New PubMed Articles 19 March 2010

1.

A national survey of veterans affairs rheumatologists for relevance of quality of care indicators for gout management.

Singh JA, Alpert MD, Kerr G.

Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2010 Mar 16. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20235197 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related articles

2.

Comparing safety climate in naval aviation and hospitals: Implications for improving patient safety.

Singer SJ, Rosen A, Zhao S, Ciavarelli AP, Gaba DM.

Health Care Manage Rev. 2010 April/June;35(2):134-146.PMID: 20234220 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related articles

3.

Relationship between staff nurse involvement in organizational structures and perception of empowerment.

McDonald SF, Tullai-McGuinness S, Madigan EA, Shively M.

Crit Care Nurs Q. 2010 Apr-Jun;33(2):148-62.PMID: 20234204 [PubMed - in process]Related articles

4.

Quality of Relationships as a Predictor of Psychosocial Functioning in Patients With Dementia.

Ball V, Snow AL, Steel AB, Morgan RO, Davila JA, Wilson N, Kunik ME.

J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2010 Mar 16. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20233854 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related articles

5.

Adjuvant chemotherapy use and adverse events among older patients with stage III colon cancer.

Kahn KL, Adams JL, Weeks JC, Chrischilles EA, Schrag D, Ayanian JZ, Kiefe CI, Ganz PA, Bhoopalam N, Potosky AL, Harrington DP, Fletcher RH.

JAMA. 2010 Mar 17;303(11):1037-45.PMID: 20233821 [PubMed - in process]Related articles

6.

Magnetic resonance imaging of hippocampal subfields in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Wang Z, Neylan TC, Mueller SG, Lenoci M, Truran D, Marmar CR, Weiner MW, Schuff N.

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010 Mar;67(3):296-303.PMID: 20194830 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

7.

Meta-analysis: effect of interactive communication between collaborating primary care physicians and specialists.

Foy R, Hempel S, Rubenstein L, Suttorp M, Seelig M, Shanman R, Shekelle PG.

Ann Intern Med. 2010 Feb 16;152(4):247-58.PMID: 20157139 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

8.

Self-reported and actual beta-blocker prescribing for heart failure patients: physician predictors.

Sinha S, Schwartz MD, Qin A, Ross JS.

PLoS One. 2009 Dec 31;4(12):e8522.PMID: 20046824 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articlesFree article

9.

Depression and anxiety in ambulatory patients with heart failure.

Cully JA, Johnson M, Moffett ML, Khan M, Deswal A.

Psychosomatics. 2009 Nov-Dec;50(6):592-8.PMID: 19996230 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

BrainPort Provides Blind With Basic Visual Input via the Tongue

BrainPort Helps Blinded Soldier See With Tongue 03/19/2010.  A British soldier who was blinded by a grenade in Iraq three years ago said his life has been transformed since he was fitted with a prototype BrainPort device that allows him to "see" with his tongue. 24-year old Lance Corporal Craig Lundberg from Walton in Liverpool, UK, told BBC News on Monday that while the device is only a prototype, it has a lot of potential to advance things for blind people: "the potential to change my life is massive," he said. Medical News Today

New PubMed Articles 18 March 2010

1.

Letter by Pingitore et al Regarding Article, "DITPA (3,5-Diiodothyropropionic Acid), a Thyroid Hormone Analog to Treat Heart Failure: Phase II Trial Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study".

Pingitore A, Iervasi G, Gerdes MA.

Circulation. 2010 Mar 16;121(10):e240. No abstract available. PMID: 20231540 [PubMed - in process]Related articles

2.

Kamikaze attack survivors: how accurate are their PTSD reports?

Chara PJ Jr, Chara KA.

Psychol Rep. 2009 Dec;105(3 Pt 2):1126-30.PMID: 20229916 [PubMed - in process]Related articles

3.

Does Screening for Pain Correspond to High Quality Care for Veterans?

Zubkoff L, Lorenz KA, Lanto AB, Sherbourne CD, Goebel JR, Glassman PA, Shugarman LR, Meredith LS, Asch SM.

J Gen Intern Med. 2010 Mar 14. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20229139 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related articles

4.

An Observational Study of Musculoskeletal Pain Among Patients Receiving Bisphosphonate Therapy.

Caplan L, Pittman CB, Zeringue AL, Scherrer JF, Wehmeier KR, Cunningham FE, Eisen SA, McDonald JR.

Mayo Clin Proc. 2010 Mar 15. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20231335 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related articles

5.

The challenges experienced by Iranian war veterans living with chemical warfare poisoning: a descriptive, exploratory study.

Hassankhani H, Taleghani F, Mills J, Birks M, Francis K, Ahmadi F.

Scand J Caring Sci. 2010 Mar 8. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20230514 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related articles

6.

Neuropsychological and Psychiatric Functioning in Sheep Farmers Exposed to Low Levels of Organophosphate Pesticides.

Mackenzie Ross SJ, Brewin CR, Curran HV, Furlong CE, Abraham-Smith KM, Harrison V.

Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2010 Mar 11. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20227490 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related articles

7.

Postpolypectomy bleeding in patients undergoing colonoscopy on uninterrupted clopidogrel therapy.

Singh M, Mehta N, Murthy UK, Kaul V, Arif A, Newman N.

Gastrointest Endosc. 2010 Mar 10. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20226452 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related articles

8.

An intervention for VA patients with congestive heart failure.

Copeland LA, Berg GD, Johnson DM, Bauer RL.

Am J Manag Care. 2010 Mar;16(3):158-65.PMID: 20225911 [PubMed - in process]Related articles

9.

In their own words: patients and families define high-quality palliative care in the intensive care unit.

Nelson JE, Puntillo KA, Pronovost PJ, Walker AS, McAdam JL, Ilaoa D, Penrod J.

Crit Care Med. 2010 Mar;38(3):808-18.PMID: 20198726 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

10.

Acute kidney injury associates with increased long-term mortality.

Lafrance JP, Miller DR.

J Am Soc Nephrol. 2010 Feb;21(2):345-52. Epub 2009 Dec 17.PMID: 20019168 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

11.

Novel influenza A (H1N1) outbreak on board a US navy vessel.

Dill CE, Favata MA.

Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2009 Dec;3 Suppl 2:S117-20.PMID: 19952884 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

12.

Posttraumatic stress disorder, guilt, depression, and meaning in life among military veterans.

Owens GP, Steger MF, Whitesell AA, Herrera CJ.

J Trauma Stress. 2009 Dec;22(6):654-7.PMID: 19924820 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

13.

Race and ethnicity as factors in mental health service use among veterans with PTSD.

Spoont MR, Hodges J, Murdoch M, Nugent S.

J Trauma Stress. 2009 Dec;22(6):648-53.PMID: 19921734 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

14.

A combined group treatment for nightmares and insomnia in combat veterans: a pilot study.

Swanson LM, Favorite TK, Horin E, Arnedt JT.

J Trauma Stress. 2009 Dec;22(6):639-42.PMID: 19908322 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

15.

Enhancing clinical trial design of interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder.

Leon AC, Davis LL.

J Trauma Stress. 2009 Dec;22(6):603-11.PMID: 19902462 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

16.

Life satisfaction and quality in Korean War veterans five decades after the war.

Ikin JF, Sim MR, McKenzie DP, Horsley KW, Wilson EJ, Harrex WK, Moore MR, Jelfs PL, Henderson S.

J Epidemiol Community Health. 2009 May;63(5):359-65.PMID: 19366889 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

17.

Why old soldiers cannot be allowed to simply fade away: life course epidemiology of war.

Wright RJ.

J Epidemiol Community Health. 2009 May;63(5):338-9. No abstract available. PMID: 19366888 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

18.

Effects of vitamin D insufficiency on bone mineral density in African American men.

Akhter N, Sinnott B, Mahmood K, Rao S, Kukreja S, Barengolts E.

Osteoporos Int. 2009 May;20(5):745-50. Epub 2008 Sep 27.PMID: 18820989 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

19.

Does meeting the HEDIS substance abuse treatment engagement criterion predict patient outcomes?

Harris AH, Humphreys K, Bowe T, Tiet Q, Finney JW.

J Behav Health Serv Res. 2010 Jan;37(1):25-39.PMID: 18770044 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

VAOIG Review of Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Combined Assessment Program Review of the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin 03/18/2010. The purpose of the review was to evaluate selected operations, focusing on patient care administration and quality management (QM). During the review, we also provided fraud and integrity awareness briefings to 56 employees. This review focused on seven operational activities and one follow-up review area from the previous CAP review. The medical center complied with selected standards in the physician credentialing and privileging activity. We identified the BE SAFE Initiative as an organizational strength. We made recommendations for improvements in the following six activities and follow-up review area: QM program, environment of care, magnetic resonance imaging safety, coordination of care, medication management, contracted/agency registered nurses, and follow-up on cardiac catheterization laboratory standards. VAOIG

VA's New Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial

VA Has Key Role in 80-Site Blood Pressure Study 03/18/2010. The National Institutes of Health has awarded $15 million to William Cushman, MD, chief of preventive medicine at the Memphis VA Medical Center, to lead a network of 20 VA sites in the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial. The trial will test whether lowering systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood-pressure reading) beyond current guidelines can further curb heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events—as well as kidney disease— in older people. Experts believe this may be the case, based on prior observational studies. VA

VA Reconsiders Validity of Gulf War Illness

VA Recognizes “Presumptive” Illnesses in Iraq, Afghanistan 03/18/2010.  Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki today announced the Department of Veterans Affairs is taking steps to make it easier for Veterans to obtain disability compensation for certain diseases associated with service in the Persian Gulf War or Afghanistan. This will be the beginning of historic change for how VA considers Gulf War Veterans’ illnesses. VA

Can the VA Disability Claims System Be Fixed?

VA official: Disability claims system ‘cannot be fixed' 03/18/2010. Bailing wire and bandages cannot save the veterans' disability claims process, the Veterans Affairs Department's chief technology officer said Thursday at a roundtable discussion about ways of cutting the growing backlog of claims and improving accuracy. "In my judgment, it cannot be fixed," said Peter Levin. "We need to build a new system, and that is exactly what we are going to do." Levin's comments came at a meeting organized by the House Veterans' Affairs Committee to toss around ideas for repairing a system that has a backlog of about 1.1 million claims awaiting decisions and an error rate on claims of 17 to 25 percent, depending on who is counting. Federal Times

Veterans Less Likely to Receive Cataract Surgery Than Medicaid Patients

Medicaid patients 5.5 times more likely to get cataract surgery than VA patients, study finds 03/18/2010.  Patients seen at private facilities reimbursed by Medicare were more than 550 percent more likely to have routine cataract surgery than those who received their care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, a strong indication that frequency of cataract surgery may be responsive to financial incentives to either or both the medical facility and physicians who perform the procedure. Indiana University School of Medicine via Eurekalert

New PubMed Articles 17 March 2010

1.

Variation in Estimates of Limited Health Literacy by Assessment Instruments and Non-Response Bias.

Griffin JM, Partin MR, Noorbaloochi S, Grill JP, Saha S, Snyder A, Nugent S, Baines Simon A, Gralnek I, Provenzale D, van Ryn M.

J Gen Intern Med. 2010 Mar 12. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20224964 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related articles

2.

Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on the Prognosis of Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Wu CH, Wu TY, Li CC, Lui MT, Chang KW, Kao SY.

Ann Surg Oncol. 2010 Mar 12. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20224856 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related articles

3.

Anticonvulsant use, bipolar disorder, and risk of fracture among older adults in the veterans health administration.

Mezuk B, Morden NE, Ganoczy D, Post EP, Kilbourne AM.

Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2010 Mar;18(3):245-55.PMID: 20224520 [PubMed - in process]Related articles

4.

Screening Veterans Affairs Patients with Iron Deficiency for Celiac Disease.

Kibria R, Akram S, Ali SA, Bari K, Khalil Q, Sharma K.

South Med J. 2010 Mar 10. [Epub ahead of print] No abstract available. PMID: 20224498 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related articles

5.

Clinical features of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in Taiwan: differences between young and senior age groups.

Kao CL, Hsieh WL, Chern CM, Chen LK, Lin MH, Chan RC.

Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2009 Dec;49 Suppl 2:S50-4.PMID: 20005428 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

6.

Relationship between hyperuricemia (HUC) and metabolic syndrome (MS) in institutionalized elderly men.

Chang CH, Chen YM, Chuang YW, Liao SC, Lin CS, Tang YJ, Sheu WH, Chen DY.

Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2009 Dec;49 Suppl 2:S46-9.PMID: 20005427 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

7.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) is a valuable biomarker for predicting the metabolic syndrome (MS) in institutionalized elderly residents in Taiwan.

Chou YY, Sheu WH, Tang YJ, Chen YM, Liao SC, Chuang YW, Lin CS, Chen DY.

Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2009 Dec;49 Suppl 2:S41-5.PMID: 20005426 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

8.

Emergency department (ED) utilization and outcome of oldest old men presenting with geriatric syndromes in a veterans care home in Taiwan.

Chou MY, Chou SL, Tzeng YM, Chen LK, Yen DH, Hwang SJ, Huang CI, Tu MS, Lee CH.

Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2009 Dec;49 Suppl 2:S32-6.PMID: 20005424 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

9.

Pain and health-care utilization among older men in a veterans care home.

Peng LN, Lin MH, Lai HY, Hwang SJ, Chen LK, Lan CF.

Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2009 Dec;49 Suppl 2:S13-6.PMID: 20005419 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

10.

Delayed head and neck complications of sulphur mustard poisoning in Iranian veterans.

Zojaji R, Balali-Mood M, Mirzadeh M, Saffari A, Maleki M.

J Laryngol Otol. 2009 Oct;123(10):1150-4. Epub 2009 Jul 2.PMID: 19573255 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

VAOIG Inspections in Oklahoma and Texas

Healthcare Inspection Community Based Outpatient Clinic Reviews Kosciusko and Meridian, MS Tulsa, OK Konawa and Lawton, OK Texarkana, AR and Longview, TX 03/17/2010. The VA Office of Inspector General reviewed seven Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) the week of December 7–11, 2009. The CBOCs reviewed in Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 16 were Kosciusko and Meridian, MS; Tulsa, OK; Konawa and Lawton, OK; and Texarkana, AR and Longview, TX. The parent facilities of these CBOCs are G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery (Jackson) VA Medical Center (VAMC), Jack C. Montgomery (Muskogee) VAMC, Oklahoma City VAMC, and Overton Brooks (Shreveport) VAMC, respectively. The purpose of the review was to assess whether CBOCs are operated in a manner that provides veterans with consistent, safe, high-quality health care. The review covered five areas: quality of care measures, credentialing and privileging, environment of care and emergency management, patient satisfaction, and CBOC contracts. We noted several opportunities for improvement and made the following recommendations to the VISN and facility management: Review privileges that have been granted to clinical staff and grant privileges that are consistent with CBOC providers’ practices. When reprivileging, compare practitioner data to aggregated data of those privileged practitioners who hold the same or comparable privileges. Require the CBOC contractor to collect and review quality data on a regular basis for radiologists providing services under a sub-contract agreement. Accomplish providers’ background checks according to VHA policy. Ensure staff are trained and evaluated, and that their competencies are documented. Require the CBOC contractor to inspect CBOCs on a regular basis for cleanliness and needed repairs. Develop and implement a secure method of transporting medications and patient care information to the parent facility. Comply with VHA policy to maintain personally identifiable information in a more secure manner. Ensure all potentially harmful items are secured during the mental health (MH) intake process. VAOIG

VAOIG Audit of Timely Compensation and Pension Medical Examinations

Audit of VA’s Efforts To Provide Timely Compensation and Pension Medical Examinations 03/17/2010. At the request of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, the VA OIG conducted an audit to determine if VA commits sufficient resources to provide veterans with timely compensation and pension medical examinations (C&P medical exams). We determined that management at VA medical facilities does not always commit sufficient resources to ensure veterans receive timely C&P medical exams. This occurs because VA management has not given the C&P exam program the attention needed to ensure it is managed effectively. Decisions regarding the program are made at the local level with limited oversight from VA Central Office regarding resource allocation, utilization, or productivity. VA has not established procedures to identify and monitor resources needed to conduct C&P medical exams and to ensure resources are appropriately planned for, allocated, and strategically placed to meet demand. Veterans Health Administration and Veterans Benefits Administration managers have not effectively collaborated and shared information on issues affecting the timely delivery of exams. Additionally, VA lacks a performance standard that enables management to adequately measure whether exam requests are completed in a timely manner. As a result, many veterans do not receive timely exams which can delay the delivery of disability benefits. We made five recommendations to the Under Secretary for Health, four recommendations to the Acting Under Secretary for Benefits, and one joint recommendation to help VA improve its oversight of the C&P exam program and to provide greater assurance that veterans receive timely exams. The Under Secretary for Health and the Acting Under Secretary for Benefits agreed with our findings and recommendations. We consider the planned actions acceptable, and will follow up on their implementation. VAOIG

VAOIG Review of Pacific Islands Health Care System

Review of Outpatient Fee Payments at the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System 03/17/2010. This review was conducted at the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (PIHCS) at the request of Senator Daniel Akaka, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. The objective of our review was to determine the extent and causes of improper payments for PIHCS’ outpatient fee care program. Our review found that PIHCS improperly made duplicate payments for 13 percent of outpatient fee claims, which resulted in overpayments of $49,571 (or less than 1 percent of total outpatient fee expenditures). The error rate at PIHCS was significantly lower than the national error rate identified in a previous VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit. VA’s Management Quality Assurance Service (MQAS) had previously identified the duplicate payment issue at PIHCS during a financial management review, and our results support that PIHCS managers have been taking appropriate steps to prevent further duplicate payments. Since June 2008, PIHCS managers have provided training for fee staff on avoiding duplicate payments and notified local providers of proper billing requirements. We recommended that the Acting Under Secretary for Health ensure that PIHCS management initiates recovery of the duplicate overpayments identified by this review. The Under Secretary for Health agreed with the recommendation and monetary benefits in the report and reported that VHA plans to recover the duplicate overpayments identified by this review by April 30, 2010. We consider VHA's corrective actions acceptable and will follow up on their implementation. VAOIG

VAOIG Inspection of Caribbean Healthcare System San Juan, Puerto Rico

Healthcare Inspection Patient Safety Issues VA Caribbean Healthcare System San Juan, Puerto Rico 03/17/2010. The purpose of this review was to determine the validity of allegations regarding disinfection of endovaginal transducers at the Mayaguez Outpatient Clinic (OPC), leak testing of endoscopes in the hospital and at the Ponce OPC, certifications of compliance with reusable medical equipment (RME) reprocessing procedures and training, and management responsiveness to warnings of unsafe practices in reprocessing RME. We substantiated that: (a) endovaginal transducers were not properly disinfected, (b) leak testing was not performed on colonoscopes in the Operating Room or on laryngoscopes in Radiotherapy and at the Ponce OPC, (c) the system inaccurately certified compliance on three occasions, and (d) senior managers were aware of these issues and took no action to assess the risk to patients. We also learned that laryngoscopes in Radiotherapy were not properly pre-cleaned and a leak was discovered in one that was in service during this period. As a result of our findings, issue briefs (IB) were provided for pre-CRAAB (Clinical Risk Assessment Advisory Board) review. The Radiotherapy IB did not contain information about improper pre-cleaning. Following our visit, an Administrative Investigation Board (AIB) was completed to address management responsiveness. VAOIG

Disconnect Between DoD and VA for Transitioning Veterans

Worst Case Scenario Demonstrates Disconnect Between DoD and VA for Transitioning Veterans 03/17/2010. According to Staff Sgt Sean Johnson’s physicians his sight could not have been saved, even if his traumatic brain injury was discovered sooner. The damage from the mortar attack that happened on March 25, 2006 had been done and, even though much of it went unnoticed at the time, was irreversible. However, Johnson imagines that his experiences after returning home would have been unimaginably less frustrating had the full extent of his injuries been diagnosed in a timely manner—something that was impeded by a lack of partnership and communication between VA and DoD. U.S. Medicine

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Fines Veterans Affairs Department for "Medical Errors"

NRC fines VA for botched radiation therapy procedures 03/17/2010. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission levied on Wednesday its second-largest fine ever for misuse of nuclear medicine, charging the Veterans Affairs Department for an "unprecedented number of medical errors" involving the use of radioisotopes to treat prostate cancer patients during a six-year period. nextgov.com

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for TBI

Hope for Brain Injuries 03/17/2010.  A recent article in USA Today is just one of many reports highlighting the traumatic brain injuries suffered by our armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, the result of roadside bombings. For years, it was believed by conventional medicine that the victims would never recover — physically or mentally.  But at the Eighth World Congress on Brain Injury, held March 10-14, 2010, in Washington, D.C., Dr. Paul Harch described his success in treating 15 U.S. military veterans who had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. After 30 days of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, all the subjects showed significant recovery from physical symptoms as well as cognitive and affective improvement.  Alliance for Natural Health

New PubMed Articles 15 March 2010

1.

Trends in echocardiography utilization in the Veterans Administration Healthcare System.

Okrah K, Vaughan-Sarrazin M, Cram P.

Am Heart J. 2010 Mar;159(3):477-483.PMID: 20211312 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related articles

2.

Female Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan Seeking Care from VA Specialized PTSD Programs: Comparison with Male Veterans and Female War Zone Veterans of Previous Eras.

Fontana A, Rosenheck R, Desai R.

J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2010 Mar 8. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20210538 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related articles

3.

Toward robust information: data quality and inter-rater reliability in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Shiloach M, Frencher SK Jr, Steeger JE, Rowell KS, Bartzokis K, Tomeh MG, Richards KE, Ko CY, Hall BL.

J Am Coll Surg. 2010 Jan;210(1):6-16. Epub 2009 Nov 22.PMID: 20123325 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

4.

Association between kidney function and albuminuria with cardiovascular events in HIV-infected persons.

Choi AI, Li Y, Deeks SG, Grunfeld C, Volberding PA, Shlipak MG.

Circulation. 2010 Feb 9;121(5):651-8. Epub 2010 Jan 25.PMID: 20100969 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

5.

Performance of simplified modification of diet in renal disease and Cockcroft-Gault equations in patients with chronic spinal cord injury and chronic kidney disease.

Chikkalingaiah KB, Grant ND, Mangold TM, Cooke CR, Wall BM.

Am J Med Sci. 2010 Feb;339(2):108-16.PMID: 20087164 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

6.

Inappropriate psychiatric admission of elderly patients with unrecognized delirium.

Reeves RR, Parker JD, Burke RS, Hart RH.

South Med J. 2010 Feb;103(2):111-5.PMID: 20065900 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

7.

Cyanobacteria and BMAA exposure from desert dust: a possible link to sporadic ALS among Gulf War veterans.

Cox PA, Richer R, Metcalf JS, Banack SA, Codd GA, Bradley WG.

Amyotroph Lateral Scler. 2009;10 Suppl 2:109-17.PMID: 19929742 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

8.

Generalized anxiety and major depressive disorders, their comorbidity and hypertension in middle-aged men.

Carroll D, Phillips AC, Gale CR, Batty GD.

Psychosom Med. 2010 Jan;72(1):16-9. Epub 2009 Nov 20.PMID: 19933507 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

New PubMed Articles 14 March 2010

1.

A formalized teaching, practice, and research partnership with the veterans affairs north Texas health care system: a model for advancing academic partnerships.

Hall RG, Foslein-Nash C, Singh DK, Zeiss RA, Sanders KM, Patry R, Leff R.

Am J Pharm Educ. 2009 Dec 17;73(8):141.PMID: 20221334 [PubMed - in process]Related articles

2.

Does Prestroke Depression Impact Poststroke Depression and Treatment?

Ried LD, Jia H, Cameon R, Feng H, Wang X, Tueth M.

Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2010 Jan 11. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 20220578 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]Related articles

3.

Basal cerebral glucose distribution in long-term post-traumatic stress disorder.

Molina ME, Isoardi R, Prado MN, Bentolila S.

World J Biol Psychiatry. 2010 Mar;11(2 Pt 2):493-501.PMID: 20218804 [PubMed - in process]Related articles

4.

Psychosocial predictors of military misconduct.

Booth-Kewley S, Highfill-McRoy RM, Larson GE, Garland CF.

J Nerv Ment Dis. 2010 Feb;198(2):91-8.PMID: 20145482 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

5.

Prevalence estimates of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder: critical review.

Richardson LK, Frueh BC, Acierno R.

Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2010 Jan;44(1):4-19. Review.PMID: 20073563 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

6.

Canada's Veterans independence program: a pioneer of "aging at home".

Pedlar D, Lockhart W, Macintosh S.

Healthc Pap. 2009;10(1):72-7; discussion 79-83.PMID: 20057220 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

7.

Muscle strength and bone mineral density in mine victims with transtibial amputation.

Tugcu I, Safaz I, Yilmaz B, Göktepe AS, Taskaynatan MA, Yazicioglu K.

Prosthet Orthot Int. 2009 Dec;33(4):299-306.PMID: 19961291 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

8.

Thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis at time of hospitalization predict mortality in patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

Mirsaeidi M, Peyrani P, Aliberti S, Filardo G, Bordon J, Blasi F, Ramirez JA.

Chest. 2010 Feb;137(2):416-20. Epub 2009 Oct 16.PMID: 19837825 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

9.

Tolerability of high-dose topical tretinoin: the Veterans Affairs Topical Tretinoin Chemoprevention Trial.

Geng A, Weinstock MA, Hall R, Eilers D, Naylor M, Kalivas J; VATTC Trial Group.

Br J Dermatol. 2009 Oct;161(4):918-24. Epub 2009 Jun 11.PMID: 19681859 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

10.

Occurrence of candiduria in a population of chronically catheterized patients with spinal cord injury.

Goetz LL, Howard M, Cipher D, Revankar SG.

Spinal Cord. 2010 Jan;48(1):51-4. Epub 2009 Jul 7.PMID: 19581915 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

11.

Percutaneous enterogastric tube dislodgement in tetraplegics.

Hess MJ, Foo DK.

Spinal Cord. 2010 Jan;48(1):83-4. Epub 2009 Jun 30.PMID: 19564881 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

12.

Dissolution of a harm reduction track for opiate agonist treatment: longitudinal impact on treatment retention, substance use and service utilization.

Hartzler B, Cotton AJ, Calsyn DA, Guerra R, Gignoux E.

Int J Drug Policy. 2010 Jan;21(1):82-5. Epub 2009 Mar 10.PMID: 19278847 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related articles

Ski Slope Therapy

Ski Slopes Offer Vets Therapy 03/14/2010. Matthew Bilancia addresses the slopes like a man on a mission, cutting and edging his snowboard down the mountain with the confidence and passion of someone who’s been doing it all his life. But beneath the thick pants and poised facade, the former Air Force senior airman bears the source of his determination: a scar on his right knee that reminds him of all the doctors and physicians who once told him, “Walking would be difficult. Forget about sports and athletics.” DoD

Improving VA's Substance Use Disorder Services

VA Faces Challenges in Providing Substance Use Disorder Services and Is Taking Steps to Improve These Services for Veterans 03/14/2010. Substance use disorders (SUD), such as alcohol abuse and drug addiction, are serious health conditions that affect many Americans, including a substantial number of veterans. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), about 420,000 of the over 5 million veterans receiving health care from VA had SUD diagnoses in fiscal year 2009.1 Both older veterans and veterans of the current military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are at risk for SUDs, as veterans may use drugs or alcohol to help cope with the effects of stressful events experienced during deployment or with difficulties they encounter in readjusting from wartime military service to civilian life. GAO

New High-Tech Computer Training Center for Veterans Administration IT Employees

VA Launches High-Tech Computer Training Center 03/14/2010.  To strengthen the skills of its information technology workforce in one of the largest federal uses of virtual training, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has announced the Department of Veterans Affairs has opened a national training center in Falling Waters, W.Va.  VA

New Aviva Electronic Medical Records System to Replace VistA

VA working on ‘Aviva’ -- next generation of VistA 03/14/2010. The Veterans Affairs Department is at work on the next-generation of VistA, its 20-plus year-old electronic medical record system, which is often praised by users but considered a headache to planners working to bring VA health systems fully into the Internet age. The new system – dubbed Aviva – is designed to be Web-enabled, modular in design and capable of easily exchanging health records with other EMRs and organizations using standards built for the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN). Government Health IT

Surgical Treatment of Combat Related Knee Injuries

Surgeons Meet Challenge of Treating Combat Injuries of the Knee 03/14/2010.  The ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in uniquely destructive patterns of combat injuries, including limb-threatening injuries to the knee. In the March special issue of Techniques in Knee Surgery (www.techknee.com), military surgeons serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom share their experience with managing these high-energy injuries of the knee.  Techniques in Knee Surgery  via NewsWise