Attitudes, perceptions and barriers in implementing therapeutic drug monitoring for anti-TNFs in inflammatory bowel disease: a survey from the Middle East.

Background: A growing body of evidence underscores the beneficial impact of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) on the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Objectives: We surveyed clinician attitudes, perceptions and barriers related to TDM in IBD in the Middle East.

Design: A 15-question survey was distributed through national gastroenterological societies in five Middle Eastern countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon and Egypt).

May Measurement Month 2018: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from United Arab Emirates.

Hypertension is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease and death even in high-income countries. According to the PURE Study, globally only half of hypertensives are aware and less than a fifth controlled. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global campaign to raise awareness and screen for high blood pressure (BP) of formal screening.

Exogenous IGF-1 improves cognitive function in rats with high-fat diet consumption.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) improves cognitive function, but its mechanism has not been elucidated. The aim of the study was to explore whether IGF-1 exerted its protective effect on cognitive function and anxiety behavior through the activation of PI3K/Akt/CREB pathway in high-fat diet rats. Neuronal cells HT22 were treated with nothing, IGF-1, IGF-1 + LY294002 or IGF-1 + 666-15.

Lyme Disease: What the Neuroradiologist Needs to Know.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in Canada and the United States, caused by , which affects multiple organ systems. Epidemiology, clinical presentation, and neuroimaging findings are reviewed.

May Measurement Month 2017: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from the United Arab Emirates-Northern Africa and Middle East.

Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a growing burden worldwide, leading to over 10 million deaths each year. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness of high BP and to act as a temporary solution to the lack of screening programmes worldwide. United Arab Emirates has a young population, but cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the commonest cause of death (40%).

Incentivizing Physician Diversity in Radiology.

In this article, the authors review the evolving state of diversity in the field of radiology. The authors discuss several early and recent historical legislative milestones that increased the equitable delivery of health care in the United States, such as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ensured that funds for Medicare reimbursement would be available only to desegregated hospitals. Furthermore, the authors examine the current state of diversity and representation in radiology, in which underrepresented minorities represent 8.

Factors Influencing the Adequacy of Bowel Preparation in Patients With Developmental Disabilities.

Background: The rate of inadequate bowel preparation in the general population is approximately 23%. As more individuals with developmental disabilities enter late adulthood, a concomitant rise in endoscopic procedures for this population, including screening colonoscopies, is anticipated. However, there are sparse data on the adequacy of bowel preparation in patients with developmental disabilities.

Comparison of Advanced Imaging Resources, Radiology Workforce, and Payment Methodologies between the United States and Canada.

The purpose of this Practice Perspectives was to review the United States and Canadian approaches to health care access and payment for advanced imaging. The historical background, governmental role, workforce, coding, payment, radiologic challenges, cost, resource intensity, and overall outcomes in longevity are reviewed.

Using a retention in care protocol to promote positive health and systems related outcomes.

People living with HIV can experience the full benefits of retention when they are continuously engaged in care. Continuous engagement in care promotes improved adherence to ART and positive health outcomes. An infectious disease clinic has implemented a protocol to primarily improve patient retention.

Expanding Hospital Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing in the Bronx, New York and Washington, District of Columbia: Results From the HPTN 065 Study.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing is critical for both HIV treatment and prevention. Expanding testing in hospital settings can identify undiagnosed HIV infections.

Methods: To evaluate the feasibility of universally offering HIV testing during emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient admissions, 9 hospitals in the Bronx, New York and 7 in Washington, District of Columbia (DC) undertook efforts to offer HIV testing routinely.

Healthcare Antibiotic Resistance Prevalence - DC (HARP-DC): A Regional Prevalence Assessment of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in Healthcare Facilities in Washington, District of Columbia.

OBJECTIVE Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are a significant clinical and public health concern. Understanding the distribution of CRE colonization and developing a coordinated approach are key components of control efforts. The prevalence of CRE in the District of Columbia is unknown.

Costs of Expanded Rapid HIV Testing in Four Emergency Departments.

Objective: The HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 065 trial sought to expand HIV screening of emergency department (ED) patients in Bronx, New York, and Washington, D.C. This study assessed the testing costs associated with different expansion processes and compared them with costs of a hypothetical optimized process.

Myelography CPT Coding Updates: Effects of 4 New Codes and Unintended Consequences.

The Current Procedural Terminology of the American Medical Association has recently introduced coding changes for myelography with the introduction of new bundled codes. The aim of this review was to help neuroradiologists understand these code changes and their unintended consequences and to discuss various scenarios in which permutations of various codes could occur in clinical practice.

First-time mothers' selection of infant supine sleep positioning.

The incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) has decreased dramatically since the inception of the "Back to Sleep" campaign initiated by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1992. However, that decrease has leveled off and many new parents cease to follow the recommendation to place their infants in the supine position for sleep between 1 and 3 months of age, the peak age for the incidence of SIDS. Shortened hospital stays for new mothers and the overwhelming amount of required patient teaching dictate the need to find the best method of instruction.

Previous traumatic birth: an impetus for requested cesarean birth.

This paper addresses the meaningfulness of the childbearing experience and how a traumatic occurrence can affect women for years into the future. Every woman deserves to have a fulfilling childbearing experience, even if it may be different from the one she imagined. This paper examines the phenomenon of previous traumatic birth and its potential effects on choices during subsequent pregnancies.

A case report of mitral valve replacement in a patient with lupus antibody syndrome.

Systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) is an autoimmune disease frequently accompanied by the presence of an antiphospholipid antibody (APA). Early referred to as the lupus anticoagulant (LAC), this APA consists of immunoglobulins that are known to interfere with coagulation tests that are phospholipid dependent. Such tests include the partial thromboplastin time (PTT), the activated clotting time (ACT) and may affect the thrombin time (TT).

Culturally competent care for Latino elders in long-term care settings.

The decision to place a family member in a long-term care (LTC) facility results in a variety of experiences for families. The experience of Latino families can be particularly problematic for the different relatives involved in the process. Placing a loved one in an LTC facility goes against cultural norms for Hispanic families that can lead to problems for both the family and the facility staff.

A brief case report and review of ciguatera poisoning.

Although ciguatera fish poisoning is generally a mild, self-limited disease, both life-threatening acute reactions and troublesome chronic symptoms can occur. Because ciguatera has been largely confined to tropical locations, a relative lack of recognition exists among many US physicians. As access to tropical locations has increased, so has the distribution of ciguatera.