Use of Questionnaire-Based Research in Hand Surgery.

Introduction: Questionnaire-based research is ubiquitous, and careful survey design is paramount to obtaining meaningful results. This study characterizes the use of questionnaire-based studies in the current hand surgery literature.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of questionnaire-based studies published between 2010 and 2020 in 4 major American journals.

Biomechanics in the onset and severity of spondyloarthritis: a force to be reckoned with.

Increasing evidence suggests that there is a pivotal role for physical force (mechanotransduction) in the initiation and/or the perpetuation of spondyloarthritis; the review contained herein examines that evidence. Furthermore, we know that damage and inflammation can limit spinal mobility, but is there a cycle created by altered spinal mobility leading to additional damage and inflammation?Over the past several years, mechanotransduction, the mechanism by which mechanical perturbation influences gene expression and cellular behaviour, has recently gained popularity because of emerging data from both animal models and human studies of the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). In this review, we provide evidence towards an appreciation of the unsolved paradigm of how biomechanical forces may play a role in the initiation and propagation of AS.

Invisible palmar needles: thyroid disorder associated spiny keratoderma and the importance of proper light for visualization.

Spiny keratoderma is a rare skin condition that presents on the palmar and plantar surfaces of the hands and/or feet. This condition is difficult to appreciate under ambient lighting but can be both physically and emotionally distressing to patients. Furthermore, because of the association with various neoplasms and systemic diseases, timely diagnosis and appropriate follow-up is of importance.

Rare Case of Pediatric Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder Presenting With Pleural Masses Complicated by Pleural Effusions.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder is a complication in organ transplant recipients characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of B-lymphocytes, occurring in 6% of pediatric patients, with risk factors including primary Epstein-Barr virus infection, intensity of immunosuppression, and cytomegalovirus infection. The clinical symptoms are often nonspecific, and it is associated with a high mortality rate if left untreated. We describe a rare case of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder who presented with pleural-based masses resulting in pleural effusions.

Patient and family contributions to improve the diagnostic process through the OurDX electronic health record tool: a mixed method analysis.

Background: Accurate and timely diagnosis relies on sharing perspectives among team members and avoiding information asymmetries. Patients/Families hold unique diagnostic process (DxP) information, including knowledge of diagnostic safety blindspots-information that patients/families know, but may be invisible to clinicians. To improve information sharing, we co-developed with patients/families an online tool called 'Our Diagnosis (OurDX)'.

Analysis of a Community Health Screening Program and the Factors Affecting Access to Care.

Introduction Free community health fairs and screening initiatives can be effective in broadening access to care and improving health outcomes in historically marginalized communities. UTHealthCares is a community health-focused organization developed at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. At the beginning of 2023, UTHealthCares oversaw a free community health fair in the Eastex-Jensen Area - a medically underserved area in Northeast Houston.

Selective immune suppression using interleukin-6 receptor inhibitors for management of immune-related adverse events.

Background: Management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) is important as they cause treatment interruption or discontinuation, more often seen with combination immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Here, we retrospectively evaluated the safety and effectiveness of anti-interleukin-6 receptor (anti-IL-6R) as therapy for irAEs.

Methods: We performed a retrospective multicenter study evaluating patients diagnosed with de novo irAEs or flare of pre-existing autoimmune disease following ICI and were treated with anti-IL-6R.

Now that the door is open: an update on ischemic stroke pharmacotherapeutics for the neurointerventionalist.

The last 10 years have seen a major shift in management of large vessel ischemic stroke with changes towards ever-expanding use of reperfusion therapies (intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy). These strategies 'open the door' to acute therapeutics for ischemic tissue, and we should investigate novel therapeutic approaches to enhance survival of recently reperfused brain. Key insights into new approaches have been provided through translational research models and preclinical paradigms, and through detailed research on ischemic mechanisms.

Researching COVID to enhance recovery (RECOVER) pregnancy study: Rationale, objectives and design.

Importance: Pregnancy induces unique physiologic changes to the immune response and hormonal changes leading to plausible differences in the risk of developing post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC), or Long COVID. Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy may also have long-term ramifications for exposed offspring, and it is critical to evaluate the health outcomes of exposed children. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Multi-site Observational Study of PASC aims to evaluate the long-term sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in various populations.

Economic evaluation and costs of remote patient monitoring for cardiovascular disease in the United States: a systematic review.

Background: Remote patient monitoring (RPM) has emerged as a viable and valuable care delivery method to improve chronic disease management. In light of the high prevalence and substantial economic burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD), this systematic review examines the cost and cost-effectiveness of using RPM to manage CVD in the United States.

Methods: We systematically searched databases to identify potentially relevant research.

Thematic analyses of participant survey responses following dermatology ECHO programs with dermoscopy: Practical tips and lessons learned.

Introduction: Skin cancer is a major public health concern in the United States, reflecting approximately one in every three cancer diagnoses. Despite the high incidence of skin cancer, access to dermatologists is limited, especially in rural areas. Primary care physicians play a pivotal role in the evaluation of skin conditions, but dermatology training gaps exist in primary care training programs.

The History of Surgical Education in the United States: Past, Present, and Future.

In just over 100 years, surgical education in the United States has evolved from a disorganized practice to a refined system esteemed worldwide as one of the premier models for the training of physicians and surgeons. But in the changing environment of health care, new challenges have arisen that could warrant a reform. To design our future, we must understand our past.

Estrogen-related Receptor Signaling in Skeletal Muscle Fitness.

Skeletal muscle is a highly plastic tissue that can alter its metabolic and contractile features, as well as regenerative potential in response to exercise and other conditions. Multiple signaling factors including metabolites, kinases, receptors, and transcriptional factors have been studied in the regulation of skeletal muscle plasticity. Recently, estrogen-related receptors (ERRs) have emerged as a critical transcriptional hub in control of skeletal muscle homeostasis.

Negotiating a new chair package: context and considerations.

Negotiating a resource package as a potential new department chair is common practice in academic medicine. The foundations for this negotiation include the historical presence of the department in relation to the broader institution, projections for future growth, accounting for mission/vision, resource needs (space, personnel, finances, etc), faculty and staff development, and external partnerships within and outside the institution. Despite similarities in this process across departments, many nuances influence the development of a specific new chair package, such as, department size; desires, perspectives and talents of the incoming chair, the department faculty, the medical school and dean; prevailing agendas and mission imperatives; and the overall priorities of the institution.

Perspectives of Health Care Staff on Predictors of Success in a Food Prescription Program: A Qualitative Study.

Partnerships between food prescription programs and food banks can address food insecurity and support health; however, few studies have examined the experience and perceptions of health care partners about these programs. Our objective was to analyze secondary qualitative data from clinicians and clinic staff involved in implementing a food prescription program in Houston, Texas. We collected data from 17 health care clinics from May 2018 through March 2021 to learn how implementation of the food prescription program was perceived, and we received 252 responses.

meningitis associated with tonsillar herniation in an immunocompetent school-aged child.

can cause severe illnesses such as gastroenteritis, sepsis and neurolisteriosis, especially in infants, the elderly and immunocompromised patients. We report a case of a previously healthy school-aged girl presenting with severe neurological deficits found to have meningoencephalitis. Her potential exposure to was consumption of contaminated cheese.