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Biomedical subjects

Leon D Sanchez

Publications and source records attributed to Leon D Sanchez.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Brain dynamics reflecting an intra-network brain state is associated with increased posttraumatic stress symptoms in the early aftermath of trauma.

Post-traumatic stress (PTS) encompasses a range of psychological responses following trauma, which may lead to more severe outcomes such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Identifying early neuroimaging biomarkers that link brain function to PTS outcomes is critical for understanding PTSD risk. This longitudinal study examines the association between brain dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) and current/future PTS symptom severity, and the impact of sex on this relationship. By analyzing 275 participants' dFNC data obtained ~2 weeks after trauma exposure, we noted that brain dynamics of an inter-network brain state link negatively with current (r=-0.197, p corrected = 0.0079) and future (r=-0.176, p corrected = 0.0176) PTS symptom severity. Also, dynamics of an intra-network brain state correlated with future symptom intensity (r = 0.205, p corrected = 0.0079). We additionally observed that the association between the network dynamics of the inter-network and intra-network brain state with symptom severity is more pronounced in female group. Our findings highlight a potential link between brain network dynamics in the aftermath of trauma with current and future PTSD outcomes, with a stronger effect in female group, underscoring the importance of sex differences.

Journal Article↗

A comparison between the efficacy of lectures given by emergency and non-emergency physicians in an international emergency medicine educational intervention.

OBJECTIVE: The Tuscan Emergency Medicine Initiative is an international collaboration designed to create a sustainable emergency medicine training and qualification process in Tuscany, Italy. Part of the program involves training all emergency physicians currently practicing in the region. This qualification process includes didactic lectures, clinical rotations and practical workshops for those with significant emergency department experience. Lectures in the didactic portion were given by both emergency medicine (EM) and non-EM faculty. We hypothesized that faculty who worked clinically in EM would give more effective lectures than non-EM faculty. METHODS: Fifty-one emergency physicians from the hospitals surrounding Florence completed the course, which included 48 one-hour lectures. Twenty lectures were given by practicing emergency physicians and 28 were given by non-EM faculty. Participants completed an evaluation at the end of each session using a 5-point Likert scale describing the pertinence of the lecture to EM, the efficacy and clarity of the presentation, the accuracy of the information and the didactic ability of the lecturer. RESULTS: A mean of 38.5 evaluations was completed for each lecture. Every factor was significantly higher for lectures given by EM faculty: the pertinence of the lecture to EM (4.46 vs. 4.16, p < 0.001), the efficacy of the faculty (4.10 vs. 3.91, p < 0.001), the accuracy of the lecture content (4.16 vs 3.96, p < 0.001), and the didactic ability of the instructors (4.02 vs. 3.85, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: When teaching EM, evaluations of lectures in this training intervention were higher for lectures given by EM faculty than by non-EM faculty.

Emergency Medicine↗

Medical problems of marathon runners.

Several organ systems can be affected by marathon running. Acute musculoskeletal injuries are common, but running does not result in increased rates of musculoskeletal disability. Gastrointestinal complaints are also common among runners; some of these complaints are explained by the decreased mesenteric blood flow during exercise. Although cardiac events are rare, they can be devastating. Symptomatic hyponatremia is another serious but mostly preventable problem.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

Pulmonary emergencies in the elderly.

The aging process results in changes in pulmonary physiology that make the elderly population more susceptible to pulmonary disease. These physiologic changes also alter the clinical presentation of such diseases, making the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary disorders particularly challenging for the clinician. It is important for the clinician to have a high index of suspicion for pulmonary disorders to make the proper diagnosis. It is essential to keep in mind the subtle differences between pulmonary diseases in the elderly compared with younger patients.

Aged↗

Ischemic colitis in marathon runners: a case-based review.

In the United States over 450,000 participants finished a marathon in 2002. Some of them will present to an Emergency Department (ED) with a variety of gastrointestinal complaints. The diagnosis of ischemic colitis should be considered in patients who present with bloody diarrhea. We describe three patients who presented to our ED with abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea after a marathon. Gastrointestinal complaints with emphasis on mesenteric ischemia and ischemic colitis are discussed.

Adult↗

Procedure lab used to improve confidence in the performance of rarely performed procedures.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of an animal procedure lab in improving the level of comfort in performing important emergency medicine procedures. The procedures included central venous line, chest tube, cricothyrotomy, pericardiocentesis, venous cutdown, and thoracotomy. METHODS: The students were physicians participating in the Tuscan Emergency Medicine Initiative as part of a certificate program in emergency medicine. They attended a 1-h lecture discussing the procedures to be performed. Participants filled out a questionnaire before and after the lab, which asked how many times they had performed each procedure, how comfortable they felt, on a five-point scale, performing each procedure, and whether they felt comfortable performing it by themselves, with assistance or whether they would not feel comfortable performing the procedure. Differences in rated numerical values for each procedure before and after the lab were analyzed using a two-tailed t-test. Alpha was set at 0.95. RESULTS: In all, there were 20 participants with a wide range of experience. A statistical improvement was observed in comfort level and willingness to perform the procedures independently (P<0.01). The only non-significant change was in willingness to perform central lines. CONCLUSIONS: The use of an animal lab improves the comfort level of practitioners in performing procedures. Although procedures are best learned on patients with supervision, this is not always feasible. This lab is a useful adjunct to teaching in emergency medicine and allows participants exposure to critical procedures.

Clinical Competence↗

An uncommon presentation of acute angle closure glaucoma.

Acute angle closure glaucoma is an ocular emergency that is treatable with prompt and appropriate intervention. Recognition of this disease entity is sometimes difficult. We report a case of bilateral acute angle closure glaucoma in a 55-year-old, otherwise healthy individual, and discuss the different ways the condition may present. The anatomic and pathophysiologic progression leading to an event of angle closure is discussed and treatment modalities available to the Emergency Physician are presented.

Acetazolamide↗

Myasthenia gravis: lessons for the emergency physician.

We describe three patients with myasthenia gravis who presented to the emergency department - one with a previously established diagnosis and two others who were newly diagnosed as a result of workup initiated in the emergency department. Differential diagnosis of conditions causing neuromuscular weakness is broad; however, a key aspect of myasthenia gravis is fluctuating muscle weakness that increases with repeated use and improves with rest. Both newly diagnosed patients presented with ocular complaints, a common finding in myasthenia gravis. The third patient presented with a potentially life-threatening myasthenic crisis. Key points of discussion include: bedside tests to diagnose myasthenia gravis; distinction between cholinergic versus myasthenic crisis; and emergency department considerations when intubating a myasthenia gravis patient becomes necessary.

Aged↗

Fever.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Aged↗