K7 channels modulate tension and calcium signalling in mouse corpus cavernosum.

Adrenergic stimulation induces contractions in the corpus cavernosum smooth muscle (CCSM) that are important in maintaining penile flaccidity. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of K7 channels in regulating contractions and their underlying Ca signals in mouse CCSM. Quantitative PCR revealed transcriptional expression of KCNQ1 and KCNQ3-5 genes in whole CCSM, with KCNQ5 as the most highly transcribed K7 encoding gene.

Prehospital Buprenorphine in Treating Symptoms of Opioid Withdrawal - A Descriptive Review of the First 131 Cases in San Francisco, CA.

Objectives: Opioid use disorder (OUD) remains a common cause of overdose and mortality in the United States. Emergency medical services (EMS) clinicians often interact with patients with OUD, including during or shortly after an overdose. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients receiving prehospital buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid withdrawal in an urban EMS system.

A Scoping Review and Consensus Recommendations for Emergency Medical Services Buprenorphine (EMS-Bupe) Programs.

Objectives: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies are beginning to provide low-barrier access to treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) through the development of EMS buprenorphine (EMS-Bupe) programs. However, evidence-based practices for these programs are lacking. Our aim was to review the current literature on EMS and emergency department (ED) based buprenorphine treatment programs to provide consensus recommendations on the EMS-Bupe program development.

A Prehospital Quality Improvement Framework to Reduce Mortality and Other Harms Associated with Opioid Use Disorder.

Objectives: In response to the escalating overdose crisis there is an urgent need for innovative strategies to reduce overdose death. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is uniquely poised to reduce mortality and other harms associated with opioid use through prevention, harm reduction, and treatment, yet there is a paucity of nationally recognized best practices or quality measures to guide prehospital quality improvement (QI) efforts related to opioid use disorder (OUD).

Methods: A multidisciplinary team of subject matter experts in addiction medicine, EMS, public health, and QI was convened to develop recommendations for a model QI framework for prehospital OUD prevention, harm reduction, and treatment based on the Model for Improvement framework.

The San Francisco Health Systems Collaborative: Public Health and Health Care Delivery Systems' Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic challenged health care delivery systems worldwide. Many acute care hospitals in communities that experienced surges in cases and hospitalizations had to make decisions such as rationing scarce resources. Hospitals serving low-income communities, communities of color, and those in other historically marginalized or vulnerable groups reported the greatest operational impacts of surges.