Internal Medicine Commons^™

Social Support In An Internet Weight Loss Community, Kevin O Hwang, Allison J Ottenbacher, Angela P Green, M Roseann Cannon-Diehl, Oneka Richardson, Elmer V Bernstam, Eric J Thomas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To describe social support for weight loss shared by members of a large Internet weight loss community.

Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods study with surveys (n=193) and interviews (n=13) of community members along with a content analysis of discussion forum messages (n=1924 messages). Qualitative data were analyzed for social support themes.

Results: Survey respondents were primarily white (91.4%) and female (93.8%) with mean age 37.3 years and mean body mass index 30.9. They used forums frequently, with 56.8% reading messages, 36.1% replying to messages, and 18.5% posting messages to start a discussion related to weight loss on a daily …

Hla-Dpb1 And Dpb2 Are Genetic Loci For Systemic Sclerosis: A Genome-Wide Association Study In Koreans With Replication In North Americans, Xiaodong Zhou, Jong Eun Lee, Frank C Arnett, Momiao Xiong, Min Young Park, Yeon Kyeong Yoo, Eun Soon Shin, John D Reveille, Maureen D Mayes, Jin Hyun Kim, Ran Song, Ji Yong Choi, Ji Ah Park, Yun Jong Lee, Eun Young Lee, Yeong Wook Song, Eun Bong Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: To identify systemic sclerosis (SSc) susceptibility loci via a genome-wide association study.

METHODS: A genome-wide association study was performed in 137 patients with SSc and 564 controls from Korea using the Affymetrix Human SNP Array 5.0. After fine-mapping studies, the results were replicated in 1,107 SSc patients and 2,747 controls from a US Caucasian population.

RESULTS: The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs3128930, rs7763822, rs7764491, rs3117230, and rs3128965) of HLA-DPB1 and DPB2 on chromosome 6 formed a distinctive peak with log P values for association with SSc susceptibility (P=8.16x10(-13)). Subtyping analysis of HLA-DPB1 showed that DPB1*1301 (P=7.61x10(-8)) and DPB1*0901 (P=2.55x10(-5)) were …

Ethnic Differences In Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders After Intracerebral Hemorrhage, Darin B Zahuranec, Devin L Brown, Lynda D Lisabeth, Nicole R Gonzales, Paxton J Longwell, Melinda A Smith, Nelda M Garcia, Lewis B Morgenstern

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: To explore ethnic differences in do-not-resuscitate orders after intracerebral hemorrhage.

DESIGN: Population-based surveillance.

SETTING: Corpus Christi, Texas.

PATIENTS: All cases of intracerebral hemorrhage in the community of Corpus Christi, TX were ascertained as part of the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Medical records were reviewed for do-not-resuscitate orders. Unadjusted and multivariable logistic regression were used to test for associations between ethnicity and do-not-resuscitate orders, both overall ("any do-not-resuscitate") and within 24 hrs of presentation ("early do-not-resuscitate"), adjusted for age, gender, Glasgow Coma Scale, intracerebral hemorrhage volume, intraventricular hemorrhage, infratentorial hemorrhage, …

Comorbidities, Patient Knowledge, And Disease Management In A National Sample Of Patients With Copd, R Graham Barr, Bartolome R Celli, David M Mannino, Thomas Petty, Stephen I Rennard, Frank C Sciurba, James K Stoller, Byron M Thomashow, Gerard M Turino

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States but is often undertreated. COPD often overlaps with other conditions such as hypertension and osteoporosis, which are less morbid but may be treated more aggressively. We evaluated the prevalence of these comorbid conditions and compared testing, patient knowledge, and management in a national sample of patients with COPD.

METHODS: A survey was administered by telephone in 2006 to 1003 patients with COPD to evaluate the prevalence of comorbid conditions, diagnostic testing, knowledge, and management using standardized instruments. The completion rate was 87%.

RESULTS: …

Antibiotic Resistance In Staphylococcus Aureus-Containing Cutaneous Abscesses Of Patients With Hiv, Gus W Krucke, Deanna E Grimes, Richard M Grimes, Thai D Dang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to document the resistance patterns found in exudates from cutaneous abscesses of HIV-infected persons.

BASIC PROCEDURES: Patient records were reviewed on 93 culture and sensitivity tests performed on exudates taken from incised and drained abscesses of HIV-infected persons.

MAIN FINDINGS: Of the specimens, 84.6% were Staphylococcus aureus. Of these, 93.5% were penicillin resistant, 87% oxacillin resistant, 84.4% cephazolin resistant, 84.4% erythromycin resistant, 52.2% ciprofloxacin resistant, and 15.6% tetracycline resistant. Fifty-eight specimens were tested for clindamycin with 29.3% found resistant; 85.7% were methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) (defined as resistant to both penicillin G and …

3d Mprage Improves Classification Of Cortical Lesions In Multiple Sclerosis, F Nelson, A Poonawalla, P Hou, J S Wolinsky, P A Narayana

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Gray matter lesions are known to be common in multiple sclerosis (MS) and are suspected to play an important role in disease progression and clinical disability. A combination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, double-inversion recovery (DIR), and phase-sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR), has been used for detection and classification of cortical lesions. This study shows that high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition with gradient echo (MPRAGE) improves the classification of cortical lesions by allowing more accurate anatomic localization of lesion morphology.

METHODS: 11 patients with MS with previously identified cortical lesions were scanned using DIR, PSIR, and 3D MPRAGE. …

Characterization Of The Inflammatory Cells In Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms In Patients With Marfan Syndrome, Familial Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms, And Sporadic Aneurysms, Rumin He, Dong-Chuan Guo, Wei Sun, Christina L Papke, Senthil Duraisamy, Anthony L Estrera, Hazim J Safi, Chul Ahn, L Maximilian Buja, Frank C Arnett, Jingwu Zhang, Yong-Jian Geng, Dianna M Milewicz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to characterize the inflammatory infiltrate in ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm in patients with Marfan syndrome, familial thoracic aortic aneurysm, or nonfamilial thoracic aortic aneurysm.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic aortic aneurysms are associated with a pathologic lesion termed "medial degeneration," which is described as a noninflammatory lesion. Thoracic aortic aneurysms are a complication of Marfan syndrome and can be inherited in an autosomal dominant manner of familial thoracic aortic aneurysm.

METHODS: Full aortic segments were collected from patients undergoing elective repair with Marfan syndrome (n = 5), familial thoracic aortic aneurysm (n = 6), and thoracic aortic aneurysms (n …

Ambulatory Care Adverse Events And Preventable Adverse Events Leading To A Hospital Admission, Donna M Woods, Eric J Thomas, Jane L Holl, Kevin B Weiss, Troyen A Brennan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Most healthcare in the US is delivered in the ambulatory care setting, but the epidemiology of errors and adverse events in ambulatory care is understudied.

METHODS: Using the population-based data from the Colorado and Utah Medical Practices Study, we identified adverse events that occurred in an ambulatory care setting and led to hospital admission. Proportions with 95% CIs are reported.

RESULTS: We reviewed 14,700-hospital discharge records and found 587 adverse events of which 70 were ambulatory care adverse events (AAEs) and 31 were ambulatory care preventable adverse events (APAEs). When weighted to the general population, there were 2608 AAEs …

Excess Stroke In Mexican Americans Compared With Non-Hispanic Whites: The Brain Attack Surveillance In Corpus Christi Project, Lewis B Morgenstern, Melinda A Smith, Lynda D Lisabeth, Jan M H Risser, Ken Uchino, Nelda Garcia, Paxton J Longwell, David A Mcfarling, Olubumi Akuwumi, Areej Al-Wabil, Fahmi Al-Senani, Devin L Brown, Lemuel A Moyé

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mexican Americans are the largest subgroup of Hispanics, the largest minority population in the United States. Stroke is the leading cause of disability and third leading cause of death. The authors compared stroke incidence among Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites in a population-based study. Stroke cases were ascertained in Nueces County, Texas, utilizing concomitant active and passive surveillance. Cases were validated on the basis of source documentation by board-certified neurologists masked to subjects' ethnicity. From January 2000 to December 2002, 2,350 cerebrovascular events occurred. Of the completed strokes, 53% were in Mexican Americans. The crude cumulative incidence was 168/10,000 in …