Reducing alcohol use among 9th grade students: 6 month outcomes of a brief,Web-based intervention

This study tested a brief, Web-based personalized feedback program aimed at reducing alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences among 9th grade students (N = 513). Results indicated no differences between the control group and intervention group on either frequency of drinking or alcohol-related consequences at the 6-month follow-up. Reductions in alcohol use and the associated consequences found at the 3-month follow-up were not sustained across the academic year. Results indicate that brief, Web-based feedback programs may not be sufficient to provide a sustained impact on alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences over time, suggesting either booster sessions or adjunctive interventions, such as parent-based interventions, may be warranted for this age group.     

Uterine Remnants and Pelvic Pain in Females with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome

ObjectiveTo assess the association between pelvic pain and uterine remnants and review the management of pelvic pain in females with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome.DesignRetrospective cohort.SettingDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology at a tertiary referring medical center.PatientsForty-eight females with MRKH presenting from 1997 to 2011 with anatomy confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).InterventionsNone.Main Outcome MeasurePrevalence Of uterine remnants and the association of uterine remnants with pelvic pain in females with MRKH.ResultsOf the 48 females with MRKH, 23 (48%) had uterine remnants and 22 (46%) had pelvic pain. Presence of endometrium was associated with pelvic pain (RR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.2-4.7) in females with MRKH. Of the females with MKRH and pain, 9/22 had laparoscopy, with endometriosis seen in 5/9 of the uterine remnants at stages higher than are usually seen in teenagers (56%). Nine patients with pain and uterine remnants (8 with endometrium, 1 without) had laparoscopic removal of uterine remnants with resolution of pain.ConclusionsGiven the high prevalence of uterine remnants in females with MRKH, anatomic evaluation with MRI should be considered when assessing the etiology of pelvic pain. Presence of endometrium within uterine remnants, and subsequent endometriosis, in females with MRKH may be associated with pelvic pain necessitating surgical or medical management.     

Comparison of two escalated enoxaparin dosing regimens for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in obese hospitalized patients

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis - Standard fixed-dose enoxaparin dosing regimens may not provide adequate prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism among obese hospitalized patients. While...     

Burnout and work‐life balance among pediatric cardiologists: A single center experience

Background: Physicians are exposed to workplace factors that may result in acute or chronic stress resulting in burnout. This may impact the productivity and result in suboptimal patient care practices.
Methods: We surveyed pediatric cardiology attending physicians at our institution to assess their perception of burnout and work-life balance using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Areas of Work-Life Survey.
Results: Forty-five out of the 50 pediatric cardiology attendings responded to the survey. They were divided into 4 groups: Interventional/Electrophysiology [n = 3], Cardiac Intensive Care/Inpatient [n = 8], Non-Invasive Imaging [n = 6], and Outpatient [n = 28]. The Maslach Burnout Inventory demonstrated group-specific scores in the areas of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment that were all significantly better than the general population. However, group-specific Areas of Work-Life Survey results demonstrated concerning findings with respect to the perception of work-life balance.
Conclusions: Although the Maslach Burnout Inventory did not demonstrate significant burnout among the attending physicians, the Areas of Work-Life Survey results demonstrated reduced work engagement, which can impact patient care and lead to burnout in the future. Based on these results, we plan to implement strategies to help increase work engagement and improve overall organizational effectiveness.     

Prediction of early (4-week) mortality in acute myeloid leukemia with intensive chemotherapy

The progress with intensive chemotherapy and supportive care measures has improved survival in patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Given the recent development of effective low intensity therapies, an optimal decision on the therapy intensity may improve survival through the avoidance of early mortality. We reviewed the outcome of 3728 patients with newly diagnosed AML who received intensive chemotherapy between August 1980 and May 2020. Intensive chemotherapy was defined as a cumulative cytarabine dose ≥ 700 mg/m² during induction therapy. We divided the whole cohort into a training and validation group at a 3:1 ratio. The population was divided into a training (2790 patients) and a validation cohort (938 patients). The median age was 55 years (range, 15-99). Among them, 442 patients (12%) had core-binding factor AML. Binary logistic regression identified older age, worse performance status, hyperbilirubinemia, elevated creatinine, hyperuricemia, cytogenetic abnormalities other than CBF and -Y, and pneumonia as adverse prognostic factors for an early 4-week mortality. This risk classification for early mortality was verified in the validation cohort of patients. In the validation cohort of more recently treated patients from 2000 to 2017, the 4-week mortality rates with intensive chemotherapy were 2%, 14%, and 50% in the low-, high-, and very high-risk group, respectively. The mortality rates with low intensity therapies were 3%, 9%, and 20%, respectively. The risk classification guides treatment intensity by the assessment of age, frailty, organ dysfunction, cytogenetic abnormality, and infection to avoid early mortality.     

Stakeholder-Generated Implementation Strategies to Promote Evidence-Based ADHD Treatment in Community Mental Health

Community implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is greatly lacking. A recent randomized community-based trial of an EBP for ADHD (Supporting Teens’ Autonomy Daily; STAND) demonstrated suboptimal implementation and effectiveness outcomes. In the present study, we conducted an Innovation Tournament (IT) with agency staff stakeholders (N?=?26) to identify barriers to successful implementation of STAND and implementation strategies for a revised service delivery model. We conducted member-checking of agency staff-generated ideas with parents (N?=?226) and subsequent querying of additional parent (N?=?226) and youth-generated (N?=?205) strategies to improve care. Go-Zone plots were utilized to identify strategies with the highest feasibility and importance. Practical barriers (i.e., transportation, scheduling difficulties) and parent/youth engagement were the most commonly cited obstacles to successful implementation of STAND in community contexts. Eighteen “winning” implementation strategies were identified that survived member checking. These were classified as train and educate stakeholders (n?=?5; e.g., train agency supervisors to deliver supervision, digitize treatment materials and trainings), engage consumers (n?=?9; e.g., begin treatment with rapport building sessions, increase psychoeducation), provide interactive assistance (n?=?2; e.g., add group supervision, increase roleplay in supervision), and use of evaluative/iterative strategies (n?=?2; e.g., perform fidelity checks, supervisor review of session recordings). Parents and youth desired longer duration of treatment and increased focus on maintenance. Strategies will be developed and tested as part of a pilot effectiveness trial designed to refine STAND’s service delivery model.

Trial Registration NCT02694939 www.clinicaltrials.gov