Implementation of a gene therapy education initiative by the ASGCT and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences.

There has been rapid growth in gene therapy development with an expanding list of approved clinical products. Several therapies are particularly relevant to patients in low- and middle-income countries. Moreover, investing in research and manufacturing presents an opportunity for economic development.

Improving Communication in Nursing Homes Using Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycles of an SBAR Training Program.

Background: Incomplete communication between staff and providers may cause adverse outcomes for nursing home residents. The Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) tool is designed to improve communication around changes in condition (CIC). An adapted SBAR was developed for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services demonstration project, OPTIMISTIC, to increase its use during a resident CIC and to improve documentation.

Understanding the Patient Experience of "as-Required" Medication in a Hospice In-Patient Unit.

Background: Timely administration of 'as-required' medication is important for managing patients' symptoms in palliative care. There are no national or local standards around the maximum length of time for the process to administer 'as-required' medication and little in the literature to inform practice. Our aim was to understand the patient experience of receiving these medications in the in-patient setting of a hospice.

Unusual case of transdermal fentanyl in cachexia.

Fentanyl has a low molecular weight and is lipophilic making it suitable for transdermal administration. However, multiple factors appear to lead to interindividual variation in absorption via this route. Here we describe an unusual case where a patient was found to have twelve 100 μg/hour fentanyl patches in situ which she was using as background analgesia.

High burdens of Ixodes scapularis larval ticks on white-tailed deer may limit Lyme disease risk in a low biodiversity setting.

An inverse relationship between biodiversity and human health has been termed the 'dilution effect' paradigm. In the case of tick-borne infections such as Lyme disease, the key assumption is that Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato abundance is increased by the loss of less competent (dilution) hosts as biodiversity declines. White-tailed deer play a dual role in the pathogen cycle, as key reproductive hosts for adult ticks and incompetent hosts for the pathogen.

Farrell valve relieves bloating in gastrostomy patient.

Dysphagia and weight loss are experienced by up to 80% of patients with motor neuron disease (MND). Enteral tube feeding can benefit these patients but side effects including fullness, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation are frequent and can lead to non-compliance. Changes in feed formulation, regimens and the use of prokinetic medication can help symptoms.

Giant pleural fibroma with an abdominal vascular supply mimicking a pulmonary sequestration.

A 37 -year-old woman was found to have a giant mass in her right chest with an abnormal abdominal vascular supply at preoperative workup. Suspecting a pulmonary sequestration, the lesion was embolized and then removed through a standard thoracotomy. A broad-based, vascularized pedicle connected the mass to the diaphragm.