Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in the MSK Patient PM&R News   •   September 20, 2020 Guest post by Chris Duncan, MD Candidate, Tulane University School of Medicine Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is an umbrella term for a heterogeneous group of inherited connective tissue disorders characterized by symptoms including, but not limited to, skin hyperextensibility, joint hypermobility, and vascular fragility.1 It is a result of genetic mutations that cause defects in the formation of types I, III, and/or V collagen, which can manifest with pathologies in collagen-rich tissues like skin, tendons, ligaments, joints, and blood vessels.1 The variety of genes that can be involved leads to a variety [...]

Inpatient Rehabilitation Protocol for COVID-19 PM&R News   •   March 18, 2020 Dear PM&R Colleagues, These are challenging times indeed, but there is no better group than physiatrists to rise as leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have a diverse understanding of medicine, debility, and rehabilitation. Due to our breadth of knowledge, we can help guide our hospitals in developing protocols for safety and recovery. While there are CDC guidelines being released multiple times throughout the day, there is a lack of clear guidance for protecting patients and staff in rehab units. As an inpatient rehabilitation medical director, current recommendations did not fully apply [...]

Neurologic Recovery After Cardiac Arrest   PM&R News   •   August 1, 2017     Current guidelines recommend targeted temperature management at 33-36° C for 24 hours in unconscious patients after cardiac arrest. Some have questioned whether longer temperature control would further improve neurologic recovery. This multicenter, randomized trial set to evaluate this question. Three hundred and fifty five unconscious adult patients, who experienced out of hospital cardiac arrest were enrolled and randomized to 33°C for either 24 hours or 48 hours with gradual rewarming afterwards. Neurologic outcome at 6 months was evaluated using the cerebral performance category score.  Secondary outcome included 6 month [...]

Radicava - ALS Golden Pill? PM&R News   •   June 9, 2017   By now you likely have heard that there is a new FDA approved ALS drug named Edaravone (Radicava) on the market. If you haven’t seen the headlines, let's catch you up on the latest buzz. In 2014, a Japanese double blind placebo controlled study evaluated the efficacy and safety of Radicava. One hundred and four patients received the placebo treatment and 102 received Radicava. After 24 weeks of treatment patients’ ALS functional rating scale score decreased by 6.35 points in the placebo but only 5.70 points in the treatment group. Sounds like [...]