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Gilboa T, Swank Z, Thakur R, Gould RA, Ooi KH, Norman M, Flynn EA, Deveney BT, Chen A, Borberg E, Kuzkina A, Ndayisaba A, Khurana V, Weitz DA, Walt DR. Toward the quantification of α-synuclein aggregates with digital seed amplification assays. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2312031121. [PMID: 38194461 PMCID: PMC10801878 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312031121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The quantification and characterization of aggregated α-synuclein in clinical samples offer immense potential toward diagnosing, treating, and better understanding neurodegenerative synucleinopathies. Here, we developed digital seed amplification assays to detect single α-synuclein aggregates by partitioning the reaction into microcompartments. Using pre-formed α-synuclein fibrils as reaction seeds, we measured aggregate concentrations as low as 4 pg/mL. To improve our sensitivity, we captured aggregates on antibody-coated magnetic beads before running the amplification reaction. By first characterizing the pre-formed fibrils with transmission electron microscopy and size exclusion chromatography, we determined the specific aggregates targeted by each assay platform. Using brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid samples collected from patients with Parkinson's Disease and multiple system atrophy, we demonstrated that the assay can detect endogenous pathological α-synuclein aggregates. Furthermore, as another application for these assays, we studied the inhibition of α-synuclein aggregation in the presence of small-molecule inhibitors and used a custom image analysis pipeline to quantify changes in aggregate growth and filament morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Gilboa
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Zoe Swank
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Rohan Thakur
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Russell A. Gould
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Kean Hean Ooi
- Department of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Maia Norman
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Physician Scientist Training Program, Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Residency in Adult Psychiatry, Boston, MA02114
| | - Elizabeth A. Flynn
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Brendan T. Deveney
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Anqi Chen
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Ella Borberg
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Anastasia Kuzkina
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
| | - Alain Ndayisaba
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
| | - Vikram Khurana
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA02138
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA02142
| | - David A. Weitz
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - David R. Walt
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
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Chiasson-MacKenzie C, Vitte J, Liu CH, Wright EA, Flynn EA, Stott SL, Giovannini M, McClatchey AI. Cellular mechanisms of heterogeneity in NF2-mutant schwannoma. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1559. [PMID: 36944680 PMCID: PMC10030849 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37226-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Schwannomas are common sporadic tumors and hallmarks of familial neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) that develop predominantly on cranial and spinal nerves. Virtually all schwannomas result from inactivation of the NF2 tumor suppressor gene with few, if any, cooperating mutations. Despite their genetic uniformity schwannomas exhibit remarkable clinical and therapeutic heterogeneity, which has impeded successful treatment. How heterogeneity develops in NF2-mutant schwannomas is unknown. We have found that loss of the membrane:cytoskeleton-associated NF2 tumor suppressor, merlin, yields unstable intrinsic polarity and enables Nf2-/- Schwann cells to adopt distinct programs of ErbB ligand production and polarized signaling, suggesting a self-generated model of schwannoma heterogeneity. We validated the heterogeneous distribution of biomarkers of these programs in human schwannoma and exploited the synchronous development of lesions in a mouse model to establish a quantitative pipeline for studying how schwannoma heterogeneity evolves. Our studies highlight the importance of intrinsic mechanisms of heterogeneity across human cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Chiasson-MacKenzie
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Jeremie Vitte
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Ching-Hui Liu
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Emily A Wright
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Flynn
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Center for Engineering in Medicine and BioMEMS Resource Center, Surgical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 114 16th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Shannon L Stott
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Center for Engineering in Medicine and BioMEMS Resource Center, Surgical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 114 16th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Marco Giovannini
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Andrea I McClatchey
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
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Abstract
The available literature concerning medication dispensing errors provides relatively few studies that focus on community-based pharmacies. This paper presents the results of a nationwide, observation-based study of dispensing errors. Although community-based pharmacies were the primary focus, a small number of health-system pharmacies were also included. Investigators collected information concerning the frequency and type of errors and near errors as well as data regarding a number of task and environmental factors previously correlated with dispensing errors. A total of 5,784 prescriptions were inspected, revealing 91 errors (1.57%) and 74 near errors (1.28%). Errors were categorized as either content (41.76%) or labeling (58.24%) errors. Results are consistent with findings in the available literature. In particular, lighting levels, type of inspection system used (e.g., bar code product verification), number of available employees, and the arrangement of drug stock were significantly associated with both types of errors.
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Ding Q, Barker KN, Flynn EA, Westrick SC, Chang M, Thomas RE, Braxton-Lloyd K, Sesek R. Incidence of Intravenous Medication Errors in a Chinese Hospital. Value Health Reg Issues 2015; 6:33-39. [PMID: 29698190 DOI: 10.1016/j.vhri.2015.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Revised: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to explore intravenous (IV) medication errors in a Chinese hospital. The specific objectives were to 1) explore and measure the frequency of IV medication errors by direct observation and identify clues to their causes in Chinese hospital inpatient wards and 2) identify the clinical importance of the errors and find the potential risks in the preparation and administration processes of IV medications. METHODS A prospective study was conducted by using the direct observational method to describe IV medication errors on two general surgery patient wards in a large teaching hospital in Beijing, China. A trained observer accompanied nurses during IV preparation rounds to detect medication errors. The difference in mean error rates between total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and non-TPN medications was tested by using the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS A final total of 589 ordered IV doses plus 4 unordered IV doses as prepared and administered to the patients was observed from August 3, 2010, to August 13, 2010. The overall error rate detected on the study ward was 12.8%. The most frequent errors by category were wrong dose (5.4%), wrong time (3.7%), omission (2.7%), unordered dose (0.7%), and extra dose (0.3%). Excluding wrong time errors, the error rate was 9.1%. Non-TPN medications had significantly higher error rates than did TPN medications including wrong time errors (P = 0.0162). CONCLUSIONS A typical inpatient in a Chinese hospital was subject to about one IV error every day. Pharmacists had a very limited role in ensuring the accuracy of IV medication preparation and administration processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Ding
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI, USA.
| | - Kenneth N Barker
- Department of Health Outcomes Research and Policy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Flynn
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Salisa C Westrick
- Department of Health Outcomes Research and Policy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Ming Chang
- China Resources Purenhong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Robert E Thomas
- Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | | | - Richard Sesek
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
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Seibert HH, Maddox RR, Flynn EA, Williams CK. Effect of barcode technology with electronic medication administration record on medication accuracy rates. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2014; 71:209-18. [PMID: 24429014 DOI: 10.2146/ajhp130332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The effect of barcode-assisted medication administration (BCMA) with electronic medication administration record (eMAR) technology on the occurrence of medication administration errors was evaluated. METHODS A pretest-posttest nonequivalent comparison group was used to investigate the effect of BCMA-eMAR on the medication administration accuracy rates at two community-based hospitals. Patient care units included three matched pairs in the two hospitals-two medical-surgical, two telemetry, and two rehabilitation units-plus a medical-surgical intensive care unit, an emergency department, and both an inpatient oncology unit and an outpatient oncology service at one of the hospitals. Medication administration accuracy rates were observed and recorded before (phase 1) and approximately 6 and 12 months after (phases 2 and 3, respectively) the implementation of BCMA-eMAR. RESULTS The overall accuracy rate at hospital 1 increased significantly from phase 1 (89%) to phase 3 (90%) (p = 0.0015); if wrong-time errors are excluded, the accuracy rate improved from 92% in phase 1 to 96% in phase 3 (p = 0.000008). The overall accuracy rate did not change significantly from phase 1 to phase 3 at hospital 2; when wrong-time errors were excluded from consideration, the accuracy rate improved from 93% in phase 1 to 96% in phase 3 (p = 0.015). CONCLUSION Implementation of BCMA-eMAR in two hospitals was associated with significant increases in total medication accuracy rates in most study units and did not introduce new types of error into the medication administration process. Accuracy rates further improved when wrong-time errors were excluded from analysis. The frequency of errors preventable by BCMA-eMAR decreased significantly in both hospitals after implementation of that technology. BCMA-eMAR and direct observation were more effective than voluntary reporting programs at intercepting and recording errors and preventing them from reaching patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather H Seibert
- Heather H. Seibert, Pharm.D., M.B.A., is Manager and Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Centers for Medication Management; and Ray R. Maddox, Pharm. D., FASHP, is Director, Clinical Pharmacy, Research and Pulmonary Medicine, St. Joseph's/Candler Health System, Savannah, GA. Elizabeth A. Flynn, Ph.D., is Independent Research Consultant, Artesia, NM. Carolyn Williams, B.S.Pharm., is Medication Safety Specialist, Clinical Pharmacy, St. Joseph's/ Candler Health System
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kenneth Barker
- Department of Pharmacy Care Systems Harrison School of Pharmacy Auburn University Auburn University, AL
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Flynn EA, Barker KN, Berger BA, Lloyd KB, Brackett PD. Improving medication delivery and counseling in community pharmacy. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003) 2009. [DOI: 10.1331/japha.2009.09087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Flynn
- Center for Pharmacy Operations and Designs, Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, AL 36849-5506, USA.
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Varadarajan R, Barker KN, Flynn EA, Thomas RE. Comparison of two error-detection methods in a mail service pharmacy serving health facilities. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003) 2008; 48:371-8. [DOI: 10.1331/japha.2008.07005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Flynn
- Center for Pharmacy Operations and Designs, Harrison School of Pharmacy, 128 Miller Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849-5506, USA.
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Carnahan BJ, Maghsoodloo S, Flynn EA, Barker KN. Geometric probability distribution for modeling of error risk during prescription dispensing. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2006; 63:1056-61. [PMID: 16709892 DOI: 10.2146/ajhp040146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The relationship between the number of prescriptions dispensed by individual pharmacy staff during a single workday and the probability of committing at least one dispensing error during that same workday period was evaluated using a geometric probability distribution. SUMMARY A cross-sectional descriptive study involving 50 pharmacies located in six cities across the United States was conducted. A pharmacist trained to detect dispensing errors recorded the number of prescriptions filled by each pharmacy staff member and noted which prescription represented the staff member's first dispensing error (defined as any deviation from the prescriber's order) made during the observation period. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests for discrete distributions revealed that the observed cumulative distribution of dispensing errors could have come from a geometric probability distribution that assumed dispensing error rates of 2-3%. In terms of risk analysis, this study's findings suggest that there can be a quantifiable statistical relationship between a measure of workload and the risk of committing at least one dispensing error. The ability to model dispensing errors using a geometric probability distribution enables the safety and health care practitioner to directly assess dispensing error risk as a function of a pharmacy's accuracy rate and the number of prescriptions a pharmacy staff member should dispense during a work shift. CONCLUSION A geometric probability distribution effectively modeled the relationship between the number of prescriptions filled and the occurrence of the first dispensing errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Carnahan
- Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Auburn University, AL 36849, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth N Barker
- Center for Pharmacy Operations and Designs, 128 Miller Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5506, USA.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Medication errors are a national concern. OBJECTIVE To identify the prevalence of medication errors (doses administered differently than ordered). DESIGN A prospective cohort study. SETTING Hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, nonaccredited hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities in Georgia and Colorado. PARTICIPANTS A stratified random sample of 36 institutions. Twenty-six declined, with random replacement. Medication doses given (or omitted) during at least 1 medication pass during a 1- to 4-day period by nurses on high medication-volume nursing units. The target sample was 50 day-shift doses per nursing unit or until all doses for that medication pass were administered. METHODS Medication errors were witnessed by observation, and verified by a research pharmacist (E.A.F.). Clinical significance was judged by an expert panel of physicians. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Medication errors reaching patients. RESULTS In the 36 institutions, 19% of the doses (605/3216) were in error. The most frequent errors by category were wrong time (43%), omission (30%), wrong dose (17%), and unauthorized drug (4%). Seven percent of the errors were judged potential adverse drug events. There was no significant difference between error rates in the 3 settings (P =.82) or by size (P =.39). Error rates were higher in Colorado than in Georgia (P =.04) CONCLUSIONS Medication errors were common (nearly 1 of every 5 doses in the typical hospital and skilled nursing facility). The percentage of errors rated potentially harmful was 7%, or more than 40 per day in a typical 300-patient facility. The problem of defective medication administration systems, although varied, is widespread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth N Barker
- Center for Research on Pharmacy Operations and Designs, School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, 128 Miller Hall, Auburn, AL 36849-5506, USA.
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Flynn EA, Barker KN, Pepper GA, Bates DW, Mikeal RL. Comparison of methods for detecting medication errors in 36 hospitals and skilled-nursing facilities. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2002; 59:436-46. [PMID: 11887410 DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/59.5.436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 280] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The validity and cost-effectiveness of three methods for detecting medication errors were examined. A stratified random sample of 36 hospitals and skilled-nursing facilities in Colorado and Georgia was selected. Medication administration errors were detected by registered nurses (R.N.s), licensed practical nurses (L.P.N.s), and pharmacy technicians from these facilities using three methods: incident report review, chart review, and direct observation. Each dose evaluated was compared with the prescriber's order. Deviations were considered errors. Efficiency was measured by the time spent evaluating each dose. A pharmacist performed an independent determination of errors to assess the accuracy of each data collector. Clinical significance was judged by a panel of physicians. Observers detected 300 of 457 pharmacist-confirmed errors made on 2556 doses (11.7% error rate) compared with 17 errors detected by chart reviewers (0.7% error rate), and 1 error detected by incident report review (0.04% error rate). All errors detected involved the same 2556 doses. All chart reviewers and 7 of 10 observers achieved at least good comparability with the pharmacist's results. The mean cost of error detection per dose was $4.82 for direct observation and $0.63 for chart review. The technician was the least expensive observer at $2.87 per dose evaluated. R.N.s were the least expensive chart reviewers at $0.50 per dose. Of 457 errors, 35 (8%) were deemed potentially clinically significant; 71% of these were detected by direct observation. Direct observation was more efficient and accurate than reviewing charts and incident reports in detecting medication errors. Pharmacy technicians were more efficient and accurate than R.N.s and L.P.N.s in collecting data about medication errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Flynn
- Center for Pharmacy Operations and Designs, Department of Pharmacy Care Systems, Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University (AU), Auburn, AL, USA
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Flynn EA, Barker KN, Gibson JT, Pearson RE, Berger BA, Smith LA. Impact of interruptions and distractions on dispensing errors in an ambulatory care pharmacy. Am J Health Syst Pharm 1999; 56:1319-25. [PMID: 10683129 DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/56.13.1319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 193] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A possible association between interruptions and distractions and the occurrence of dispensing errors was investigated. Fourteen pharmacists and 10 technicians in an ambulatory care pharmacy at a general medical-surgical hospital were tested for distractibility by using the group embedded figures test (GEFT) as well as for visual acuity and hearing. They were videotaped as they filled prescriptions during a 23-day period in 1992. A study investigator compared each filled prescription with the physician's written order, noted details of deviations, verified with the pharmacist any errors that occurred, and asked the pharmacist to correct the error if necessary. Interruptions and distractions were detected and characterized by reviewing the videotapes. None of the study participants had significant hearing or visual impairment. There was a significant association between GEFT scores and error rates. A total of 5072 prescriptions were analyzed, and 164 errors were detected, for an overall error rate of 3.23%. Wrong label information was the most common type of error (80% of errors detected). A total of 2022 interruptions (mean +/- S.D. per half hour per subject, 2.99 +/- 2.70) and 2457 distractions (mean +/- S.D. per half hour per subject, 3.80 +/-3.17) were detected. The error rate for sets of prescriptions with one or more interruptions was 6.65% and for sets during which there were one or more distractions, 6.55%. Interruptions and distractions per half hour were both significantly associated with errors. In an ambulatory care pharmacy, interruptions and distractions over a half-hour period were associated with dispensing errors, a majority of which involved incorrect label information.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Flynn
- Department of Pharmacy Care Systems, Auburn University, AL 36849-5506, USA
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Gynecological sarcomas are rare and have a poor prognosis. Uterine sarcomas are most common accounting for 4% of all uterine tumors. Ovarian sarcomas are less frequent and are usually carcinosarcomas. CASE REPORT A previously healthy 40-year-old G2P2 presented for evaluation of 72 h of right upper quadrant pain and shortness of breath. A malignant right pleural effusion, ascites, and adnexal mass were found. Surgical staging and suboptimal debulking revealed pure angiosarcoma of the ovary Stage IV. DISCUSSION There are 12 cases of ovarian angiosarcoma reported in the literature. Ten of these cases presented in advanced stages with survivals of 2-30 months. Various chemotherapy regimens have been tried on these tumors including the most recent recommendation of MAID (mesna, doxorubicin, ifosfamide, and dacarbazine) and prognosis remains poor. Our patient underwent elective right pleurodesis via video-assisted thorascopic surgery under local anesthesia for an early recurrent right pleural effusion and subsequently began MAID chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Platt
- Uniformed Services Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-5799, USA
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Koller EA, Tourtelot JB, Pak HS, Cobb MW, Moad JC, Flynn EA. Papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma metastatic to the skin: a case report and review of the literature. Thyroid 1998; 8:1045-50. [PMID: 9848721 DOI: 10.1089/thy.1998.8.1045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Cutaneous metastases from thyroid cancers are rare. We report the case of an otherwise asymptomatic 81-year-old woman with an enlarging scalp lesion. Her solitary skin metastasis was the presenting feature of thyroid carcinoma. Routine histopathology of the lesion was notable for an atypical clear cell neoplasm. Immunohistochemistry was positive for thyroglobulin. Subsequent resection of the thyroid gland identified separate foci (< 1 cm) for both papillary and follicular carcinoma. Although such immunohistochemical staining has been used previously, it has never been reported to provide the definitive diagnosis for a solitary cutaneous metastasis from the thyroid. Previous tumors had anatomic features in a clinical context that permitted identification by routine light microscopy. Clear cell features found in the follicular focus of carcinoma in the thyroid suggest that it is the primary. A worldwide literature review reveals that follicular carcinoma has a greater preponderance than papillary carcinoma for cutaneous metastasis and that the majority of skin metastases from either papillary or follicular thyroid cancer are localized to the head and neck.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Koller
- Division of Endocrinology, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland 20889, USA
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Abstract
Rates of errors in i.v. admixture compounding at five U.S. hospital pharmacies were studied. Pharmacy staff members at five hospitals representing each U.S. geographic region were observed as they compounded sterile products in order to record the medication, dose, base solution, and other details. Intravenous admixtures, antineoplastic preparations, parenteral nutrient solutions, and ready-to-use products were included. Observations took place for five days at each pharmacy. The observers' notes were checked against the labels used to prepare the doses; any deviation was considered an error. The clinical importance of each error was assessed for its potential to affect a patient adversely. The mean error rate for the five hospitals combined was 9% (145 errors for 1679 doses), excluding ready-to-use products. Mean error rates for individual pharmacies ranged from 6% to 10%. Wrong-dose errors were the most common type of error. Parenteral nutrient solutions had the highest error rates-37% for manual preparation and 22% for preparation that was partly automated. Of every 100 errors, 2 were judged to be potentially clinically important. In five U.S. hospital pharmacies, the observed error rate for compounding i.v. admixtures was 9%.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Flynn
- Department of Pharmacy Care Systems, Auburn University, AL 36849-5506, USA
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Flynn EA, Barker KN, Gibson JT, Pearson RE, Smith LA, Berger BA. Relationships between ambient sounds and the accuracy of pharmacists' prescription-filling performance. Hum Factors 1996; 38:614-622. [PMID: 8976624 DOI: 10.1518/001872096778827314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Associations between ambient sounds and accuracy of pharmacists' prescription-filling performance in a pharmacy was studied. Pharmacists were videotaped as they filled prescriptions each workday for 23 days. Each filled prescription was inspected by the investigator. Deviations from the physician's written order were considered errors. Videotape analysis was used to detect unpredictable, predictable, uncontrollable, and controllable sounds. A within-subjects case control study design was employed to determine whether the frequency of ambient sounds was significantly different when prescriptions with errors, compared with those without errors, were filled. Loudness, in terms of equivalent sound levels (Leq) for each half hour, was analyzed for a relationship to dispensing error rate. A mean dispensing error rate of 3.23% was found. Unpredictable sounds, controllable sounds, and noise had a significant effect on pharmacists which resulted in a decreased dispensing error rate. These results suggest that the quality of pharmacists' performance is not adversely affected by ambient sound. As equivalent sound levels increased, the error rate increased to a point, then decreased.
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Lin AC, Jang R, Sedani D, Thomas S, Barker KN, Flynn EA. Re-engineering a pharmacy work system and layout to facilitate patient counseling. Am J Health Syst Pharm 1996; 53:1558-64. [PMID: 8809276 DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/53.13.1558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The development and evaluation of a new work system and facility design for a chain of community pharmacies are described. A new work system was developed to optimize utilization of pharmacist and technician time and allow the pharmacy to increase patient counseling without adding personnel. In the new system, pharmacists would review prescriptions, check technicians' work, and dispense prescriptions, counseling patients as needed; technicians would enter prescriptions into the pharmacy computer and fill them. The existing work system and design were evaluated in June and July of 1992 by observing, classifying, and recording activities of pharmacy personnel three days per week at six pharmacies in the chain. Pharmacy designs that would work with the new work system were created by a university design class after consultation with representatives of the pharmacy chain and the university's college of pharmacy. The pharmacy chain selected one design, and a detailed floor plan and specifications were created. To test how the new design and system would work at each of the six test pharmacies, a computer simulation program was developed and verified by using the data collected on the existing pharmacy operations. Computer simulation showed that, with the new design and system, increasing patient counseling would increase patient waiting time slightly but would not require additional personnel. The layout and work system in a chain of community pharmacies were redesigned to facilitate patient counseling and make the best use of employee time.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C Lin
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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Abstract
Mast cell density, distribution, and ultrastructure were studied by light and electron microscopy in hamster buccal pouches undergoing chemically induced carcinogenesis. Epidermoid carcinomas in the pouches were induced by three topical applications per week of 0.5% 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) in oil using a brush. Four experimental, DMBA-treated and two normal, untreated hamsters were sacrificed after 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 weeks. After 8 weeks of DMBA treatment, the epithelium showed the pathological signs of dysplasia and hyperkeratosis. In the dermis an increased number of mast cells were evident, some of which showed degranulation. A few mast cells had started to migrate upwards towards the dysplastic epithelium after 10 weeks of DMBA treatment. Rapid degranulation was also apparent in some mast cells. These processes of upward migration and degranulation continued progressively during the 12- and 14-week periods of DMBA application in correlation with the progression of the tumor. By 16 weeks of treatment with the carcinogen, more mast cells had migrated closer to the invasive carcinoma, and many had degranulated. In the connective tissue mast cells were fully packed with many granules, and some mast cells were in proximity to macrophages and eosinophils. Our observations demonstrate that there is a positive correlation between developing carcinomas and mast cell density. Mast cell migration towards the carcinoma and degranulation were also evident.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Flynn
- Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology, Boston, MA 02115
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Abstract
The effects of estradiol on the granular ducts in submandibular glands of female albino rats were studied. Twenty-five-milligram pellets of 17 beta-estradiol were implanted subcutaneously in the experimental animals, and their glands, as well as controls, were examined after 2, 4, 7, and 10 wk using light and electron microscopy. During the course of the experiment an increasing proportion of the granules in the granular ducts appeared more lightly stained in the experimental animals. In the estradiol-treated rats the granular ducts increased in relative cross-sectional area at a faster rate than in the controls, which exhibited maturation changes. In addition, the average number of granules per granular duct cell decreased significantly in the treated animals. Our results indicate that estradiol caused a change in the cytology of the granular ducts suggesting an alteration in protein synthesis. These results might occur through a change in structural proteins or in other hormones and growth factors which are known to influence the submandibular gland.
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Abstract
Autophagocytosis not only accounts for the early pigment loss found in proliferating cultured retinal pigment cells, but also occurs in slowly growing and in non-proliferating cells. Both melanosome synthesis and destruction may take place concurrently in cells. Autophagosomes may contain both fully formed melanosomes and also premelanosomes in various stages of formation, are positive for lysosomal enzyme activity, and likely represent secondary lysosomes.
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Glimcher ME, Flynn EA, Szabo G. Ultrastructure of normals and castrates and the effects of testosterone and ultraviolet (UVL-B) irradiation on scrotal skin of rats. J Exp Zool 1979; 207:249-68. [PMID: 448324 DOI: 10.1002/jez.1402070209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The ultrastructure of the testosterone dependent epidermal melanocyte system of the scrotal skin of normals and castrates, with and without testosterone replacement therapy, and UVL-B (280-315 nm) radiation in black Long Evans rats is reported. UVL-B increases melanocyte activity, melanosome forming apparatus, (size of Golgi zone and RER, and quantity of cytoplasmic vesicles, dendrites, and stages of melanosomes) in normals and in castrates. Testosterone replacement therapy to castrates is not a prerequisite for stimulation by UVL-B, but it enhances the effects of UVL-B without restoring normalcy as melanosome packaging into complexes predominates. After UVL-B stimulation of normals or castrates, melanocyte dendrites are observed more often. Melanocyte dendrites of skin of castrated rats are observed less often than in normals, but with testosterone replacement therapy, the dendrites become more numerous. Melanosomes donated to keratinocytes are mostly located as singles in normals and as complexes in castrates. After UVL-B, castration, or testosterone replacement therapy, the melanosomes are packaged in keratinocytes in complexes larger than in normals. In the epidermis of long term castrates (9-109 days), non-specific clear cells are observed and Langerhans cells containing melanosomes; we did not observe them in normals. Melanocytes of castrates have a reduced melanosome forming apparatus. The dermis of castrates contains many dermal melanocytes in the superficial dermis with melanosomes in several stages of formation. These cells are not apparent in normals at this location in the dermis. Testosterone replacement therapy and/or UVL-B administered to castrates does not restore the epidermal melanocyte system nor the dermis to precastration ultrastructural appearance; castration has a permanent altering effect as melanosomes are packaged into complexes.
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