Publications by authors named "William B Minteer"

Article Synopsis
  • Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation can lead to serious complications like esophageal injuries, which can create life-threatening fistulas; EUS (Endoscopic Ultrasound) is being explored as a better diagnostic tool than EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy) for detecting these injuries.
  • A study of 234 patients showed that EUS effectively identified various conditions post-ablation, including pleural effusions and esophageal wall changes, with a strong association between certain EUS findings and the severity of esophageal injury.
  • The findings suggest that EUS is a safe and potentially superior method for evaluating post-ablation injuries in patients, with recommendations for prioritizing EUS over EGD in these
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Background: Diagnostic imaging is an integral aspect of care that is often insufficient, if not altogether absent, in rural and remote regions of low to middle income countries (LMICs) such as Tanzania. The introduction of ultrasound can significantly impact treatment in these countries due to its portability, low cost, safety, and usefulness in various medical assessments. This study reviews the implementation of a four-week ultrasound course administered annually from 2013-2016 in a healthcare professional school in Mwanza, Tanzania by first-year allopathic US medical students.

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Background & Aims: Single-center studies have reported excellent outcomes of patients who underwent liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after successful down-staging (reduction of tumor burden with local-regional therapy), but multi-center studies are lacking. We performed a multi-center study, applying a uniform down-staging protocol, to assess outcomes of liver transplantation and performed an intention to treat analysis. We analyzed factors associated with treatment failure, defined as dropout from the liver transplant waitlist due to tumor progression, liver-related death without transplant, or recurrence of HCC after transplant.

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HIV-related stigma remains a persistent global health concern among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA) in developing nations. The literature is lacking in studies about healthcare students' perceptions of PLWA. This study is the first effort to understand stigmatizing attitudes toward HIV-positive patients by healthcare students in Mwanza, Tanzania, not just those who will be directly treating patients but also those who will be indirectly involved through nonclinical roles, such as handling patient specimens and private health information.

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