Anatomy of Risk: Decoding the Predictors of Vascular Access Complications in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background: Despite advancements in valve implantation devices, vascular access complications (VAC) remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality for those undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). We describe pre-operative imaging analysis of the aortoiliac and femoral arterial beds using the TransAtlantic intersociety consensus (TASC) score, ilio-femoral tortuosity, and procedural characteristics to identify anatomic risk factors predictive of VAC in TAVR.

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing TAVR from 2012 to 2022 at a single North Dakota hospital were retrospectively reviewed.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With Geographic and Socioeconomic Vulnerabilities.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an established treatment for patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). It remains unclear whether disparities exist in rural or socially vulnerable populations undergoing TAVR. This study assessed whether outcomes differ based on geographic location or vulnerability of patients undergoing TAVR.

Association between body mass index and physical activity among prostate cancer survivors.

Purpose: We assessed the associations between (1) body mass index (BMI) and participating in any physical activities (PAs) in past 30 days and (2) cancer and behavioral-related variables and participating in any PAs in past 30 days among prostate cancer (PCa) survivors.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from the 2018-2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Multivariable weighted logistic regression was used to examine the associations.

The Impact of Medicaid Expansion Under the Affordable Care Act on the Gap Between American Indians and Whites in Breast Cancer Management and Prognosis.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) death rates in the USA have not significantly declined for American Indians (AIs) in comparison to Whites. Our objective was to determine whether Medicaid Expansion as part of the Affordable Care Act led to improved BC outcomes for AIs relative to Whites.

Patients And Methods: Using the National Cancer Database, we conducted a retrospective cohort study.

Differences in Breast Cancers Among American Indian/Alaska Native and non-Hispanic Whites in the USA.

Importance: Breast cancer (BC) death rates have not improved for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women, whereas, it has significantly decreased for non-Hispanic White (White) women.

Objective: Delineate the differences in patient and tumor characteristics among AI/AN and Whites with BC, and its impact on age and stage at diagnosis as well as overall survival (OS).

Methods: Hospital-based, cohort study using the National Cancer Database to identify female AI/AN and Whites diagnosed with BC between the years 2004 and 2016.

Association Between Race and Usage of Pain Medications in Children With Long Bone Fractures in US Emergency Departments, 2011-2019.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between race and analgesic administration for children with long bone fracture (LBF) in US emergency departments. Previous studies have shown conflicting results regarding association between race and analgesic administration for pediatric LBFs.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of pediatric emergency department visits for LBF using the 2011-2019 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey-Emergency Department.

Stapling Common Enterotomy Does Not Increase Leak Rates in Stapled Anastomoses.

Background: Stapled vs handsewn methods of bowel anastomosis have been extensively studied, however, no study has compared the handsewn vs stapled technique of closing the common enterotomy. Anecdotal concerns of higher leak rates due to crossing staple lines has led some to prefer a handsewn technique for closing the common enterotomy.

Methods: Patients undergoing stapled side-to-side enteroenteric and enterocolonic anastomoses in both emergent and elective settings at 1 tertiary center from 2016 to 2020 were studied.

Integrated secure messaging to enhance medical education: a mixed methods study.

Background: Instant messaging applications and texting are useful for educating and communicating with medical students; however, they present patient privacy concerns and do not address the challenge of student inclusion in patient care communication. EMR-integrated secure messaging offers an opportunity to include students on team communication, enhance their medical education, and ensure patient privacy.

Methods: Between July 2019 through March 2020, we performed a mixed method study to evaluate use of EPIC® Secure Chat as a means of enhancing student education and team communication.

Changing Patterns in Midwestern Farm Trauma: A Retrospective Comparative Analysis.

Objectives: The objective is to determine if injury patterns on agricultural workplaces have changed over time.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of farm trauma in Fargo, ND, from 2006 to 2020. Results were compared to historical results from La Crosse, WI, from 1978 to 1983.

The efficacy of low dose short-term prednisone therapy for remission induction in newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Background: The ACR/EULAR recommendations endorse the use of glucocorticoids (GCs) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients' flares and as a bridge to a DMARD. However, the recommendation of low dose short-term monotherapy with (GCs) remains open to the discretion of the clinician. The aim of this study was to assess whether a short-term use of low dose prednisone monotherapy was effective in inducing remission in newly diagnosed RA patients.

A cross-sectional analysis of infant-driven and traditional feeding outcomes for neonatal intensive care unit infants.

Objective: The goal of this study was to assess the impact of infant-driven feeding (IDF) compared to traditional feeding protocols in promoting earlier successful feeding outcomes.

Study Design: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of infants admitted to a level three neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) over a 2-year period. We compared infants fed with the traditional protocol to those under the IDF protocol.

Antibiotic utilization for adult acute respiratory tract infections in United States Emergency Departments.

Background: Antibiotic stewardship programs have been a major focus in recent years to curtail antibiotic resistance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate antibiotic utilization for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) in the Emergency Department (ED) setting.

Material And Methods: A retrospective analysis of adult ARTI visits to EDs utilizing 2011-2017 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey- Emergency Department (NHAMCS-ED) datasets was conducted.

Differences in Clinical Management and Outcomes of American Indian and White Women Diagnosed With Endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a chronic, painful disease that can be disabling. There is a scarcity of research on the clinical management and outcomes of endometriosis in American Indian (AI) women. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are discrepancies between AI and White women in symptoms at presentation, initial diagnosis methods, clinical management, and long-term outcomes of endometriosis, in a rural state.

Trends and risk factors in the antibiotic management of skin and soft tissue infections in the United States.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the trends and risk factors of antibiotic treatment for skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs), in the United States.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of SSTIs visits utilizing the 2011-2016 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

Results: There were over 43 million visits for SSTIs in the US.

DAS28-CRP Cutoffs for High Disease Activity and Remission Are Lower Than DAS28-ESR in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: Guidelines do not specify how cutoffs for high disease activity differ between the Disease Activity Score 28-joint count indices DAS28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and DAS28-C-reactive protein (CRP). Studies that compare DAS28-CRP and DAS28-ESR depend on data from clinical trials, registries, or practices with multiple providers. Existing studies use data from patients who received immunosuppressive therapy.

Race and Length of Time Pursuing Pregnancy Among Women Who Utilized Medical Help to Get Pregnant.

The evaluation of racial disparities in access to and use of infertility services in the U.S. has been documented.

The Association Between Patient Visit Demographics and Opioid Analgesic Received in the Emergency Department.

Introduction: Minimal research has been conducted on the prescribing patterns of emergency room physicians. The opioid epidemic is a well-known public health crisis and increased knowledge of providers' tendencies to prescribe opioids over other analgesia may help to update guidelines, improve patient safety, and lower the amount of opioid diversion and death from overdose. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between patient visit demographics and prescribed opiate analgesics.

Cholesterol-induced activation of TRPM7 regulates cell proliferation, migration, and viability of human prostate cells.

Cholesterol has been shown to promote cell proliferation/migration in many cells; however the mechanism(s) have not yet been fully identified. Here we demonstrate that cholesterol increases Ca(2+) entry via the TRPM7 channel, which promoted proliferation of prostate cells by inducing the activation of the AKT and/or the ERK pathway. Additionally, cholesterol mediated Ca(2+) entry induced calpain activity that showed a decrease in E-cadherin expression, which together could lead to migration of prostate cancer cells.

Ovarian cancer incidence in the United States in relation to manufacturing industry.

Objective: Ovarian cancer is primarily a disease of the industrialized world. However, few factors associated with industrialization that contribute to the etiology of ovarian cancer have been identified. We sought to explore factors potentially associated with ovarian cancer by correlating ovarian cancer incidence rates in US states with the distribution of US manufacturing.

Are open abdominal procedures a thing of the past? An analysis of graduating general surgery residents' case logs from 2000 to 2011.

Introduction: Since the introduction of laparoscopic surgery for cholecystectomy in 1989, the growth of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has increased significantly in the United States. There is a growing concern that the pendulum has now shifted too far toward MIS and that current general surgery residents' exposure to open abdominal procedures is lacking.

Objective: We sought to analyze trends in open vs MIS intra-abdominal procedures performed by residents graduating from US general surgery residency programs over the past twelve years.

Serum calcium levels, TRPM7, TRPC1, microcalcifications, and breast cancer using breast imaging reporting and data system scores.

Background: An association between higher serum calcium (Ca) levels and breast cancer has been previously reported. However, little is known regarding the relationship between serum Ca levels and the expression of Ca channels in the presence of breast microcalcifications.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of women newly diagnosed with breast microcalcifications was performed based on the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS).

Increase in serum Ca2+/Mg2+ ratio promotes proliferation of prostate cancer cells by activating TRPM7 channels.

TRPM7 is a novel magnesium-nucleotide-regulated metal current (MagNuM) channel that is regulated by serum Mg(2+) concentrations. Changes in Mg(2+) concentration have been shown to alter cell proliferation in various cells; however, the mechanism and the ion channel(s) involved have not yet been identified. Here we demonstrate that TRPM7 is expressed in control and prostate cancer cells.

Serum calcium, tumor size, and hormone receptor status in women with untreated breast cancer.

Elevated serum levels of calcium are frequently observed in advanced breast cancer, but data on serum calcium and breast cancer characteristics at the time of breast cancer diagnosis are limited. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 555 women with newly-diagnosed, untreated breast cancer in North Dakota. We examined the relationship between tumor size, serum calcium and other clinical characteristics of breast tumors, including age and hormone receptor status, using multiple linear regressions.

Prevalence of diagnosis and staging of chronic kidney disease by primary care providers in a rural state.

Context: The Kidney Disease Outcomes and Quality Initiative guidelines are the most widely disseminated guidelines regarding the clinical evaluation and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Purpose: Assess the prevalence of diagnosis and staging of CKD by primary care providers (PCPs).

Methods: For the purpose of this assessment, stage 3 CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between 30 and 59 mL/min/1.

Does a higher ratio of serum calcium to magnesium increase the risk for postmenopausal breast cancer?

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among United States (US) women. Established risk factors explain only about 13% of breast cancer incidence among women in the US. Thus, the cause of most cases of breast cancer remains unknown.