Center-Related Variation in Cardiac Stress Testing in the 18 Months Prior to Renal Transplantation.

This analysis of data from US Renal Data System examined patient- and center-level variables for patients who did and did not undergo cardiac stress testing to determine which were associated with stress testing 18 months prior to renal transplantation.

The association of preoperative cardiac stress testing with 30-day death and myocardial infarction among patients undergoing kidney transplantation.

Background: Although periodic cardiac stress testing is commonly used to screen patients on the waiting list for kidney transplantation for ischemic heart disease, there is little evidence to support this practice. We hypothesized that cardiac stress testing in the 18 months prior to kidney transplantation would not reduce postoperative death, total myocardial infarction (MI) or fatal MI.

Methods: Using the United States Renal Data System, we identified ESRD patients ≥40 years old with primary Medicare insurance who received their first kidney transplant between 7/1/2006 and 11/31/2013.

Patients Commonly Believe Their Heart Failure Hospitalizations Are Preventable and Identify Worsening Heart Failure, Nonadherence, and a Knowledge Gap as Reasons for Admission.

Background: There are few data describing patient-identified precipitants of heart failure (HF) hospitalization. We hypothesized a patient's perception of reason for or preventability of an admission may be related to 30-day readmission rates.

Methods And Results: Ninety-four patients admitted with decompensated HF from July 2014 to March 2015 completed a brief questionnaire regarding circumstances leading to admission.

Outcomes and predictors of recovery in acute-onset cardiomyopathy: A single-center experience of patients undergoing endomyocardial biopsy for new heart failure.

Background: About one-third of patients with unexplained acute-onset heart failure (HF) recover left ventricular (LV) function; however, characterization of these patients in the setting of contemporary HF therapies is limited. We aim to describe baseline characteristics and predictors of recovery in patients with acute-onset cardiomyopathy.

Methods: We previously described 851 patients with unexplained HF undergoing endomyocardial biopsy.

Automatic scoring of medical students' clinical notes to monitor learning in the workplace.

Background: Educators need efficient and effective means to track students' clinical experiences to monitor their progress toward competency goals.

Aim: To validate an electronic scoring system that rates medical students' clinical notes for relevance to priority topics of the medical school curriculum.

Method: The Vanderbilt School of Medicine Core Clinical Curriculum enumerates 25 core clinical problems (CCP) that graduating medical students must understand.

Development and validation of the General Health Numeracy Test (GHNT).

Objective: Because existing numeracy measures may not optimally assess 'health numeracy', we developed and validated the General Health Numeracy Test (GHNT).

Methods: An iterative pilot testing process produced 21 GHNT items that were administered to 205 patients along with validated measures of health literacy, objective numeracy, subjective numeracy, and medication understanding and medication adherence. We assessed the GHNT's internal consistency reliability, construct validity, and explored its predictive validity.

Filamin A mutant lacking actin-binding domain restores mu opioid receptor regulation in melanoma cells.

We have previously reported that the protein filamin A (FLA) binds to the carboxyl tail of the mu opioid receptor (MOPr). Using human melanoma cells, which do not express filamin A, we showed that receptor down-regulation, functional desensitization and trafficking are deficient in the absence of FLA (Onoprishvili et al. Mol Pharmacol 64:1092-1100, 2003).

[Real errors in the diagnosis of well-known diffuse kidney lesions and their causes (critical comments. The author's own observations)].

Analysis of the data obtained during a comprehensive examination of a great number of nephrologic patients during 1964-1989 permitted the author to draw a conclusion that a considerable part of errors in the diagnosis of diffuse renal lesions (DRL) are primarily made as a result of inadequate choice of examination methods that might contribute to the solving of a diagnostic problem; an insufficiently clear idea of the resolving power of those methods, and violation of the succession of their use. Erroneous interpretation of the patient's complaints and disease history we face sometimes, inadequate competence in the assessment of the clinical symptoms and laboratory data are of no less importance. All these moments are supported by the author's own observations.

[The combination of diffuse kidney lesions with different diseases of the other organs of the urinary system (the diagnosis, characteristics of the course and outcomes)].

The author characterizes in detail 4340 patients with diffuse renal lesions (chronic glomerulonephritis, renal amyloidosis, lupoid nephritis, diabetic glomerulosclerosis and nephrosclerosis) coupled with different diseases of the urinary organs including urolithiasis, cancerous and tuberculous processes, purulent diseases of the kidneys and prostatic lesions. Stage III chronic renal failure (CRF) was revealed in 2073 (57.1%) out of the 4340 patients.

[Thyrotropin level and its reaction to thyroliberin in vibration pathology].

The article shows that radioimmunoassay detection of thyrotropin in human blood serum against the introduction of synthetic hypothalamic thyrotropin releasing hormone, helps to specify vibration disease induced regulatory disorders in the hypothalamus--pituitary body system. Pituitary body thyrotropin secretion activation with concomitant thyroliberin induced decrease of thyrotropin indicates the limited adaptation within the system, and, either results from compensatory adaptative processes in the organism, or marks the initial stage of functional disorder.

[Primary chronic pyelonephritis or diffuse kidney lesions? (critical comments on interpreting the data from a urologic x-ray examination)].

Analyzing correlation of the results of excretory urography and histological findings (kidney biopsy) in 2852 nephrological patients the author has come to a conclusion that changes in the structure of the pelvicaliceal system (PCS) which are usually regarded as x-ray signs of primary chronic pyelonephritis (PCPN), are not typical of this disease and can be also observed in patients with diffuse renal lesions. PCS changes of "pyelonephritic" type were detected in 2470 patients, histologically in 698 (28.1%), in them PCPN morphological signs were detected, and 1772 patients (71.

[Acute primary pyelonephritis or active phase of a latent form of chronic pyelonephritis?].

Analyzing the data of a comprehensive examination of 372 patients admitted to hospital with a distinct clinical picture of acute pyelonephritis, the author shows that out of these patients' population, 278 (74.8%) had an active form of chronic disease running a latent course. At the same time 40.