Feasibility of a Pilot Home Phlebotomy Program for Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Medical care during the Coronavirus 2019 global pandemic required significant shifts in health care delivery systems. Telehealth was widely deployed but was of limited utility for patient populations who rely heavily on laboratory monitoring. This includes pediatric hematology and oncology patients. We report on the feasibility and successful implementation of a home phlebotomy program that has minimized disruption in care for this high-risk patient population. During the initial months of the COVID-19 outbreak, we completed 189 home phlebotomy visits for pediatric hematology and oncology patients. Patient and staff satisfaction with the program were high, and potential exposures to COVID were avoided.

Distal semimembranosus tendinopathy: A narrative review.

Distal semimembranosus tendinopathy is a relatively uncommon diagnosis that can be responsible for medial knee pain. The semimembranosus tendon inserts on the posteromedial knee and is surrounded by the semimembranosus bursa, with both the bursa and tendon potential sources of pain. Similar to other tendinopathies, semimembranosus tendinopathy often occurs with overuse of the musculotendinous unit and is commonly seen in runners. Diagnosis can be made clinically and may be substantiated with use of ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging. Scant literature exists evaluating the efficacy of treatments for this condition. Consequently, best practice for treatment is inferred from other similar tendinopathies, clinical expertise, and smaller studies on semimembranosus tendinopathy. Extrapolating from other tendinopathies, rehabilitation should be the cornerstone of initial treatment, with focus on kinetic chain and gait abnormalities, hamstring strength and neuromuscular control, and progressive tendon loading. Recalcitrant cases with a coexisting bursopathy can be treated with an ultrasound-guided bursal corticosteroid injection. Future studies may help delineate the optimal treatment regimen for this relatively uncommon diagnosis.

Validity of a Sham Dry Needling Technique on a Healthy Population.

BACKGROUND: Various methods of sham procedures have been used in controlled trials evaluating dry needling efficacy although few have performed validation studies of the sham procedure. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of a sham dry needling technique on healthy, active subjects. STUDY DESIGN: Validation study. METHODS: Runners capable of completing a half-marathon or marathon race and were randomized to receive true (using an introducer and needle) or sham (using an introducer and fixed, blunted needle) dry needling. Blinded subjects were asked to identify if they received sham or true dry needling following the procedure. Proportions of those who correctly identified their needling were also examined on the basis of past experience of receiving dry needling. RESULTS: Fifty-three participants were included in this study, with 25 receiving the true dry needling procedure and 28 receiving the sham. Of those who had received dry needling in the past (n = 16), 11 (68.8%) correctly identified their respective groups. For those who had not previously received dry needling (n = 37), 13 (35.1%) accurately identified their group. Most importantly, 94.1% of dry needling-naïve participants were unable to identify they received the sham procedure (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that a fixed needle in an introducer tube is a simple, inexpensive, effective sham procedure in patients who have never received dry needling before. This technique may be useful for randomized controlled trials in the future. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: 2.

Postrace Dry Needling Does Not Reduce Subsequent Soreness and Cramping-A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To identify whether a single session of postrace dry needling can decrease postrace soreness and quantity of postrace leg cramps in half-marathon and full-marathon runners. DESIGN: Single-blind, prospective, randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Finish line of 2018 Salt Lake City Marathon & Half-Marathon. PARTICIPANTS: Runners aged 18 years or older who completed a marathon or half-marathon. INTERVENTIONS: True or sham dry needling of the bilateral vastus medialis and soleus muscles within 1 hour of race completion by 2 experienced practitioners. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was numeric pain rating improvements for soreness on days 1, 2, 3, and 7 compared to immediately postrace. Secondary outcome measures included number of postrace cramps and subjective improvement of soreness. RESULTS: Sixty-two runners were included with 28 receiving true and 34 receiving sham dry needling. Objective pain scores showed an increase in pain of the soleus muscles at days 1 and 2 (P ≤ 0.003 and P ≤ 0.041, respectively) in the dry needling group. No differences were seen in postrace pain in the vastus medialis muscles (P > 0.05). No association was seen between treatment group and presence of postrace cramping at any time point (P > 0.05). Subjectively, there was a nonsignificant trend for those receiving dry needling to feel better than expected over time (P = 0.089), but no difference with cramping (P = 0.396). CONCLUSIONS: A single postrace dry needling session does not objectively improve pain scores or cramping compared to sham therapy.

Discovery of novel biaryl heterocyclic EP1 receptor antagonists.

We describe the generation of novel EP(1) receptor antagonists by investigation of thiophene isosteres. In addition, we disclose preliminary in vitro and in vivo DMPK for selected compounds.