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.

Efficacy of Intravenous Acetaminophen as Adjunct Post-Operative Analgesic in Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Study.

Abstract: Introduction The dose-dependent adverse events associated with post-operative opioid use may be reduced when opioids are used in conjunction with intravenous acetaminophen The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes in median sternotomy patients receiving intravenous acetaminophen in addition to intravenous opioids versus intravenous opioids only Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 122 adult patients undergoing median sternotomy at a regional tertiary-referral center Data collected included patient demographics, length of stay, opioid and intravenous acetaminophen use, adverse effects, and transition time to oral pain medication Results There was no difference between groups in demographics, preoperative risk scores, operative procedures, intravenous opioid consumption, transition time to oral pain medications, or length of stay Acetaminophen use was associated with lower rates of atrial fibrillation (70% vs 246%, p = 0009) and nausea/vomiting (89% vs 323%, p = 0002), but higher rates of urinary retention (158% vs 31%, p = 0014), constipation (500% vs 200%, p = 0001) and respiratory depression (71% vs 00%, p = 0043) Conclusion Intravenous acetaminophen was not associated with a reduction in length of stay or opioid consumption, but was associated with lower rates of atrial fibrillation, nausea, and vomiting Additional studies are needed to determine if intravenous acetaminophen administration reduces atrial fibrillation in this population

Polymer Flooding Application in Trinidad Heavy Oil Reservoirs

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to assess the application of polymer flooding in Trinidad heavy oil reservoirs. Uncertainty analyses on several synthetic models have been performed to evaluate how variations in reservoir properties affect the oil recovery factor (RF) and Net Present Value (NPV). Three (3) phases were conducted for the polymer flooding assessment. Phase 1 included a core flooding simulation to assess the oil viscosity sensitivity region and the ranges of polymer concentration for optimization. Phase 2 carried out uncertainty analysis using synthetic models to optimize polymer flooding with respect to NPV. Phase 3 discussed more detail analysis of parameters effects and confirmed the observations in previous cases using analytical approach. Three types of polymer were used in the models, Flopaam 3130S, 3430S and 3630S. In core flooding simulation, optimal range of polymer concentration was estimated between 500ppm to 5000ppm. On recovery-viscosity plot, a high viscosity oil requires a higher polymer concentration to have higher recovery. Our results showed that this trend was not always true mainly due to the low reservoir fracture pressure, since a higher concentration and/or a higher molecular weight polymer require higher injection pressure. Uncertainty analysis in Phased 2 to 3 indicated that °API /viscosity, depth, permeability and polymer concentration had the highest effect on RF and NPV. This paper also presents optimal polymer concentration versus oil viscosity for Trinidad oil reservoirs. Moreover, this work determines the reservoirs where the polymer flooding is applicable and recommend proxy models to estimate RF and NPV versus reservoir parameters.

Efficacy and Cardiovascular Adverse Events of Long-term Treatment with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: A Report from the Nagasaki CML Study Group

Abstract: Objective The standard treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is the continuous use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), which results in a favorable prognosis for the majority of patients. Recent studies have identified cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) as late adverse events (AEs) related to TKIs. In this study, we evaluated the long-term efficacy and AEs of TKIs, focusing on CVDs. Methods We performed a retrospective survey of CML patients (diagnosed from 2001 to 2016) treated with TKIs in Nagasaki Prefecture. Clinical data were obtained from their medical records. We analyzed the survival, estimated cumulative incidence of CVDs, and risk factors for CVD among CML patients treated with TKIs. Results The overall survival rate of 264 CML patients treated with TKIs (median age 58 years old) was 89.6% [95% confidence interval (CI), 84.9-92.9%], and 80.5% (95% CI, 73.4-85.9%) at 5 and 10 years after the CML diagnosis, respectively. CVD events occurred in 26 patients (9.8%, median age 67.5 years old) with a median 65.5 months of TKI treatment. The cumulative incidences at 2 and 5 years was 2.4% (95% CI, 1.0-4.8%) and 5.2% (95% CI, 2.8-8.6%), respectively. Hypertension and a high SCORE chart risk at the diagnosis of CML were associated with CVD events during TKI treatment. Conclusion TKI treatment contributed to the long-term survival of CML patients in Nagasaki Prefecture in a "real-world" setting, but the incidence of CVDs seemed to be increased in these patients. A proper approach to managing risk factors for CVD is warranted to reduce CVD events during TKI treatment.