Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Dec 2022
ReviewA Narrative Review of the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic autosomal dominant disorder of the heart muscle that is characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy and sudden cardiac death. It is the most common inherited cardiac disease. HCM is defined by sarcomeric mutations that result in fibrosis of the heart, affecting contraction. ⋯ The goals of pharmacological therapy as well as nonpharmacological therapy are to alleviate the symptoms and to prevent sudden cardiac death. Anatomical defects are treated primarily by surgical intervention, whereas other issues such as hypercontractility are treated with pharmacotherapy. In this article, we review the pathophysiology and treatment options for HCM.
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Southern medical journal · Dec 2022
Contraception Use and Pregnancy Outcomes for Alabama Medicaid Enrollees: A Baseline Analysis Using 2012-2017 Data.
Access to the full range of contraceptive methods, including long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), is key for preventing unintended pregnancies and improving health outcomes. In 2019, Alabama Medicaid started paying for LARC devices for postpartum women. In anticipation of evaluating the impact of this programmatic change, we conducted a baseline study exploring contraception use and pregnancy-end outcomes for enrollees before the change. ⋯ LARC and SAC are associated with lower likelihood of pregnancy-end events compared with no evidence of contraception, and on average, LARC is associated with lower relative risk than SAC, especially for SI pregnancy-end events.
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Southern medical journal · Dec 2022
ReviewPrevalence of Novel Pedagogical Methods in the Radiology Education of Medical Students.
Radiology education is essential in medical school; however, developing an integrated and comprehensive curriculum remains a challenge. Many novel methods have been implemented with varying outcomes. In this study, the authors sought to examine published pedagogical methods of radiology instruction and query US academic faculty members on their current use within radiology education. ⋯ In the review of the literature, a combination of hands-on, case-based, team-based, and didactic training, in addition to other forms of active learning within an integrated curriculum, was found to be highly effective and preferred by students and faculty. Virtual and in-person learning incorporating modern technology was found to either increase knowledge and skills or yield similar outcomes as traditional in-person instruction. These methods are currently heterogeneously used across the US medical schools represented by survey respondents, with utilization ranging from 5% to 78%.
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Southern medical journal · Dec 2022
Preexposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention in a Rural Southern Clinic.
Little is known about implementing preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the rural US South, where most HIV infections occur. To investigate how to better reach the at-risk population in rural eastern North Carolina (ENC), the characteristics and clinical courses of those receiving PrEP from our clinic were reviewed and analyzed. ⋯ The study results were noteworthy given that in North Carolina, young Black men have the highest estimated rates of HIV infection. The reasons behind this discrepancy are likely multifactorial, and this study highlights the need for future programs and research to make PrEP more widely accessible to the at-risk population in this rural ENC community.
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Southern medical journal · Dec 2022
Addressing the ACGME Competency of Communicating with the Public through the Use of TEDx Talks.
Competency-based public communication skills are not systematically taught in most medical curricula, reflecting a gap between medical knowledge and holistic patient care as trainees transition into clinicians. We sought to investigate the efficacy of technology, entertainment, and design (TED) talks in postgraduate year (PGY) training programs. ⋯ This study highlights that TED is successful in terms of participant satisfaction and training in communication and professionalism. Engaging and training PGY trainees through TED-style events could bridge the gap between acquired knowledge and professional competencies. The authors recommend the implementation of TED-style events in medical training programs.