Faculty Bibliography
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department:Medicine. General Internal Medicine
recentyears:2
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14846
Features of the Energy Spectrum of Cosmic Rays above 2.5×10^{18} eV Using the Pierre Auger Observatory
We report a measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic rays above 2.5×10^{18} eV based on 215 030 events. New results are presented: at about 1.3×10^{19} eV, the spectral index changes from 2.51±0.03(stat)±0.05(syst) to 3.05±0.05(stat)±0.10(syst), evolving to 5.1±0.3(stat)±0.1(syst) beyond 5×10^{19} eV, while no significant dependence of spectral features on the declination is seen in the accessible range. These features of the spectrum can be reproduced in models with energy-dependent mass composition. The energy density in cosmic rays above 5×10^{18} eV is [5.66±0.03(stat)±1.40(syst)]×10^{53} erg Mpc^{-3}.
PMID: 33016715
ISSN: 1079-7114
CID: 5910932
White matter atrophy in cerebral amyloid angiopathy
OBJECTIVE:We postulated that cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is associated with white matter atrophy (WMA) and that WMA can be related to cognitive changes in CAA. METHODS:White matter volume expressed as percent of intracranial volume (pWMV) of prospectively enrolled patients without dementia diagnosed with probable CAA was compared to age-matched healthy controls (HC) and patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). Cognitive scores were also sought to understand the potential effects of WMA on cognitive function. RESULTS:= 0.003, respectively). All associations remained independent in multivariable analyses. Within the CAA cohort, higher pWMV independently correlated with better scores of executive function. CONCLUSIONS:Patients with CAA show WMA when compared to age-matched HC and patients with AD. WMA independently correlates with the number of lobar microbleeds, a marker of CAA severity. Consistent spatial patterns of WMA especially in posterior regions might be related to CAA. The association between WMA and measures of executive function suggests that WMA might represent an important mediator of CAA-related neurologic dysfunction.
PMCID:7455340
PMID: 32611644
ISSN: 1526-632x
CID: 5864692
A behavioral economic intervention to increase psychiatrist adherence to tobacco treatment guidelines: a provider-randomized study protocol
BACKGROUND:People with a psychiatric diagnosis smoke at high rates, yet are rarely treated for tobacco use. Health care systems often use a 'no treatment' default for tobacco, such that providers must actively choose (opt-in) to treat their patients who express interest in quitting. Default bias theory suggests that opt-in systems may reinforce the status quo to not treat tobacco use in psychiatry. We aim to conduct a pilot study testing an opt-out system for implementing a 3A's (ask, advise, assist) tobacco treatment model in outpatient psychiatry. METHODS:We will use a mixed-methods, cluster-randomized study design. We will implement a tobacco use clinical reminder for outpatient psychiatrists at the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System. Psychiatrists (N = 20) will be randomized 1:1 to one of two groups: (1) Opt-In Treatment Approach: Psychiatrists will receive a reminder that encourages them to offer cessation medications and referral to cessation counseling; or (2) Opt-Out Treatment Approach: Psychiatrists will receive a clinical reminder that includes a standing cessation medication order and a referral to cessation counseling that will automatically generate unless the provider cancels. Prior to implementation of the reminders, we will hold a 1-hour training on tobacco treatment for psychiatrists in both arms. We will use VA administrative data to calculate the study's primary outcomes: 1) the percent of smokers prescribed a cessation medication and 2) the percent of smokers referred to counseling. During the intervention period, we will also conduct post-visit surveys with a cluster sample of 400 patients (20 per psychiatrist) to assess psychiatrist fidelity to the 3 A's approach and patient perceptions of the opt-out system. At six months, we will survey the clustered patient sample again to evaluate the study's secondary outcomes: 1) patient use of cessation treatment in the prior 6 months and 2) self-reported 7-day abstinence at 6 months. At the end of the intervention period, we will conduct semi-structured interviews with 12-14 psychiatrists asking about their perceptions of the opt-out approach. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS:This study will produce important data on the potential of opt-out systems to overcome barriers in implementing tobacco use treatment in outpatient psychiatry. TRIAL REGISTRATION/BACKGROUND:Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier NCT04071795 (registered August 28, 2019). https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04071795.
PMCID:7331951
PMID: 32617528
ISSN: 2662-2211
CID: 5842322
Managing hypertension in rural Uganda: Realities and strategies 10 years of experience at a district hospital chronic disease clinic
The literature on the global burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) contrasts a spiraling epidemic centered in low-income countries with low levels of awareness, risk factor control, infrastructure, personnel and funding. There are few data-based reports of broad and interconnected strategies to address these challenges where they hit hardest. Kisoro district in Southwest Uganda is rural, remote, over-populated and poor, the majority of its population working as subsistence farmers. This paper describes the 10-year experience of a tri-partite collaboration between Kisoro District Hospital, a New York teaching hospital, and a US-based NGO delivering hypertension services to the district. Using data from patient and pharmacy registers and a random sample of charts reviewed manually, we describe both common and often-overlooked barriers to quality care (clinic overcrowding, drug stockouts, provider shortages, visit non-adherence, and uninformative medical records) and strategies adopted to address these barriers (locally-adapted treatment guidelines, patient-clinic-pharmacy cost sharing, appointment systems, workforce development, patient-provider continuity initiatives, and ongoing data monitoring). We find that: 1) although following CVD risk-based treatment guidelines could safely allocate scarce medications to the highest-risk patients first, national guidelines emphasizing treatment at blood pressures over 140/90 mmHg ignore the reality of "stockouts" and conflict with this goal; 2) often-overlooked barriers to quality care such as poor quality medical records, clinic disorganization and local employment practices are surmountable; 3) cost-sharing initiatives partially fill the gap during stockouts of government supplied medications, but still may be insufficient for the poorest patients; 4) frequent prolonged lapses in care may be the norm for most known hypertensives in rural SSA, and 5) ongoing data monitoring can identify local barriers to quality care and provide the impetus to ameliorate them. We anticipate that our 10-year experience adapting to the complex challenges of hypertension management and a granular description of the solutions we devised will be of benefit to others managing chronic disease in similar rural African communities.
PMCID:7274420
PMID: 32502169
ISSN: 1932-6203
CID: 5810992
Implementation of Electronic Decision Support for Diabetic Care in a Student-Run Clinic
Background and objectives Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex disease that can lead to complications. Electronic decision support in the electronic medical record (EMR) aids management. There is no study demonstrating the effectiveness of electronic decision support in assisting medical student providers in student-run free clinics. Methods There were 71 T2DM patients seen by medical students. Twenty-three encounters used a Diabetes Progress Note (DPN) that was created from consensus, opinion-based guidelines. Each note received a total composite score based on an eight-point scale for adherence to guidelines. Statistical comparisons between mean composite scores were performed using independent t-tests. Results The mean total composite score of DPN users was significantly greater than DPN non-users (5.35 vs. 4.23, p = 0.008), with a significant difference in the physical exam component (1.70 vs. 1.31, p = 0.002). Conclusions In this exploratory study, medical student providers at an attending-supervised, student-run free clinic that used electronic decision support during T2DM patient visits improved adherence to screening for diabetic complications and standard of care.
PMCID:7815305
PMID: 33489625
ISSN: 2168-8184
CID: 5811002
Management of Iron-Deficiency Anemia on Inpatients and Appropriate Discharge and Follow-Up
BACKGROUND:The aims of the study were to identify appropriate supplementation of iron for inpatients and to identify factors involved in appropriate discharge documentation and follow-up. METHODS:This was a retrospective analysis of 103 patients at a community hospital in New York City. RESULTS:A total of 57 (57/103, 55.3%) patients were admitted due to symptomatic anemia. Twenty (20/103, 19.4%) of those with iron-deficiency anemia had either esophagogastroduodenoscopy or colonoscopy. Gastroenterologist or hematologist was consulted for 45/103 (43.7%). Inpatient iron supplementation was given for 62/103 (60.2%) of patients; and 43/103 (41.7%) had blood transfusion. Upon discharge, 50/103 (48.5%) had appropriate documentation of iron-deficiency anemia on discharge paperwork. Appropriate follow-up was done for 54/103 (52.4%). Iron supplementation was provided for 53/103 (51.5%) of patients. Having inpatient esophagogastroduodenoscopy or colonoscopy, blood transfusion, or symptomatic anemia had a statistical significance for likelihood of appropriate discharge documentation. CONCLUSIONS:Iron-deficiency anemia can have high rates of mortality and morbidity in the population. Appropriate discharge of patients with iron-deficiency anemia and factors related to this are paramount for clinicians in order to have the best patient outcomes.
PMCID:7188379
PMID: 32362978
ISSN: 1927-1220
CID: 5756482
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation for chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the era of novel agents
Although novel agents (NAs) have improved outcomes for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a subset will progress through all available NAs. Understanding outcomes for potentially curative modalities including allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHCT) following NA therapy is critical while devising treatment sequences aimed at long-term disease control. In this multicenter, retrospective cohort study, we examined 65 patients with CLL who underwent alloHCT following exposure to ≥1 NA, including baseline disease and transplant characteristics, treatment preceding alloHCT, transplant outcomes, treatment following alloHCT, and survival outcomes. Univariable and multivariable analyses evaluated associations between pre-alloHCT factors and progression-free survival (PFS). Twenty-four-month PFS, overall survival (OS), nonrelapse mortality, and relapse incidence were 63%, 81%, 13%, and 27% among patients transplanted for CLL. Day +100 cumulative incidence of grade III-IV acute graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) was 24%; moderate-severe GVHD developed in 27%. Poor-risk disease characteristics, prior NA exposure, complete vs partial remission, and transplant characteristics were not independently associated with PFS. Hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index independently predicts PFS. PFS and OS were not impacted by having received NAs vs both NAs and chemoimmunotherapy, 1 vs ≥2 NAs, or ibrutinib vs venetoclax as the line of therapy immediately pre-alloHCT. AlloHCT remains a viable long-term disease control strategy that overcomes adverse CLL characteristics. Prior NAs do not appear to impact the safety of alloHCT, and survival outcomes are similar regardless of number of NAs received, prior chemoimmunotherapy exposure, or NA immediately preceding alloHCT. Decisions about proceeding to alloHCT should consider comorbidities and anticipated response to remaining therapeutic options.
PMCID:7448605
PMID: 32841336
ISSN: 2473-9537
CID: 5646862
Prognostic Factors for Postrelapse Survival after ex Vivo CD34+-Selected (T Cell-Depleted) Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma
Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) for multiple myeloma (MM), with its underlying graft-versus-tumor capacity, is a potentially curative approach for high-risk patients. Relapse is the main cause of treatment failure, but predictors for postrelapse survival are not well characterized. We conducted a retrospective analysis to evaluate predictors for postrelapse overall survival (OS) in 60 MM patients who progressed after myeloablative T cell-depleted alloHCT. The median patient age was 56 years, and 82% had high-risk cytogenetics. Patients received a median of 4 lines of therapy pre-HCT, and 88% achieved at least a partial response (PR) before alloHCT. Of the 38% who received preemptive post-HCT therapy, 13 received donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs) and 10 received other interventions. Relapse was defined as very early (<6 months; 28%), early (6 to 24 months; 50%), or late (>24 months; 22%). At relapse, 27% presented with extramedullary disease (EMD). The median postrelapse overall survival (OS) by time to relapse was 4 months for the very early relapse group, 17 months for the early relapse group, and 72 months for the late relapse group (P = .002). Older age, relapse with EMD, <PR before alloHCT, <PR by day +100, and no maintenance were prognostic for inferior postrelapse OS on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis adjusted for age and sex, very early relapse (hazard ratio [HR], 4.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.42 to 13.5), relapse with EMD (HR, 5.20; 95% CI, 2.10 to 12.9), and DLI for relapse prevention (HR, .11; 95% CI, 2.10 to 12.9) were significant predictors for postrelapse survival. Despite their shared inherent high-risk status, patients with MM have significantly disparate post-HCT relapse courses, with some demonstrating long-term survival despite relapse.
PMCID:7609585
PMID: 32712326
ISSN: 1523-6536
CID: 5646852
Privacy Concerns About Personal Health Information and Fear of Unintended Use of Biospecimens Impact Donations by African American Patients
Biospecimen donation is essential for studies of cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment. Donations from minority groups, for whom the cancer burden is high, are infrequent and inadequate for research purposes. The obstacles to donation of biospecimens by African Americans and other minority groups must be identified. Patients aged 18-85 years were surveyed based on the clinic visited (group A: GI/primary care and group B: oncology with confirmed cancer diagnosis) and analyzed as separate groups. The validated biobanking attitudes and knowledge survey (BANKS) as well as pancreatic cancer questions were used. In group A, 278/292 surveys were completed (5/6 patients participated). In group B, 54/59 surveys were completed (4/5 patients participated). There were low mean scores on the BANKS knowledge sections, specifically in regard to specimen ownership and the separation of research and medical records. Also, two major concerns limited donation: (1) fear that personal, medical, and family medical information may be stolen from the biobank; and (2) mistrust that biospecimens could be used for unintended purposes. Low knowledge about biospecimen acquisition, added to mistrust, warrant community-based, and patient education in an effort to improve attitudes, increase participation, and regain healthy therapeutic alliances.
PMID: 30847836
ISSN: 1543-0154
CID: 5534592
Patient-reported benefit from proposed interventions to reduce financial hardship during cancer treatment. [Meeting Abstract]
ISI:000560368303157
ISSN: 0732-183x
CID: 5522132
