UMass Memorial Health Care

Comparative Effectiveness of Phenobarbital vs Diazepam for Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

Importance Phenobarbital use for alcohol withdrawal syndrome is increasing, but its effectiveness and safety have largely been compared with lorazepam rather than against more pharmacokinetically similar long-acting, self-tapering benzodiazepines such as diazepam. Objective To em...

Epidemiology and Oncologic Patterns of Cervical Spine Metastases and Primary Tumors

STUDY DESIGN: Narrative review. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the epidemiology and oncologic patterns of metastatic and primary cervical spine tumors and evaluate the classification systems, instability assessments, cord compression frameworks, and prognostic tools used in their manage...

High-grade astrocytoma with piloid features: a clinical and genomic analysis of prognostic factors using a large cohort

BACKGROUND: High-grade astrocytoma with piloid features (HGAP) is a recently defined tumor type that is not well-understood. Prognostic factors of clinical outcomes are not well-established. METHODS: Methylation profiling was performed on tumor samples, many at the National Cance...

Tozorakimab to Prevent COPD Exacerbations

BACKGROUND: Many patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have exacerbations despite receiving standard-of-care inhaled maintenance therapy. Dysregulated interleukin-33 signaling is implicated in the pathogenesis of COPD. Tozorakimab is a monoclonal antibody tha...

Emergency department diagnosis and management of acetaminophen or salicylate toxicity.

Acetaminophen and salicylate are among the most widely used nonprescription analgesics and are common causes of toxic medication overdose. Diagnostic and management approaches differ depending on whether toxicity results from a single acute ingestion or chronic supratherapeutic u...

Decision Analysis to Inform Screening of the Young: An Interactive Newborn Screening Model

Decision analytic models that project the outcomes of population-based newborn screening compared with clinical identification can inform newborn screening policymaking. A flexible decision analytic model that could be adapted for the many and growing number of conditions being c...

Quantitative computed tomography improves prediction of survival across ILD subtypes

Background Quantitative computed tomography (CT) methods are recognized as valuable tools for risk stratification in fibrotic interstitial lung disease (ILD). Data-driven textural analysis (DTA) is one such approach that correlates with worse lung function and shorter survival in...

Opportunities for Pediatricians to Address Racism and Bias to Reduce Racial Disparities in Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk: Policy Statement

Pediatricians play an essential role in breastfeeding care and are uniquely positioned to help reduce racial disparities in breastfeeding. Evidence-based solutions include partnerships between pediatricians and community health workers, implementation of culturally centered hospi...