Combining clinical risk with D-dimer testing to rule out acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT).
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
Jean C Aldag
Publications and source records attributed to Jean C Aldag.
Injury patterns and safety practices of rock climbers.
BACKGROUND: Rock climbing is gaining popularity. The injury patterns and safety practices of climbers have not been well described. This study seeks to identify the general injury patterns and safety practices associated with rock climbing. METHODS: An anonymous multiple choice, Likert scale, and short-answer Internet survey was posted on several rock climbing Websites. Data were collected autonomously for a 2-month period in 2004. Demographic data were obtained and subjects self-identified their three most significant injuries. Participants were also surveyed regarding safety practices and training. SPSS 12.0 was used for statistical analysis and p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: In all, 1,887 subjects reported a total of 2,472 injuries. The mean number of injuries reported was 2.3 (SE 0.14) and 17.9% reported no injuries. Sprains and overuse were the most commonly described injuries, whereas fingers, ankles, elbows, and shoulders were the most commonly injured body parts. Some participants (28%) reported climbing under the influence of drugs or alcohol and these climbers documented more injuries (p < 0.008). Most of the injuries (77%) occurred while climbing at or below the subject's normal climbing level. Climbers who participated in traditional climbing (p < 0.001) or solo climbing (p < 0.001) documented more injuries. Males had less helmet use (p = 0.019) and more illicit substance use (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Sprains and overuse were common climbing injuries, with the upper extremity being the most frequently injured body part. Rock climbers who participated in traditional or solo climbing, or who have climbed while under the influence or drugs or alcohol, reported more injuries.
Adolescent↗
Mood states and milk output in lactating mothers of preterm and term infants.
The purpose of this study is to compare psychological distress via both negative and positive mood states between 2 different groups of lactating mothers during the first 6 weeks postpartum with a large sample. Mood states were measured using the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List-Revised by a convenience sample of newly delivered mothers from 4 tertiary care units in Illinois. Preterm mothers' negative mood states of anxiety, depression, hostility, and dysphoria were significantly greater than those reported for term mothers. For the positive mood states of positive affect and PASS (positive affect + sensation seeking), preterm mothers had significantly lower scores than term mothers; there were no differences for the positive mood state, Sensation Seeking. Maternal perceived mood states had no apparent effect upon lactation as measured by milk volume produced. Further study is warranted to determine what factors influence milk output in mothers of preterm and term infants who are at risk for lactation failure.
Adult↗
Sex hormones and risks of rheumatoid arthritis and developmental or environmental influences.
Sex hormone relationships for onset risks of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were analyzed in a nested case-control study, derived from a large community-based prospective cohort. A self-reported history of RA in a first-degree relative, heavy cigarette smoking, and positive rheumatoid factor (RF) were confirmed predictors of subsequent RA onset in this data set. In the 11 premenopausal onset cases, lower serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels were observed as was an imbalance in serum IL-1beta to IL-1ra levels; the latter was not observed in the 43 controls (CNs). In the 18 male cases, significantly higher serum cortisol was observed in the six cases with positive family history versus the 12 with a negative history. To the contrary, a small minority of the male cases had combined low serum cortisol and testosterone, which was not observed in the 72 CNs. Significant gender dimorphism was observed between the sex hormones and serum log RF titers as well as in the correlations of serum log testosterone and estradiol. Principal component analysis of multiply-imputed data sets extracted four uncorrelated components, which provided concordant neuroendocrine immune relationships to the previously investigated univariate and multivariate analyses. The literature on developmental and environmental influences on sex hormones and risks of RA was reviewed.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
Software design to facilitate information transfer at hospital discharge.
Discharge communication between inpatient and outpatient physicians is often an inefficient and error-prone process. Adverse events result from poor communication at the time of discharge. The objective of this study was to describe development of discharge software to overcome communication barriers. The secondary objective was to assess factors that influence the time to complete tasks with the software. Methods were a performance improvement model and database analysis of 336 discharges. Software design specifications included computerised physician order entry, immediate utility, minimal development and deployment costs, acceptability to physician-users, and satisfaction of primary care physicians, patients and pharmacists. Design features included simple 'just-in-time' prompts and point-of-care prescribing resources. The dependent variable for analysis was physician time to complete discharge prescriptions and instructions while using the software. General linear and mixed-effects regression models adjusted for physician effects and other predictors. Results revealed that physician factors significantly affected the time to complete a discharge while using the software. As the number of accesses (log-ins) and free text typing increased, then time to complete the computerised discharge increased. Patient-related factors that increased physician time were discharge diagnoses, prescriptions and length of stay. In conclusion, discharge software can help inpatient physicians transfer timely, complete and legible information to outpatient physicians, pharmacists and patients. Physician and patient factors influence the time to complete discharges using the software.
Adolescent↗
Rheumatoid arthritis: neuroendocrine immune integrated physiopathogenetic perspectives and therapy.
Current concepts of neuroendocrine immune (NEI) aspects of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are reviewed and recent clinical trials of glucocorticoids and sex steroids are summarized. A novel physiopathogenetic perspective is presented. Data are provided of amplified NEI interactions and dysregulation, many years before symptomatic onset of RA. Chronic imbalances between the NEI, vascular endothelial, neural, and other vital counterregulatory intertwined networks are proposed to cause RA and influence its disease activity. Future research may reveal means of diminishing the onset risk as well as disease activity of RA by controlling these imbalances of NEI and other vital networks.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
Psychological distress and milk volume in lactating mothers.
The purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to compare psychological distress as measured via self-reported perceived stress, sleep, and fatigue levels in lactating mothers of a term infant and mothers of a preterm infant and(b) to determine whether the addition of psychological distress to a previous model predicts milk volume at Postpartum Week 6 by gestation group. The convenience sample of 95 mothers of a preterm infant (31 weeks) and 98 mothers of a term infant completed the Perceived Stress Visual Analogue Scale, Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire, and the Fatigue Visual Analog Scale. Stress, sleep difficulty, and fatigue levels decreased during the 6-week study period for mothers of a term but not for mothers of a preterm infant. Perceived stress, sleep difficulty, and fatigue during the first 6 weeks postpartum were not related to milk volume; thus, the mother's perceived psychological distress had no apparent effect on lactation.
Analysis of Variance↗
Comparison of milk output between mothers of preterm and term infants: the first 6 weeks after birth.
This study reports the temporal pattern of milk output in 2 groups of lactating mothers during the first 6 weeks postpartum. A study aim was to examine if the average milk output for postpartum days 6 and 7 (baseline) predicts milk adequacy at week 6 postpartum. Mothers of preterm (< or = 31 weeks) infants (n = 95) used mechanical expression to initiate and maintain their milk supply; mothers of a singleton healthy term infant (n = 98) fed their infant at the breast. Baseline milk output was predictive of milk adequacy, defined as > or = 500 mL/d at week 6 (P = .000). Preterm mothers were 2.81 times more at risk of not producing adequately than term mothers were. Study findings suggest that interventions that promote the initiation and maintenance of an adequate milk supply during the first week postbirth are critical.
Adult↗
Primary and secondary mediators' influence on milk output in lactating mothers of preterm and term infants.
This study examined potential primary mediators, such as intended length to breastfeed, maternal education, income, and infant gestation, and secondary mediators, such as early frequency of breast stimulation, early milk output, and supplementation with artificial milks that may influence milk output in mothers of preterm and term infants the first 6 weeks postpartum. Analysis suggested that for mothers of a preterm infant (n = 95), the primary mediators, income and infant gestation, and the secondary mediators, early milk output/d and early frequency/d, accounted for 53.5% of the variance in milk output/d at week 6. For mothers of a term infant (n = 98), the primary mediator, income, and secondary mediators, early milk output/d and supplementation, accounted for 48.4% of the variance in milk output/d at week 6. Further research is needed to determine what early interventions may improve milk output in mothers at risk for lactation failure.
Adult↗
Hypoglycemia in inpatients after gatifloxacin or levofloxacin therapy: nested case-control study.
STUDY OBJECTIVES: To compare the incidence of hypoglycemic events in patients exposed to gatifloxacin or levofloxacin, and to measure the odds of experiencing a hypoglycemic event after receiving gatifloxacin versus levofloxacin while adjusting for confounders. DESIGN: Nested case-control study within a historical cohort. SETTING: A tertiary care, 730-bed, teaching hospital in central Illinois. PATIENTS: Seven thousand two hundred eighty-seven hospitalized patients who received gatifloxacin or levofloxacin therapy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 113 patients (case patients) had blood glucose levels below 51 mg/dl; 113 control patients, matched for age and sex, had no hypoglycemia. Matched conditional logistic regression models adjusted the odds of having hypoglycemia for significant covariates. The 12-month incidence of hypoglycemia was 11/1000 patients after levofloxacin administration and 21/1000 patients after gatifloxacin (absolute risk increase 10/1000 patients, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4-16/1000). Renal failure, sepsis syndrome, and concomitant hypoglycemic drug therapy significantly predicted hypoglycemia. After adjustment for significant predictors, the odds of having hypoglycemia were 2.81 (95% CI 1.02-7.70) times higher after gatifloxacin than levofloxacin therapy. CONCLUSION: Among inpatients, the incidence of hypoglycemic events is greater after treatment with gatifloxacin than levofloxacin. The odds of experiencing hypoglycemic events are greater with gatifloxacin even after adjusting for other hypoglycemia risk factors, such as concomitant hypoglycemic drugs, renal failure, and sepsis syndrome.
Adult↗
Positron emission tomography in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome and healthy controls.
OBJECTIVE: Abnormal brain findings have previously been described in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) by single-photon-emission computed tomography. Our goal was to investigate change in regional cerebral glucose metabolism in people with FMS by positron emission tomography (PET) using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). METHODS: Twelve patients with FMS and no comorbid psychiatric diagnosis and 7 healthy pain-free controls were studied with FDG-PET in a blinded manner. Those with a psychiatric diagnosis were excluded. Brain scans were obtained using a PET scanner. Semiquantitative analysis of regional 18F-FDG uptake was performed in both cortical and subcortical brain structures. RESULTS: In the resting state, there were no significant differences in 18F-FDG uptake between patients and controls for all brain structures measured. CONCLUSION: FDG-PET scan findings in FMS were not significantly different from healthy controls. Normal results in our study may be explained by discordance between regional cerebral blood flow and regional cerebral glucose metabolism.
Adult↗
Fibromyalgia in men: comparison of psychological features with women.
OBJECTIVE: To describe possible differences in psychological factors in men compared to women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FM). METHODS: Forty men and 160 women with FM were evaluated for anxiety, stress, and depression measured by ordinal scales and validated psychological instruments. Clinical and psychological variables were evaluated by a protocol. RESULTS: Both men and women scored high in the psychological variables measured but the results were not significantly different between them. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference between men and women with FM in their psychological status.
Adaptation, Psychological↗
Neuroendocrine responses to stressors in lactating and nonlactating mammals: a literature review.
Although stress research is a popular topic of study, little is known about the neuroendocrine responses to a stressor in lactating and nonlactating humans. The purpose of this systematic review of the literature was to examine the neuroendocrine responses, specifically the glucocorticoids and catecholamines, in lactating and nonlactating animals and humans to an acute stressor. A brief overview of the physiological stress response in the human is included. Animal studies strongly suggest that lactation is associated with major changes in neuroendocrine responses to a variety of acute stressors. Neuroendocrine responses in humans to stressors are less clear due to the limited research. Future research is needed involving these responses in humans generally, as well as specifically in the patterns of neuroendocrine responses to chronic stressors in lactating and nonlactating women.
Acute Disease↗
Neuroendocrine immune perturbations in rheumatoid arthritis: causes, consequences, or confounders in the disease process?
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Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
Relationship between body mass index and fibromyalgia features.
OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and features of the fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). METHODS: 211 female patients with FMS seen consecutively in our rheumatology clinic were analyzed. Spearman correlation was used. Further, FMS features were compared at different levels of BMI (kg/m2), e.g., < 25.00 vs > or = 25.00 (normal vs overweight). P value of < or = 0.01 was accepted as significant. RESULTS: A significant positive correlation was found between BMI and age (p<0.001) and a negative correlation between BMI and education (p<0.009). Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score was significantly correlated with BMI (p<0.001), whereas fatigue and number of tender points (TP) showed a trend (p=0.035 and 0.037, respectively). CONCLUSION: The HAQ score is significantly associated with BMI in FMS with a trend towards significance for fatigue and TP. Weight loss may improve physical functioning in this disorder.
Adult↗
Relationship between fibromyalgia features and smoking.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine a possible relationship between smoking and fibromyalgia features among 233 female patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. METHODS: Data on clinical and psychological features were collected by a protocol. Smoking status was evaluated by a question inquiring about the packs of cigarettes smoked per day. Differences between the smokers and non-smokers were tested by Mann Whitney U test. To adjust data for age and education, a partial correlation test was used. A p value of < or = 0.01 was accepted as the level of significance. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients (21.9%) smoked. After adjustment for age and education, significantly positive relationship was found between smoking and pain, patient global severity, functional disability, and numbness. There was no difference between smokers and non-smokers for fatigue, morning fatigue, sleep difficulties, tender points (TP), depression, anxiety and stress. CONCLUSIONS: Smokers reported significantly more pain, numbness, patient global severity, and functional difficulties than non-smokers. There was no significant difference between smokers and non-smokers for fatigue and TP.
Adult↗
Perspectives on the relationship of adrenal steroids to rheumatoid arthritis.
An expanded model of RA is presented that incorporates cumulative multifactorial processes operating over a prolonged physiological phase prior to initial clinical manifestations. During this phase, progressive imbalances in the homeostasis of core neuroendocrine, immunological, and microvascular systems are believed to occur. Normal adrenal function plays an essential role in helping to maintain homeostasis of core systems in health. In RA, chronic adrenal hypocompetence is suspected to occur in a minority subset of females who have younger clinical onset and males who have associated low serum testosterone levels. Chronic, relative glucocorticoid insufficiency is believed to contribute to development of inflammatory manifestations in RA patients. Androgenic deficiencies, particularly of gonadal origin in males, may also contribute to RA, particularly its decreased anabolic features. Precise influences of hypocompetent adrenal steroid function on long-term modeling of the immunological compartment and control of microvascular activation processes are not well understood. These complex mechanisms need to be elucidated for better understanding of the physiopathogenesis of RA. Nevertheless, at a clinical level, sufficient data are currently available to endorse further controlled studies of early clinical onset patients and prospective investigations to determine more definitively the roles of adrenal (and gonadal) steroids in subsets of RA patients and unaffected susceptible persons in the population.
Adolescent↗
Milk volume on day 4 and income predictive of lactation adequacy at 6 weeks of mothers of nonnursing preterm infants.
Lactating mothers of preterm infants who are pump-dependent are at high risk for difficulty maintaining an adequate milk supply. This article reports the naturally occurring volume of milk removed from the breast by mechanical expression over time for 81 mothers of nonnursing preterm infants from 4 tertiary care centers in the Midwest. Baseline variables (infant gestation in weeks; intended length in weeks to breastfeed; number of hours post-delivery to first breast stimulation; infant weight in grams; timing of decision to provide mother's milk; income; maternal education, kangaroo care during week 1; previous breastfeeding experience; white, non-Hispanic) and day 4 variables (milk volume, frequency of pumping) were explored for predicting milk adequacy at week 6. Using the significant predictive variables of milk levels at day 4 and income, the logistic regression accurately classified 85% of the 40 mothers with inadequate milk production (<500 mL/d) and 85.5% of the 41 mothers with adequate milk production (> or = 500 mL/d). While controlling for income, the 27 mothers with lowest milk production at 4 days were 9.5 times more likely to have an inadequate milk supply at 6 weeks than the 54 mothers with higher milk production. While controlling for day 4 milk production, lower annual income mothers (< dollar 50,000) were 5 times more at risk of inadequate milk production than those with high income (> or = dollar 50,000) at week 6. This study emphasizes the importance of the amount of milk volume expressed in the early postpartum period during lactogenesis. In addition, neonatal nurses need to be cognizant that income levels may make a difference in milk production.
Adult↗