Class of 2017 Abstract / Objectives: The purpose of this systematic review was to identify the types of management strategies reported by individuals with chronic pain to manage chronic pain, the average number of strategies used, outcomes, and side effects. Methods: To be included in the systematic review, reports of population surveys of adult patients with chronic pain, as defined by the authors, had to be published in English, include chronic pain from any cause, and include information on the treatment strategies used by respondents. Search terms included “pain,” “self-care,” “self management,” “self treatment,” and “adult” and the search strategy included systematic searches of Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, searches of reference lists, and citation searches as well as key websites such as the CDC and NIH. Results: A total of 13 study reports were identified. Sample size ranged from 103 to 4839; mean age ranged from 42 to 81 and 51 to 69% female. All reports included information on medications used to manage pain; 6 reported other medical strategies; 9 reported physical strategies; 6 reported psychological strategies; and 11 reported non- medical strategies. Only 4 studies reported some data on the number of strategies used; one study reported 23% used 6 or more medications, another reported 51% used 3 or more strategies. Six studies reported some type of outcome; including inadequate control of pain (40%) or good relief (87%), and 36% as effective in a third study. Few side effects were reported; two studies reported constipation, nausea and vomiting. Conclusions: Population-based surveys of chronic pain have identified a large number of strategies used to manage pain, however they provide little information on the average number of strategies used, the effectiveness of the strategies, or resulting side effects.

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) was originally designed to promote autonomy and is commonly conceptualised as informing treatment and decisions in the event of a person’s loss of capacity. In the UK, healthcare policy has emphasised the potential for ACP to significantly contribute to improvements in experiences of death and dying for patients and their significant others. Older people with progressive frailty are at high risk of mortality, loss of capacity and increasing dependency on carers and care services, yet uptake of ACP in this group is poor. Little is known about whether frail older people regard advance care planning as relevant or what perspectives they have on decision making for the future. Aim: To explore the expectations, experiences and understandings of frail older people and their significant others of planning for future care and to examine the implications of this for the practice of ACP. Methods: The study adopted an exploratory case study design using serial qualitative interviews and the responsive interview technique. Frail older people and their nominated carers were recruited from hospital wards in a large University Hospital NHS Trust prior to discharge. They took part in up to two interviews either in hospital or in their homes. Within and cross-case qualitative analysis was undertaken. Findings: Sixteen frail older people and eight significant others were recruited (Seventeen female, seven male, age range 70-96). The study found that frail older people experience profound uncertainty, associated with rapid changes to their physical and/or mental state and complex challenges in everyday life. Consequently, their attention is focused on day-to-day maintenance of quality of life, rather than on future care or advance decision making. Many had difficulty imagining a future; as dependency grew, so did reliance on care services to support their needs. What once would have been deemed an unacceptable way of living became routine. For many, the care system offers a lifeline without which they would not be able to exist at home. However, it also appeared to offer little individual flexibility, meaning that frail older people struggled to assert the control over day-to-day decisions and choices that others take for granted. This increasing dependency and reliance on care and care services has the potential to undermine the decision-making capacity of frail older people. For many, autonomous choice and decision making gave way to relationships, partnerships and negotiations that are commensurate with a more relational model of autonomy. Conclusion: The end-of-life orientation of current ACP policy and practice is at odds with the dynamic nature of frailty and does not correspond to individuals’ needs to maximise their current quality of life. The liberal ideal of autonomy as self-determination and self-interest presented by the legalistic and ideologically driven policy of ACP is out of step with the lived worlds of frail older people. For those facing increasing dependency on care and care services, frameworks that acknowledge a more relational approach when planning future care will be needed in order to engage this group of frail older people in ACP.

No description available.

Background Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) can be described as the loss of the kidney function over time. Symptoms usually develop slowly, and it may not appear in early stages. Lab tests can confirm a CKD diagnosis. The approximate number of incidents per year is more than 200,000 cases, and approximately 30 million people are living with CKD today in the United States. This long-standing disease ultimately leads to renal failure at the end. At this present time, there are no known cures for CKD, and the only treatment available is dialysis. Objectives The purpose of this study is to determine the association between CKD and further with hemodialysis (HD) and medical condition such as cardiac complications, cardiogenic shock, hemorrhage, anemia, vascular complication, postop respiratory failure, post op infarct hemorrhage, acute renal failure, new temporary pacemaker, new permanent pacemaker, pericardial complications, and death. Study design The study employed secondary data in a cross-sectional design. Methods A sample of 106,969 was drawn from the population. The outcome variables were a diagnosis of CKD and/or CKD with HD. The predictor variables were cardiac complications, cardiogenic shock, hemorrhage, anemia, vascular complication, postop respiratory failure, post op infarct hemorrhage, acute renal failure, new temporary pacemaker, new permanent pacemaker, pericardial complications and death. Logistic regression was conducted to analyze the relationship between outcome variable and each independent variable. Variables with a p-value Results Analysis shows that subjects with cardiac complications were 17% less likely to have CKD as compared to those who did not have cardiac complications (OR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.78-0.88). CKD patients who had cardiac complications were 18% more likely to have HD than the subjects who did not have cardiac complications (OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.01-1.39). Patients with cardiogenic shock were 86% more likely to have CKD than the subjects who did not have cardiogenic shock (OR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.82-1.91). CKD patients who had cardiogenic shock were also 18% more likely to have HD than the subjects who did not have cardiogenic shock (OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.11-1.25). We have similar results if a patient had other conditions. Conclusion Chronic kidney disease with hemodialysis is significantly associated by the other medical conditions such as cardiac complications cardiogenic shock, hemorrhage, anemia, vascular complication, postop respiratory failure, post op infarct hemorrhage, acute renal failure, new temporary pacemaker, new permanent pacemaker, pericardial complications and death in the United States. Further studies are needed to confirm the results and to understand the prognosis.

No description available.

archives@tulane.edu / Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a disease that affects 13.6% of American adults. The prevalence of abnormal serum potassium levels and their downstream renal and cardiovascular effects in CKD are not clearly understood. Objective: The objective of this project is to determine the prevalence of abnormal serum potassium in the CKD population in the United States and to identify associations between abnormal serum potassium and renal and cardiovascular endpoints in CKD patients. Paper 1: At baseline, 4.07% of CRIC study participants had hypokalemia and 7.65% had hyperkalemia. Non-Hispanic Black participants had the highest prevalence of hypokalemia (5.67%), and Hispanic CKD patients had the highest prevalence of hyperkalemia (10.92%). Women, non-Hispanic Black individuals, and individuals who were non-diabetic and/or middle-aged at baseline were likelier to experience hypokalemia at some point during the CRIC study. Male gender, Hispanic ethnicity, diabetes at baseline, higher CKD stage at baseline, and younger age at baseline were found to be risk factors for ever experiencing hyperkalemia. Overall, over 40% of participants experienced an abnormal serum potassium level at some point during the study. Paper 2: Using time-updated serum potassium, hypokalemia was associated with increased risk of ESRD. Hyperkalemia was associated with increased risk of both ESRD and CKD progression. Baseline-only modeling of hypokalemia and hyperkalemia as exposures did not identify significant associations with renal outcomes. Paper 3: Using baseline-only serum potassium, hypokalemia was associated with both all-cause mortality [HR = 1.31; 95% CI: (1.01, 1.71)] and cardiovascular disease [HR = 1.49; 95% CI: (1.18, 1.89)]. However, marginal structural models with repeated potassium measures only identified elevated risk of cardiovascular disease associated with hypokalemia [HR = 1.36; 95% CI: (1.18, 1.89)]. Conclusion: The results of this project demonstrate that abnormal serum potassium is a prevalent problem in the United States CKD population. Very low and very high potassium levels are associated with severe renal and cardiovascular outcomes, and these associations are stronger in some subgroups compared to others, including older and Hispanic CKD patients. This information can help clinicians identify individuals at high risk for severe endpoints and intervene early to prevent these outcomes from occurring. Future research should focus on establishing causality, which could provide a new treatment target for preventing renal and cardiovascular outcomes in CKD patients. / 1 / Andrei Stefanescu

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the relationship between central pain amplification and persistent pelvic pain. No previous studies have utilized bimanual pelvic examination findings, in addition to pressure-pain analysis, in an effort to investigate the mechanisms contributing to Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP) in women with endometriosis. METHODS: Participants included 144 women aged 18-50 years old, diagnosed with CPP and/or surgically-confirmed endometriosis compared to healthy controls. Participants were categorized into four groups, including pain-free endometriosis (Endo Ø Pain), painful endometriosis (Endo + Pain), Chronic Pelvic Pain without endometriosis (CPP Ø Endo), and healthy controls. Pressure-pain Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) was conducted on all participants to determine levels of pain thresholds. External systemic tenderpoints were assessed utilizing standardized fibromyalgia tenderpoint criteria. A pelvic examination was performed on participants in the gynecological sample in order to assess internal tenderness. One-way ANOVA, chi-square analyses were conducted to assess descriptive variables. Correlation calculations were performed to assess the relationship between pressure-pain thresholds and tenderpoints. Generalized Linear Models (GLM) were conducted to analyze the differences on pressure-pain thresholds and pelvic exam tenderpoints between groups, while controlling for age and number of comorbid chronic pain syndromes (CPS). RESULTS: Endo Ø Pain had a significantly higher stage of endometriosis and were significantly older than the Endo + Pain group. Healthy controls had less external systemic tenderpoints than all patient subgroups. CPP Ø Endo and Endo + Pain had more CPS than healthy controls and Endo Ø Pain. Pelvic exam tenderpoints (r= -0.31, p < 0.01) and systemic external tenderpoints (r = -0.35, p <0.01) were negatively correlated with low pressure-pain threshold. Systemic external tenderpoints were negatively correlated with the high pressure staircase (r= -0.41, p < 0.01), but pelvic exam tenderpoints were not. The GLMs conducted revealed that Endo Ø Pain had significantly higher low pressure-pain threshold compared to both Endo + Pain (difference = 0.57, p < 0.01, CI= 0.12, 1.02) and healthy controls (difference = 0.55, p < 0.05, CI= 0.08, 1.02). The CPP Ø Endo group had significantly lower high pressure-pain threshold scores compared to healthy controls (difference = 0.38, p < 0.05, CI= 0.05, 0.71). The Endo + Pain group also had significantly lower high-pain thresholds as compared to healthy controls (difference= 0.31, p < 0.05, CI= 0.04, 0.58). CPP Ø Endo group had significantly more pelvic tenderpoints compared to Endo Ø Pain (difference = 2.81, p < 0.001, CI = 1.36, 4.27); Endo + Pain group also had significantly more pelvic exam tenderpoints than the Endo Ø Pain (difference= 2.10, p < 0.001, CI = 0.96, 3.24). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that pain thresholds, as measured by QST pressure-pain testing, are associated with persistent pelvic pain. CPP Ø Endo and Endo + Pain experienced more systemic tenderness, and more CPS than the Endo Ø Pain group and healthy controls. This indicates that chronic pain, not endometrial lesions, are likely responsible for the development of centralized pain amplification. Although the etiology of endometriosis and CPP is poorly understood, the findings of this study contribute to the idea that central sensitization is associated with the shared underlying pain mechanism in chronic pain syndromes. / 2020-07-03T00:00:00Z

Cardiovascular disease is most deadly medical condition in the United States. Medial vascular calcification is a disease that often precedes other more serious cardiovascular diseases that have high mortality. In order to research new therapies for the treatment of medial vascular calcification, an in vitro cell culture model must be developed that mimics the process in vivo. This disease is shown to be an active, cell-mediated process where the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in the arteries are differentiating into osteoblast-like cells and depositing hydroxyapatite mineral in the artery walls. By administering inorganic phosphate to cell culture medium, an osteogenic shift can initiated in VSMCs in vitro resulting in calcium deposition and an increase in bone related proteins. We propose to develop and characterize a model for vascular calcification and investigate the effects of magnesium supplementation on in vitro calcification and cellular phosphate uptake.

Pain is a sensory experience associated with physical discomfort that is influenced by cognition and emotion and has been linked to an increased risk for aggression. The purpose of the current study was to examine the association between pain and aggression under controlled laboratory conditions using both experimental and non-experimental approaches. The aims of the study were two-fold. First, to manipulate perceived pain tolerance via faux feedback and then observe whether aggression differs as a function of this pain perception manipulation using a laboratory analogue of aggression. Second, to examine whether self-ratings of pain sensitivity and behavioral measures of pain are associated with self-reported or behavioral assessment of aggression. Eighty-three men and women were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: A high pain tolerance feedback group, a low pain tolerance feedback group, and a no pain tolerance feedback (control) group. Participants completed self-report ratings of pain and aggression, including the Life History of Aggression: Aggression subscale, the Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire: Physical Aggression subscale, and the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire. Participants then completed an algometer pressure pain task and immediately received high or low pain tolerance feedback (or no feedback) before engaging in an electric shock pain tolerance procedure and subsequently participating in a laboratory task of aggression against an increasingly provocative fictitious "opponent" during a competitive reaction-time task (i.e., the Taylor Aggression Paradigm; TAP). Aggression was operationalized both as the average shock and the number of "extreme" shocks administered to the opponent. The latter were ostensibly twice the opponent's pain threshold. Results indicated that, contrary to the main prediction, individuals who received high pain tolerance feedback tended to select lower mean shocks as provocation increased. Pain sensitivity was also positively related to TAP aggression. These results are consistent with the literature suggesting that low perceived pain tolerance is associated with aggression. However, pressure pain tolerance was positively associated with self-reported aggression, suggesting that the association between pain and aggression is complex, may involve multiple pathways, and is dependent on the method used to assess pain and aggression.

No description available.