Development of a Telemedicine Screening Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Telemedicine use increased during the COVID-19 pandemic due to concerns for patient and provider safety. Given the lack of testing resources initially and the large geographical range served by Augusta University (AU), a telemedicine platform with up-to-date screening guidelines was implemented for COVID-19 testing in March 2020. Our objective was to understand the level of adherence to telemedicine screening guidelines for COVID-19.

EpiGraphDB: a database and data mining platform for health data science.

Motivation: The wealth of data resources on human phenotypes, risk factors, molecular traits and therapeutic interventions presents new opportunities for population health sciences. These opportunities are paralleled by a growing need for data integration, curation and mining to increase research efficiency, reduce mis-inference and ensure reproducible research.

Results: We developed EpiGraphDB (https://epigraphdb.

Machine learning improves mortality risk prediction after cardiac surgery: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Interest in the usefulness of machine learning (ML) methods for outcomes prediction has continued to increase in recent years. However, the advantage of advanced ML model over traditional logistic regression (LR) remains controversial. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing the discrimination accuracy between ML models versus LR in predicting operative mortality following cardiac surgery.

Can machine learning improve mortality prediction following cardiac surgery?

Objectives: Interest in the clinical usefulness of machine learning for risk prediction has bloomed recently. Cardiac surgery patients are at high risk of complications and therefore presurgical risk assessment is of crucial relevance. We aimed to compare the performance of machine learning algorithms over traditional logistic regression (LR) model to predict in-hospital mortality following cardiac surgery.

Gender-specific structural abnormalities in major depressive disorder revealed by fixel-based analysis.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic disease with a large global impact. There are currently no clinically useful predictors of treatment outcome, and the development of biomarkers to inform clinical treatment decisions is highly desirable.

Methods: In this exploratory study we performed fixel-based analysis of diffusion MRI data from the International Study to Predict Optimized Treatment in Depression with the aim of identifying novel biomarkers at baseline that may relate to diagnosis and outcome to treatment with antidepressant medications.

Progressing Preemptive Genotyping of CYP2C19 Allelic Variants for Sickle Cell Disease Patients.

Aims: Interindividual variability in drug response and adverse effects have been described for proton pump inhibitors, anticonvulsants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, and anti-infectives, but little is known about the safety and efficacy of these medications in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). We genotyped the CYP2C19 gene which has been implicated in the metabolism of these drugs in an SCD patient cohort to determine the frequencies of reduced function, increased function, or complete loss-of-function variants.

Materials And Methods: DNAs from 165 unrelated SCD patients were genotyped for nine CYP2C19 (*2, *3, *4, *5, *6, *7,*8, *12, and *17) alleles using the iPLEX ADME PGx multiplex panel.

Preemptive Genotyping of CYP2C8 and CYP2C9 Allelic Variants Involved in NSAIDs Metabolism for Sickle Cell Disease Pain Management.

Interindividual variability in analgesic effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed for sickle cell disease (SCD) pain is attributed to polymorphisms in the CYP2C8 and CYP2C9 enzymes. We described CYP2C8 and CYP2C9 genotype/phenotype profiles and frequency of emergency department (ED) visits for pain management in an African American SCD patient cohort. DNA from 165 unrelated patients was genotyped for seven CYP2C8 and 15 CYP2C9 alleles using the iPLEX ADME PGx multiplexed panel.

Use of a novel abdominal aortic tourniquet to reduce or eliminate flow in the common femoral artery in human subjects.

Background: Penetrating injuries of proximal femoral and iliac vessels are a common cause of death on the battlefield. Previous studies have shown that by applying 80 lb to 140 lb of pressure externally over the distal abdominal aorta, flow can be ceased in the common femoral artery (CFA). It has also been demonstrated that in a porcine model, an externally applied pneumatic abdominal aortic tourniquet (AAT) can occlude the aorta and inferior vena cava for 60 minutes without bowel injury or significant potassium elevations.

Detection of soft tissue foreign bodies in the presence of soft tissue gas.

Objective: To determine the effect of soft tissue gas on the accuracy of foreign body detection by realtime sonography.

Methods: This was a prospective randomized study using glass, metal, and bone inserted into turkey breasts to simulate human soft tissue foreign bodies. Air was subsequently injected around a random selection of the foreign bodies to simulate soft tissue gas that can accompany a blast or high-force injury.

Blistering distal dactylitis: a case series in children under nine months of age.

Blistering distal dactylitis (BDD) is a distinct clinical entity that is infrequently reported in the literature. Characteristically, blistering distal dactylitis is described as a localized infection involving the volar fat pad of the distal phalanx of the digits, and it usually presents as a fluid-filled blister. The usual causative organism is group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus, but less commonly, Staphyloccous aureus and Staphyloccoccus epidermis are present.

Evaluation of extremity trauma with sonography.

Objective: To report on the use of bedside sonography in the diagnosis and treatment of penetrating extremity trauma.

Methods: Sonography was performed in the emergency department of a level 1 trauma center with both curved and linear array transducers.

Results: In both cases, foreign bodies and fractures resulting from gunshot wounds to the extremities were found.