Day in the Life: Indian Health Service - Zuni, NM

Outline: Zuni Pueblo (Geographics/ Demographics/ History and Culture) Rural Medicine (Full spectrum/ Day in the Life) Working for the Indian Health Service New Mexico Livin

Effect of cusp size, depth and direction on stress concentration

Recently multi-axial machining technology has improved significantly. It has become a widely accepted method of manufacturing components with complex, free form surfaces. Solid billet materials with negligible internal defects are used in this process. This provides increased durability and fatigue life over equivalent cast components. However, multi-axial machining leaves cusps as machining marks. The combination of tool size and step-over generates cusps with different depths and widths. Even though the cusps add extra material on top of the nominal surface, the Finite Element Analysis simulations presented in this paper show that the maximum stress generated within the cusps can be greater than that predicted from the cusp-free geometry. These stress concentrations generated by cusps can reduce the fatigue life and durability of a machined component. In this paper a full factorial analysis of the effect of tool size, cusp width/step-over and cusp direction has been conducted. The analysis uses five different levels of tool size and cusps width and four levels of cusp direction. The results can be used to determine a tool size, cusp width and cusp direction combination with minimum spurious stress raising effect

Reduced Atrial Tachyarrhythmia Susceptibility After Upgrade of Conventional Implanted Pulse Generator to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Patients with Heart Failure

OBJECTIVES: We sought to identify the impact of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) on atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT) susceptibility in patients with left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction in whom worsening heart failure (HF) resulted in upgrade from conventional dual-chamber pulse generator to cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillator (CRT-D). BACKGROUND: Cardiac resynchronization therapy with a defibrillator improves survival rates and symptoms in patients with LV systolic dysfunction but little is known about its effects on AT incidence in the same patient population. METHODS: Twenty-eight consecutive HF patients who underwent device upgrade to CRT-D were included. Patients had \u3e or =2 device interrogations in the 1 year before upgrade and \u3e or =3 interrogations in the 18- to 24-month follow-up after upgrade. Echocardiographic parameters were assessed before and at 3 to 6 months after CRT-D. Additional observations included number of hospital stays, HF clinical status, and concomitant pharmacological therapy. By virtue of this study design, each patient served as his/her own control. Statistical analysis was performed by 2-tailed paired t test and with nonparametric tests where appropriate. RESULTS: Within 3 months after CRT, the number of HF patients with documented AT decreased significantly from the immediate pre-CRT value and tended to decline with time. At 1-year follow-up, 90% of patients were AT-free compared with 14% of patients 3 months before CRT (p \u3c 0.001). Furthermore, the number of AT episodes/year and their maximum duration decreased after CRT (mean +/- SD; 181 +/- 50 vs. 50 +/- 20.2, p \u3c 0.05, and 220.8 +/- 87 s vs. 28 +/- 21 s, p \u3c 0.05, respectively). Finally, CRT was associated with improved LV ejection fraction (mean +/- SD; from 26 +/- 5.3% to 31 +/- 7%, p \u3c 0.001) and reduced number of HF or arrhythmia hospital stays (p \u3c 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the view that CRT might decrease AT susceptibility in HF patients with LV systolic dysfunctio

Effects of high intraoperative inspired oxygen on postoperative nausea and vomiting in gynecologic laparoscopic surgery

Study objective: To assess the efficacy of intraoperative different inspired oxygen fractions (FIO2) of 0.8 and 0.5 when compared with standard FIO2 0.3 in prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Design: A prospective, controlled, randomized, double-blind study. Setting: General hospital, postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and gynecologic floor room. Patients: 120 ASA physical status I and II women, aged 21 to 76 y, undergoing elective gynecologic laparoscopic surgery. Interventions: Patients were randomized to receive gas mixture of 30% oxygen in air (FI O2=0.3, group G30), 50% oxygen in air (FIO2=0.5, group G50) or 80% oxygen in air (FIO2=0.8, group G80), n=36 in each group. A standardized sevoflurane general anesthesia, postoperative pain management and antiemetic regimen were used. Measurements: The incidence of nausea, vomiting or both was assessed for early (0-2h) and late PONV (2-24h) along with the use of rescue antiemetic, degree of nausea and severity of pain. Main results: There was no overall difference in the incidence of PONV at early and late assessment periods among the three groups. Patients in G80 had significantly less vomiting than G30 at 2 hours, 3% (1/36) vs. 22% (8/36), respectively, P=0.028. Nausea scores, rescue antiemetic use, pain scores and opioid consumption were not different among the groups. Conclusion: High intraoperative FIO2 of 0.8 and FIO2 of 0.5 does not prevent PONV in patients without antiemetic prophylaxis. Intraoperative FIO2 of 0.8 has beneficial effect on early vomiting only

Relationship of Paroxysmal Atrial Tachyarrhythmias to Volume Overload

BACKGROUND: Clinical experience suggests that atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATs) are a frequent comorbidity in heart failure patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and that volume overload may increase AT susceptibility. However, substantiating this apparent relationship in free-living patients is difficult. Recently, certain implantable cardioverter-defibrillators provide, by measuring transpulmonary electric bioimpedance, an index of intrathoracic fluid status (OptiVol index [OI]). The goal of this study was to determine whether periods of greater intrathoracic fluid congestion (as detected by OI) correspond with increased AT event frequency. METHODS AND RESULTS: This analysis retrospectively assessed the relation between AT events and OI estimate of volume overload in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and OI-capable implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. OI values were stratified into 3 levels: group 1, \u3c40; group 2, 40 to 60; and group 3, \u3e60. An OI threshold-crossing event was defined as OI \u3e or = 60, a value previously associated with clinically significant volume overload. Findings in 59 patients (mean left ventricular ejection fraction, 24%) with 225 follow-up visits (mean, 3.8 visits per patient) were evaluated. AT prevalence was 73%. AT frequency (percent of patients visits with at least 1 episode of AT since previous device interrogation) was greater in group 3 versus group 1 (P=0.0342). Finally, in terms of temporal sequence, AT episodes preceded OI threshold-crossing event in 43% of incidences, followed threshold-crossing event in 29%, and was simultaneous or indeterminate in the remainder. CONCLUSIONS: These findings not only support the view that worsening pulmonary congestion is associated with increased AT frequency in patients with left ventricular dysfunction but also suggest that AT events may be responsible for triggering episodic pulmonary congestion more often than previously suspected

Efficacy and safety of Vilobelimab (IFX-1), a novel monoclonal anti-C5a antibody, in patients with early severe sepsis or septic shock — a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter, phase IIa Trial (SCIENS Study)

IMPORTANCE:. Anaphylatoxin C5a, a proinflammatory complement split product, plays a central role in mediating organ dysfunction. OBJECTIVES:. This phase II clinical trial was conducted to study safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of vilobelimab, a recombinant monoclonal antibody against C5a, in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. DESIGN:. Multicenter, randomized, and placebo-controlled study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS:. Eleven multidisciplinary ICUs across Germany. Adult patients with severe sepsis or septic shock and with early onset of infection-associated organ dysfunction. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES:. Patients were randomly assigned in a ratio of 2:1 to three subsequent dosing cohorts for IV vilobelimab or placebo receiving either 2 × 2 mg/kg (0 and 12 hr), 2 × 4 mg/kg (0 and 24 hr), and 3 × 4 mg/kg (0, 24, and 72 hr). Co-primary endpoints were pharmacodynamics (assessed by C5a concentrations), pharmacokinetics (assessed by vilobelimab concentrations), and safety of vilobelimab. Preliminary efficacy was evaluated by secondary objectives. RESULTS:. Seventy-two patients were randomized (16 patients for each vilobelimab dosing cohort and eight patients for each placebo dosing cohort). Vilobelimab application was associated with dosing dependent decrease in C5a compared with baseline (p < 0.001). Duration of C5a decrease increased with more frequent dosing. Membrane attack complex lysis capacity measured by 50% hemolytic complement was not affected. Vilobelimab was well tolerated with similar safety findings in all dose cohorts. No vilobelimab-specific adverse events emerged. For vilobelimab-treated patients, investigators attributed less treatment-emergent adverse events as related compared with placebo. Dosing cohorts 2 and 3 had the highest ICU-free and ventilator-free days. There was no difference in mortality, vasopressor-free days, or renal replacement therapy-free days between the groups. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE:. Administration of vilobelimab in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock selectively neutralizes C5a in a dose-dependent manner without blocking formation of the membrane attack complex and without resulting in detected safety issues. The data warrant further investigation of C5a inhibition in sepsis

Identifying Barriers to Statin Therapy in Diabetic Patients in a Large Ambulatory Practice

Aim 1: To understand the root cause(s) for gaps in statin therapy within a large ambulatory care practice. Aim 2: To improve provider awareness of indications for statin therapy, as recommended by the ACC/AHA guidelines. Aim 3: To increase the proportion of patients with diabetes at our practice that are on statin therapy

A video-based educational intervention for providers regarding colorectal cancer screening

Methods: Email sent to providers asking them to complete a 7 question survey regarding knowledge and self-reported comfort in screening for colorectal cancer using a shared decision-making approach.https://jdc.jefferson.edu/patientsafetyposters/1045/thumbnail.jp

Is executive function associatedwith symptom severity in schizophrenia?

Abstract.: This paper reports on a study that was designed to investigate the relationship between psychopathology and executive functions in schizophrenia. Correlations were sparse and mostly weak. The most robust finding was the association between letter fluency and negative symptoms; however, most other applied tasks were not associated with symptom level. Our results support previous findings of differential relationships between impaired executive functions and symptom leve