531 results match your criteria: "St. Josephs University Medical Center[Affiliation]"

Hyperuricemia, characterized by elevated serum uric acid levels, has been linked to cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, metabolic syndrome, and coronary artery disease. This relationship, however, is complex; while some studies indicate a strong association, others suggest it may be influenced by confounding factors. The rising global prevalence of hyperuricemia underscores the necessity for a deeper understanding of its cardiovascular implications.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To evaluate the readability of commonly used patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in the sports medicine literature to determine if they meet the recommended reading levels set by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Medical Association (AMA).

Methods: A readability analysis was conducted on 26 PROMs commonly used in the sports medicine literature. Primary readability metrics used were the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) and the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) Index.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Unlabelled: Scimitar syndrome is a rare congenital anomaly characterised by anomalous pulmonary venous drainage of the right lung into the inferior vena cava, often accompanied by right lung hypoplasia and dextroposition of the heart. Here, we present the case of a 24-year-old female with scimitar syndrome and a history of asthma who presented with acute exacerbation of asthma. A chest X-ray revealed opacification of the right hemithorax, and a CT angiography revealed congenital hypoplasia of the right lung and dextrocardia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Cervical degenerative disc disease (DDD) significantly affects the quality of life in labor-intensive careers. When conservative measures fail, either anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) or cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) may be indicated. Although ACDF is the gold standard, it can limit motion, whereas CDA preserves motion and may reduce adjacent segment disease (ASD).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To investigate whether ChatGPT-3.5 and -4.0 can serve as a viable tool to create readable patient education materials for patients with common orthopaedic upper- and lower-extremity conditions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Duplication of the superior vena cava is a rare congenital anomaly. Although often asymptomatic, this anatomical variation can complicate cardiovascular procedures, particularly those involving central venous access. We present the case of an 82-year-old female with multiple comorbidities, who was incidentally found to have a persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) during pacemaker implantation for digoxin-induced complete heart block.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Quincke's disease is a rare presentation of angioneurotic edema of the uvula alone, likely a Type I immediate hypersensitivity reaction. We raise awareness of this rare but life-threatening case presenting as throat tightness, without rash or facial angioedema, treated with corticosteroids, antihistamines, and β2-agonist nebulization.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Many adults in the United States possess basic or below basic health literacy skills, making it essential for patient education materials (PEMs) to be presented at or below a sixth-grade reading level. We evaluate the readability of PEMs generated by ChatGPT 3.5 and 4.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Optimal Strategies for the Management of Macromastia and Breast Ptosis for Patients Undergoing Nipple-sparing Mastectomy.

J Reconstr Microsurg

February 2025

Department of Surgery, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

High-volume breasts pose challenges for nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) due to their large size, indistinct tissue boundaries, and high degree of ptosis. Historically, NSM was not considered feasible for such cases, but advancements in surgical techniques have expanded eligibility criteria.We developed a surgical algorithm for patients with macromastia and ptosis undergoing NSM.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A 66-year-old man with a baseline electrocardiogram (ECG) showing left bundle branch block developed persistent complete atrioventricular block following stent placement in the proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD), necessitating permanent pacemaker implantation. The complication is believed to have resulted from occlusion of the second septal branch, which likely supplied the right bundle of the His system. During elective interventions targeting the LAD in patients with pre-existing conduction abnormalities, it is crucial to maintain adequate blood flow to the septal perforators.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a prevalent and complex condition with limited effective treatments. Endothelial dysfunction is a significant component of HFpEF pathophysiology, and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists have shown potential benefits in improving endothelial function. This study aims to explore the relationship between endothelial dysfunction in HFpEF and the mechanisms of action of GLP-1R agonists, highlighting their potential therapeutic benefits.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Ludwig angina is a potentially fatal condition characterized by soft tissue infection of the submandibular, sublingual, and submental compartments. Pseudo-Ludwig angina is a rare condition characterized by sublingual swelling of non-infectious etiology, typically in the setting of supratherapeutic anticoagulation. However, other etiologies, such as angioedema and trauma, have been described.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Patient-reported outcome measures are essential tools for assessing surgical interventions, capturing patient perspectives on functionality, symptoms, and quality of life. However, ensuring that these measures are easily understandable is crucial for accurate patient responses. The National Institutes of Health and American Medical Association recommend that patient materials be written at or below a sixth-grade reading level.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We present a case of a 42-year-old male with sarcoidosis manifesting as endobronchial mass-like lesions, a rare and atypical presentation of the disease. Sarcoidosis typically involves the respiratory system, but its occurrence as endobronchial polyps mimicking malignancy is uncommon. The diagnosis was confirmed through bronchoscopy and biopsy, revealing non-caseating granulomas.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sevelamer is a non-absorbable polymer used to treat hyperphosphatemia in individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis. The deposition of sevelamer crystals in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, especially in the colon, can cause mucosal inflammation, pseudopolyps, ulceration, ischemia, or necrosis. Owing to its rarity and lack of physician awareness, the actual incidence and prevalence of sevelamer-induced gastrointestinal mucosal injury (SIGMI) remain unknown.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dieulafoy's lesion (DL) is an uncommon cause of life-threatening gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. It can occur in any part of the GI tract, including the stomach, duodenum, colon, and esophagus. Dieulafoy's lesion in the esophagus (DLE) is an exceedingly rare entity, with only 23 case reports/series (27 patients) reported to date.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: There is a lack of data on the role of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients who received percutaneous left ventricular assist devices (pLVAD) as mechanical circulatory support (MCS) as an adjunct treatment for cardiogenic shock (CS) management.

Methods: Using National Inpatient Sample (2016-19), we extracted CS patients receiving pLVAD and divided them into CKD and non-CKD cohorts. Multivariate regression analysis was used for adjusted odds ratios for outcomes before and after entropy balancing (EB) and predictive margins for the probability of all-cause in-hospital mortality (ACM).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Impact of sarcoidosis in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement: Insight from nationwide readmission database 2016-2019.

Indian Heart J

January 2025

Franciscan Health, Lafayette, IN, USA; Krannert Cardiovascular Research Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA. Electronic address:

It is not well-known if valve replacement outcomes differ in patients with sarcoidosis, especially in aortic valve intervention, where the pressure gradients are physiologically high. In this retrospective study, we included all patients who underwent surgical/transcatheter aortic valve replacement from the Nationwide Readmission Database (2016-2019), and then divided them into those with and without sarcoidosis. Logistic and cox proportional hazard regression models were used.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Heyde syndrome is a triad of aortic stenosis (AS), gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding from angiodysplasia, and acquired von Willebrand disease (vWD). It is hypothesized that stenotic aortic valves cleave von Willebrand factor (vWF) multimers, predisposing patients to bleeding from GI angiodysplasias. This hypothesis is supported by the observation that aortic valve replacement often leads to the resolution of GI bleeding.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hibernomas are rare, benign neoplasms characterized by the presence of brown adipose tissue. Although these tumors may arise in any region of brown fat, they predominantly occur in the thigh, shoulder, back, and neck. Hibernomas are rarely found in mammary tissue, with a higher prevalence in females than males.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aortic dissection (AD) is a life-threatening emergency involving a tear in the aortic intima, leading to a false lumen. Atrial fibrillation (AF) can complicate AD, increasing management challenges and mortality risks. We report a 67-year-old male with no known past medical history who presented with a 1-day history of abdominal pain.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF