Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary management of chronic pain

Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary pain management programs incorporate a biopsychosocial model in assessing and treating pain and result in pain reduction, improved quality of life, and psychosocial functioning. Additionally, return-to-work and vocational outcomes may be seen in selected patients. Treatment teams may include a physiatrist, a physical or occupational therapist,a pain psychologist, a relaxation (biofeedback) therapist, vocational and therapeutic recreational therapists, social workers, and nurses. The key component to program success is collaborative ongoing communication among team members, the patient, and the case manager.     

Evaluation of a pilot emergency department linkage to care program for patients previously diagnosed with Hepatitis C

There is a significant number of Emergency Department (ED) patients with known chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who have not been treated with directly acting antivirals. We implemented a pilot ED-based linkage-to-care program to address this need and evaluated the impact of the program using the HCV Care Continuum metrics. Between March 2015 and May 2016, dedicated patient care navigators identified HCV RNA-positive patients in an urban ED and offered expedited appointments with the on-site viral hepatitis clinic. Patient demographics and care continuum outcomes were abstracted from the EMR and analysed to determine significant factors influencing linkage-to-care (LTC) and treatment initiation rates. The ED linkage-to-care program achieved a 43% linkage-to-care rate (165/384), 22% treatment rate (84/384) and 16% sustained virologic response rate (63/384). Significant associations were found between linkage-to-care and increasing age (OR = 1.03), Medicare insurance (OR = 2.21) and having a primary care physician (PCP) (OR = 4.03). For patients who were linked, the odds of initiating treatment were also positively significantly associated with increasing age (OR = 1.04) and having a PCP (OR = 2.77). For patients who initiated treatment, the odds of sustained virologic response were marginally associated with having a PCP (OR = 4.92).Our ED linkage-to-care program utilized care coordination to successfully link nearly half of approached HCV RNA-positive patients to care. This design can be feasibly replicated by other EDs given limited non-clinical training required for linkage-to-care staff. Adoption of similar programs in other EDs may improve the rates of LTC and treatment initiation for previously diagnosed HCV patients.     

Cardiac and pleuropulmonary involvement in Erdheim-Chester disease without bone lesions: A case report

Erdheim–Chester disease is a rare multisystemic non-Langerhans histiocytosis characterized by histiocytes that stain positive for CD68 and negative for CD1a. Skeletal involvement is reported to be present in up to 96% cases and BRAF mutation in about half of the cases.Here, we report a patient with an unusual longstanding BRAF-negative Erdheim–Chester disease without bone lesions who developed pleuropulmonary and cardiac involvement.     

Correlation between articular cartilage collagenase activity and osteoarthritis

Articular cartilage collagenase activity was determined for 28 sections obtained from twelve femoral heads. For each one square centimeter area, a section was graded by a histologic-histochemical grading system for the severity of the arthritis. Collagenase activity was found primarily in those areas of moderately severe disease, but not in mild or end stage arthritis.