Faculty Bibliography

OBJECTIVE/UNASSIGNED:Families or loved ones of adolescents and young adults (AYA) with a poor cancer prognosis who preserved fertility and did not survive treatment may choose to pursue posthumous assisted reproduction (PAR; i.e., use of preserved reproductive material for future family-building attempts). Decisions about PAR may be occurring in the context of grief and bereavement, which is associated with ethical and psychological considerations because grief can complicate a person's capacity for informed decision-making. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:Through the use of a five-step ethical decision-making model, the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, and a blended case example, the ethical and psychological considerations for families of AYA with poor prognosis who pursue PAR is discussed with an ethical analysis. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Ethical and psychological considerations included assessing the potential for harm to involved parties, navigating PAR decision-making with responsibility and honesty, examining the accessibility of PAR, and considering informed consent/assent and autonomy. CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:Clinical recommendations for supporting families and loved ones exploring PAR in the context of grief were discussed, with considerations for improving clinicians' comfort and competence with PAR, incorporating grief into informed consent conversations, standardizing conversations about PAR, and promoting an interdisciplinary approach to PAR-related decisions.

In medical education, pathology has traditionally been concentrated in only the preclinical years, often without sufficient emphasis on its practical application in clinical practice. Correspondingly, medical students' interest in pathology as a career has been low. To address this issue and foster a deeper understanding of pathology's clinical relevance and encourage appropriate utilization, we introduced a required exposure to pathology in the surgery clerkship featuring clinicopathological case review in a small group setting. Unlike other approaches, we wanted to create a program that concentrates on pathology cases directly linked to patients whom students cared for during their clerkship rotation, emphasizing the relevance of pathology diagnosis. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from participating students, who report an increased awareness of pathology's importance in patient management and of the significance of interdisciplinary collaboration between pathologists and clinicians. A notable feature of this program is its relatively low time and personnel requirements, which facilitate inclusion in the busy clerkship and acceptance in the Department of Pathology. Challenges, such as timely case selection and administrative co-ordination, are being addressed to optimize the program's implementation. In the future, we are considering expanding this model to other clerkships. By rekindling interest in pathology through practical engagement and highlighting its real-world relevance, this approach offers a promising strategy to counteract recruitment challenges in this crucial medical field.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE/UNASSIGNED:In 2021, the new Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) updated the creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) equation and removed the coefficient for race. The development and validation of this equation involved binarizing race into African American and non-African American, involving few Asian participants. This study aimed to examine the difference between the 2021 equation and the previous 2009 equation on CKD prevalence estimates in 2 Asian populations. STUDY DESIGN/UNASSIGNED:Observational study using 2 national surveys. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS/UNASSIGNED:Participants from the 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey and participants self-reported as Asian from the 2011-2020 US National Health and Nutrition Survey. EXPOSURE/UNASSIGNED:eGFR using 2009 and 2021 CKD-EPI creatinine equation. OUTCOMES/UNASSIGNED:or urine albumin-creatinine ratio ≥30 mg/g). ANALYTICAL APPROACH/UNASSIGNED:Sampling-weighted prevalence estimated using the 2009 and 2021 equations as well as the percentage of individuals with CKD G3+ using the 2009 equation being reclassified as not having CKD G3+ using the 2021 equation. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:The prevalence of CKD estimated using the 2021 equation was 9.75% (95% confidence intervals [CI], 8.80-10.80%) in Koreans and 11.60% (95% CI, 10.23-13.13%) in US Asians. The prevalence of CKD estimated using the 2021 equation was slightly lower than that using the 2009 equation in both Korean and US Asian populations by 0.63% (95% CI, 0.44-0.90%) and 0.84% (95% CI, 0.52-1.34%), respectively. Furthermore, 32.8% and 30.2% of Koreans and US Asians with CKD G3-5, respectively, estimated using the 2009 equation were reclassified as not having CKD G3-5 when the eGFR was calculated using the 2021 equation. LIMITATIONS/UNASSIGNED:Measured GFR was not available. CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:Use of the 2021 CKD-EPI creatinine equation leads to a small decrease in CKD prevalence in both Korean and US Asian populations, and of similar magnitude, resulting in significant reclassification among those originally classified as having CKD G3+.

INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM STATEMENT/UNASSIGNED:Neurologic disease is a leading cause of disability and death worldwide. As the global population ages, the burden of these diseases is expected to increase. Despite this increased clinical need, neurology trainees are seldom taught skills and concepts in palliative care. Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care for Neurology (EPEC-N) is a publicly available neuropalliative care curriculum designed to be taught by both palliative care specialists and nonspecialists alike. OBJECTIVES/UNASSIGNED:(1) To create a feasible curriculum in neuropalliative care using EPEC-N, (2) to improve learners' satisfaction with neuropalliative care training, and (3) to improve learners' confidence with neuropalliative care topics. METHODS AND CURRICULUM DESCRIPTION/UNASSIGNED:Three academic centers implemented a neuropalliative care curriculum for neurology residents using EPEC-N modules. Each site selected 4 of the 26 topics. Instructor backgrounds varied by site and included neurology senior residents, fellows, and faculty; none had completed palliative care fellowship at the time of teaching. Teaching methods included lecture, case discussion, and role-play. To assess feasibility and acceptability of this curriculum, learners, instructors, and site leads completed postsession surveys. RESULTS AND ASSESSMENT DATA/UNASSIGNED:A total of 87 residents attended at least 1 didactic session, and 23 residents completed the evaluation survey. All 3 sites were able to successfully implement an evidence-based and subspecialist-approved neuropalliative care curriculum without relying on subspecialty instruction, despite variations in instructor background, curriculum format, and module selection. Learners overall expressed a positive experience with this curriculum, with most of the respondents indicating that each session was effective in improving their knowledge base, relevant to current practice, and provided in an effective teaching format. Site leads and instructors found the curriculum easy to use, in minimal need of modification, and helpful for delivering neuropalliative care education. DISCUSSION AND LESSONS LEARNED/UNASSIGNED:The EPEC-N curriculum was successfully implemented at 3 US sites, demonstrating feasibility, acceptability, and adaptability across institutions. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of this curriculum in improving neuropalliative care skills for neurologists and raising the standard of primary neuropalliative care.

The 2022 American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) updated the indications for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (MBS), replacing the previous guidelines established by the NIH over 30 years ago. The evidence supporting these updated guidelines has been strengthened to assist metabolic and bariatric surgeons, nutritionists, and other members of multidisciplinary teams, as well as patients. This study aims to assess the level of evidence and the strength of recommendations compared to the previously published criteria.

BACKGROUND:Biportal endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (BE-TLIF) is a minimally invasive surgical technique for treating degenerative lumbar spine conditions. It offers advantages such as reduced soft tissue trauma and lower infection rates, but certain technical aspects may be challenging. The current study aims to identify strategies to enhance the fusion rate in BE-TLIF by addressing these specific challenges. METHODS:A literature review was conducted on techniques to improve fusion rates in BE-TLIF. RESULTS:The review suggests that lateral-based portals supplemented with medial portals allowed for safe insertion of interbody cages with large footprint. Direct visualization of the disc space with a 30° endoscope assisted with better disc space preparation. Facetectomies performed with osteotomes, rather than burrs, ensured maximum retrieval of autologous bone graft. Utilizing bone morphogenetic proteins with sustained release carriers such as hydroxyapatite can be useful to increase fusion rates of BE-TLIF. CONCLUSIONS:To our knowledge, the current literature is the first comprehensive review of strategies to enhance fusion rates in BE-TLIF. The proposed techniques and biological adjuncts are effective means to address key challenges associated with the procedure, and such strategies would potentially shorten the learning curve and improve clinical outcomes. Further clinical studies are required to validate these findings and establish standardized protocols. CLINICAL RELEVANCE/CONCLUSIONS:These findings provide practical solutions to overcome common challenges in BE-TLIF. The suggested techniques would reduce the incidence of pseudarthrosis, improve patient outcomes, and ultimately offer a safer and more reliable option for lumbar interbody fusion patients.

Treatment of pregnancy-related venous thromboembolism is limited by considerations of the health risks to both the patient and fetus. Anticoagulation is the cornerstone treatment for pregnancy-related venous thromboembolism; however, early thrombus removal may be preferred for prompt symptom resolution and to decrease the risk of post-thrombotic syndrome. We report the successful treatment of a patient in the second trimester of pregnancy with symptomatic iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis and May-Thurner syndrome using percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy.