SMJ // February 2025, Volume 118 - Issue 2

Original Article

Undervaluation of Perioperative Work for ACL Reconstruction by Relative Value Scale Update Committee Methodology in a Single Surgeon’s Practice

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services current times and work relative value units (wRVUs) for the perioperative work involved in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction by directly timing perioperative tasks as…

Original Article

Performance of Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer on Personal Review of Learning in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Objectives: Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) is a popular natural-language processor that is able to analyze and respond to a variety of prompts, providing eloquent answers based on a collection of Internet data. ChatGPT has been considered an avenue for the education of resident physicians in the form of board…

Posted in: Obstetrics and Gynecology47

Review Article

Medications That May be Contributing to Your Patient’s Weight Gain

Nearly 42% of adults in the United States are considered obese. Although there are a number of contributing factors to obesity, one sometimes overlooked contributor to weight gain is medications. Within many classes of medications that may affect weight, the degree of weight gain varies. Although factors such as efficacy,…

Original Article

Maternal and Infant Outcomes in a Subset of Patients with Sickle Cell Disease in South Carolina

Objectives: Sickle cell disease (SCD), which disproportionately affects minorities, increases complications during pregnancy. Severe maternal mortality is increased in women with SCD, including morbidity related to the disease and other nondisease-related complications. It also can have devastating complications for fetuses, with increases in premature birth and low birth weight. This…

Posted in: Pregnancy36

Review Article

Alpelisib-Induced Hyperglycemia in PIK3CA+ Breast Cancer Patients

Alpelisib is a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of hormone receptor–positive metastatic breast cancer with PIK3CA (phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit α) mutation. In recent years a number of adverse effects have been observed to be associated with this therapy, the most…

Posted in: Breast Cancer5

Perspectives

Enhancing Medical Education for the Care of Patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: The Role of Specialized Training and Early Exposure

Training for healthcare professionals focuses on the able-bodied person who can communicate pertinent positive and negative symptoms to establish a diagnosis and select a treatment. Unfortunately, clinical practice often involves the evaluation and management of patients who are unable to articulate their specific experiences. This inability to explain their symptoms…

Original Article

Few Patients Are Treated for Both Obesity and Depression

Objectives: Understanding the epidemiology of treatment for patients with co-occurring depression and obesity can inform care quality. The objective of the study was to identify how patients with obesity and newly diagnosed depression are treated and whether treatment is associated with body mass index change. Methods: This cohort study included…

Original Article

Increasing Communication about Fall Risk and Prevention between Internal Medicine Residents and Older Adults

Objectives: More than one in four older adults fall yearly, but fewer than half inform their doctors. As such, medical trainees must gain experience assessing fall risk in older adults. Studies exploring how often residents initiate these assessments and which interventions effectively increase this frequency are needed. The objective of…

Perspectives

Firearm Shootings: A Serious Public Health Issue

In June 2024, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, declared gun violence to be a public health crisis.1 He issued a renewed warning about the impact of firearm shootings. He wants to turn this matter more toward a medical issue rather than a personal rights political battle. Murthy stresses a…

Review Article

What Physicians Should Consider When Moving Academic Institutions

There is limited information and guidance for physicians transitioning from one academic institution to another. The following recommendations serve as a resource for academic faculty interested in moving to a different academic institution. The advice falls into three categories of preparation: self-reflection and discernment to determine personal preferences and professional…

Original Article

Effect of COVID-19 on Emergency Department Visits for Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts among South Carolina Youth

Objectives: Evidence suggests that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic negatively affected children’s mental health (MH). The emergency department (ED) is often the first point of contact with a physician for youth who are experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Population-level reports of ED utilization in South Carolina for suicidal ideation (SI)…

Posted in: Infectious Disease142

Original Article

Open Access: ICU-Broncho-Aspiration Protocols Monitoring at an Academic Health Network System

Objectives: The objectives were to determine intensive care unit (ICU) incidence of broncho-aspiration (BA) and the effect of monitoring BA prevention protocols. Methods: The Health Network Warehouse was interrogated for the diagnosis of BA in patients older than 18 years in the surgical ICU (SICU) from January 2010 to December…

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