Publications by authors named "R S SPITZER"
Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains as 1 of the major contributors to indirect pregnancy-related mortality and morbidity worldwide and disproportionately affects marginalized populations.
Objectives: In this scoping review, the authors sought to explore the socioeconomic, cultural, and health care access-related causes of global disparities in outcomes of pregnancy among individuals with RHD.
Methods: We performed a literature search of all studies published between January 1, 1990, and January 1, 2022, that investigated causes for disparate outcomes in pregnant individuals with RHD.
Article Synopsis
- Difficult biliary cannulation (DBC) significantly raises the risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP), especially when combined with high pre-procedure risk factors.
- In a study with 1,601 participants, those undergoing DBC faced a PEP rate of 20.7% when they also had high pre-procedure risk, compared to lower rates for non-DBC groups.
- Prophylactic measures, such as combining rectal indomethacin with pancreatic duct stenting, were found to effectively reduce the risk of PEP, even with an increasing number of PD wire passages during DBC.
Introduction: Prophylactic pancreatic stent placement (PSP) is effective for preventing pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in high-risk cases, but the optimal technical approach to this intervention remains uncertain.
Methods: In this secondary analysis of 787 clinical trial patients who underwent successful stent placement, we studied the impact of (i) whether pancreatic wire access was achieved for the sole purpose of PSP or naturally during the conduct of the case, (ii) the amount of effort expended on PSP, (iii) stent length, (iv) stent diameter, and (v) guidewire caliber. We used logistic regression models to examine the adjusted association between each technical factor and post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP).
Article Synopsis
- Understanding the nutritional properties of foods is crucial for managing wildlife populations, specifically moose, as they balance macronutrients like protein and carbohydrates while foraging.
- A study in Norway highlighted that moose primarily derive their energy from carbohydrates (74.2%), mostly from deciduous tree browse, particularly willows, which made up 51% of their average diet over a 5-day period in summer.
- Moose regulate their nutrient intake by choosing foods that closely match their macronutrient targets and demonstrated flexibility in their feeding strategies, indicating that even small variations in diet can help them achieve nutritional balance.
Article Synopsis
- Low- and middle-income countries lack sufficient subspecialist care, particularly in maternal-fetal medicine.
- Moi University School of Medicine and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya have established a groundbreaking fellowship program to train specialists in this field.
- The program successfully retains skilled practitioners who now offer essential care to a previously underserved population in Eastern Africa.