Southern medical journal
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There is a lack of reliable serum biomarkers for routine use in the diagnostic workup of people with traumatic brain injury. Multiple biomediators and biomarkers have been described in the pertinent literature in recent years; however, only a few candidate molecules have been associated with high sensitivity and high specificity for risk stratification and outcome prediction after traumatic brain injury. This review was designed to provide an overview of the state of the art regarding established serum biomarkers in the field and to outline future directions of investigation.
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Southern medical journal · Apr 2014
Risk factors for inadequate colonoscopy bowel preparations in African Americans and whites at an urban medical center.
Poor bowel preparation leads to inadequate examinations and shorter surveillance intervals for colorectal cancer screening. Previous studies regarding risk factors for inadequate preparation have not included large numbers of African Americans. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of inadequate bowel preparation on initial and follow-up colonoscopy in a large, racially diverse patient population. ⋯ Improving the quality of colonoscopy bowel preparation is important for colorectal cancer prevention, especially in high-risk populations such as African Americans.
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According to a 2007 US Census Bureau report, Mississippi is the poorest state in the United States and is ranked last among all 50 states for overall quality of health. The objective of the study was to describe gastrointestinal (GI) cancers in Mississippi overall and the Mississippi Delta region in particular. ⋯ The majority of GI cancers had higher incidence rates in the Mississippi Delta than non-Delta counties and in the entire state than the United States. These disparities observed on a regional and ethnic basis call for targeted prevention efforts to eliminate disparities in GI cancer incidence rates.
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Southern medical journal · Apr 2014
Surge in US outpatient vitamin D deficiency diagnoses: National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey analysis.
In light of the growing medical interest in the potential consequences of vitamin D deficiency, it is important that clinicians are informed about the varying factors that may complicate the assessment of vitamin D status and the diagnosis of deficiency. To better understand the frequency of vitamin D deficiency diagnoses in the ambulatory setting over time, the objective of this investigation was to examine unspecific, general, and bone-related vitamin D deficiency diagnoses between 2007 and 2010 and to determine whether the rate of diagnoses differed by patient age and sex. ⋯ Although the rate of diagnoses for vitamin D deficiency increased between 2007 and 2010, many diagnoses rendered were for nonspecific disease; therefore, vitamin D deficiency screening may have been ordered for preventive care purposes rather than as a diagnostic aid.