Easing the Pain: An Argument for Prescribing Opiates in Continuity Clinic

Continuity clinic can be painful. The patients are often non-adherent, the no-show rate is high, and the paperelectronic records hybrid system is less than ideal. Added to that is the stress of caring for patients with a variety of medical issues and the burden of being expected to prescribe opiates for them. Given all of the difficulties associated with opiate prescribing, including the potential for abuse, limited continuity with providers, and poor overall adherence to medical advice, it has been proposed that these medications should no longer be prescribed at our resident clinic, and many residents support this plan. However, implementing a blanket moratorium on opiate prescribing would violate several of the fundamental principles of our medical training. According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration data, approximately one hundred million new opiate prescriptions were written in the year 2009. Of these prescriptions, general internists were responsible for writing about fifteen percent of them, including both immediate and extended release formulations.1 So, if opiate use is so fraught with problems, why are physicians prescribing so many of them? This is likely because they are some of our most effective medicines and many of our patients need immediate relief from acute pain

Smoking and Other Determinants of COVID Severity Among Cancer Patients

Introduction Cancer patients might be more susceptible to COVID-19 infection. With a higher incidence of acute complications, severe disease and higher mortality rates. Identifying factors contributing to severe disease remains essential to avoid the risk of severe and often fatal COVID-19 exposure. We report on the predisposing factors for severe COVID-19 and increased hospitalization burden in cancer patients at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) in Philadelphia.https://jdc.jefferson.edu/medoncposters/1015/thumbnail.jp

Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Patient and Provider Perspectives in Philadelphia (AYA-4P)

Primary Objectives To assess the current perspective of AYA patients regarding medical services and psychosocial support delivered to AYAs in Philadelphia To assess the current knowledge and perspective of healthcare providers at the SKCC about the care and services needed by AYA patient

Treating Hematologic Malignancies During a Pandemic: Utilizing Telehealth and Digital Technology to Optimize Care.

In late January 2020, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS CoV-2) was reported as an outbreak in Wuhan, China. Within 2 months it became a global pandemic. Patients with cancer are at highest risk for both contracting and suffering complications of its resultant disease, Coronavirus 19 (COVID-19). Healthcare systems across the world had to adapt quickly to mitigate this risk, while continuing to provide potentially lifesaving treatment to patients. Bringing care to the home through the use of telehealth, home based chemotherapy, and remote patient monitoring technologies can help minimize risk to the patient and healthcare workers without sacrificing quality of care delivered. These care models provide the right treatment, to the right patient, at the right time

Case Report: Tocilizumab for the Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Patient With Aplastic Anemia

While cytokine storm develops in a minority of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, novel treatment approaches are desperately needed for those in whom it does. Tocilizumab, an interleukin-6 receptor antibody, has been utilized for the treatment of cytokine storm in a number of severe inflammatory conditions, including in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Here, we present the first published case utilizing this therapy in a patient with underlying immunodeficiency. Our patient with aplastic anemia developed cytokine storm due to COVID-19 manifested by fever, severe hypoxia, pulmonary infiltrates, and elevated inflammatory markers. Following treatment with tocilizumab, cytokine storm resolved, and the patient was ultimately safely discharged from the hospital

Caring for AML Patients During the COVID-19 Crisis: An American and Italian Experience.

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the subsequent pandemic have impacted every aspect of oncology care worldwide. Healthcare systems have been forced to rapidly change practices in order to maximize the safety of patients and healthcare providers and preserve scare resources. Patients with acute myeloid leukemia are at increased risk of complications from SARS-CoV-2 not only due to immune compromise related to the malignancy but also due to the acuity of the disease and intensity of treatment. These issues have created unique challenges during this difficult time. In this article, we present the approaches taken by two groups of hematologist/oncologists, one in the United States and one in Italy, who have been caring for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients in the face of the pandemic

Hematemesis, a Distended Abdomen, and Pulseless Electrical Activity – An Unusual Presentation of Boerhaave’s Syndrome

Case Presentation An 82-year-old male with a past medical history significant for coronary artery disease with three stents placed over the last 15 months, diastolic heart failure with preserved EF, atrial fibrillation on warfarin, colon cancer status-post sigmoid resection and prostate cancer status-post prostatectomy who presented with three episodes of melena, hematemesis, and weakness. The patient was in his usual state of health prior to these symptoms. He had no history of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding or other GI pathology and was a non-drinker and non-smoker. He denied frequent use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications

Clinical, Cytogenetic, and Molecular Findings in Two Cases of Variant t(8;21) Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).

t(8;21)(q22;q22) is present in ~5–10% of patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is associated with a better overall prognosis. Variants of the t(8;21) have been described in the literature, however, their clinical and prognostic significance has not been well-characterized. Molecular profiling of these cases has not previously been reported but may be useful in better defining the prognosis of this subset of patients. We present two cases of variant t(8;21) AML including clinical, cytogenetic, and molecular data