Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital

About: Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital is a healthcare organization based out in Albany, Georgia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & PET-CT. The organization has 83 authors who have published 108 publications receiving 2275 citations.

Congenital and Neonatal Chikungunya in Colombia

Abstract: In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), chikungunya (CHIK) viral infection has emerged as a significant arboviral disease. This rapidly expanding vector-borne viral illness is associated with a substantial burden of disease in terms of acute illness and also in terms of long-term sequelae. In addition, this viral pathogen has the ability to impact different populations including pregnant women and newborns. Despite the growing threat of this arboviral infection to the region, there are insufficient reports or studies attempting to delineate the clinical and epidemiological features of congenital and neonatal cases of CHIK in LAC. In this study, we present a case of congenital CHIK and a case of neonatal CHIK infection identified in Santander, Colombia. We discuss the potential neurological impact and sequelae of CHIK infection acquired during the neonatal period. There is an urgent need for further epidemiological and clinical studies to better understand the impact of CHIK in endemic areas in LAC.

Review of the Role of the Pharmacist in Reducing Hospital Readmissions.

Abstract: Hospital readmissions remain a public health concern despite progress in reducing and preventing its occurrence. Among strategies that have been implemented to reduce readmission most involves medication management. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions involving pharmacists to reduce hospital readmissions. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for primary literature from January 1990 to July 2016 with search terms such as "hospital readmission," and "Pharmacist," or "Pharmacy," or "medications." Studies with an abstract in English which highlighted a pharmacist involvement based on the type of intervention, country of origin, type of study, and findings were summarized. The outcomes of these interventions to reduce hospital readmissions were mixed. Of the 29 studies, 16 (55%) showed a statistically significant reduction in readmissions ranging from 3.3% to 30%. Most of the interventions focused mainly on patient education postdischarge (8) or in addition to medication reconciliation predischarge (9). There were no studies from Africa or Asia but mainly from the United States (72%). Although multiple factors contribute to hospital readmission, this review highlights the important role pharmacists can play singularly and as part of interdisciplinary teams. Most effective interventions often involved medication review and patient education postdischarge.

Needling for encapsulated trabeculectomy filtering blebs.

Abstract: Background Encapsulation of a filtering bleb following trabeculectomy may lead to elevation of intraocular pressure, prompting further medical or surgical intervention. It has been suggested that needling of an encapsulated bleb may be effective in re-establishing drainage and lowering intraocular pressure. Objectives The objective of this review was to assess the effects of needling encapsulated blebs on intraocular pressure. Search methods We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register) (The Cochrane Library 2012, Issue 1), MEDLINE (January 1950 to February 2012), EMBASE (January 1980 to February 2012), Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS) (January 1982 to February 2012), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (www.controlled-trials.com), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov) and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. The electronic databases were last searched on 14 February 2012. Selection criteria We included randomised and quasi-randomised in which bleb needling was compared with any form of antiglaucoma medication in people with encapsulated trabeculectomy blebs. The primary outcome was mean intraocular pressure measured in millimetres of mercury at day one, one week, one month and at last available follow-up. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. Study authors were contacted for additional information. Main results One trial, which randomised 25 eyes to either needling or medical treatment, met the inclusion criteria. At one day post-treatment, mean intraocular pressure was lower in the needling group (16.28 mmHg, standard deviation 5.9) than the medical group (19.45 mmHg, standard deviation 3.75). The difference was not statistically significant. At all other follow-up points, mean intraocular pressure was consistently higher in the needling group than the medical group, although the differences were not statistically significant. However, only one needled bleb remained successful at the end of follow-up compared to 10 out of the 11 blebs managed conservatively. This difference was statistically highly significant. Authors' conclusions Evidence from one small trial suggests that needling of encapsulated trabeculectomy blebs is not better than medical treatment in reducing intraocular pressure.

Early dynamic PET/CT and 18F-FDG blood flow imaging in bladder cancer detection: A novel approach

Abstract: 1909 Objectives The present standard protocols for performing hybrid positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) with 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (18F-FDG) call for data acquisition to start 50-60 min. post-injection (PI) of the radiopharmaceutical. However, this prolonged period of tracer incubation allows its accumulation in the urinary bladder making it difficult, if not impossible, to identify abnormal growths on the surface of this organ. Our objective was to identify bladder wall lesions using a novel PET/CT and 18F-FDG imaging protocol. This novel approach was inspired by the angiogenesis property observed in cancer cells and the delayed excretion of high activity concentration 18F-FDG in urinary bladder by the kidneys. Methods Early (starting at injection time) dynamic PET/CT and 18F-FDG scans were performed on 7 consecutive male patients with pathology confirmed bladder cancer. A series of 5 dynamic scans of 2 min. each, starting at injection time, were obtained on each patient’s bladder using a single bed-position. Areas of increased 18F-FDG blood flow, observed on bladder wall scans, were considered suspicious for cancer and compared to the final pathologic report. Results Five out of 7 patients’ scans displayed increased blood flow activity to bladder wall areas that were pathologically proven to be malignancies. The other 2 patients’ scans that failed to show increased blood flow activity to the bladder walls were classified, based on pathology reports, as true negative and false negative. The average maximum standard uptake values (SUVmax ± SD) observed in bladder wall areas with increased and normal blood flow were 2.7 ± 0.7 and 1.1 ± 1.3 g/mL, respectively. Conclusions Although the sample size of this study was relatively small and a larger population group is needed to confirm these findings, its results strongly suggest that this novel PET/CT and 18F-FDG bladder imaging approach could be the protocol of the future in bladder cancer evaluation