Browsing by Author "Isaacs, Michael"

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    Medical fruits of labor
    (Taylor & Francis, 2015-08) Isaacs, Michael; Department of Medicine, IU School of Medicine
    My grandfather's death made a profound impact on my life personally and professionally. Our family was able to share in his last joyous days thanks to a caring physician who first suggested palliative care. During these final days in which friends and family said their goodbyes, I realized as a medical student the immense impact we as healthcare workers truly make in our patients' lives. Reflections on palliative care, faith, medicine, and death following this experience influenced my formation as a Catholic, grandson, and as a physician in training. Lay summary: This article describes the personal experience of a medical student who witnesses the final days of his grandfather's life. Life, death, faith, palliative care, and the impact of physicians on families during these times is the subject of his reflection following his grandfather's death.
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    Reductions in retrobulbar and retinal capillary blood flow strongly correlate with changes in optic nerve head and retinal morphology over four years in open-angle glaucoma patients of African descent compared to patients of European descent
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2016-09) Siesky, Brent; Harris, Alon; Carr, Joseph; Vercellin, Alice Verticchio; Hussain, Rehan; Hembree, Priyanka Parekh; Wentz, Scott; Isaacs, Michael; Eckert, George; Moore, Nicholas A.; Ophthalmology, School of Medicine
    Purpose To investigate the relationship of changes in ocular blood flow with optic nerve head and retinal morphology in open-angle glaucoma patients of African versus European descent over four years. Materials and Methods In this study, 112 patients with open-angle glaucoma were examined at baseline, 79 (59 European descent, 20 African descent) of which were followed for four years. Retinal capillary blood flow was assessed with Heidelberg retinal flowmetry. Retrobulbar blood flow was measured by color Doppler imaging. Retinal structural changes were examined with optical coherence tomography and Heidelberg retinal tomography-III. Mixed-model analysis of covariance was used to test for the significance of change from baseline to four-year follow-up, and Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to evaluate linear associations. Results In open-angle glaucoma patients of African descent, structural changes of the optic nerve head demonstrated a strong association with the end diastolic velocities and resistive indices of the short posterior ciliary arteries over four years. In addition, there was a significantly larger increase in the avascular area of the inferior retina in patients of African descent, and this reduction in retinal capillaries strongly correlated with a reduction in macular thickness. Conclusion Reductions in retinal capillary and retrobulbar blood flow strongly correlated with changes in the optic nerve head and macular thickness over four years in open-angle glaucoma patients of African descent compared to European descent. This data suggests that ocular vascular health may be a more influential contributing factor in the pathophysiology of open-angle glaucoma in patients of African descent compared to European descent.
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    Small Intestinal Submucosa Matrix as a Novel Therapy for Wounds in Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2019-06) Isaacs, Michael; Veerkamp, Patrick; Somani, Ally-Khan; Dermatology, School of Medicine
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    U-shaped neck pillow for chondrodermatitis nodularis helicis: A budget-friendly, simple alternative
    (Elsevier, 2020-02) Mohammed, Arooj; Isaacs, Michael; Rahnama, Sahand; Dermatology, School of Medicine
    Chondrodermatitis nodularis helicis (CNH) results from inflammation of the cartilage of the ear, specifically of the helix or antihelix. CNH most commonly occurs because the patient sleeps on the affected side and may also be due to sun exposure in men, who more commonly drive and are consequently vulnerable to light on the left-hand side. CNH frequently recurs unless the patient avoids repeated trauma by reducing pressure applied over the area affected. Methods suggested in the literature include attachment of ear-protective devices, sleeping with a custom CNH pillow or hemorrhoid pillow, or advising the patient to alter his/her sleeping position. However, some of our patients have found difficulty finding an effective CNH or hemorrhoid pillow.