Papers by HANY SADEK BEKHEIT ABDELMALAK
Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 2013
Background Handoff is the process in which patient care is transitioned from one provider to anot... more Background Handoff is the process in which patient care is transitioned from one provider to another. In teaching hospitals, handoffs are frequent, and resident duty hour restrictions have increased the use of night float staff. To date, few studies have focused on long-term sustainability and effectiveness of a handoff quality improvement project. Objective The objective of our resident-driven quality improvement project was to evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of a standardized template for handoff quality in a community hospital internal medicine program. Methods We used a multistep continuous quality improvement approach. Problems in the handoff process were identified through process mapping and anonymous needs assessment of the residents. A group of residents and faculty identified problems during biweekly discussions, created a standardized template, and adopted a new handoff process. We audited handoffs and surveyed residents at 3 and 9 months after implementatio...
Therapeutic advances in endocrinology and metabolism, 2012
Licorice extract has always been recognized as a sweetener and a thirst quencher. Its nutritive v... more Licorice extract has always been recognized as a sweetener and a thirst quencher. Its nutritive value is overrated by many who consume significant amounts and are prone to complications. Glycyrrhetic acid, the active metabolite in licorice, inhibits the enzyme 11-ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzyme type 2 with a resultant cortisol-induced mineralocorticoid effect and the tendency towards the elevation of sodium and reduction of potassium levels. This aldosterone-like action is the fundamental basis for understanding its health benefits and the wide spectrum of adverse effects. Herein, we present a comprehensive review of licorice along with the reported complications related to excess intake. Despite its apparent use in a few clinical scenarios, the daily consumption of licorice is never justified because its benefits are minor compared to the adverse outcomes of chronic consumption. The review highlights the importance of investigating the dietary habits and herbal remedies which...
Therapeutic advances in cardiovascular disease, 2013
Acute coronary syndrome has a high mortality rate that dramatically increases in the presence of ... more Acute coronary syndrome has a high mortality rate that dramatically increases in the presence of left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease. Over the past decades, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has been commonly accepted as the standard of care for patients with LMCA stenosis and is still considered the first-line treatment in current practice guidelines. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of protected and unprotected LMCA has gained popularity and is increasingly utilized with comparable outcomes to CABG in randomized controlled trials. In-stent restenosis and the need for revascularization provide the main obstacle to LMCA revascularization. The advent of better PCI equipment, stents, ablative devices, intravascular ultrasound, hemodynamic support devices and antithrombotic agents have ignited a renewed interest in the practice of LMCA PCI, especially for high surgical risk patients who are neither candidates nor agreeable to CABG surgery. Herein, we review the s...
European heart journal. Acute cardiovascular care, Jan 21, 2013
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is an increasingly recognized clinical disorder mimicking acute coronary... more Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is an increasingly recognized clinical disorder mimicking acute coronary syndrome. It is usually preceded by physical or emotional stress and recovery of the left ventricular systolic function occurs in most cases within 1-4 weeks. Takotsubo cardiomypathy can masquerade as ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction when chest pain, ST-segment elevation, and high cardiac biomarkers coexist. ST-segment elevation is encountered in approximately half of the cases of takotsubo cardiomyopathy and its pattern is indistinguishable at times from ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. However, several electrocardiographic criteria have been shown to characterize takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Awareness of these electrocardiographic features has several diagnostic and therapeutic implications. Nevertheless, these electrocardiographic criteria alone cannot reliably differentiate between both entities, and the diagnosis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy is only established aft...
Internal and Emergency Medicine, 2012
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2012
ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is usually caused by plaque rupture and subsequent thr... more ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is usually caused by plaque rupture and subsequent thrombosis of a single culprit vessel. In rare occasions, simultaneous thrombosis of 2 coronary arteries occurs, which is usually associated with a worse prognosis. Although surgery provokes hemodynamic stress, leading in some instances to myocardial ischemia due to supply/demand mismatch, other factors may also contribute to postoperative myocardial infarction. We present a case of postoperative simultaneous left anterior descending and right coronary stent thrombosis that followed cessation of long-term aspirin therapy in a patient with stable coronary artery disease. This case raises concerns with drug-eluting stents due to the higher potential for late stent thrombosis related to delayed endothelialization of the stent struts. Physicians should be very cautious when deciding to withdraw antiplatelet therapy preoperatively to avoid rebound coronary thrombosis.
Cleveland Clinic journal of medicine, 2011
Journal of Trauma Management & Outcomes, 2010
Pneumothorax is a recognized cause of preventable death following chest wall trauma where a simpl... more Pneumothorax is a recognized cause of preventable death following chest wall trauma where a simple intervention can be life saving. In cases of trauma patients where cervical spine immobilization is mandatory, supine AP chest radiograph is the most practical initial study. It is however not as sensitive as CT chest for early detection of a pneumothorax. "Occult" pneumothorax is an
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Papers by HANY SADEK BEKHEIT ABDELMALAK