J Natl Med Assoc
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Editorial Biography Historical Article
The leadership principles of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and their relevance to surgery.
In order to face the challenges in healthcare this century, it is essential that surgeons understand modern leadership principles. One of the greatest leaders in history was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who provides a shining example of level-5 leadership for us to study. ⋯ Effective leadership will be paramount in achieving these goals. In this editorial, which summarizes a presentation given to the Surgical Section of the annual National Medical Association meeting, five important leadership principles that are important for surgeons have been selected and related to the outstanding leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Infection is a serious complication of nutritional support, causing a high rate of mortality and morbidity. Critically ill patients having nutritional support are prone to infectious complications. Questions regarding the effects of the route of nutrition in infectious complications have been asked. We aimed to determine the relationship between the route of nutrition and the risk of developing infectious complications in severely ill patients on nutritional support in an intensive care unit. ⋯ We conclude that the route of the nutritional support in severely ill patients having nutritional support in an intensive care unit does not affect the rate of infectious complications. We think that comorbid medical conditions and the need of intensive care unit support are more important parameters that determine the risk of development of infectious complications.
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While dramatic progress has been made lowering in-hospital mortality for coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), few comprehensive studies have been done that include Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic and Asian-American/Pacific-Islander CABG inpatients and simultaneously evaluate the influence of gender. This study, analyzing five years of national data for 1.2 million CABG admissions, examines trends in in-hospital CABG mortality rates for gender and four racial/ethnic categories for CABG patients. ⋯ The declines in CABG in-hospital mortality rates have not been equal across race/ethnicity and gender.
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Comparative Study
Functional results of vertebral augmentation techniques in pathological vertebral fractures of myelomatous patients.
This is a retrospective study to determine the effects of vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty on quality of life in multiple myeloma patients with spinal compression fractures. ⋯ In multiple myeloma, when pathological spinal compression fractures cause intractable pain and are unresponsive to conservative treatment, both vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are effective in increasing quality of life and decreasing pain.
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Although several studies have outlined the need for and benefits of diversity in academia, the number of underrepresented minority (URM) faculty in academic health centers remains low, and minority faculty are primarily concentrated at the rank of assistant professor. In order to increase the diversity of the faculty of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, the UCSD National Center for Leadership in Academic Medicine, in collaboration with the UCSD Hispanic Center of Excellence, implemented a junior faculty development program designed in part to overcome the differential disadvantage of minority faculty and to increase the academic success rate of all faculty. ⋯ A junior faculty development program that integrates professional skill development and focused academic career advising with instrumental mentoring is associated with an increase in the retention of URM faculty in a school of medicine.