Service-Learning in Communities of Elders (SLICE): Development and Evaluation of an Introductory Geriatrics Course for Medical Students.

Problem: Medical students have limited exposure to Geriatrics in their traditional training. Service-learning offers students the opportunity to engage with older adult communities and become more comfortable interacting with this population.

Intervention: A preclinical elective course was developed to expand medical students' experiences in Geriatrics through service-learning.

Consequences of smoking during pregnancy on maternal health.

Objective: To estimate the incidence of maternal cardiovascular and pulmonary events and the prevalence of other comorbid conditions among pregnant smokers.

Methods: We queried the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for pregnancy-related discharge codes for the years 2000-2004. The prevalence of various conditions and the incidence of various complications were compared between smokers and nonsmokers.

Migraines during pregnancy linked to stroke and vascular diseases: US population based case-control study.

Objective: To examine the association between migraine and cardiovascular diseases during pregnancy. Design US population based case-control study.

Setting: Nationwide inpatient sample, from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Morbidity associated with sickle cell disease in pregnancy.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify morbidity that is associated with sickle cell disease (SCD) in pregnancy.

Study Design: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for the years 2000-2003 was queried for all pregnancy-related discharges with a diagnosis of SCD.

Results: There were 17,952 deliveries (0.

A national study of the complications of lupus in pregnancy.

Objective: This study was undertaken to determine the risk of rare complications during pregnancy for women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Study Design: By using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2000-2003, we compared maternal and pregnancy complications for all pregnancy-related admissions for women with and without systemic lupus erythematosus.

Results: Of more than 16.

Levator ani abnormality 6 weeks after delivery persists at 6 months.

Objective: Assess postpartum changes in the levator ani muscle using magnetic resonance imaging and relate these changes to obstetric events and risk factors associated with pelvic floor dysfunction.

Study Design: A board-certified radiologist specializing in abdominal imaging evaluated 146 pelvic magnetic resonance studies from 57 primiparous women 6 weeks and 6 months after first obstetric delivery and 32 nulliparous women. A yes/no determination of muscle body and insertion integrity, muscle thinning, and measurement of muscle thickness in millimeters was made for each of 4 muscle sites: right and left puborectalis and right and left ileococcygeous.

Detrusor overactivity does not predict outcome of sacral neuromodulation test stimulation.

The aim of this study is to determine if urodynamic findings in patients with urge incontinence predicts response to sacral neuromodulation test stimulation. One hundred four patients with refractory urinary urge incontinence who had undergone sacral neuromodulation test stimulation were retrospectively reviewed. Pre- and post-test stimulation incontinence parameters and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) contraction strength was documented.

Lack of psychological resilience: an important correlate for urinary incontinence.

Our study evaluated medical conditions, level of physical functioning, and psychological health as correlates of urinary continence (UI) for four different age groups of women. Survey questions from the 1996 MIDUS survey were used in three domains of health: medical conditions, physical functioning, and psychological health. Mean questionnaire scores or prevalence percentages for individual and total medical conditions, physical functioning, and psychological health were computed.

A statistical comparison of pad numbers versus pad weights in the quantification of urinary incontinence.

Aims: Pad per day (PPD) usage is a frequently utilized measure of urinary incontinence. The 24-hour pad weight test (24PWT) is a reproducible test for quantifying incontinence volumes. We investigated whether PPD validly reports the magnitude of urinary incontinence.

Circulating angiogenic factors and abnormal uterine artery Doppler velocimetry in the second trimester.

Objective: Circulating angiogenic growth factors (such as vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and placental growth factor [PlGF]) and their interaction may be associated with vascular remodeling of spiral arteries in normal pregnancy. Soluble Flt-1, an antagonist of both VEGF and PlGF, has been shown to be increased, while PlGF is decreased in women prior to the onset of preeclampsia. The purpose of this study was to compare maternal soluble Flt-1 and PlGF levels in the second trimester with a marker of abnormal placentation, abnormal uterine artery Doppler (UAD).

Health care resource use for uterine fibroid tumors in the United States.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to quantify the total direct cost to the US health care system for the management of uterine leiomyomas.

Study Design: We used Center for Disease Control heath care databases for estimates of inpatient care, ambulatory care, and outpatient care of leiomyomas. With International Classification of Diseases-9 codes for fibroid tumors and fibroid-related conditions, all fibroid-related care was identified in each database.

Venous thromboembolism during pregnancy and the postpartum period: incidence, risk factors, and mortality.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence, risk factors, and mortality from pregnancy-related venous thromboembolism.

Study Design: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for the years 2000 to 2001 was queried for all pregnancy-related discharges with a diagnosis of venous thromboembolism.

Results: The rate of venous thromboembolism was 1.

Acute myocardial infarction in pregnancy: a United States population-based study.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence, mortality, and risk factors for pregnancy-related acute myocardial infarction in the United States.

Methods And Results: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample for the years 2000 to 2002 was queried for all pregnancy-related discharges. A total of 859 discharges included a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, for a rate of 6.

Sacral neuromodulation for the treatment of refractory urinary urge incontinence after stress incontinence surgery.

Objective: This study was undertaken to evaluate the response to sacral neuromodulation in women with refractory, nonobstructive urinary urge incontinence after stress incontinence surgery.

Study Design: We reviewed the medical records of women in whom sacral neuromodulation was performed for worsening or de novo urinary urge incontinence after a stress incontinence procedure. All patients had undergone preliminary test stimulation.

Sacral neuromodulation for intractable urge incontinence: are there factors associated with cure?

Objectives: To determine the variables that affect the cure rate in patients with urge incontinence treated with sacral neuromodulation.

Methods: This prospective analysis of patients with refractory urinary urge incontinence who underwent placement of a neuromodulator lead and generator was undertaken between October 2000 and December 2003. Quantitative assessment of the severity of their urinary leakage was assessed by preoperative and postoperative 3-day bladder diaries documenting leakage episodes, number of pads used per day, and a 24-hour pad weight assessment.

Relationship between pre-embryo pronuclear morphology (zygote score) and standard day 2 or 3 embryo morphology with regard to assisted reproductive technique outcomes.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that pregnancy rates are low if grade Z1 pre-embryos are not available for transfer and to determine if pronuclear morphology is a better predictor of pregnancy than traditional embryo morphology.

Design: Prospective clinical study.

Setting: Academic human reproduction laboratory.

Incidence and risk factors for stroke in pregnancy and the puerperium.

Objective: To estimate the incidence, mortality, and risk factors for pregnancy-related stroke in the United States.

Methods: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, for the years 2000-2001 was queried for International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, codes for stroke among all pregnancy-related discharges.

Results: A total of 2,850 pregnancy-related discharges included a diagnosis of stroke for a rate of 34.

Redefining the relationship between sperm deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation as measured by the sperm chromatin structure assay and outcomes of assisted reproductive techniques.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that couples with sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) DNA fragmentation index (DFI) values >27% would not achieve pregnancy with assisted reproductive techniques (ART) and to investigate how DFI and high DNA stainability (HDS), as measured by the SCSA, affect fertilization, cleavage, implantation, and pregnancy rates in IVF cycles.

Design: Prospective clinical study.

Setting: Academic human reproduction laboratory.