Accidental or intentional ingestion of toothbrushes: experience with 8 adult patients.

Purpose: Ingestion of a toothbrush is an unusual event but may occur either accident or by intent. Radiological examinations play a crucial role in determining the exact location of the object within the gastrointestinal tract and in planning for its removal by endoscopic or surgical intervention.

Methods: Medical and radiological records of 8 patients who had swallowed the broken heads or entire toothbrush were retrospectively reviewed.

A Novel Interprofessional Palliative Care and Geriatrics Curriculum for Nephrology Teams.

Background: The population of older adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing and nephrologists need education on the principles of geriatrics and palliative care to effectively care for this population.

Objectives: Our objective was to develop and deliver a curriculum to interprofessional clinicians caring for older adults with CKD. The aim of this curriculum would be to improve knowledge of the principles of geriatrics and palliative care.

Reader agreement and accuracy of ultrasound features for hepatic steatosis.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to assess the reader agreement and accuracy of eight ultrasound imaging features for classifying hepatic steatosis in adults with known or suspected hepatic steatosis.

Methods: This was an IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant prospective study of adult patients with known or suspected hepatic steatosis. All patients signed written informed consent.

Size-resolved particle measurements of polybrominated diphenyl ethers indoors: Implications for sources and human exposure.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are flame retardant polymer additives that are widely detected in outdoor and indoor environments. Release of PBDEs from consumer products leads to high concentrations indoors, but mechanisms of release are poorly understood. Although ingestion of dust is a well-studied indoor PBDE exposure route, the importance of inhalation exposure is uncertain.

The growing prevalence of kidney stones and opportunities for prevention.

The prevalence of kidney stones is climbing in the United States. Several investigators have demonstrated an association between metabolic syndrome and kidney stones and some have proposed a causal link. Risk factors for nephrolithiasis can be identified with a 24-hour urine collection and preventive measures can be customized to meet the needs of individual patients.

Vascular extravasation of contrast medium in radiological examinations: University of California San Diego Health System Experience.

Introduction: Extravasation is a well-recognized complication estimated to be between 0.1% and 0.9% of contrast medium administrations.

Pregnancy after renal transplantation: a review of registry and single-center practices and outcomes.

Registries from North America, Australia and Europe are rich sources of clinical data on pregnancy after kidney transplantation. Single-center reports of pregnancy outcomes are limited by small sample sizes but not by the potential reporting bias that can impact registry data. Despite the differences in data pools, the obstetric and graft outcomes reported by single centers and registries have been similar.

Spectral Doppler signature waveforms in ultrasonography: a review of normal and abnormal waveforms.

Doppler ultrasound is routinely used in the clinical setting to evaluate blood flow in many major vessels of the body. Spectral Doppler is used to display the normal and abnormal signature waveforms that are unique to each vessel. It is important for the sonographer and the radiologist to recognize both what is normal and what is abnormal in a spectral Doppler display.

Effect of diabetes mellitus on mycophenolate sodium pharmacokinetics and inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase activity in stable kidney transplant recipients.

Effect of diabetes mellitus on mycophenolic acid (MPA) pharmacokinetics and catalytic activity of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) was investigated in maintenance kidney transplant recipients. Demographically matched diabetic (n=9) and nondiabetic (n=9) patients were included in a 12-hour open-label, steady-state study after oral administration of enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium. Concentrations of total MPA and free MPA, MPA-glucuronide, and acyl-MPA-glucuronide were measured and oral acetaminophen absorption was used as a marker for gastric-emptying rate.

Sexual victimization: incidence, knowledge and resource use among a population of college women.

Study Objective: To assess the incidence of sexual victimization among a convenience sample of college women and evaluate both victims and non-victims' knowledge and use of available on and off campus resources.

Design: Written questionnaire distributed to students in lobbies of two campus libraries and large computing center

Setting: A private northeastern university

Participants: Upper-class undergraduate women (sophomores, juniors and seniors)

Main Outcome Measures: Respondents (n=234) were asked to complete demographic information, report instances of sexual victimization (including rape, sexual coercion and unwanted sexual contact) that occurred during the 1999-2000 academic year and indicate whether they would or did use either university and/or outside resources available to sexual assault victims.

Results: Of the women who participated, 38% (90/234) affirmed one or more episodes of sexual victimization, with 6% (14/234) reporting a completed rape and 4% (9/234) an attempted rape.