Southern Medical Journal最新文献

{"title":"Elevated Lp(a): Guidance for Identifying and Managing Patients.","authors":"Daniel E Hilleman, James L Vacek, James M Backes","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001675","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001675","url":null,"abstract":"Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is a unique low-density lipoprotein-like lipoprotein that is considered an independent and causal risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and calcific aortic valve stenosis. The Lp(a) molecule also contains apolipoprotein A and apolipoprotein B, which collectively promote atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and inflammation. Lp(a) is highly genetic and minimally responsive to nonpharmacological measures. Lp(a) serum levels ≥125 nmol/L are associated with increased ASCVD risk, but this threshold has not been accepted universally. Elevated Lp(a) is the most common genetic dyslipidemia affecting approximately 20% of the general population. Certain currently available lipid-lowering drugs, including the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 therapies, produce moderate reductions in Lp(a); however, none are indicated for the treatment of elevated Lp(a). There are currently four investigational RNA-based therapeutic agents that reduce Lp(a) by 70% to 100%. Two of these agents are being evaluated for ASCVD risk reduction in adequately powered outcomes trials, with results expected in 2 to 3 years. Until such therapies become available and demonstrate favorable clinical outcomes, strategies for elevated Lp(a) primarily involve early and intensive ASCVD risk factor management.","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140793410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Utilization of Mental Health Services Within 1 Year of Delivery among Different Language Groups.","authors":"Minsu Kwak, Joshua Fogel, M. Tetrokalashvili","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001671","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001671","url":null,"abstract":"OBJECTIVES\u0000Cultural differences can affect postpartum mental health disorders and the utilization of mental health services. We compared women speaking English, Spanish, Russian, and Urdu/Bengali/Punjabi from postpartum through 1 year after delivery.\u0000\u0000\u0000METHODS\u0000This was a retrospective study of 3478 pregnant women from a public hospital in New York City. The primary outcome was a composite outcome of the presence of any of the following: diagnosis of depressive disorder, diagnosis of anxiety disorder, visit to a behavioral health service provider, and/or psychiatric admission. The secondary outcome was healthcare provider referral to a behavioral health service provider.\u0000\u0000\u0000RESULTS\u0000Languages spoken were English (n = 1881), Spanish (n = 694), Russian (n = 600), and Urdu/Bengali/Punjabi (n = 303). The language groups differed significantly (P = 0.02) for the composite outcome, with English having the greatest percentage (3.5%) and Russian the lowest percentage (1.2%). The language groups significantly differed for referral to behavioral health (P = 0.04), with Spanish having the greatest percentage (1.6%) and Russian the lowest percentage (0.2%). Anxiety disorder history (odds ratio [OR] 10.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.75-22.91, P < 0.001) and psychiatric disorder history (OR 5.26, 95% CI 2.13-8.49, P < 0.001) were each significantly associated with increased odds for the composite outcome. Anxiety disorder history (OR 6.42, 95% CI 1.92-21.45, P = 0.003) and elevated depressive symptoms (OR 4.92, 95% CI 2.04-11.83, P < 0.001) each were significantly associated with increased odds for referral to behavioral health.\u0000\u0000\u0000CONCLUSIONS\u0000Russian language was associated with lower utilization of mental health services postpartum. These findings can help clinicians determine among postpartum women who will be affected with mental health concerns and who will seek treatment for mental health concerns.","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140791856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Barriers to Medical Student Scholarly Activities: A Call to Action.","authors":"Leo Meller, Trent Percy, Mackenzie Pargeon","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001668","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001668","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140787511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving Communication with Family Members during a Global Pandemic: Effect on Patient Experience.","authors":"Gregory N. Orewa, Sue S. Feldman, K. Kennedy, Allyson G. Hall, Yu H Cheng, Arnaz A Malone, Ernest O Grimes, K. R. Hearld","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001670","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001670","url":null,"abstract":"OBJECTIVES\u0000Communication with patients and their families/caregivers to facilitate informed decision making is an integral part of patient/family-centered care. Due to the high coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection rates and limited personal protective equipment, healthcare systems were forced to restrict patient visitors, limit patient-provider interactions, and implement other changes in treatment protocols that disturbed traditional communications and risked eroding patient/family-centered care and adversely affected patient satisfaction. This article focuses on changes in patient experience in two dedicated COVID-19 units of an academic medical center located in the US South as a result of the enhanced communication process implemented specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic.\u0000\u0000\u0000METHODS\u0000This retrospective quality improvement project used data from Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys, fielded between January 1, 2021 and August 31, 2021, to understand the role of a proactive communication initiative in patient satisfaction.\u0000\u0000\u0000RESULTS\u0000Our results show that HCAHPS scores for hospital unit hospital unit 4 (HSP4) in all categories increased over time, with the greatest improvements seen in the responsiveness of staff and care transition; however, HCAHPS scores for hospital unit HSP3 remained stable, with a small increase in responsiveness of staff.\u0000\u0000\u0000CONCLUSIONS\u0000Our findings suggest that communication is a critical factor in patient satisfaction, demonstrating the efficacy of a swift and innovative initiative to improve communication with family/caregivers, which may have been linked to better patient experiences. Developing communication strategies is crucial for enhancing patient satisfaction.","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140775269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Broadening the Use of \"Doctor\" in the Clinical Setting: A Danger to Patient Decision Making and Informed Consent.","authors":"Forrest Bohler","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001666","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001666","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140776896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Know Your Guidelines Series: Diagnosis and Management of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Primary Care and Endocrinology Clinical Settings.","authors":"Desirée C Burroughs-Ray, Samantha Whitwell, Nathan Williams, Hira Imran, Christopher D Jackson","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001669","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001669","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140793284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Helicobacter pylori Eradication in a Clinical Population.","authors":"Grace Sekaya, Frances Wang, H. Brown, Priya Alagesan, Bryan C Batch, Katherine S Garman, M. Epplein","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001672","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001672","url":null,"abstract":"OBJECTIVES\u0000Eradication of Helicobacter pylori reduces the risk of gastric cancer (GC). Individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are known to be at increased risk for GC. In a cohort of H. pylori-positive individuals, we assessed whether those with T2DM were at risk of persistent infection following H. pylori treatment compared with individuals without T2DM.\u0000\u0000\u0000METHODS\u0000A random subset of all individuals diagnosed as having H. pylori without intestinal metaplasia at endoscopy from 2015 to 2019 were stratified evenly by race (Black and White). After excluding those with T1DM and those without eradication testing after H. pylori treatment, logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association of T2DM with the risk of persistent H. pylori infection following treatment.\u0000\u0000\u0000RESULTS\u0000In 138 patients, H. pylori eradication rates did not differ between the 27% of individuals with T2DM compared to those without (81.1% vs 81.2%). After adjusting for age, race, and insurance status, we found no significant increased risk of persistent H. pylori infection for individuals with T2DM (odds ratio 1.40; 95% confidence interval 0.49-3.99).\u0000\u0000\u0000CONCLUSIONS\u0000H. pylori eradication rates do not differ by T2DM status, providing support for clinical trials of H. pylori eradication to reduce GC incidence among high-risk populations in the United States, such as individuals with T2DM.","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140791560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unresolvable Moral Disagreements and the Ethical Integrity of the Medical Profession.","authors":"Frederick Adolf Paola, Stephanie Lolita Anderson, Kristin M Collier, Jack Coulehan","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001667","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001667","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140773323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Matching Against Men: 5 Years of Residency Match Data Show Disparities Still Exist.","authors":"Ashley Mason, Zeegan George, K. Khatskevich, Xiaoxiao Gao, Kira K. Zwygart, Danielle Gulick","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001673","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001673","url":null,"abstract":"OBJECTIVES\u0000Despite progress toward equal representation by sex in medical practice, women remain underrepresented in many specialties. This study sought to examine the current state of gender equality among recently graduated doctors in multiple specialties.\u0000\u0000\u0000METHODS\u0000Deidentified demographics, standardized examination scores, and Match results were gathered for 829 graduates. Participants were selected from an allopathic medical school between 2016 and 2020. Nineteen students (2.29%) were excluded from the study. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and χ2 tests for independence were used to compare proportions between reported sex and specialty and program Match results. One-way analysis of variance was then performed to test for differences in US Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 and Step 2 scores between sexes. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.\u0000\u0000\u0000RESULTS\u0000Of the 829 individuals studied, 44.6% were women. A significantly smaller proportion of women matched into the most competitive specialties, despite no significant difference in US Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 scores between sexes. Furthermore, there was an overall significant trend of women matching into more competitive programs for any given specialty.\u0000\u0000\u0000CONCLUSIONS\u0000In this study, we found that men matched into more highly competitive specialties, whereas women matched into more competitive residency program locations. Further research is needed to determine why women matched into specific specialties at lower rates than their male peers and seek to understand how sex affects the narrative of specialty choice.","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140765683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Eccentric Hamstring Strength Imbalance among Football and Soccer Athletes.","authors":"Elizabeth M Benson, J. Elphingstone, Kyle D. Paul, Sam Schick, Yazen A. Shihab, Dan Barlow, Brent A. Ponce, E. Brabston, Amit M. Momaya","doi":"10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001674","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001674","url":null,"abstract":"OBJECTIVES\u0000Hamstring strain injuries (HSI) are common among football and soccer athletes. Eccentric strength imbalance is considered a contributing factor for HSI. There is, however, a paucity of data on hamstring imbalances of soccer and American football athletes as they age and advance in skill level. High school athletes will display greater interlimb discrepancies compared with collegiate and professional athletes. In addition, soccer athletes will exhibit greater hamstring asymmetry than American football athletes.\u0000\u0000\u0000METHODS\u0000Hamstring testing was performed on soccer and American football athletes using the NordBord Hamstring Testing System (Vald Performance, Albion, Australia). Age, sex, weight, sport specialization, and sport level were recorded. Maximum hamstring forces (N), torque (N · m), and work (N · s) were measured. Hamstring imbalance (%) was calculated by dividing the absolute value of the difference in leg forces divided by their sum. One-way analysis of variance and independent sample t tests compared measurements between athlete groups.\u0000\u0000\u0000RESULTS\u0000A total of 631 athletes completed measurements, including 88 high school male soccer, 25 college male soccer, 23 professional male soccer, 83 high school female soccer, 28 college female soccer, 288 high school football, and 96 college football athletes. High school soccer players displayed significantly greater imbalances for torque (P = 0.03) and work (P < 0.01) than football athletes. Imbalances for maximum force (P = 0.035), torque (P = 0.018), and work (P = 0.033) were significantly higher for male soccer athletes in high school compared with college- and professional-level athletes. Female high school soccer players had significantly higher imbalance in torque (P = 0.045) and work (P = 0.001) compared with female collegiate soccer players. Football athletes did not experience significant changes in force imbalances between skill levels.\u0000\u0000\u0000CONCLUSIONS\u0000High school soccer athletes exhibit greater hamstring imbalances than football athletes. Higher levels of play in soccer, for both male and female athletes, correlate with less hamstring asymmetry.","PeriodicalId":22043,"journal":{"name":"Southern Medical Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140770021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}