Medical Specialties Commons^™

Experiences Of The Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy At A Public Hospital Peshawar Pakistan, Gulzar Habibullah, Raisa Raisa, Shanaz Hussein Cassum, Rehana Elahi

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Objective: This study aimed to explore the experiences of female breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) in a public hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Methods: This study employed a descriptive exploratory method. A purposive sample of 14 breast cancer women undergoing RT was selected for this study. Data were collected over the period of 5 months, using a semi-structured interview guide and conducting in-depth face-to-face interviews. These interviews were audio taped and transcribed by a bilingual transcriber. The translated version of the interview was coded, and the analysis was done manually.
Results: Four main categories emerged from data analysis, which were: …

Stress Of Infertility: Can The Couple Cope?, Faiza Alam, Taseer Ahmed Khan, Rehana Rehman

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Clinical Outcomes Of Endovascular Thrombectomy In Tissue Plasminogen Activator Versus Non-Tissue Plasminogen Activator Patients At Primary Stroke Care Centers., Gregory Imbarrato, Joshua Bentley, Ajeet Gordhan

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Background: The effect of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) administration before endovascular intervention as compared to without at thrombectomy-capable low-volume centers on procedural aspects and patient outcomes has not been investigated.

Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed in all consecutive large vessel cerebrovascular accident patients treated with endovascular therapy at two select rural primary stroke centers between 2011 and 2015. Patients' data regarding age, sex, and medical history, as well as thrombus location by catheter-based cerebral angiography, postprocedural reperfusion status, and clinical outcomes were reviewed. The primary outcome measure of the study was a comparison of modified Rankin scale …

Hospital-Based Physicians' Intubation Decisions And Associated Mental Models When Managing A Critically And Terminally Ill Older Patient., Shannon Haliko, Julie Downs, Deepika Mohan, Robert Arnold, Amber E Barnato

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

BACKGROUND: Variation in the intensity of acute care treatment at the end of life is influenced more strongly by hospital and provider characteristics than patient preferences.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to describe physicians' mental models (i.e., thought processes) when encountering a simulated critically and terminally ill older patient, and to compare those models based on whether their treatment plan was patient preference-concordant or preference-discordant.

METHODS: Seventy-three hospital-based physicians from 3 academic medical centers engaged in a simulated patient encounter and completed a mental model interview while watching the video recording of their encounter. We used an "expert" model to code the …

Response By Zghaib Et Al To Letter Regarding Article, "Standard Ablation Versus Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Ablation In The Treatment Of Ventricular Tachycardia"., Tarek Zghaib, Esra G Ipek, Rozann Hansford, Hiroshi Ashikaga, Ronald D Berger, Joseph E Marine, David D Spragg, Harikrishna Tandri, Stefan L Zimmerman, Henry Halperin, Scott Brancato, Hugh Calkins, Charles Henrikson, Saman Nazarian

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Blood Transfusion And Postoperative Infection In Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review., Christian Fisahn, Cameron Schmidt, Josh E Schroeder, Emiliano Vialle, Isador H Lieberman, Joseph R Dettori, Thomas A Schildhauer

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Study Design: Systematic review.

Objectives: Allogeneic blood transfusion-related immunomodulation may relatively suppress the immune system, heightening the risk of infection following spine surgery. This systematic review seeks to determine whether allogeneic blood transfusion increases the risk of postoperative infection and whether there are any factors that modify this association.

Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and reference lists from included studies were searched from inception to April 20, 2017 to identify studies examining the risk of infection following allogeneic blood transfusion in adult patients receiving surgery for degenerative spine disease.

Results: Eleven retrospective cohort or case-control studies, involving …

Radiation Dose Measurements In A 256-Slice Computed Tomography Scanner, Victor J. Weir, Jie Zhang

Radiology Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare computed tomography (CT) radiation dose measurement methods proposed by TG111, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and a direct dose profile integral (DPI) measurement method. Methods: Pencil and Farmer ion chambers are used for integrating dose profiles at different beam widths in a 60 cm long body phantom. Resulting DPI is used to calculate CT dose index (CTDI) at each beam width. Measurements are also done for a pencil chamber inserted into a 15 cm body phantom at the reference beam width. The reference measurement is scaled with pencil chamber measurements in air …

Upper And Lower Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Findings In Hiv-Infected Patients In The Era Of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy., Russell Parvin, Sindhura Kolli, Jamil Shah, Manan Jhaveri, Madhavi Reddy

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Background: Endoscopic evaluation with biopsies are instrumental in the diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders in the setting of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), especially in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

Methods: A retrospective chart review of 304 HIV-positive and 199 HIV-negative patients who had undergone upper and/or lower endoscopy in an urban community hospital from the years 2012 - 2017 was performed. Inclusion criteria included men and women between the ages of 45 to 75 years, which had undergone colonoscopies between within 2012 - 2017 and had tested positive for HIV. …

Implementation Of A Guideline-Based Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Management Algorithm, Claire Elson, Ellen Meier, Douglas Swanson, Christopher M. Oermann

Posters

Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease is a challenge to manage in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Diagnosis of NTM pulmonary disease is complex. Effective treatment requires long term, multi-drug therapy delivered by several routes. Consensus recommendations published in 2016 were developed to guide CF providers in NTM screening, diagnosis and management. Primary Outcomes. Children’s Mercy-Kansas City (CMKC) developed an NTM working group to facilitate implementation of standardized NTM management. Methods. NTM working group: Pulmonologist (CF Center Director), Infectious Diseases specialist, nurse practitioner (CF Center Coordinator), and pharmacist. Sought expertise from the Director of Microbiology Laboratory regarding susceptibility testing. Developed NTM Management …

Non O1, Non O139 Vibrio Cholerae Bacteraemia In An Infant; Case Report And Literature Review, Mirza Zain Baig, Umme Hani Abdullah, Yusra Shafquat, Khadija Nuzhat Humayun, Afia Zafar

Medical College Documents

Non 01, Non O139 Vibrio cholerae bacteraemia is a rare but potentially fatal occurrence. There have been very few incidents of this infection from around the world. The treatment regimen of antibiotics also varies in literature. We present a case of bacteraemia caused by Non O1, Non O139 Vibrio cholerae along with associated risk factors, disease manifestations, laboratory diagnosis and treatment regimen. This serves to add additional information regarding symptoms and signs of this infection along with management of patient. Knowledge regarding this topic shall be highly useful to professionals if further cases are detected. In the discussion section, a …

Accuracy Of Specimen Radiography In Assessing Complete Local Excision With Breast-Conservation Surgery, Saira Naz, Imrana Masroor, Shaista Afzal Saeed, W. Akhtar, Sehrish Butt, Zafar Sajjad, Anwar Ahmad

Department of Radiology

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of “X- ray examination of surgically resected specimen‘‘ in assessing complete local excision (CLE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective cross sectional study, data were collected for all female breast cancer cases who underwent breast-conserving surgery after needle localization of mammographically visible disease. Males, patients with mammographically invisible disease and cases with benign or inconclusive histopathology, those undergoing modified radical mastectomy and individuals with dense breast parenchyma were excluded. We evaluated radiography of resected specimens to assess margin spiculation, distance of mass/microcalcification from the excised margin, presence of a …

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Pelvic Mri For Determination Of The Cervical Involvement In Endometrial Cancer., Imrana Masroor, Sadia Rashid, Shaista Afzal Saeed, Saira Naz, Muhammad Azeemuddin

Department of Radiology

OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of pelvic MRI for assessment of the cervical involvement in endometrial cancer.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analytical study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Radiology Department of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi from January 2014 to December 2015.

METHODOLOGY: Patients with biopsy-proven endometrial cancer were included, who had both their MRI and histopathological diagnosis performed at our institution. Those patients treated with chemo/radiotherapy or had incomplete medical records, were excluded. The extent of cervical involvement by endometrial carcinoma was seen on T2WI images, and findings were correlated after surgery taking histopathology as the gold standard. …

Myocardial Perfusion Imaging: The Gatekeeper And Advisor, Maseeh Uz Zaman, Nosheen Fatima

Department of Radiology

No abstract provided.

Torsion Of Ovarian Dysgerminoma In A Child: Role Of Computed Tomography., Kumail Khandwala, Jehanzeb Shahid, Naila Nadeem, Muhammad Usman Tariq

Department of Radiology

Dysgerminomas are malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary that most commonly occur in the adolescent population. Ovarian dysgerminomapresenting with complications like torsion is a rare entity in the pediatric age group. Cross-sectional imaging plays a crucial role in diagnosis, tumor staging before surgical resection, and for planning adjuvant chemotherapy. We report a case of a nine-year-old female who presented to the emergency room (ER) with abdominal distention and abdominal pain. Computed tomography scan revealed a large right-sided pelvic mass with areas of low attenuation, speckled calcification, peritumoral free fluid, and a twisted vascular pedicle that was likely originating from …

Analyzing The Differentiation Among State Medical Marijuana Policies By Examining State Policies & Trends, Richard Furlong

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Support for marijuana has been growing nationwide. This increased support has gained a lot of momentum since the late 1990s when California became the first state to legalize marijuana for medical use by enacting Proposition 215, or the Compassionate Use Act. Since the enactment of Proposition 215, 28 more states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medicinal use. I look into why states have begun to adopt these laws, and what makes these states differ throughout the country in the timeliness of their actions. I assembled data to examine a variety of state policies to attempt to …

Palliative Surgical Gastrostomy Under Ultrasound‑Guided Bilateral Rectus Sheath Blocks In A Head And Neck Cancer Patient, Saima Rashid, Faisal Shamim,, Maha Khan, Robyna Khan

Department of Anaesthesia

No abstract provided.

A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Of Stem Cell Therapy For Chronic Angina, Rahman Shah, Samuel B. Latham, Sajjad A. Khan, Muhammad Shahreyar, Inyong Hwang, Ion S. Jovin

Section of Internal Medicine

Background: A substantial proportion of patients with coronary artery disease do not achieve complete revascularization and continue to experience refractory angina despite optimal medical therapy. Recently, stem cell therapy has emerged as a potential therapeutic option for these patients. However, findings of individual trials have been scrutinized because of their small sample sizes and lack of statistical power. Therefore, we conducted an updated comprehensive meta-analysis of available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with the largest sample size ever reported on this subject.
Hypothesis: In patients with chronic angina stem cell therapy improves clinical outcomes.
Methods: Scientific databases and websites were searched …

Resolution Of Symptomatic Secondary Empty Sella Syndrome Following Lumbar-Peritoneal Shunt., Waseem Mehmood Nizamani, Mubbashira Siddiqui, Sehrish Nizar Ali Momin, Waqas Muhammad, Rashid Jooma

Department of Radiology

Background: Post‑surgical empty sella is related to the removal of pituitary tumors either from the transcranial or transphenoidal route, rendering diaphragma sellae incompetent at the end of the procedure. This subsequently leads to herniation of the third ventricle and optic apparatus into the empty sella. Studies have shown that in 50% of the cases, individuals with primary and secondary empty sella syndrome have developed defects in the visual fields. Benign increased intracranial pressure, cerebrospinal rhinorrhea, papilledema, and abnormalities affecting visual acuity may also occur as a result of empty sella.

Case Description: This case report discusses a rare treatment …

Language Profiles Of Children Who Have Experienced Complex Trauma And Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Christel G. Ciolino

Masters Theses

Children who experience maltreatment and children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) have similar neurological differences and are at risk for language impairments. However, limited research has been conducted to analyze their specific skill sets. To address this limitation, retrospective data from the Children’s Trauma Assessment Center of Southwest Michigan were analyzed. The linguistic profiles of 79 children with histories of varying numbers of traumatic experiences and comorbid FASD statues are compared in the areas of semantics, syntax, pragmatics, and social communication. Individuals had high pass rates on the CELF-5 Screening Test and high overall scores on the Pragmatic Protocol-Revised …

Jack Peirs, Third Ypres, And Control, Jonathan Tracey

Student Publications

During the First World War, British officers, primarily upper class, struggled to adapt to trauma within the boundaries of social expectations. Viewing the combat experience and letters of Jack Peirs during the battle of Passchendaele offers insight into how officers experienced the war, explained it to their families, and coped with trauma.

Ring And Peg Simulation For Minimally Invasive Surgical Robot, Evan Brown

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Surgical procedures utilizing minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques have shown less complications, better cosmetic results, and less time in the hospital than conventional surgery. These advantages are partially offset by inherent difficulties of the procedures which include an inverted control scheme, instrument clashing, and loss of triangulation. Surgical robots have been designed to overcome the limitations, the Da Vinci being the most widely used. A dexterous in vivo, two-armed robot, designed to enter an insufflated abdomen with a limited insertion profile and expand to perform a variety of operations, has been created as a less expensive, versatile alternative to the Da …

Menopausal-Related Symptoms In Women One Year After Breast Cancer Surgery., Melissa Mazor, Kathryn Lee, Anand Dhruva, Janine K Cataldo, Steven M Paul, Michelle Melisko, Betty J Smoot, Jon D Levine, Charles Elboim, Yvette P Conley, Christine Miaskowksi

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

CONTEXT: Approximately 60% to 100% of women with breast cancer experience at least one menopausal-related symptom. Little is known about associations between menopausal status and symptoms in women 12 months after breast cancer surgery.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate for differences in occurrence, severity, and distress of symptoms between pre- and postmenopausal women 12 months after breast cancer surgery.

METHODS: Women with breast cancer (n = 327) completed the Menopausal Symptoms Scale, which evaluated the occurrence, severity, and distress of 46 common menopausal-related symptoms. Regression analyses were used to evaluate between-group differences in the seven symptoms …

Oncolog, Volume 63, Number 04, April 2018, Joe Munch, Bryan Tutt, Sarah Bronson

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

• Hunger Training Helps Manage Weight, May Reduce Cancer Risk: Clinical Trial tests weight loss strategy to reduce cancer risk in obese participants
• Re-Irradiation for Recurrent Head and Neck cancer: Stereotactic techniques enable re-irradiation of unresectable tumors
• Dermoscopy for Early Detection of Melanoma. Other Skin Cancers: MD Anderson physicians train clinicians in underserved areas to use dermoscopy, which can help avoid unnecessary biopsy
• HOUSE CALL: Alcohol-Related cancers-Drinking alcohol increases risk of several types of cancer

It’S Not About You—It’S About Me, Robert F. Johnson

Peer Reviewed Articles

Hold Me, a film written and directed by Teace Snyder (2016) was distributed by email to palliative care clinicians and educators. The viewpoint presented here is not a review of this movie as a drama for entertainment. Rather it reviews the film to address the suggestion by its producers that it could serve as an adjunct to palliative care professional education.

Cancer Screening Practices Among Sexual Orientation Groups, Scott Kilgore, Dnp, Msn, Bs, Rn

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Increasing cancer screening testing is a national health initiative to decrease the mortality rates of all Americans; however, cancer screening practices among sexual minorities have been understudied.

Objectives: To assess and compare breast, cervical, prostate, and colorectal cancer screening practices among straight, lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.

Methods: A descriptive-correlational study was conducted using data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Respondents who answered questions about their cancer screening practices and sexual orientation were included.

Results: This study identified disparities in breast cancer screening practices with bisexual women (81.9%) meeting …

Effects Of A Phase Ii Cardiac Rehabilitation Program On Patient Depression, Michael R. Legal, Dnp, Msn-Ed, Rn, Ccrn-K

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Screening for depression upon intake and completion of a Phase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program may influence the type of interventions implemented by CR staff and reduce depression.

Objectives: We examined patients before and after a Phase II CR program who self-reported as depressed using the CES-D score and also assessed scores by procedure, gender and age. We further identified the types of interventions used for those who were depressed.

Methods: We conducted a pre-post intervention study. Using a convenience sample, data were collected on CES-D scores before and after the program and by type of procedure, gender, and …

Educating Oncology Nurse Practitioners To Provide Basic Palliative Care, Lynn Adams, Dnp, Ms, Anp-Bc, Aocn

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Approximately 1.66 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer each year and another 589,430 die from the disease. As treatment options have expanded, many cancer patients are living longer with worsening symptoms and disabilities and an increased illness burden. These patients are ideal candidates for palliative care. Palliative care involves care delivered by a team of clinicians with specialty training and a focus on improving the quality of life for patients with serious illnesses. A number of major organizations have made formal recommendations regarding the integration of palliative care into comprehensive cancer care including the American Society of Clinical Oncology …

Referral Patterns From Long-Term Care Services To Palliative Care: Perceptions Of Directors Of Nursing, Karen S. Sharrah, Dnp, Msn, Aprn, Fnp-C

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Palliative care referrals are important in long-term care facilities because they are the first step in generating the services that the patient may need. This study looked at the phenomena of how Directors of Nursing in long-term care facilities that had access to palliative care services determined if a referral was needed.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the decision- making process used by Directors of Nursing for referrals. The study’s aims were to determine what factors prompt a referral in long-term care settings. The primary research question was: How …

The Write Stuff - Spring 2018 (Vol. 15, No. 2), Research Medical Library

Write Stuff 2018

• What is a PMCID and how do I get one?
• Updates to ClinicalTrials.gov
• EndNote Manuscript Matcher helps authors identify journals
• NIH grant applications: Where should the preliminary data go?
• Unusual terms used in scientific writing and publishing: h-index

Identification Of Risk Factors Associated With Falls In The Long Term Care Setting, Jacqueline L. Patel, Dnp, Ms, Anp-Bc

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Falls threaten the safety of older adults in long term care (LTC).

Objectives: To assess environmental, clinical and pharmacological causes of falls as well as compare Fall Risk Assessment Score, Brief Interview of Mental Status (BIMS) score, Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scores, age and gender of residents with one fall, recurrent falls, and no falls.

Methods: Using a descriptive-comparative design, we included a convenience sample of 290 adults ≥50 years old at our LTC facility. Fall and recurrent fall groups were matched to those with no falls. We assessed environmental, clinical and pharmacological variables, Fall Risk Assessment Scores, …