Military medicine
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Pragmatic Clinical Trial
Development and Implementation of the Military Treatment Facility Engagement Committee (MTFEC) to Support Pragmatic Clinical Trials in the Military Health System.
Within the population of military service members and veterans, chronic pain is highly prevalent, often complex, and frequently related to traumatic experiences that are more likely to occur to members of this demographic, such as individuals with traumatic brain injury or limb loss. In September 2017, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense (DOD), and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Pain Management Collaboratory (PMC) was formed as a significant and innovative inter-government agency partnership to support a multicomponent research initiative focusing on nonpharmacological approaches for pain management addressing the needs of service members, their dependents, and veterans. ⋯ Considering the importance of enacting large-scale, pragmatic studies to implement effective strategies in clinical practice for chronic pain management, the MTFEC has begun to actualize its purpose by identifying potential barriers and challenges to study implementation and exploring how the PMC can support and aid in the execution of PCTs by applying similar approaches to stakeholder and subject matter engagement for their research.
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The ability to accurately detect hypotension in trauma patients at the earliest possible time is important in improving trauma outcomes. The earlier an accurate detection can be made, the more time is available to take corrective action. Currently, there is limited research on combining multiple physiological signals for an early detection of hemorrhagic shock. We studied the viability of early detection of hypotension based on multiple physiologic signals and machine learning methods. We explored proof of concept with a small (5 minutes) prediction window for application of machine learning tools and multiple physiologic signals to detecting hypotension. ⋯ In this research, we explored the viability of early detection of hypotension based on multiple signals in a preexisting animal hemorrhage dataset. The results show that a multivariate approach might be more effective than univariate approaches for this detection task.
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Pressure injuries (PrI) are serious complications for many with spinal cord injury (SCI), significantly burdening health care systems, in particular the Veterans Health Administration. Clinical practice guidelines (CPG) provide recommendations. However, many risk factors span multiple domains. Effective prioritization of CPG recommendations has been identified as a need. Bioinformatics facilitates clinical decision support for complex challenges. The Veteran's Administration Informatics and Computing Infrastructure provides access to electronic health record (EHR) data for all Veterans Health Administration health care encounters. The overall study objective was to expand our prototype structural model of environmental, social, and clinical factors and develop the foundation for resource which will provide weighted systemic insight into PrI risk in veterans with SCI. ⋯ The SCI-PIR contains valuable clinical data based on CPG-identified risk factors, providing a basis for personalized PrI risk management following SCI. Understanding the relative impact of risk factors supports PrI management for veterans with SCI. Personalized interactive programs can enhance best practices by decreasing both initial PrI formation and readmission rates due to PrI recurrence for veterans with SCI.
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Comparative Study
Comparative Finite Element Modeling Study of Anterior Cervical Arthrodesis Versus Cervical Arthroplasty With Bryan Disc or Prodisc C.
Cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA), a motion-preserving alternative to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), is used in military patients for the treatment of disorders such as spondylosis. Since 2007, the FDA has approved eight artificial discs. The objective of this study is to compare the biomechanics after ACDF and CDA with two FDA-approved devices of differing designs under head and head supported mass loadings. ⋯ Recognizing that ROM is a clinical measure of spine stability/performance, CDA demonstrates a more physiological biomechanical response than ACDF, although the exact pattern depends on the implant design. Anterior and posterior column load-sharing patterns were different between the two implants and may affect implant selection based on the anatomical and pathological state at the index and adjacent levels.
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We developed low-cost, portable paper-based diagnostic devices for detection of human immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) in serum without any sample preparation. These devices can be used to help identify presence of diseases, used to provide rapid results (<5 minutes), readily used by untrained personnel, employed in austere environments, configured to obtain multiplexed assays, and easily disposed of. ⋯ Because of the inherent simplicity of the device operation and their ease of use, there is no variation between samples and users of the device. This low-cost approach enables multiplexing with >1 measurement performed in parallel at the same time. We anticipate that because of the sensitivity, specificity, ease of use, and overall reliability, this approach will become a standard for diagnosis of diseases and health conditions.