Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency department utilization of initial fibrinolysis for the treatment of STEMI.

Objective: Fibrinolysis is generally considered an alternative to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) when PCI is not immediately feasible. The COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted the timeliness of PCI. We sought to compare the rate of fibrinolysis use before vs.

Primary splenic involvement in kaposiform lymphangiomatosis: A case report.

Introduction: Kaposiform Lymphangiomatosis (KLA) is a rare, pathologically distinct lymphatic anomaly characterized by abnormal lymphatic channel malformation and a high mortality rate. Previous studies describe primary thoracic involvement.

Presentation Of Case: A previously healthy eighteen-month-old female presented to the pediatric emergency department with sudden onset of petechiae and bruising.

Pharmacotherapy for Agitation Management in a Pediatric Emergency Department.

Objectives: In the treatment of agitation in a pediatric emergency department (PED), it is common to use once or as needed (PRN) medications when nonpharmacological management options have failed. Currently, there is limited available evidence on the treatment of pediatric agitation. The objective of this analysis was to characterize the prescribing practices of once or PRN medications for the treatment of agitation in a PED at an academic medical center.

Comparison of Partial Endoscopic vs Surgical Fundoplication after Hiatal Hernia Repair.

Background: The concomitant hiatal hernia repair with endoscopic fundoplication (c-TIF) is a novel anti-reflux procedure that addresses the hiatus and the gastro-esophageal flap valve for surgical candidates with GERD. We aim to compare the outcomes of a hiatal hernia repair with endoscopic fundoplication (TIF) vs surgical partial fundoplication (anterior and posterior) with regards to quality-of-life scores at 12 months after surgery.

Study Design: Following IRB approval, a prospectively maintained anti-reflux database was retrospectively reviewed to identify patients who underwent a c-TIF procedure or a surgical hiatal hernia repair with partial fundoplication.

Barriers to Buprenorphine: A Case Series of Misadventures Implementing a Prehospital Buprenorphine Protocol.

While several studies have focused on preliminary data and outcomes associated with prehospital buprenorphine administration interventions, to date there has been little discussion of the challenges experienced during the initial implementation of a prehospital buprenorphine protocol. In this case series we examine 3 separate patient encounters with different crews, patients, and receiving emergency medicine (EM) physicians, which highlight initial challenges experienced with implementing the first prehospital buprenorphine program in a rural Appalachian County within South Carolina. In 2 cases we highlight conflicts that may require collegial intervention and education of local receiving EM physicians regarding the new prehospital protocol.

Impact of Body Mass Index on Operative Time in Women Undergoing Benign Hysterectomy.

Background: Optimization of surgical scheduling represents an opportunity to improve resource utilization and increase patient access. Increasing body mass index (BMI) has been associated with increased operating time and may provide an opportunity to more accurately predict operating time.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between BMI and operative time for benign hysterectomy and develop a predictive model for hysterectomy operating time based on patient BMI.

Exploring the gaps: A scoping review of burn injury research in skin of colour.

Burn injury management and outcomes reveal observed disparities in individuals with darker skin tones, likely influenced by limited representation in medical literature and clinical research. These gaps may contribute to variations in care quality and outcomes for these populations. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases, initially yielding 74 articles.

Human-centered design of a health recommender system for orthopaedic shoulder treatment.

Background: Rich data on diverse patients and their treatments and outcomes within Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems can be used to generate real world evidence. A health recommender system (HRS) framework can be applied to a decision support system application to generate data summaries for similar patients during the clinical encounter to assist physicians and patients in making evidence-based shared treatment decisions.

Objective: A human-centered design (HCD) process was used to develop a HRS for treatment decision support in orthopaedic medicine, the Informatics Consult for Individualized Treatment (I-C-IT).

Recommended Elements of a Musculoskeletal Course for Fourth-Year Medical Students: A Modified Delphi Consensus.

Background And Objectives: A recognized gap exists between primary care physicians' training in musculoskeletal (MSK) medicine and the burden of MSK complaints in primary care. Family medicine interns often lack adequate baseline MSK physical exam skills, which prompted a proposal to introduce a fourth-year preceptorship to reinforce MSK education. The aim of this study was to prioritize the most important elements to include in this new clinical rotation.

Evaluating medical learners' experiences with health literacy at a southeastern medical school.

Background: Health literacy (HL) is crucial for making informed health decisions. Over one-third of US adults have limited HL, leading to adverse health outcomes. Despite its importance, HL education lacks standardization in medical training.

Implementing and evaluating the comprehensive integration of physical activity into a major health system: study design and protocol.

Introduction: The healthcare sector has great potential for promoting physical activity (PA) for chronic disease prevention, treatment and management; however, multiple adoption and implementation barriers exist, ranging from practice integration to information flow. In 2016, Exercise is Medicine Greenville (EIMG), a comprehensive clinic-to-community approach that involves PA assessment, recommendation and/or prescription and provider-based referral of patients to community-based PA programmes, was launched by Prisma Health in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. Since inception, variability has emerged in adoption and implementation, impacting patient reach, referral rates and engagement in the community-based PA programmes, highlighting the need for closer evaluation and refinement of strategies to maximise programme impact.

Self-Management assistance for recommended treatment (SMART) IBD app randomized control trial in adolescents with IBD: Design and methodology.

Aims: Adherence to medical regimens, including medications and appointments, is a significant concern for adolescent populations that warrants behavioral interventions. Negative health behaviors during adolescence can persist into adulthood and lead to long-term negative health outcomes. Due to the limited availability and resources for behavioral self-management intervention, many youth do not receive evidence-based behavioral care and continue to struggle with managing their illness.

Effectiveness of cholangioscopy guided biopsy versus ERCP guided brushings in diagnosing malignant biliary strictures.

Background: Evaluation of lesions of the biliary tract are essential to diagnose given the dismal outcomes of cholangiocarcinoma. Historically, these diagnoses were made using brush biopsies obtained under Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). To increase the accuracy of biliary biopsies, SpyGlassTM Discover cholangioscopy guided biopsy has been developed, providing greater tissue yield and direct visualization of the biliary epithelium.

Factors Influencing Patient Enrollment in a Community-based Physical Activity Program After Healthcare Provider Referral: A Mixed Methods Study.

Introduction And Objectives: Structured physical activity (PA) programs help to prevent and manage chronic diseases, yet systematic approaches to identify and enroll patients in these programs are lacking. Exercise is Medicine Greenville (EIMG) is a novel clinic-to-community model that identifies patients with chronic diseases in primary care settings and connects them to a structured, evidence-informed, community-based PA program. This study assessed influences on PA program enrollment using a mixed methods design.

I-RANT: Training session on a novel, scripted, bystander microaggression intervention tool for medical students.

Background: Microaggressions, subtle and often unintentional acts of hostility, have been recognized as a significant issue in healthcare, adversely affecting learners' emotional and physical well-being. Current strategies for addressing microaggressions are broad frameworks without empirical substantiation that leave learners without a clear direction for intervention. This study introduces a novel scripted, succinct, bystander intervention tool to combat microaggressions.

Preparing a dialysis patient.

Preparing a dialysis patient for access placement is a process that should ideally begin well before the need for access use. Unfortunately, this is often not the case and patients are often seen well after dialysis has been initiated with a catheter. The process should include a detail-oriented history and a thorough vascular oriented physical examination.

A novel load-sensing sliding hip screw to aid in the assessment of intertrochanteric fracture healing.

Bone healing after sliding hip screw internal fixation of intertrochanteric hip fractures is difficult to monitor with radiography. In this study, we describe and evaluate a device to non-invasively determine the loading on the screw implant as a possible qualitative indicator of bone healing. A novel load-sensing sliding hip screw (LS-SHS) was fabricated containing a radio-dense tungsten indicator rod that moves and can be measured within the screw cannulation when the screw bends under load via plain radiography.

Grey matter volume differences across Parkinson's disease motor subtypes in the supplementary motor cortex.

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease worldwide due to loss of dopaminergic neurons projecting from the basal ganglia (BG). It is associated with various motor symptoms that are grouped into subtypes, each with different clinical presentations and disease progressions. Neuroimaging biomarkers focusing on regions a part of motor circuits projecting from the BG can distinguish and improve overall subtyping.

Amlodipine versus nifedipine ER for the management of postpartum hypertension: a noninferiority randomized controlled trial.

Background: Postpartum hypertension is an increasingly prevalent problem and optimizing its treatment is imperative in reducing maternal morbidity and improving long-term health outcomes. Despite this, data on treatment of postpartum hypertension is limited. While most available studies focus on labetalol and nifedipine ER, these medications are not frequently used for hypertension treatment in the non-obstetric setting.

Developing a pharmacy residency research program educational series: A review of the literature and considerations for implementation.

In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time.

A Rare Case of Granular Cell Tumor of the Anus.

Granular cell tumors (GCTs) are uncommon soft tissue neoplasms derived from Schwann cells that can arise from various regions of the body. The majority originate from the head and neck. They are rarely encountered in the gastrointestinal tract and even more rarely in the anorectal region.

Time Isn't your FoCUS, do cardiac POCUS!

Background: Physicians often cite time as a limitation to performing a focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS) exam. The primary outcome of this study was to determine the amount of time to complete a quality FoCUS exam. Secondary outcomes evaluated time differences between different training levels.