Potential Role for Stem Cell Regenerative Therapy as a Treatment for Degenerative Disc Disease and Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review.

Back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide. Despite the prevalence and morbidity of lower back pain, we still lack a gold-standard treatment that restores the physiological function of degenerated intervertebral discs. Recently, stem cells have emerged as a promising strategy for regenerative therapy for degenerative disc disease.

Change in approach and delivery of medical care in children with asthma: results from a multicenter emergency department educational asthma management program.

Objectives: The Hawaii Child Asthma Research to Elevate Standards (CARES) Program implemented an emergency department (ED)-based education and management program to facilitate National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) guideline understanding among asthmatic children and their families, ED staff, and health care providers.

Methods: The multipronged approach used: (1) 2-phased prospective tracking system of ED asthma patients; (2) ED-based educational intervention for patients/families; and (3) asthma education for ED staff and community-based health care providers. Data were collected across 4 EDs during phase I (October 8, 2002, to October 1, 2003) and phase II (October 1, 2003, to July 8, 2004).

Evaluation of secondhand smoking characteristics in asthmatic children presenting to four emergency departments on O'ahu, Hawai'i.

Exposure to secondhand smoke causes adverse health outcomes particularly in vulnerable groups like children. This multi-centered prospective study examined the household exposure to secondhand smoke among asthmatic children presenting to emergency departments on O'ahu, Hawai'i. Findings revealed that asthmatic children of Samoan, Micronesian, Filipino, Part/Native Hawaiian and Other/Mixed Ancestry had a greater proportion of high exposure to secondhand smoke in the home compared to Japanese, Chinese and Caucasian ethnic groups.

Demographics and characteristics of wheezing/asthmatic children with repeat emergency department visits in O'ahu, Hawai'i.

A profile of Hawai'i's pediatric asthmatic patients who repeatedly visit the ED is lacking. This multi-centered prospective study found that repeat ED utilization occurs more frequently in a particular subset of patients. Characteristics of the asthmatic cohort can help health care providers, caregivers, children, and their families understand and better manage asthma as a chronic condition and improve quality of life.

Correlation of initial emergency department pulse oximetry values in asthma severity classes (steps) with the risk of hospitalization.

Background: The oxygen saturation (OSAT) of wheezing children presenting to an emergency department has been shown to be a predictor for hospitalization. The purpose of this study is to determine if hospitalization predictive power can be increased by further stratifying this by the step severity categories (based on chronic symptoms).

Methods: Data were collected prospectively at 6 centers over a 22-month period on 1219 pediatric patients.