Saint Francis University

About: Saint Francis University is a education organization based out in Loretto, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Osteoblast. The organization has 1694 authors who have published 2038 publications receiving 87149 citations.

Appreciating life: being the father of a child with severe cerebral palsy.

Abstract: This phenomenological study examined the experience of being the father of a child with severe cerebral palsy (CP). Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Two interviews were conducted with 6 English-speaking, biological fathers whose children with CP (ages 5-27 years) were enrolled in a residential and day school in northeastern United States. Audiotaped interviews were transcribed, and thematic analysis was conducted using van Manen's methodology. Themes identified were as follows: Lost in birth; My beautiful unique child; Illness as a way of life…you can't get used to it and after a while it feels like no one cares; Partners-loyalty and commitment; How the world receives my child; Healthcare providers-I'm here; Torn…when your child can't live at home…finding a place to live and grow; and Faith. Clinicians should encourage, value, and include fathers' input during discussions of medical and social problems and when developing long-term care plans. Further research exploring the experiences of fathers of children with CP should be conducted.

Risk Factors of Recurrent Ischemic Colitis: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

Abstract: 3Background/Aims: Recurrence of ischemic colitis (IC) has not been studied extensively. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of recurrent IC in the community setting and to identify any risk factors. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study in two community hospitals. Medical records of patients with IC from January 2007 to January 2013 were reviewed. Demographic details, clinical features, co- morbidities, concomitant use of medications, laboratory studies, imaging findings, endoscopic and histological features, surgery, hospital stay, and death within 30 days were collected. Patients were divided into two groups (recurrent IC group, non-recurrent IC group). Results: A total of 118 patients with IC were identified. IC recurred in 10 patients (8.5%) during the study period. Half of the patients in the recurrent IC group were current smokers as compared to only 18.7% of patients in the non-recurrent group. In the recurrent IC group, 20.0% of patients never smoked as compared to 61.7% in the non-recurrent group (p=0.027). Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) was more frequent in the recurrent IC group (40.0% vs. 4.7%; p=0.003). No differences in other clinical symptoms, CT scan findings, comorbidities, endoscopic features, or use of concomitant medications were observed between the two groups. The need for surgical intervention, blood transfusion, intensive care unit stay, mechanical ventilation, length of hospital stay, and anatomic location of affected segments did not differ between the two groups. Conclusions: IC recurred in 8.5% of patients during the six-year study period. Current smoking status and presence of AAA were identifying risk factors for recurrence of IC. (Korean J Gastroenterol 2014;63:283-291)

Severe Hypomagnesemia Induced by Pentamidine

Abstract: The use of pentamidine for treating Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in AIDS patients has increased the awareness of pentamidine-induced adverse reactions. We report a case of severe hypomagnesemia and concurrent hypocalcemia that occurred during therapy with intravenous pentamidine. Pentamidine therapy was subsequently changed to the nebulized route. Electrolyte imbalances were corrected after daily supplementation with high doses of magnesium and calcium. Clinicians should monitor for electrolyte imbalances which can be severe in patients receiving prolonged courses of pentamidine therapy.

Advancing Our Understandings of Healthcare Team Dynamics From the Simulation Room to the Operating Room: A Neurodynamic Perspective.

Abstract: The initial models of team and team member dynamics using biometric data in healthcare will likely come from simulations. But how confident are we that the simulation-derived high-resolution dynamics will reflect those of teams working with live patients? We have developed neurodynamic models of a neurosurgery team while they performed a peroneal nerve decompression surgery on a patient to approach this question. The models were constructed from EEG-derived measures that provided second-by-second estimates of the neurodynamic responses of the team and team members to task uncertainty. The anesthesiologist and two neurosurgeons developed peaks, often coordinated, of elevated neurodynamic organization during the patient preparation and surgery which were similar to those seen during simulation training, and which occurred near important episodes of the patient preparation and surgery. As the analyses moved down the neurodynamic hierarchy, and the simulation and live patient neurodynamics occurring during the intubation procedure were compared at progressively smaller time scales, differences emerged across scalp locations and EEG frequencies. The most significant was the pronounced suppression of gamma rhythms detected by the frontal scalp sensors during the live patient intubation which was absent in simulation trials of the intubation procedure. These results indicate that while profiles of the second-by-second neurodynamics of teams were similar in both the simulation and live patient environments, a deeper analysis revealed differences in the EEG frequencies and scalp locations of the signals responsible for those team dynamics. As measures of individual and team performance become more micro-scale and dynamic, and simulations become extended into virtual environments, these results argue for the need for parallel studies in live environments to validate the dynamics of cognition being observed.