Choledocholithiasis: A Review of Management and Outcomes in a Regional Setting.

Background Choledocholithiasis is a common surgical presentation with an incidence of 8% to 16% in symptomatic cholelithiasis. Treatment often requires a multi-stage approach via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), which can prolong the length of stay (LoS) and expose patients to unnecessary risks. A single-stage procedure, such as LC with common bile duct exploration (CBDE), is a safe and effective option that may decrease LoS.

Increased Variation in Esophageal Cancer Treatment and Geographic Healthcare Disparity in Michigan.

Background: Regional variation in complex healthcare is shown to negatively impact health outcomes. We sought to characterize geographic variance in esophageal cancer operation in Michigan.

Study Design: Data for patients with locoregional esophageal cancer from the Michigan Cancer Surveillance Program from 2000 to 2013 was analyzed.

Chronic pain management in sickle cell disease: A systematic scoping review of controlled trials.

Existing treatment for chronic pain in sickle cell disease (SCD) is opioid-dependent, which is ineffective and carries risks. We conducted a scoping literature review to assess the size and scope of available literature about controlled trials of therapies for SCD chronic pain and identify research gaps. The search strategy in PubMed and EMBASE utilized keywords for chronic pain and sickle cell and identified seven original articles that met inclusion criteria.

Novel compound heterozygous missense mutations in cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 4A.

Homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the gene cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT4A) that are consistent with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. The case reported in this study is clinically and genetically diagnosed with recessive CMT4A that is caused by a compound novel heterozygous mutation. The genomic DNA of the proband with the clinical diagnosis of CMT was screened for mutations using a targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) gene-panel that comprised of 27 CMT genes.

Disparities in Eye Care Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: To assess the relationship between telemedicine utilization and sociodemographic factors among patients seeking eye care.

Design: Comparative utilization analysis.

Methods: We reviewed the eye care utilization patterns of a stratified random sample of 1720 patients who were seen at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (April 30 to May 25, 2020) and their odds of having a video, phone, or in-person visit compared with having a deferred visit.

A Rapid Blood Test To Determine the Active Status and Duration of Acute Viral Infection.

The ability to rapidly detect and diagnose acute viral infections is crucial for infectious disease control and management. Serology testing for the presence of virus-elicited antibodies in blood is one of the methods used commonly for clinical diagnosis of viral infections. However, standard serology-based tests have a significant limitation: they cannot easily distinguish active from past, historical infections.