Effects of Music Therapy on Quality of Life in Adults with Sickle Cell Disease (MUSIQOLS): A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study.

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a 6-session music therapy protocol on self-efficacy, quality of life, and coping skills in adults with sickle cell disease (SCD).

Patients And Methods: Using a mixed-methods intervention design, adults with SCD (ages 21-57; mean age 32.33) were randomized (1:1) to either 1) a 6-session music therapy (MT) intervention (n = 12) or 2) waitlist control (WLC) (n = 12) using stratified randomization where factors were age in years (≤30 vs >30), and sex (male, female).

Atopy patch tests may identify patients at risk for systemic contact dermatitis.

Background: A subset of patients with positive patch tests demonstrates systemic contact dermatitis (SCD) upon ingestion or inhalation of the allergen. Concern has been raised about the use of patch tests for protein allergens (APTs) to detect SCD in atopic dermatitis (AD) patients.

Methods: We present atopy patch test (APT) data for 97 people.

Atopy and Sensitization to Allergens Known to Cause Systemic Contact Dermatitis.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) associated with respiratory atopy may represent a form of systemic contact dermatitis (SCD), whereby AD flares after ingestion or inhalation of allergens.

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the prevalence of positive patch tests to allergens known to cause SCD in AD patients with and without respiratory atopy.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients with AD patch tested to 23 allergens known to cause SCD.

Procalcitonin as a Biomarker for Predicting Amputation Level in Lower Extremity Infections.

Inflammatory markers are essential tools in the decision-making process for lower extremity infections. When coupled with objective findings, clinicians can more accurately diagnose and treat these entities. Typically, markers such as the white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein are used to initially assess these patients or monitor the progression of medical or surgical therapy.

Effect of Regulatory Requirement for Patient-Specific Prescriptions for Off-Label Medications on the Use of Intravitreal Bevacizumab.

Importance: Requirements regulating pharmaceutical prescriptions can affect physicians' choice of therapy in a clinical setting.

Objective: To evaluate the change in bevacizumab use after the regulatory requirement for patient-specific prescriptions (PSPs) for off-label medications in Ohio.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This study retrospectively reviewed the aggregate data from the billing records of patients receiving 1.

Early follow-up of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty in patients sixty years of age or younger.

Background: Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) is an accepted treatment that provides reproducible results in the treatment of shoulder arthritis and rotator cuff deficiency. Concerns over the longevity of the prosthesis have resulted in this procedure being reserved for the elderly. There are limited data in the literature with regard to outcomes in younger patients.

A comparison of tau and 14-3-3 protein in the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Objective: To compare the respective efficiency of CSF tau (quantitative) and CSF 14-3-3 protein (qualitative) in the diagnosis of prion disease.

Methods: We made measurements on 420 live subjects, who subsequently underwent a postmortem neuropathology examination, including protein chemistry, immunohistochemistry, and histology. We performed tau by ELISA.

Effectiveness of a comprehensive hand hygiene program for reduction of infection rates in a long-term care facility.

Background: Alcohol-based hand rubs play a key role in reducing the transmission of pathogens in acute care settings, especially as part of a comprehensive hand hygiene program. However, their use in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) has been virtually unstudied.

Methods: Infection data, including those meeting McGeer et al and the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority's surveillance definitions, for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs), as well as hospitalization data were collected in a 174-bed LTCF for 22 months (May 2009 to February 2011).

Effect of QRS morphology on clinical event reduction with cardiac resynchronization therapy: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is effective in reducing clinical events in systolic heart failure patients with a wide QRS. Previous retrospective studies suggest only patients with QRS prolongation due to a left bundle-branch block (LBBB) benefit from CRT. Our objective was to examine this by performing a meta-analysis of all randomized controlled trials of CRT.

Impact of QRS duration on clinical event reduction with cardiac resynchronization therapy: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is effective in reducing clinical events in patients with heart failure and prolonged QRS interval. Studies using surrogate measures and subgroup analysis of large trials suggest that only patients with severely prolonged QRS benefit from CRT. Our objective was to determine whether the effect of CRT on adverse clinical events (eg, death, hospitalizations) is different in patients with moderately (ie, 120 to 149 milliseconds) [corrected] vs severely (ie, ≥150 milliseconds) prolonged QRS duration.

Angiotensin-receptor blockade and risk of cancer: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Background: Angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) are a widely used drug class approved for treatment of hypertension, heart failure, diabetic nephropathy, and, recently, for cardiovascular risk reduction. Experimental studies implicate the renin-angiotensin system, particularly angiotensin II type-1 and type-2 receptors, in the regulation of cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and tumour progression. We assessed whether ARBs affect cancer occurrence with a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of these drugs.

Alzheimer's disease and smoking: bias in cohort studies.

The discrepancy between cohort and case-control studies regarding the association between smoking and Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been attributed to the competing risk of early mortality of smokers. A simulation study was conducted to show that the bias favoring smokers acts also on cohort studies. In the model, individuals {grow older} and have smoking habits according to published year-age-gender-specific patterns, with morbidity and mortality according to their demographic and smoking profiles.

Lifetime histories of trauma among pathological gamblers.

This study extends the work completed with pathological gamblers and substance abusers, looking at associations between a history of trauma and comorbid substance dependence, impulsivity, measures of problem severity, and personality variables. We studied 111 patients admitted to the gambling treatment program at the Brecksville VA Medical Center and found that 64% of gamblers reported a history of emotional trauma; 40.5%, physical trauma; and 24.

Accuracy of endoscopic optical coherence tomography in the detection of dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus: a prospective, double-blinded study.

Background: Endoscopic optical coherence tomography (EOCT) is a high-resolution, cross-sectional tissue-imaging technique that provides microscopic morphologic information. EOCT should detect dysplasia in Barrett's epithelium, but this has not been established in a prospective blinded study. This study evaluated the accuracy of EOCT for the diagnosis and the exclusion of dysplasia in patients with Barrett's esophagus.