Rosario-Concepcion, Raul A

Background: The cumulative effect of repetitive subconcussive head impacts on neurocognitive function during youth contact sports remains largely unknown. There is a paucity of literature evaluating cumulative helmet forces over a season and their correlation with preseason and postseason cognitive performance tasks such as the King-Devick test (KDT). Hypothesis: Higher helmet forces recorded throughout a 10-week, 10-game youth football season would correlate with slower performance on postseason KDT. Study Design: Prospective cohort study. Level of Evidence: Level 3. Methods: A cohort of 58 youth football players (ages 9-13 years) underwent pre- and postseason KDT. Players wore SpeedFlex helmets (Riddell) fitted with InSite Impact Response System helmet accelerometers (Riddell) which recorded impacts of ≥15 g . Head impacts were tallied over a season and assigned a score of 1, 2, or 3 based on magnitude of g forces. Suspected concussions were correlated with KDT times and recorded instances of head impact. Pre- and postseason KDT scores were compared. Results: During the season, 2013 head impacts were recorded. Median (range) total cumulative force score was 24 (5-476); 6 players sustained head impacts concerning for concussion, and 4 were clinically diagnosed with concussions. Overall, postseason KDT times improved compared with preseason, with a median (range) change of −4.8 seconds (−7.6, −1.1). Analysis showed no correlation between changes in KDT time and total cumulative force score over the season. Conclusion: KDT times in youth football players did not change significantly based on head impact exposure over a single youth football season; most players’ KDT times improved from preseason to postseason. Clinical Relevance: Although our study did not show significant cognitive impact as measured by KDT over a single youth football season, the long-term effects of concussion on the immature brain and how it can impact cognitive development remains largely unknown and should be an area of ongoing study.

AbstractIntroductionPersistent pain following breast surgery is common and may be challenging to treat. In patients refractory to conservative treatments, ultrasound‐guided fascial plane blocks of thoracic nerves can be a useful option.ResultsThis type of neuro blockade technique provides advantages in terms of safety and efficacy that are convenient for physicians managing refractory and complex cases of post‐breast surgery syndrome.ConclusionThis technical review aims to present an up‐to‐date summary of the most common ultrasound‐guided fascial plane blocks for chronic pain in post‐breast surgery patients, provide a detailed technical description of each intervention, and propose preferred injections based on the anatomical location of the pain.

Abstract Diversity, equity, and inclusion have been recognized as important drivers of excellence and innovation in the physician workforce. Given the historical underrepresentation of women in medicine, gender diversity is of interest. In this cross-sectional study, we sought to quantify leadership representation of female physicians in primary care sports medicine settings, including primary care sports medicine fellowship programs, select sports medicine societies, and select sports medicine-related scientific journals. Data were collected by querying the corresponding web site for each fellowship program, society, and journal and analyzed in a descriptive manner. Results showed that fewer female physicians hold primary care sports medicine leadership roles than men do. This work establishes a baseline for female representation in primary care sports medicine leadership; efforts should continue to increase the presence of women in leadership positions.

Objective: To evaluate the comprehensiveness of primary care sports medicine fellowship websites and identify potential areas of improvement. Design: Cross-sectional analysis of fellowship program websites using quantitative and descriptive statistics. Setting: Internet. Participants: A total of 192 primary care sports medicine fellowship websites listed on the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) website. Independent Variables: Program Specialty and Program Region. Main Outcome Measures: The presence or absence of 19 predetermined criteria on primary care sports medicine fellowship websites. Results: The average number of criteria that was included on each website was 9.8 (SD 3.5) (51.6%) of the possible 19. Programs had as few as 2 of the 19 (10.5%) criteria included on their website, and others had as many as 17 of the 19 (89.4%) criteria. Of the 192 primary care sports medicine fellowships, only 5 (2.6%) addressed at least 80% of the 19 different criteria. No primary care sports medicine fellowship website included all 19 criteria. Conclusions: Most primary care sports medicine fellowship websites do not offer comprehensive information about their programs for prospective applicants.

Over the last two decades, the clinical applications of diagnostic and interventional ultrasound have expanded rapidly. When analyzing the chest wall and thoracic region, ultrasound has previously been shown to reliably identify chest wall pathologies like rib fracture and slipping rib syndrome, as well as having fundamentally changed perioperative management and patient outcomes after the emergence of point-of-care ultrasound. In addition, ultrasound guidance has recently become more popular for multiple blocks in the field of regional anesthesia and pain medicine. In this technical report, we systematize an ultrasound-guided protocol for counting ribs and thoracic levels for both posterior and anterior approaches, which does not require level confirmation by fluoroscopy. With this protocol, we hope to create an effective educational resource to support physicians from any specialty background as they engage in point-of-care ultrasound applications in the thoracic region.

AbstractIntroductionCancer survivors may experience multiple comorbidities related to the disease itself and adverse effects from treatment. Rehabilitation specialists could provide treatment options; however, oncologic rehabilitation services are underutilized.ObjectiveTo assess oncologists' awareness of the benefits of rehabilitation for cancer care patients and to identify barriers to rehabilitation referrals in adult cancer patients in Puerto Rico.DesignCross‐sectional study.SettingRegional Annual Meeting of the Association of Medical Hematology and Oncology of Puerto Rico, 4‐7 September 2015.ParticipantsForty‐two oncologists.InterventionsParticipants completed a 10‐item questionnaire focused on demographics, knowledge, and clinical practices over the previous 12 months related to rehabilitation in cancer patients.Main Outcome MeasuresFrequency, reasons, and timing for oncologist referral of cancer patients to rehabilitation. Perceived risks and benefits of rehabilitation in cancer patients and their correlation to patient referrals, prognosis, type of cancer, and type of symptoms.ResultsThirty‐seven oncologists (88.1%) received minimal or no education about cancer rehabilitation, its benefits, and indications. This resulted in 31 oncologists (73.8%) referring less than 15% of their patients for rehabilitation, with almost a third of participants referring less than 5%. However, 39 (92.9%) agreed that rehabilitation is always or frequently beneficial for their patients. Fifteen (35.7%) said they did not refer patients if prognosis was less than 6 months, and 16 (38.0%) avoided referring patients with life expectancy of less than 3 months.ConclusionsAlthough medical oncologists have some knowledge that rehabilitation is beneficial for their patients, there is a low referral rate. This could be due to lack of information about cancer rehabilitation and limited access to cancer rehabilitation specialists. Further efforts should be made to improve access to rehabilitation care for cancer patients and survivors.