Safety of Adjunctive Intraarterial Tenecteplase Following Mechanical Thrombectomy: The ALLY Pilot Trial.

Background: Recent studies suggest that the use of adjunctive intraarterial alteplase after mechanical thrombectomy (MT) may improve outcomes; however, there are limited data on the use of intraarterial tenecteplase, a newer-generation lytic, in this acute ischemic stroke patient population. Here, we evaluate the use of intraarterial tenecteplase in the ALLY pilot study (Adjunctive Intraarterial Tenecteplase Following Mechanical Thrombectomy).

Methods: ALLY was a prospective, single-center, nonrandomized pilot study assessing the feasibility and safety of intraarterial tenecteplase up to 4.

Improving the Health and Environmental Health Literacy of Professionals: Evaluating the Effect of a Virtual Intervention on Phthalate Environmental Health Literacy.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists provided updated guidance in 2021, recommending that reproductive health professionals should include discussion of environmental exposures with their patients. However, environmental health is seldom included in medical training, with endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as phthalates-linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes-being among the least discussed. We developed a one-hour virtual educational intervention to train reproductive health professionals on the routes of phthalate exposure, potential associated health impacts, and suggestions on how to discuss exposure reduction with patients.

Incarceration history and HIV testing among people who inject drugs in the Boston metro area: a pooled cross-sectional study.

Background: The persistent incidence of HIV among people who inject drugs (PWID) underscores the urgency for HIV prevention efforts to end the HIV epidemic. Little is known about the role carceral settings play as touchpoints for HIV testing in this population.

Methods: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data of PWID in the Boston metro area from the 2015 and 2018 cycles of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS).

Designing for medication adherence in inflammatory bowel disease: multi-disciplinary approaches for self-administrable biotherapeutics.

Biotherapeutics are among the therapeutics that have revolutionized standard inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment, which was previously limited to mesalamine, 5-aminosalicylic acid, corticosteroids, and classical immunosuppressants. Self-administrable biotherapeutics for IBD would enable home-based treatment and reduce the burden on medical infrastructure. Self-administration is made possible through subcutaneous injectable, oral, and rectal dosage forms.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Using Continuous Glucose Monitoring to Guide Food Choices and Diabetes Self-Care in People with Type 2 Diabetes not Taking Insulin.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is an effective tool for individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) on insulin. This study evaluated the effect of using CGM to reduce hyperglycemia, by focusing on food and lifestyle choices, in people with T2D not taking insulin. A 6-month randomized, prospective four-center study was conducted.

Enoxaparin-Induced Bullous Hemorrhagic Dermatosis and Enoxaparin Rechallenge: A Case Report.

A case of enoxaparin-induced bullous hemorrhagic dermatosis is reported. A 69-year-old male with past medical history including chronic atrial fibrillation and a re-do aortic valve replacement, anticoagulated on warfarin, received an enoxaparin bridge for a molar extraction. On day 7 after restarting enoxaparin post-procedure at a therapeutic dose of 90 mg every 12 hours, the patient noticed multiple small, dark, raised lesions on his forearm and ankle.

Rescue therapy after failed thrombectomy in medium/distal vessel occlusions: A retrospective analysis of an international, multi-center registry.

Background: There are limited therapeutic options in cases of failed reperfusion (modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction [mTICI] score < 2b) after stent-retriever and/or aspiration based endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke. Despite the absence of data supporting its use, rescue therapy (balloon angioplasty and/or stent implantation) is often utilized in such cases. Studies are limited to large vessel occlusions, while the outcomes and complications after rescue therapy in medium/distal vessel occlusions (MDVOs) have not been reported.

Urinary Kidney Injury Biomarker Profiles in Healthy Individuals and After Nephrotoxic and Ischemic Injury.

Two observational studies were conducted to support an initiative to qualify translational kidney safety biomarkers as clinical drug development tools that identify tubular injury prior to changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Normal healthy volunteers provided three morning spot urine collections over 4 weeks. Patients undergoing surgical resection and intrathoracic cisplatin for malignant pleural mesothelioma provided urine samples pre- and postoperatively at 4, 8, and 12 hours and daily for 6 days.

Gentrification, gun violence, and disparities in access to care for shooting victims.

Background: Gentrification is associated with redistribution of shootings but impacts on access to care are unknown. We evaluate the association of gentrification with shooting rates, transport times, and survival in Boston.

Methods: Gentrification was defined using income, housing, and educational attainment from the 2010-2020 census.

Assessing the need for specialty consultation for isolated medial orbital wall fractures.

Objective: This objective was to assess if the current practice of interfacility transfer and immediate specialty consult is justified by the rate of surgical repair for isolated medial orbital wall fractures.

Study Design: This is a retrospective descriptive study utilizing the records of all patients with isolated medial orbital wall fractures who presented to the ED at Boston Medical Center from January 2014 to December 2022. A descriptive analysis was completed.

Outcomes of venous sinus stenosis stenting in patients with pulsatile tinnitus and sigmoid sinus wall anomalies.

Background: Transverse sinus stenosis (TSS) and sigmoid sinus wall anomalies (SSWAs) are the most common causes of pulsatile tinnitus (PT). While these conditions may co-occur, they usually require different management approaches. This study aims to evaluate whether TSS stenting alone, without targeted treatment of SSWAs, is sufficient to resolve PT in patients presenting with PT, TSS, and SSWAs.

Large-Scale Plasma Proteomics Improves Prediction of Peripheral Artery Disease in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objective: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a significant complication of type 2 diabetes (T2D), yet the association between plasma proteomics and PAD in people with T2D remains unclear. We aimed to explore the relationship between plasma proteomics and PAD in individuals with T2D, and assess whether proteomics could refine PAD risk prediction.

Research Design And Methods: This cohort study included 1,859 individuals with T2D from the UK Biobank.

Education Research: The Neurohumanities in Training: Integrating a Humanities Curriculum Within Neurology Residency Programs.

Background And Objectives: Perhaps stemming from the central role of detailed examinations and a focus on the subjective sphere that grounds their clinical practice, neurologists have frequently opined on experiences traditionally a province of humanities. The increasingly technological focus on medical education and care can be seen to devalue the subjective aspects of medicine. As a counter to this, we report on the existence of neurohumanities curricula within neurology residency training.

Education Research: The MANET Project: Museum Art in Neurology Education Training.

Background And Objectives: Multiple studies have shown that visual arts training has improved observational and communication skills and empathy among medical students and resident physicians. The benefits of such training for neurology residents remain scarce. This project aims to introduce neurology residents to the world of visual arts, improve their observational skills, foster their empathic skills, and provide them with a unique space for self-expression.

Empowering Recovery Through Bedside Medication Accessibility.

Introduction The Meds to Beds (MTB) program aims to enhance medication adherence and reduce hospital readmissions by delivering prescribed medications directly to patients' bedsides before discharge. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the MTB program in reducing 90-day readmission rates in a community teaching hospital. Methods This prospective study was conducted at a 159-bed community teaching hospital in Boston, MA.

Cost and activity analysis for a citywide patient navigation intervention to engage underserved patients in breast cancer treatment: Findings from the Translating Research Into Practice study.

Background: Patient navigation is an evidence-based intervention for reducing delays in cancer care for underserved populations. There are limited economic evaluations of patient navigation in the US health care system and few have considered costs at various phases along the implementation spectrum. Having economic data, including costs and cost savings, can support sustainability of patient navigation programs.

Modified Approach to Segmental Maxillary Surgery: Midline Osteotomy and Parasagittal Soft Tissue Incisions.

Traditional surgical techniques for segmental maxillary surgery include a combination of interdental osteotomies with paramidline bony cuts while keeping the palatal soft tissue intact. Besides surgical complexity, segmental maxillary procedures have been associated with higher incidence of relapse and complications. We present our experience with specific hard- and soft-tissue modifications (midline bony osteotomy and reflection of palatal soft tissue with carefully designed incisions) which will allow surgeons to perform larger expansions with a low incidence of complications and decreased relapse.

Parent-Targeted Oral Health Text Messaging for Underserved Children Attending Pediatric Clinics: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Caries is the most common chronic childhood disease, with substantial health disparities.

Objective: To test whether parent-targeted oral health text (OHT) messages outperform child wellness text (CWT) messages on pediatric caries increment and oral health behaviors among underserved children attending pediatric well-child visits.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The parallel randomized clinical trial, Interactive Parent-Targeted Text Messaging in Pediatric Clinics to Reduce Caries Among Urban Children (iSmile), included participants who were recruited during pediatric medical clinic visits at 4 sites in Boston, Massachusetts, that serve low-income and racially and ethnically diverse (herein, underserved) populations.