Research Curriculum
At UAMS, you will have the opportunity to explore research in a large academic university setting. Our research curriculum is longitudinal, providing you with a strong foundation throughout your three years here. You will be introduced to the core principles of epidemiology, evidence based medicine, and scholarly project development in four ways: monthly Journal Club, our interactive EBM and knowledge dissemination didactic series, your residency scholarly project, and an optional research elective. You also have the opportunity to explore the many opportunities our University based program has to offer including a Translational Research Institute (in addition to six other institutes with robust research initiatives) and diverse basic sciences departments. Our Division of Education and Division of Ultrasound are also pursuing scholarly projects, so there are many opportunities to be involved.
Research and EBM Faculty
Evidence Based Medicine, Knowledge Translation, and Journal Club
Mastering the basic skills to be intelligent and efficient consumers of the medical literature will be one of the many things you will learn here that will distinguish you from other EM graduates. We take Evidence Based Medicine education seriously and incorporate it into our didactics, journal club, and regional and national work.
Dr. Carly Eastin is the faculty liaison for Journal Club. Each month, the topic/PICO question is chosen by the residents assigned to present at JC that month. At the request of our residents, our Journal Club series has been moved from the hospital to off-campus to provide a more informal setting. Held at a faculty member’s home, there is time to socialize with medical students, your fellow residents, and faculty while dinner is provided. Most importantly, there is dedicated time discussing the best available evidence for that month’s particular topic. We also frequently invite consultants to attend and offer their perspective on the topic. We end each session by asking the following question: Will this evidence change your practice? Afterward, the evidence presented at each journal club is summarized into a concise document which is posted in our Journal Club Archive.
Recent Publications
- Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a leading cause of chronic respiratory failure in infants. Severe BPD is associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation, pulmonary hypertension, and high morbidity and mortality. As disease severity increases, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is being reconsidered as a potential rescue therapy. Historically, ECMO has been reserved for neonates with reversible respiratory failure and those who required mechanical ventilation for less than 14 days,…
- CONCLUSIONS: Linking APCD and PDMP enabled a comprehensive assessment of prescribed opioid exposure. Opioid purchases were associated with increased risk of NOWS and modestly higher odds of PT birth. The dose and timing of opioid purchase were key determinants of NOWS. Payment source was not associated with differences in neonatal risk.
- CONCLUSIONS: The mean daily THC purchased during pregnancy exceeded therapeutic dosing ranges established for FDA-approved cannabinoid formulations in nonpregnant adults and was particularly high among women initiating MC purchase prepregnancy. These findings highlight the need to understand the risks of maternal MC exposure and the drivers to high-dose use, to better guide counseling and reduce harm, particularly from high-dose THC.
- There are a paucity of data regarding the pharmacokinetics (PK) of elexacaftor (ELX)/tezacaftor(TEZ)/ivacaftor(IVA)(ETI) in pregnant and/or lactating mothers and their offspring. We conducted a PK assessment of ETI and their metabolites in maternal/neonatal/cord blood and breast milk from a cystic fibrosis (CF) carrier mother/affected fetus dyad, collecting specimens at delivery, 1 and 4 weeks after birth. The infant received on-label direct dosing after 1 month of life; all PK samples were…
- CONCLUSION: This pilot demonstrates the feasibility of delivering AD in rural primary care and provides evidence of early penetration within an FQHC network. While prescribing increases could not be attributed solely to the intervention, AD was associated with sustained improvements in provider knowledge, confidence, and perceived relevance of naloxone prescribing. These findings highlight the limitations of brief educational sessions when implemented without complementary system-level supports,…
- BACKGROUND: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare diagnosis and is estimated at 1.32-1.57 per 100,000 cases. Patients with CVST often present with headache, seizures, focal motor deficits, encephalopathy, or aphasia, and can be fatal in 3%-15% of cases. Newer diagnostic criteria indicate functional neurological disorder (previously known as conversion disorder) as a "rule in" diagnosis that should be given only if patients meet strict criteria.
- No abstract
- CONCLUSION: The increase in fatal car crashes during the pandemic may be attributed to the increase in impaired driving and decrease in restraint use. These findings highlight the need for public health interventions, such as sobriety checkpoints, public awareness campaigns, and strengthened enforcement to address impaired driving and promote restraint use.
- CONCLUSION: We demonstrate a substantial incidence of adverse drug reactions and presumed anaphylaxis to crotaline antivenoms in an α-GAL endemic region, with F(ab')(2) antivenom associated with more reactions than F(ab). Clinicians in α-GAL endemic regions should be cautious in the use of antivenoms, especially for patients with α-GAL allergy.
- Background: Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and safety planning is a best practice to reduce the risk of suicide. It is currently unknown if electronic safety planning with a phone app results in effective safety planning compared to paper versions. Aims: To evaluate electronic safety planning vs. a paper safety plan in the ED setting. Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted in which 30 participants were randomized 1:1 into traditional…
- No abstract
- In a survey conducted within the Children's Hospital Neonatal Consortium (CHNC), the Kidney Focus Group aimed to describe the resource and practice variations among participating level IV neonatal intensive care units.A 24-question survey was developed by neonatologists and pediatric nephrologists who belong to the Kidney Support Therapy (KST) subgroup of the CHNC Kidney Focus Group.The majority (89.5%) of responding centers offered some form of KST, with > 90% centers offered prenatal…
- This case report describes therapeutic plasma exchange as treatment for a rare instance of severe hypertriglyceridemia following high-dose intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) therapy for bupivacaine-induced local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST). The patient received a cumulative ILE dose of 28.0 mL/kg to control seizures, exceeding the typical recommended maximum dose of 10 mL/kg. Clinical presentation included severe headache, visual disturbances, and photophobia, concerning for hyperviscosity…
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, educational systems worldwide faced significant disruptions as in-person learning became unfeasible. In response, many institutions, including graduate medical education programs, swiftly transitioned to virtual learning platforms to adapt to these challenges. The rapid and unplanned pivot in learning format resulted in temporary negative impacts on residency training. Conversely, the experience of the rapid shift may have resulted in some long-term benefits while…
- Patients' access to medical marijuana has dramatically increased despite the lack of Food and Drug Administration approval. In this study, we profiled individuals and the conditions for which they were certified for medical marijuana, and we examined the evidence of coordination with their physicians providing traditional care. Within two years of initiation, medical marijuana was approved for 3.4 percent of Arkansans ages eighteen and older by 12.5 percent of physicians who had an active…