E Macdonald, James F Gusella, Jong-Min Lee

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Modifiers of Mendelian disorders can provide insights into disease mechanisms and guide therapeutic strategies. A recent genome-wide association (GWA) study discovered genetic modifiers of Huntington's disease (HD) onset in Europeans. Here, we performed whole genome sequencing and GWA analysis of a Venezuelan HD cluster whose families were crucial for the original mapping of the HD gene defect. The Venezuelan HD subjects develop motor symptoms earlier than their European counterparts, implying the potential for population-specific modifiers. The main Venezuelan HD family inherits HTT haplotype hap.03, which differs subtly at the sequence level from European HD hap.03, suggesting a different ancestral origin …

A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial Of Cenicriviroc For Treatment Of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis With Fibrosis., Scott L Friedman, Vlad Ratziu, Stephen A Harrison, Manal F Abdelmalek, Guruprasad P Aithal, Juan Caballeria, Sven Francque, Geoffrey Farrell, Kris V Kowdley, Antonio Craxi, Krzysztof Simon, Laurent Fischer, Liza Melchor-Khan, Jeffrey Vest, Brian L Wiens, Pamela Vig, Star Seyedkazemi, Zachary Goodman, Vincent Wai-Sun Wong, Rohit Loomba, Frank Tacke, Arun Sanyal, Eric Lefebvre

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The aim of this study was to evaluate cenicriviroc (CVC), a dual antagonist of CC chemokine receptor types 2 and 5, for treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with liver fibrosis (LF). A randomized, double-blind, multinational phase 2b study enrolled subjects with NASH, a nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score (NAS) ≥4, and LF (stages 1-3, NASH Clinical Research Network) at 81 clinical sites. Subjects (N = 289) were randomly assigned CVC 150 mg or placebo. Primary outcome was ≥2-point improvement in NAS and no worsening of fibrosis at year 1. Key secondary outcomes were: resolution of steatohepatitis (SH) and no …

Performance Of The Promis In Patients After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Elizabeth J. Scott, Robert Westermann, Nathalie A. Glass, Carolyn Hettrich, Brian R. Wolf, Matthew J. Bollier

Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) is designed to advance patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments by utilizing question banks for major health domains.

Purpose: To compare the responsiveness and construct validity of the PROMIS physical function computer adaptive test (PF CAT) with current PRO instruments for patients before and up to 2 years after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods: Initially, 157 patients completed the PROMIS PF CAT, Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36 physical function [PF] and general health [GH]), Marx Activity Rating Scale (MARS), Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome …

Guided Mentorship: Enhancing Pediatric Resident’S Skills In Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Alyssa Stoner, Kadriye O. Lewis, Jennifer Flint, Shekinah Hensley, Brian Lee, Jenna Miller

Posters

Literature supports multiple aspects ofsimulation-based training1-5to impart technical skills and behavioral skills

Effects of different pedagogies have not been investigated in simulation

Pediatric residents have minimal exposure to pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) due to restrictions in work hours and increasing quality and safety initiatives6

Code LITE(Low-tech, Internal, Training Experience) is a simulation environment for our residents utilizing a guided mentorship approach, known as cognitive apprenticeship

Residents completed pre and post rotation surveys and participating residents were observed during their simulation experience Just-in-time, in-situ simulation program

10 minute specific scenario with 10 minute debriefing session

Interprofessionalteam: nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, attending …

Quantification Of Tumor-Associated Macrophages Following Immunomodulation Therapy In A Murine Allograft Model Of Colorectal Carcinoma, Caroline Spainhour

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Colorectal Carcinoma (CRC) is one of the deadliest cancers in the world, with 150,000 new cases annually in the United States. Traditional treatments include chemotherapy and invasive surgery; however, research has shown that only 25% of patients that undergo traditional treatment have a positive result. Immunotherapy is an emerging form of cancer treatment that utilizes the patients’immune system to fight cancer cells by targeting inflammation, which plays a large role in the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are immune cells that affect the inflammatory microenvironment of tumors. TAMs are M1 in the early stages of tumors, …

A Randomized Trial Of Obeticholic Acid Monotherapy In Patients With Primary Biliary Cholangitis., Kris V Kowdley, Velimir Luketic, Roger Chapman, Gideon M Hirschfield, Raoul Poupon, Christoph Schramm, Catherine Vincent, Christian Rust, Albert Parés, Andrew Mason, Hanns-Ulrich Marschall, David Shapiro, Luciano Adorini, Cathi Sciacca, Tessa Beecher-Jones, Olaf Böhm, Richard Pencek, David Jones

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Obeticholic acid (OCA), a potent farnesoid X receptor agonist, was studied as monotherapy in an international, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 study in patients with primary biliary cholangitis who were then followed for up to 6 years. The goals of the study were to assess the benefit of OCA in the absence of ursodeoxycholic acid, which is relevant for patients who are intolerant of ursodeoxycholic acid and at higher risk of disease progression. Patients were randomized and dosed with placebo (n = 23), OCA 10 mg (n = 20), or OCA 50 mg (n = 16) given as monotherapy once …

Recognizing Our Experts:, Karsten Wiechert, Jens R Chapman, Jeffrey C Wang

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Jejunal Intussusception: A Rare Manifestation Of A Primary Thyroid Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, Abu Baker Sheikh, Usman Tariq, Marvi M. Bukhari, Sana Shah, Rao M. Afzal, Abdul Ahad E. Shaikh, Nimra Nadeem

Medical College Documents

Primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) is an uncommon malignancy of the thyroid gland, with most lymphomas of the thyroid being almost exclusively of the non-Hodgkin's B cell variety. PTL requires a prompt diagnosis because of its ability to cause progressive compression symptoms, and its unusual presentation can make the diagnosis very challenging. Herein, we present a case of PTL in a young woman with an uncommon initial presentation and discuss the complications she faced during the surgery, as well as postoperatively, due to the compression of the trachea by the thyroid mass.

Implementing Daily Management System Huddle Boards To Improve Communication Across Satellite Laboratories, Sean Tucker

Posters

Background

In a laboratory setting with fast-paced changes and heavy demands on staff, day-to-day communication across departments is challenging, yet paramount to resource sharing and real-time problem solving. Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas City (CMH) has implemented system-wide lean practices focused on clinical and operational excellence. Our laboratory mission, or True North, is to produce clinically relevant laboratory results and information to assist in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of patients in a timely manner, by: �� Reducing Errors – Pre-analytical, Analytical & Post-analytical �� Making encounters with the laboratory extraordinary �� Reducing turnaround times �� Maximizing employee engagement and productivity …

Age-Related Changes In Visual Processing Speed: A Pilot Study Using The Motor Free Visual Perception Test- 4, Amber Zadravecz, Kassidy Ha, Lauren Gollnick, Stephanie Pawek, Zoe Studer

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Older adults are at a significantly increased risk of being involved in motor vehicle accidents. Evidence reveals that visual processing speed decreases with age, which may impact driving. The Motor-Free Visual Perception Test- Third Edition (MVPT-3) is used as a pre-driving assessment and has an age-normed Response Time Index that measures visual processing speed. In 2015, a new version, the new Motor-Free Visual Perception Test- Fourth Edition (MVPT-4), was published. The new MVPT-4 does not yet demonstrate its utility in measuring visual processing speed. The purpose of this study was to explore if differences in visual processing speed between younger …

Different Methodologies To Characterize And Diagnose Sickle Cell Disease In Both Developed And Developing Nations, Mohammed Alharbi

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder that causes the RBC to become sickle shaped due to a mutation in the β-globin gene encoding the protein hemoglobin. This disease causes reduced oxygen carrying capacity of RBC resulting in painful crisis, hemolytic anemia, and infection susceptibility. SCD affects around 100,000 individuals in USA alone and 14 million people globally. SCD affected individuals have high mortality rates. Early detection and constant monitoring of this disease is essential. The following review focuses on various methodologies that have emerged in the diagnosis of SCD. Also, low cost methods that can be easily …

Percutaneous Non-Stenting Approach For Distal Simultaneous Multivessel Acute Coronary Occlusions, Nasir Rahman, Bilal Hussain

Section of Cardiology

The occurrence of distal coronary lesions causing simultaneous occlusion of two coronary arteries in the setting of ST elevation myocardial infarction is a rare occurrence. This can occur due to simultaneous plaque rupture at more than one site or embolisation in coronary arteries. We describe a case of a middle-aged man who presented with acute inferoposterior lateral wall ST elevation myocardial infarction with simultaneous occlusion of distal left anterior descending artery and distal left circumflex artery on angiogram. The patient was treated with intracoronary streptokinase, followed by glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitor and Factor X inhibitor (Rivaroxaban) with full resolution of …

Quantifying Microvascular Changes Using Oct Angiography In Diabetic Eyes Without Clinical Evidence Of Retinopathy, Yasin Alibhai, Eric M. Moult, Rida Shahzad, Carl B. Rebhun, Carlos Moreira-Neto, Mitchell Mcgowan, Diane Lee, Byungkun Lee, James G. Fujimoto, Nadia K. Waheed

Section of Ophthalmology

Objective: To compare quantitative OCT angiography (OCTA) parameters of macular ischemia in diabetic eyes without retinopathy with those in healthy nondiabetic controls.
Design: Cross-sectional study from August 2014 through June 2017.
Subjects: Thirty-nine eyes of 39 diabetic patients without clinical evidence of diabetic retinopathy and 40 eyes of 40 healthy nondiabetic subjects.
Methods: Subjects underwent OCTA imaging using prototype AngioVue software (RTVue XR Avanti). Analyses of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) and vasculature surrounding the FAZ were performed on the automatically generated en face OCTA images of the superficial and deep retinal vasculatures using vessel-based and FAZ-based metrics.
Main Outcome …

Expectant Fathers’ Participation In Antenatal Care Services In Papua New Guinea: A Qualitative Inquiry, Jessica Davis, Cathy Vaughan, Justine Nankinga, Lisa Davidson, Hellen Kigodi, Eileen Alalo, Liz Comrie-Thomson, Stanley Luchters

Population Health, East Africa

Background: The importance of engaging men in maternal and child health programs is well recognised internationally. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), men’s involvement in maternal and child health services remains limited and barriers and enablers to involving fathers in antenatal care have not been well studied. The purpose of this paper is to explore attitudes to expectant fathers participating in antenatal care, and to identify barriers and enablers to men‘s participation in antenatal care with their pregnant partner in PNG.

Methods: Twenty-eight focus group discussions were conducted with purposively selected pregnant women, expectant fathers, older men and older women across …

Digitizing Omics Profiles By Divergence From A Baseline., Wikum Dinalankara, Qian Ke, Yiran Xu, Lanlan Ji, Nicole Pagane, Anching Lien, Tejasvi Matam, Elana J Fertig, Nathan D Price, Laurent Younes, Luigi Marchionni, Donald Geman

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Data collected from omics technologies have revealed pervasive heterogeneity and stochasticity of molecular states within and between phenotypes. A prominent example of such heterogeneity occurs between genome-wide mRNA, microRNA, and methylation profiles from one individual tumor to another, even within a cancer subtype. However, current methods in bioinformatics, such as detecting differentially expressed genes or CpG sites, are population-based and therefore do not effectively model intersample diversity. Here we introduce a unified theory to quantify sample-level heterogeneity that is applicable to a single omics profile. Specifically, we simplify an omics profile to a digital representation based on the omics profiles …

The Influence Of Parental Control And Parent-Child Relational Qualities On Adolescent Internet Addiction: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study In Hong Kong, Daniel T. L. Shek, Xiaoqin Zhu, Cecilia M. S. Ma

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

This study investigated how parental behavioral control, parental psychological control, and parent-child relational qualities predicted the initial level and rate of change in adolescent internet addiction (IA) across the junior high school years. The study also investigated the concurrent and longitudinal effects of different parenting factors on adolescent IA. Starting from the 2009/2010 academic year, 3,328 Grade 7 students (M_age = 12.59 ± 0.74 years) from 28 randomly selected secondary schools in Hong Kong responded on a yearly basis to a questionnaire measuring multiple constructs including socio-demographic characteristics, perceived parenting characteristics, and IA. Individual growth curve (IGC) analyses …

Obesity: Modern Medicine Vs. Lifestyle, Jenny Christianson

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Obesity is a rising epidemic, and is one of the most common, costly and preventable health problems the world is experiencing today (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, [CDC], 2017). From this, it is important to establish an effective treatment plan that can be implemented across the nation for maximum patient benefit. Lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise are important to any health care plan and are equally necessary to reduce health risks. However, in certain patients, lifestyle changes are not enough due to the maladaptive biologic process in their brain. From this, additional treatment options need to be …

Potent Immune Modulation By Medi6383, An Engineered Human Ox40 Ligand Igg4p Fc Fusion Protein., Michael D Oberst, Catherine Augé, Chad Morris, Stacy Kentner, Kathy Mulgrew, Kelly Mcglinchey, James Hair, Shino Hanabuchi, Qun Du, Melissa Damschroder, Hui Feng, Steven Eck, Nicholas Buss, Lolke De Haan, Andrew J Pierce, Haesun Park, Andrew Sylwester, Michael K Axthelm, Louis Picker, Nicholas P Morris, Andrew D Weinberg, Scott A Hammond

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Ligation of OX40 (CD134, TNFRSF4) on activated T cells by its natural ligand (OX40L, CD252, TNFSF4) enhances cellular survival, proliferation, and effector functions such as cytokine release and cellular cytotoxicity. We engineered a recombinant human OX40L IgG4P Fc fusion protein termed MEDI6383 that assembles into a hexameric structure and exerts potent agonist activity following engagement of OX40. MEDI6383 displayed solution-phase agonist activity that was enhanced when the fusion protein was clustered by Fc gamma receptors (FcγRs) on the surface of adjacent cells. The resulting costimulation of OX40 on T cells induced NFκB promoter activity in OX40-expressing T cells and induced …

Oncolog, Volume 63, Number 05-06, May - June 2018, Joe Munch, Sunita Patterson, Bryan Tutt

OncoLog MD Anderson's Report to Physicians (All issues) Archives

• Breast Cancer Treatment without Surgery: New approach may let certain breast cancer patients who respond to systemic therapy forgo surgery
• INBRIEF: Targeted Drug BLU-667 Shows Promise against Solid Tumors with RET Alterations
• Diet May Improve Gut Microbiome in Colorectal Cancer Survivors: Trial tests whether adding beans to diet affects markers of cancer risk, metabolic health
• TRK Inhibition Shows Activity in Solid Tumors: Early results of clinical trials for adult, pediatric patients with NTRK gene fusions show promise
• HOUSE CALL: Preparing for Natural Disasters-People with cancer or other chronic illnesses should take extra precautions

Transplantation Of Thioredoxin-1 Exosomes In A Murine Model Of Hind-Limb Ischemia: A Novel Therapeutic Approach, Shubham Kanake

Honors Scholar Theses

Peripheral artery disease is one of the most prevalent cardiovascular diseases in the United States and worldwide. It is estimated that over 8 million people in the United States are affected with peripheral artery disease, and up to 40% of people over 80 years old may have some degree of the disease. Peripheral artery disease can increase one’s chances for having other cardiovascular co-morbidities such as coronary artery disease, among others. Current interventional strategies are endovascular treatments such as transluminal angioplasty and stenting, or in more advanced cases peripheral artery bypass grafting. Medical interventions focus on managing symptoms and treating …

Corticosteroid Administration To Prevent Complications Of Anterior Cervical Spine Fusion: A Systematic Review., Shayan Abdollah Zadegan, Seyed Behnam Jazayeri, Aidin Abedi, Hirbod Nasiri Bonaki, Alexander R. Vaccaro, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar

Rothman Institute Papers

Study Design: Systematic review.

Objectives: Anterior cervical approach is associated with complications such as dysphagia and airway compromise. In this study, we aimed to systematically review the literature on the efficacy and safety of corticosteroid administration as a preventive measure of such complications in anterior cervical spine surgery with fusion.

Methods: Following a systematic literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases in July 2016, all comparative human studies that evaluated the effect of steroids for prevention of complications in anterior cervical spine surgery with fusion were included, irrespective of number of levels and language. Risk of bias was assessed …

The Prevention And Management Of Hospital Acquired Infections, Sofia Rahmanzai

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Hospital acquired infections, or HAIs, appear in patients during treatment and are unrelated to the original illness. These infections occur at least 48 hours after hospital admission or 30 days after discharge. With over 700,000 individuals directly affected by HAIs, more attention needs to go into prevention and surveillance. It has been reported that some health care facilities have reduced HAIs by up to 70%. However, this will take a conscious effort from all healthcare facilities, care teams, physicians and nurses. Some possible solutions include infection prevention, increasing surveillance, and improving staff education and accountability. Despite these efforts, no institution …