Ultrasonography is often the initial modality used to evaluate patients found to have abnormal liver function tests (LFTs) in the emergency department. While an assessment for biliary ductal ...dilatation and obstruction remains one of the main questions to answer, radiologists should also be aware of the ultrasonographic appearance of other conditions that can cause abnormal LFTs. This may be crucial for the management and disposition of patients in the emergency department. This article reviews the ultrasonographic features of diseases that may cause abnormal LFTs.
To investigate the utility of mentoring groups in radiology residency.
Five assistant professors of Radiology and 20 radiology residents were divided into 5 groups. One resident from each academic ...year was randomly paired with a mentor group. Three 1-hour group mentoring sessions took place over the year. Upon completion of the project an anonymous Quality Improvement survey of 20 questions were sent out to participants to assess the utility of these mentoring sessions.
Four mentors out of 5 responded. All 4 had prior neutral and positive experiences as mentees involving career advice and subspecialty choice. During this experience all mentors had a positive experience. The majority found it helpful to have residents of different levels in their group to allow for peer to peer mentoring and all thought the mentoring program should continue. The most common topics they covered during the sessions were career advice and specialty choice. Sixteen residents out of 20 responded. The majority had had a previous mentor experience which was mostly positive or very positive and predominantly career and/or research related. Almost all of them had a positive or very positive mentoring experience this year. The high majority found that having residents of different levels was beneficial. Topics that mentoring sessions helped mostly with were career advice, work life balance and study skills. All of the mentees thought the mentoring program should continue.
Mentoring groups can be a valuable addition to residency training, especially in helping with career advice and work life balance.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Pelvic pain and vaginal bleeding are common symptoms in postpartum women presenting to the emergency room (ER). Pelvic ultrasonography plays a crucial role in evaluating symptomatic postpartum ...patients by allowing a rapid diagnosis and treatment initiation. The main goal of imaging is to distinguish between causes of pelvic pain and vaginal bleeding that may be managed conservatively and those requiring emergent intervention. This pictural essay focuses on the ultrasonographic features of common postpartum conditions for which patients may present to the ER with vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain, including retained products of conception, endometritis, uterine arteriovenous malformation, uterine artery pseudoaneurysm, ovarian vein thrombosis, bladder flap hematoma, and uterine dehiscence/rupture.
TALPID3/KIAA0586 is an evolutionary conserved protein, which plays an essential role in protein trafficking. Its role during gastrointestinal (GI) and enteric nervous system (ENS) development has not ...been studied previously. Here, we analyzed chicken, mouse and human embryonic GI tissues with TALPID3 mutations. The GI tract of TALPID3 chicken embryos was shortened and malformed. Histologically, the gut smooth muscle was mispatterned and enteric neural crest cells were scattered throughout the gut wall. Analysis of the Hedgehog pathway and gut extracellular matrix provided causative reasons for these defects. Interestingly, chicken intra-species grafting experiments and a conditional knockout mouse model showed that ENS formation did not require TALPID3, but was dependent on correct environmental cues. Surprisingly, the lack of TALPID3 in enteric neural crest cells (ENCC) affected smooth muscle and epithelial development in a non-cell-autonomous manner. Analysis of human gut fetal tissues with a
mutation showed strikingly similar findings compared to the animal models demonstrating conservation of TALPID3 and its necessary role in human GI tract development and patterning.
•Over 80% of doctors asked found it easy to recruit patients to the trial.•90% wanted the treatment pathway developed for the trial to continue.•Only 50% could routinely make direct referrals to ...psychotherapy before / after CODES.•Over 85% of doctors reported the CBT package as ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ useful.•79% perceived patient satisfaction with the CBT package as ‘very good’.
We investigated neurologists’ experience of participating in the large CODES trial involving around 900 adults with dissociative seizures which subsequently evaluated the effectiveness of tailored cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) plus standardised medical care versus standardised medical care alone in 368 patients with dissociative seizures.
We asked all neurologists referring patients with dissociative seizures to the CODES study to complete a 43-item online survey. This examined neurologists’ (i) demographics, (ii) knowledge of dissociative seizures before and after their involvement in the CODES trial, (iii) clinical practice before, during and since their involvement, and (iv) their experience of the CODES trial.
Forty-three (51%) neurologists completed the questionnaire. Only about half of neurologists could make referrals to psychological intervention specific for dissociative seizures before and after the trial. One-third of doctors reported having changed their referral practice following their involvement. The majority (>69%) agreed that patient satisfaction with different aspects of the trial was very high, and 83.7% thought that it was easy to recruit patients for the study. Over 90% agreed they would like the treatment pathway to continue. Respondents found different elements of the trial useful, in particular, the patient factsheet booklet (98%), diagnosis communication advice (93%) and the CBT package (93%).
Neurologists participating in CODES generally found it easy to recruit patients and perceived patient satisfaction as very high. However, 46.5% of neurologists could not offer psychotherapy once the trial had finished, suggesting that problems with lack of access to psychological treatment for dissociative seizures persist.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the most common revascularization approach for the treatment of multi-vessel coronary artery disease. While the internal mammary artery is nearly universally ...used to bypass the left anterior descending coronary artery, autologous saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) are still the most frequently used conduits to grafts the remaining coronary artery targets. Long-term failure of these grafts, however, continues to limit the benefits of surgery.
The Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network trial of the safety and effectiveness of a Venous External Support (VEST) device is a randomized, multicenter, within-patient trial comparing VEST-supported versus unsupported saphenous vein grafts in patients undergoing CABG. Key inclusion criteria are the need for CABG with a planned internal mammary artery to the left anterior descending and two or more saphenous vein grafts to other coronary arteries. The primary efficacy endpoint of the trial is SVG intimal hyperplasia (plaque + media) area assessed by intravascular ultrasound at 12 months post randomization. Occluded grafts are accounted for in the analysis of the primary endpoint. Secondary confirmatory endpoints are lumen diameter uniformity and graft failure (>50% stenosis) assessed by coronary angiography at 12 months. The safety endpoints are the occurrence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events and hospitalization within 5 years from randomization.
The results of the VEST trial will determine whether the VEST device can safely limit SVG intimal hyperplasia in patients undergoing CABG as treatment for coronary atherosclerotic disease.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Case 33-2016 Simmons, Leigh H; Goldstein, Alan J; Boruta, David M ...
The New England journal of medicine,
10/2016, Volume:
375, Issue:
17
Journal Article, Conference Proceeding
Peer reviewed
A 30-year-old woman presented to this hospital with abdominal pain, nausea, and chills. Evaluation showed tachycardia, bilateral lower-quadrant abdominal tenderness, leukocytosis, and an elevated ...CA-125 level. Imaging studies showed adnexal cysts. A diagnosis was made.
Presentation of Case
Dr. Katelyn M. Dorney
(Obstetrics and Gynecology): A 30-year-old woman presented to the emergency department of this hospital with chills and sudden worsening of abdominal pain in both lower quadrants.
The patient was in her usual good health until 10 days before admission, when, after eating at a restaurant, she had nonbloody, nonbilious emesis that she attributed to food poisoning. The vomiting persisted for 2 days and then resolved. One day later, bilateral abdominal pain developed; the pain waxed and waned for a few days. She then completed a 2-day driving trip as part of her relocation . . .