Publications by authors named "Paula Zimbrean"

Depressive and anxiety symptoms are more prevalent in patients with cirrhosis compared to the general population. Between 2009 and 2019, the prevalence of depression in cirrhosis increased by 80%, while the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder increased by over 400%. When present, anxiety and depression are linked to lower health-related quality of life, more severe symptoms (eg, fatigue), and poorer response to medical treatment.

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Background: Best practices in psychosocial evaluation and care of living donor candidates and donors are not well established.

Methods: We surveyed 195 living kidney donor (LKD) transplant centers in United States from October 2021 to April 2022 querying (1) composition of psychosocial teams, (2) evaluation processes including clinical tools and domains assessed, (3) selection criteria, and (4) psychosocial follow-up post-donation.

Results: We received 161 responses from 104 programs, representing 53% of active LKD programs and 67% of LKD transplant volume in 2019.

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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the mental health of individuals with chronic conditions such as Wilson's Disease (WD). This study investigates stress, anxiety, depression, quality of life, cognitive function, vaccination rates, infection rates, and perceptions related to the pandemic and vaccines among WD patients.

Methods: The study analyzed COVID-19 perceptions and vaccine attitudes of 62 adult WD patients enrolled in the international multisite WD Registry.

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We surveyed living donor liver transplant programs in the United States to describe practices in the psychosocial evaluation of living donors focused on (1) composition of psychosocial team; (2) domains, workflow, and tools of the psychosocial assessment; (3) absolute and relative mental health-related contraindications to donation; and (4) postdonation psychosocial follow-up. We received 52 unique responses, representing 33 of 50 (66%) of active living donor liver transplant programs. Thirty-one (93.

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We present Academy of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry best practice guidance on depression in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients, which resulted from the collaboration of Academy of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry's transplant psychiatry special interest group and Guidelines and Evidence-Based Medicine Subcommittee. Depression (which in the transplant setting may designate depressive symptoms or depressive disorders) is a frequent problem among SOT recipients. Following a structured literature review and consensus process, the Academy of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry transplant psychiatry special interest group proposes recommendations for practice: all organ transplant recipients should be screened routinely for depression.

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Background And Aims: Psychiatric symptoms are frequently reported in Wilson disease (WD); however, systematic assessments with validated measures are lacking.

Objective: We aim to report the prevalence and clinical correlates for major depressive disorder (MDD) as resulting from a multisite international WD registry.

Methods: All patients enrolled in the WD registry received structured psychiatric evaluations (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale, Perceived Stress Scale), laboratory tests, hepatology, and neurological assessments.

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Depression in transplantation.

Curr Opin Organ Transplant

December 2022

Purpose Of Review: To review and summarize the literature published between 1 January 2020 and 30 June 2022, on the prevalence, risk factors and impact of depression in transplant population.

Recent Findings: Depression is common in transplantation candidates and recipients, with a prevalence up to 85.8% in kidney recipients.

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Cannabinoid use in patients seeking solid organ transplantation (SOT) is an important and unsettled matter which all transplantation clinicians regularly encounter. It is also a multifaceted, interprofessional issue, difficult for any specialty alone to adequately address in a research article or during clinical care. Such uncertainty lends itself to bias for or against cannabinoid use accompanied by inconsistent policies and procedures.

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Transplant patients are frequently treated with substances that have dependence potential and/or they may have a history of substance use disorders. The Psychosocial and Ethics Community of Practice of the American Society of Transplantation formed a Drug Testing Workgroup with participation from members of the Pharmacy Community of Practice and members of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. The workgroup reviewed the literature regarding the following issues: the role of drug testing in patients with substance use disorders, for patients prescribed controlled substances, legal, ethical and prescription drug monitoring issues, financial and insurance issues, and which patients should be tested.

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There is a lack of guidelines for preoperative management of psychiatric medications leading to variation in care and the potential for perioperative complications and surgical procedure cancellations on the day of surgery. The Society for Perioperative Assessment and Quality Improvement identified preoperative psychiatric medication management as an area in which consensus could improve patient care. The aim of this consensus statement is to provide recommendations to clinicians regarding preoperative psychiatric medication management.

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We present a case of common challenges in assessment and treatment of substance use disorders in patients with advanced heart failure requiring left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Top experts in the field of consultation-liaison psychiatry, cardiology, and cardiac surgery provide guidance for this commonly encountered clinical case based on their experience and review of the available literature. Key teaching topics include the role of LVAD in heart failure management, the impact of substance use disorder on heart failure and LVAD patient outcomes, and recommendations for assessment and management of substance use disorder in a patient with LVAD.

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Background: As the science of consultation-liaison psychiatry advances, the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry's Guidelines and Evidence-Based Medicine Subcommittee reviews articles of interest to help academy members remain familiar with the latest in evidence-based practice.

Objective: We identify the 10 most important articles for clinical practice in consultation-liaison psychiatry from 2020 using the new Importance and Quality instrument for assessing scientific literature.

Methods: The subcommittee published annotated abstracts for 97 articles on the academy website in 2020.

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Background: Wilson disease (WD) is a chronic disorder of copper metabolism which may affect patient's quality of life (QOL).

Objective: Our aim was to assess the relationship between mental QOL (M-QOL) and physical QOL (P-QOL) and severity of the liver, neurological disease and mental health in patients with WD.

Methods: At enrollment into our multisite international WD registry, adults (n = 62) were administered examinations assessing QOL (Short-Form 12-Item Health Survey), cognition, and mood.

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Background: The prevalence of substance use disorders is higher among medical inpatients than in the general population, placing inpatient providers in a prime position to detect these patients and intervene.

Objective: To assess provider detection rates of substance use disorders among medical inpatients and to identify patient characteristics associated with detection.

Design: Data drawn from a cluster randomized controlled trial that tested the effectiveness of three distinct implementation strategies for providers to screen patients for substance use disorders and deliver a brief intervention (Clinical Trials.

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Background: The scientific literature in consultation-liaison psychiatry continually expands, and remaining familiar with the most current literature is challenging for practicing clinicians. The Guidelines and Evidence-Based Medicine Subcommittee of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry writes quarterly annotations of articles of interest to help Academy members gain familiarity with the most current evidence-based practices. These annotations are available on the Academy Website.

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Background: This study conducted cost and cost-effectiveness analyses of three strategies for implementing motivational interviewing for substance misuse on general medical inpatient units: workshop, apprenticeship, and consult.

Methods: The economic analyses were conducted prospectively alongside a type 3 hybrid effectiveness-implementation randomized trial comprising 38 medical providers, 1173 inpatients, and four consultation-liaison motivational interviewing experts. The trial took place in a university affiliated teaching hospital in New Haven, CT, USA.

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Background: As mental health services in outpatient medical clinics expand, psychiatrists must be trained to practice in these settings.

Objectives: The Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry residency education subcommittee convened a writing group with the goal of summarizing the current evidence about outpatient consultation-liaison psychiatry (CLP) training and providing a framework for CLP educators who are interested in developing outpatient CLP rotations within their programs.

Method: MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, and PsycINFO (via OVID) were reviewed each from inception to December 2019, for psychiatric CLP services in ambulatory settings that involved residents or fellows.

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Background And Objectives: The number of patients with substance use disorders in need for organ transplantation is expected to increase. Patients with addictive disorders are considered a higher risk of negative outcomes after organ transplantation due to the impact of substance use upon medical status and adherence with treatment. The goal of this systematic review was to assess the current literature on treatment for addiction transplant candidates and recipients.

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Background: Transplant psychiatry is a subspecialty of consultation-liaison psychiatry that focused on evaluation, treatment, and research of mental health problems in organ transplant recipients and organ donors. To date, there is no literature about training programs that would ensure psychiatrists acquire the necessary knowledge and skills required to meet the clinical needs of these patients.

Objectives: The author describes the implementation of an online curriculum in transplant psychiatry created at the request of physicians located outside the United States.

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Background: General medical hospitals provide care for a disproportionate share of patients who misuse substances. Hospitalization provides a unique opportunity to identify and motivate patients to address their substance misuse.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of three strategies for implementing motivational interviewing for substance misuse with general medical inpatients.

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Body image (BI) concerns have been reported to play a significant role in the psychological adaptation after organ transplantation. There is a paucity of data about BI beliefs in liver transplant recipients. We report the results of a cross-sectional study of 177 liver transplant recipients for whom we assessed BI, anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QOL) using validated instruments.

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The psychosocial evaluation is well-recognized as an important component of the multifaceted assessment process to determine candidacy for heart transplantation, lung transplantation, and long-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS). However, there is no consensus-based set of recommendations for either the full range of psychosocial domains to be assessed during the evaluation, or the set of processes and procedures to be used to conduct the evaluation, report its findings, and monitor patients' receipt of and response to interventions for any problems identified. This document provides recommendations on both evaluation content and process.

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The psychosocial evaluation is well-recognized as an important component of the multifaceted assessment process to determine candidacy for heart transplantation, lung transplantation, and long-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS). However, there is no consensus-based set of recommendations for either the full range of psychosocial domains to be assessed during the evaluation, or the set of processes and procedures to be used to conduct the evaluation, report its findings, and monitor patients' receipt of and response to interventions for any problems identified. This document provides recommendations on both evaluation content and process.

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