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J D Bartleson

Publications and source records attributed to J D Bartleson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Are the headache guidelines useful in therapeutic decisions for primary care physicians, general neurologists, and headache specialists?

The International Headache Society Classification of Headache Disorders has been widely accepted as the gold standard for classification of headache. Initially a research tool, this classification is now increasingly used in the daily practice of headache medicine. Accurate diagnosis is a prerequisite to planning a therapeutic approach. The three commentaries here discuss the use of this tool in the setting of primary care, general neurology, and subspecialty headache medicine. As the Section Editor, I hope these perspectives are helpful to the reader.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Spine disorder case studies.

Spine and limb pain related to degenerative, wear-and-tear changes of the disks, joints, and soft tissues of the spine (spondylosis) is exceedingly common. Identical spine and limb pain can be caused by fracture, tumor, or infection. Patients who have a history of significant trauma, signs or symptoms of systemic disease, neurologic impairment, and profound pain require further evaluation, and some may require surgical intervention to decompress the spinal nerves, spinal cord, or cauda equina or to stabilize adjacent spinal segments. The discovery of red flags in the history or on examination can identify patients who should have imaging and possibly surgical intervention. Neurologic assessment is required to determine which patients could benefit from surgery. The natural history for most acute spondylotic conditions is favorable. Treatment for acute and chronic spine-related pain syndromes is available.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

When and how to investigate the patient with headache.

The very common symptom of headache most often has a benign cause and can usually be diagnosed following a thorough history and neurologic and focused general physical examinations. Because the potential etiologies can threaten life and neurological function, headaches provoke understandable concern on the part of the patient and health care provider. Thoughtful testing can exclude the worrisome underlying causes. This article reviews the neurological and general symptoms and signs that should prompt diagnostic testing and the specific diagnostic studies that are recommended. The worrisome factors include recent head or neck injury; a new, worse, worsening, or abrupt-onset headache; headache brought on by exertion or Valsalva maneuver/cough; new headache in the patient over the age of 50; neurological symptoms and/or abnormal signs; systemic symptoms and/or signs; and secondary risk factors such as a history of cancer or human immunodeficiency virus infection. Less worrisome are headaches that wake the patient from sleep at night, side-locked headaches, and prominent effect of change in posture on the pain. The diagnostic investigations include neuroimaging, cerebrospinal fluid examination, and blood testing in specific situations.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2006

SMART: stroke-like migraine attacks after radiation therapy.

We describe two adults with stroke-like migraine attacks after radiation therapy (SMART syndrome), propose revised diagnostic criteria, and review the previously reported patients. 'SMART' is an acronym for a newly recognized syndrome which occurs as a delayed consequence of cerebral irradiation and consists of prolonged, unilateral, migrainous neurological symptoms with transient, dramatic cortical gadolinium enhancement of the affected cerebral hemisphere and is sometimes punctuated by generalized seizures and ipsilateral EEG slowing. Although the neurological symptoms can last for weeks, full recovery occurs. An appropriate evaluation should exclude alternative explanations.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Do the right thing.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Clinical Protocols↗
PubMed2004

Migraine practice patterns among neurologists.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the attitudes, knowledge, and practice patterns of US neurologists regarding migraine management relative to the US Headache Consortium Guidelines (the Guidelines). METHODS: Two samples of 600 neurologists each were selected from the American Academy of Neurology membership database. The first group received a Migraine Attitudes, Knowledge, and Practice Patterns (MKAPP) Survey. The second group received a Clinical Vignette (CV) Survey, presenting two patient histories and correspondent questions. RESULTS: The MKAPP Survey showed that most neurologists felt that migraine was primarily a disease of the brain with a well-established neurobiological basis (69%) and an important part of their practice (60%). Most (53%) indicated that they routinely used neuroimaging in evaluating severe headache, an approach not recommended by the Guidelines. Most favored acute treatment limits, but 36% did not agree with the Guidelines that acute treatment should be limited to 2 or 3 days/week. In the CV Survey, for vignette 1, most (91%) correctly diagnosed migraine, 31% requested neuroimaging in the absence of indications, 64% appropriately recommended a triptan, and 45% recommended a preventive medication in the absence of indications. For vignette 2, 78% diagnosed migraine, 71% appropriately ordered neuroimaging, 80% appropriately recommended a preventive medication, and 38% prescribed a triptan in face of clear contraindication. CONCLUSIONS: Educational initiatives aiming to increase the awareness of the Guidelines among neurologists should highlight the full range of migraine symptoms that support the diagnosis, appropriate use of neuroimaging, indications for preventive treatments, issues of triptan cardiovascular safety, and preventing rebound headaches.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Reversible, strokelike migraine attacks in patients with previous radiation therapy.

We report 2 adults with a past history of radiation therapy to the head for malignancy (one with primary B-cell lymphoma confined to the skull and the other with multiple hemangioendotheliomas) who developed episodes consistent with migraine with and without aura. In addition to more typical migraine attacks and beginning many years after their radiation therapy, both patients have experienced infrequent, stereotyped, prolonged, reversible neurologic deficits associated with headache, occasional seizures, and striking, transient, cortical gadolinium enhancement of the posterior cerebral gyri on MRI. Interictal MRI brain scans show stable abnormalities consistent with the patients' previous radiation therapy. The neurologic deficits often progressed over a few days, sometimes lasted weeks, and completely resolved. Electroencephalograms did not show epileptiform activity. Thorough investigation showed no residual or recurrent tumor and no recognized cause for the patients' attacks. We postulate a causal relationship between the patients' remote radiation therapy and their prolonged, strokelike migraine attacks. Radiation-induced vascular changes could provoke the episodes, with or without an underlying migraine diathesis. Recognition of this syndrome can help avoid invasive testing.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Evidence for and against the use of opioid analgesics for chronic nonmalignant low back pain: a review.

INTRODUCTION: Opioid analgesics are very effective for treating pain, but their chronic use in nonmalignant conditions is controversial. Low back pain is a common condition, and chronic low back pain (CLBP) is the most frequent regional pain syndrome in the United States. This article reviews the evidence for and against the use of chronic opioid analgesic therapy (COAT) for patients with CLBP unrelated to cancer. METHODS: A literature review was conducted looking for reports of oral or transdermal opioid analgesic therapy for CLBP. RESULTS: There are very few randomized controlled trials of COAT for CLBP. The scant evidence that is available suggests that over the short-term, COAT is helpful with patients with CLBP. In the published reports, most of which are brief in duration, COAT is associated with moderate side effects but a low risk of abuse or drug addiction. COAT was not associated with adverse long-term sequelae. Longer-acting opioid analgesics may be preferable to shorter-acting agents. Patient selection and close follow-up are critical to good outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: There is a place for the use of chronic oral or transdermal opioid analgesics in the treatment of some patients with CLBP.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Low Back Pain.

Low back problems are extremely common. In the United States, it is estimated that 15% to 20% of the population, and approximately half of working-age adults, admit to back pain each year. Low back pain (LBP) is a symptom and not a specific disease, and there are a large number of potential causes. The vast majority of patients with LBP have a musculoskeletal cause. Ninety percent of patients with acute low back problems recover within a month with very conservative treatment. Because of the multiple possible causes in the musculoskeletal category, and because of the self-limited nature of most patients' pain, only about 15% of patients can be given a specific diagnosis to explain their LBP. Although 90% of patients with LBP have self-limited disease, recurrent attacks of pain are common, and approximately 10% of patients develop chronic LBP. In general, LBP is over-evaluated and over-treated, which results in wasted money and medical resources, and often yields inferior clinical outcomes. The physician's job, when evaluating a patient with acute LBP, is to look for "red flags"--symptoms and signs that should prompt additional evaluation and treatment. Without "red flag" conditions, LBP should be treated with "comfort control" measures only. These measures include activity modification and the use of simple analgesics. Manipulation therapy may be helpful in the short term (within the first month of onset), although other physical therapies are more helpful beyond 1 month from onset. Surgical intervention on the spine for patients without tumors, infection, and fracture should be reserved for patients with progressive or unrelenting compression of one or more lumbosacral nerve roots by a herniated intervertebral disk. Neurologists should be involved in the evaluation and treatment of patients with LBP, because many of the worrisome underlying conditions affect the nerve roots, and most of the surgical interventions are based on documentation of the presence of nerve root impingement. Neurologists can determine if these indications are present, and do not have a vested interest in recommending costly procedures.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Treatment of migraine headaches.

Migraine headaches are common and costly. Patients with migraine frequently seek medical attention from primary care physicians. Although effective therapy is available, migraine is underdiagnosed and undertreated. The 3 main forms of management are avoidance of migraine triggers, treatment of the acute attack with medications, and regular use of preventive medications. Although changes in lifestyle can help to prevent some migraine attacks, the mainstay of treatment is the use of medications taken early during the attack. A wide variety of single-ingredient and combination over-the-counter and prescription medications are now available. Especially effective are the new selective serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine1 receptor) agonists such as sumatriptan. For patients who have frequent and severe migraine headaches despite the use of acute treatment, preventive medications, including beta-adrenergic blockers, calcium channel blockers, tricyclic antidepressants, and one anticonvulsant, should be considered. The vast majority of patients with migraine can be helped.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1998

Traumatic internal carotid artery dissections caused by blunt softball injuries.

This report describes recently treated patients with carotid artery dissection caused by blunt softball injuries, as well as the results of a study of carotid artery trauma in a community. Data obtained through the medical records linkage system used for epidemiologic studies in Olmsted County, MN were used to identify all cases of traumatic internal carotid artery dissection diagnosed from 1987 through 1994. Four patients with traumatic internal carotid artery dissections were identified during the 8-year period under study. In two patients (50%) the carotid dissection was a result of the direct impact of a softball. A 39-year-old-man, who developed transient cerebral ischemic symptoms, and a 35-year-old woman, who developed a painful Horner's syndrome, were struck by a softball on the anterolateral aspect of the neck. Both patients had a low carotid bifurcation. These data suggest that internal carotid artery dissections may be underrecognized sequelae of direct softball injuries to the anterolateral neck. A low carotid bifurcation may be a risk factor for such injuries.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Acute treatment of periodic severe headache: comparison of three outpatient care facilities.

We compared treatment of patients with episodic, severe, migraine-vascular headaches in three outpatient settings associated with a major medical center: the Charlton Outpatient Therapy Center (COTC), a dedicated transfusion and injection facility which provides treatment based on physician orders written in advance of the patient's visit; a walk-in Urgent Care Center (UCC); and a traditional hospital emergency trauma unit (ETU). For a 7-month period in 1995, all patient visits for acute migraine headache to the COTC, UCC, and ETU were reviewed. Data collected included the treatment and charges. After the study period, a sample of patients was surveyed regarding their outcome and satisfaction with care at each of the three facilities. During the study period, 15 patients visited the COTC 446 times for the treatment of acute migraine, 80 patients visited the UCC 233 times, and 182 patients visited the ETU 238 times. The average charges per visit were $39.93 for the COTC, $57.28 for the UCC, and $317.71 for the ETU. Average time spent in order to obtain care was 35 minutes in the COTC, 62 minutes in the UCC, and 105 minutes in the ETU. Intramuscular meperidine with either promethazine or hydroxyzine was the most commonly administered treatment in all three settings. Patients treated in the COTC reported greater satisfaction than the patients seen in the UCC or ETU. A dedicated outpatient facility with extended hours of operation and the capability of treating acute headache patients with parenteral medications based on standing orders has provided a community of migraine sufferers with cost-effective care.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1998

Retinocochleocerebral vasculopathy.

We report 10 patients with retinocochleocerebral vasculopathy and review the clinical and diagnostic considerations in previously reported patients with this uncommonly recognized disease. The clinical manifestations include acute and subacute multifocal and diffuse encephalopathic symptoms, hearing loss, and visual loss attributable to microangiopathy affecting the arterioles of the brain, retina, and cochlea. Diagnosis is facilitated by demonstration of retinal arteriolar occlusions without uveitis or keratoconjunctivitis, mid- to low-frequency unilateral or bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and numerous small foci of increased signal in the white and gray matter on T2 weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging. Because many conditions may produce any combination of strokelike cerebral symptoms, encephalopathy, hearing loss, and visual loss, the differential diagnosis for retinocochleocerebral vasculopathy includes connective tissue disease, demyelinating disease, procoagulant state, infection, neoplasm, and more routine mechanisms of cerebral and retinal ischemia. Brain biopsy specimens demonstrate only minimal nonspecific periarteriolar chronic inflammatory cell infiltration with or without microinfarcts. The demonstration of subclinical arteriolar microangiopathy in muscle biopsy specimens, documented in 3 of our patients may assist in making the diagnosis. The clinical course appears to be monophasic. In addition to corticosteroids, treatment options include immunosuppressant agents (cyclophosphamide or azathioprine) aspirin, calcium channel blockers (nimodipine), intravenous immunoglobulin, and plasmapheresis. The etiology of the disease is unknown, but histopathologic and laboratory evidence suggests that an immune-mediated mechanism may be involved.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Benchmarking the communication of continuous improvement activities.

Communication of a continuous improvement program in a large medical center was assessed using a formal benchmarking process with four non-health care organizations. Results indicated that continuous improvement must be integrated with the corporate strategic plan, must focus on customer satisfaction, and have active leadership support. A common framework should link different continuous improvement methodologies. Ongoing, open, multimedia two-way communication is required. Continuous improvement activities need to be integrated into all employees' daily work.

Benchmarking↗
PubMed1997

Posterior vertebral body erosion by arachnoid diverticula in cauda equina syndrome: an unusual manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis.

Cauda equina syndrome is an uncommon complication of longstanding ankylosing spondylitis. It is associated with dorsal arachnoid diverticula, which may erode the lamina and spinous processes of the bony lumbosacral spine. We describe a patient who developed cauda equina syndrome associated with the unusual finding of erosion of the posterior aspect of 2 vertebral bodies by arachnoid diverticula. This was clearly revealed by magnetic resonance imaging of the spine.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Anterolateral decompression of the atlantoaxial vertebral artery for symptomatic positional occlusion of the vertebral artery. Case report.

A case of repeated vertebrobasilar ischemic attacks related to head rotation (bow hunter's stroke) is reported. With head rotation of 45 degrees or more to the right, the patient would become lightheaded and feel as if she were going to lose consciousness. Angiography performed when head rotation was to the right revealed mechanical compression of the left vertebral artery at the foramen transversarium of the axis and an occluded right vertebral artery. Untethering of the vertebral artery as it passed through the foramen transversarium of the atlas in this case completely relieved the patient's symptoms. The authors conclude that contralateral vertebral artery occlusion predisposed this patient to symptomatic vertebrobasilar insufficiency secondary to ipsilateral vertebral artery mechanical stenosis induced by head turning.

Axis, Cervical Vertebra↗
PubMed1995

Cortical petechial hemorrhage, leukoencephalopathy, and subacute dementia associated with seizures due to cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

Although cerebral amyloid angiopathy is a well-known cause of cerebral lobar hemorrhage, subacute dementia, seizures, and acute encephalopathy without lobar hemorrhage are infrequently recognized as manifestations of this disease. In this report, we describe a case of cerebral amyloid angiopathy in a 74-year-old woman who had subacute progressive dementia and a superimposed rapid acute neurologic deterioration associated with seizures and the presence of cerebral edema on computed tomographic scans and leukoencephalopathy and cortical petechial hemorrhages on magnetic resonance imaging. A diagnosis of cerebral amyloid angiopathy in conjunction with small cortical infarcts and petechial hemorrhages was confirmed by antemortem biopsy. This clinical and radiologic picture is being increasingly recognized as characteristic of cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

Aged↗