Quentin G Eichbaum

• Vanderbilt University

Introduction Africa does not have enough doctors despite having the highest continental burden of disease. Encouragingly, many new medical schools are opening and have begun to graduate doctors. However, the educational structures, operations, and policies of these schools remain poorly understood. This study aimed to better understand these dimens...

Introduction: Africa does not have enough doctors despite having the highest continental burden of disease. Encouragingly, many new medical schools are opening and have begun to graduate doctors. However, the educational structures, operations, and policies of these schools remain poorly understood. This study aimed to better understand these dimen...

Introduction: Acute chest syndrome (ACS) is the leading cause of mortality, accounting for 25% of all deaths among individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD). The etiologies and clinical manifestations of ACS are variable, with a lack of clear risk stratification guidelines for the practicing clinician. Management of ACS is based on limited evidenc...

Improving the accuracy of medical image interpretation is critical to improving the diagnosis of many diseases. Using both novices (undergraduates) and experts (medical professionals), we investigated methods for improving the accuracy of a single decision maker and a group of decision makers by aggregating repeated decisions in different ways. Par...

We investigated the relationship between category learning and domain-general object recognition ability (o). We assessed this relationship in a radiological context, using a category learning test in which participants judged whether white blood cells were cancerous. In study 1, Bayesian evidence negated a relationship between o and category learn...

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions in international communications and travel for academic global health programs (AGHPs) in both high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Given the importance of international travel and communication to AGHPs, the pandemic has likely had considerable i...

Empathy is extolled in Western healthcare and medical education as an exemplary quality to cultivate in trainees and providers. Yet it remains an elusive and inadequately understood attribute. It posits a “one size fits all” unidimensional attribute applicable across contexts with scant attention given to its multifaceted dimensions in intercultura...

Objectives Blood transfusion is life-saving for patients experiencing acute blood loss and severe anaemia. In low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), low blood donation rates and unavailability of whole blood and blood components (blood products) impairs timely blood transfusion. To fulfil patient-specific blood orders, a hospital blood tra...

Background/Case Studies The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic disrupted the global blood supply. Low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) already experienced blood supply deficits that preceded the pandemic. We sought to characterize the challenges experienced during the pandemic, and adaptations, such as COVID‐19 convalescent plasma (CC...

Improving the accuracy of medical image interpretation can improve the diagnosis of numerous diseases. We compared different approaches to aggregating repeated decisions about medical images to improve the accuracy of a single decision maker. We tested our algorithms on data from both novices (undergraduates) and experts (medical professionals). Pa...

Improving the accuracy of medical image interpretation is critical to improving the diagnosis of many diseases. Using both novices (undergraduates) and experts (medical professionals), we investigated methods for improving the accuracy of a single decision maker and a group of decision makers by aggregating repeated decisions in different ways. Par...

Sustainable and equitable partnerships and collaborations between the Global North and Global South (as well as within the Global South) have been aspirations (if seldom achieved) of the "global health" endeavor over the past couple of decades. The COVID-19 pandemic led to global lockdowns that disrupted international travel and severely challenged...

Introduction Anti-M antibodies are usually inactive at physiologic temperatures (37 °C). Rarely,these antibodies have been reported to react at physiologic temperatures, resulting in clinically significant hemolytic transfusion reactions or hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. Patient and methods We describe a case of an acute hemolytic tra...

Many important real-world decision tasks involve the detection of rarely occurring targets (e.g., weapons in luggage, potentially cancerous abnormalities in radiographs). Over the past decade, it has been repeatedly demonstrated that extreme prevalence (both high and low) leads to an increase in errors. While this “prevalence effect” is well establ...

Background: Transfusion safety officers (TSO) function as liaisons between the blood bank and clinical staff, utilizing audits, quality improvement, reviews, communication, education, and general vigilance to enhance transfusion safety. While hospitals in Europe and Canada have long employed TSOs, a majority of institutions in the United States (U...

Objectives Pathology services are limited in most areas of sub-Saharan Africa. This study’s aim was to survey anatomic and clinical pathology services and laboratory infrastructure in Mozambique. Methods A survey was conducted from October-December 2018 across the four central hospitals of Mozambique to determine infrastructure and pathology servi...

Background Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) has many known disease associations, including autoimmune, lymphoproliferative, and certain infectious diseases, as well as various medications. Studies have found that severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) may be associated with coagulopathies; however, the potential association with AIHA...

Background Physicianʼs knowledge in transfusion medicine (TM) is critical for patient safety. Therefore, ensuring that medical schools provide adequate education in TM is important. The aim of this study was to assess the status of TM education at a global level. Study Design and Methods A comprehensive anonymous survey to assess TM education in e...

Objectives: We developed and participated in a 1-week laboratory medicine training presented from June 3, 2019, to June 7, 2019. Methods: The training was a combination of daily morning lectures and case presentations as well as afternoon practical sessions in the clinical laboratory. The content was selected over months by local organizers and...

INTRODUCTION Red cell exchange (RCE) therapy is increasingly used to treat patients with acute or chronic manifestations of sickle cell disease (SCD). However, little is known regarding the most safe and effective practice parameters associated with this particular therapy. METHODS A SCD subcommittee of members of the American Society for Apheresi...

Abstract Medical staff caring for COVID-19 patients face mental stress, physical exhaustion, separation from families, stigma, and the pain of losing patients and colleagues. Many of them have acquired SARS-CoV-2 and some have died. In Africa, where the pandemic is escalating, there are major gaps in response capacity, especially in human resources...

Global health often entails partnerships between institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that were previously colonized and high-income countries (HICs) that were colonizers. Little attention has been paid to the legacy of former colonial relationships and the influence they have on global health initiatives. There have been recent...

Objectives: This study assessed the prevalence, general interest, and barriers to implementing global health curricula in pathology residency programs. Methods: We conducted a survey of 166 US pathology residency programs. Results: Thirty-two (195) of 166 programs responded. Of these, 13% have a formalized global health program (n = 4), and th...

Delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions (DHTR) occurring in individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) are usually indolent but may rarely progress to life-threatening hemolysis known as hyperhemolysis syndrome (HHS), which can be difficult to diagnose and manage. We evaluate a predictive model for DHTR proposed by Drs. Pirenne and Yazdanbakhsh. A...

Perspective The humanities … are the crucible within which our evolving notions of what it means to be fully human are put to the test…. They are thus, inescapably, political … [b]ecause they complicate our vision, pull out our most cherished notions … grow uncertainty … expand the reach of our understanding … force us to draw and redraw the border...

The role of the humanities in medical education remains a topic of dynamic debate in medical schools of high-income countries. However, in most low- and middle-income countries, the medical humanities are less topical and rarely even have a place in the curriculum. Reasons for this dearth include inadequate resources to support such programs couple...

Objectives: To examine the job search, employment experiences, and job availability of recent global health-focused master's level graduates. Methods: An online survey was conducted from October to December 2016 based out of Washington, DC. The study sample includes students graduating with master's degrees in global health, public health with a...

Objectives: Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) can require substantial usage of blood products. Higher rates of transfusion have been associated with increased length of hospital stay, higher rates of infection, graft failure, and mortality. This study was a retrospective analysis to assess the impact of quality improvement interventions in OL...

Background Heuristics and cognitive biases are thought to play an important role in diagnostic medical error. How to systematically determine and capture these kinds of errors remains unclear. Morbidity and mortality rounds (MMRs) are generally focused on reducing medical error by identifying and correcting systems failures. However, they may also...

Abstract Training individuals to make accurate decisions from medical images is a critical component of education in diagnostic pathology. We describe a joint experimental and computational modeling approach to examine the similarities and differences in the cognitive processes of novice participants and experienced participants (pathology resident...

Objectives: Transfusions are often needlessly aborted after occurrence of a mild allergic transfusion reaction (ATR), leading to wastage and reexposure of recipients to additional blood products (with potential alloimmunization). We aimed to determine the symptoms associated with such reactions (along with other parameters) as a possible reason of...

Introduction Red blood cell exchange (RCE) procedures are commonly used for stroke prevention in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. We compared two different dual lumen ports used for RCE because differences between the port and catheter design may lead to functional variance. Methods We reviewed the RCE parameters of SCD patients following impla...

The Choosing Wisely campaign has stimulated clinicians to think about the appropriateness of various tests and procedures, compelling physicians to make smarter, safer and more effective choices for high quality patient care and to reduce healthcare cost. The American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) strives to advance apheresis medicine through educat...

Background: Thousands of students travel yearly from high-income countries (HICs) to low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) for short-term experiences in global health, with much less travel by LMIC students to HICs. Little structured research has been done to seek host perspectives, particularly from LMICs, on what they would like to teach...

Background: The Kidd-null phenotype, Jk(a-b-), occurs in individuals who do not express the JK glycoprotein. Jk(a-b-) individuals can make an antibody against the Jk3 antigen, a high-incidence antigen present in more than 99.9% of most populations. This presents many challenges to the blood bank including identification of the antibody, masking of...

Quality patient care requires correct and timely evidence-based diagnoses. Pathology and laboratory medicine training varies significantly across the continent, but is inadequate to serve the needs of the population. This article summarizes the current state of pathology workforce and training in sub-Saharan Africa; discusses challenges to recruitm...

Whereas the business professions have long recognized that conflict can be a source of learning and innovation, the health professions still tend to view conflict negatively as being disruptive, inefficient, and unprofessional. As a consequence, the health professions tend to avoid conflict or resolve it quickly. This neglect to appreciate conflict...

The ability to make timely and accurate decisions is critical for cancer detection in diagnostic pathology. We describe a joint experimental and computational modeling approach for determining the impact of three factors on the identification of peripheral blood blast cells (cancer indicators) versus normal white blood cells in microscopy images of...

Cees Th Smit Sibinga,1 Maruff A Oladejo,2 Olamide Hakeem Adejumo,3 Quentin Eichbaum,4 Midori Kumagawa,5 Shuichi Kino,5 Sima Zolfaghari,6 Silvano Wendel,7 Gordana Rasovic,8 Namjil Erdenebayar,9 Maya Makhmudova,10 Loyiso Mpuntsha,11 Charlotte Ingram,11 Bakyt B Kharabaev,12 Isaac Kajja,13 Zainab Mukhtar Hussain Sanji,14 Maria M M Satti15 1IQM Consulti...

Nephrology training programs in high-income countries have transitioned from an apprenticeship model to a well-structured, resource-driven model that supports continual professional development. In contrast, in low- and middle-income countries, medical training and in particular nephrology training has lagged behind owing to resource limitations. S...

Background: Current competencies in global health education largely reflect perspectives from high-income countries (HICs). Consequently, there has been underrepresentation of the voices and perspectives of partners in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) who supervise and mentor trainees engaged in short-term experiences in global health (STE...

Competencies developed for global health education programmes that take place in low-income and middle-income countries have largely reflected the perspectives of educators and organisations in high-income countries. Consequently, there has been under-representation of voices and perspectives of host communities, where practical, experience-based g...

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) in the recently issued report Improving Diagnosis in Health Care outlined eight major recommendations to improve the quality and safety of diagnosis. The #1 recommendation was to improve teamwork in the diagnostic process. This is a major departure from the classical approach, where the physician is solely res...

This article describes practices in patient blood management (PBM) in 4 countries on different continents that may provide insights for anesthesiologists and other physicians working in global settings. The article has its foundation in the proceedings of a session at the 2014 AABB annual meeting during which international experts from England, Uga...

This research identifies and maps core competencies that can be used to address this gap in the training of professionals in the fields of foreign affairs and global public health. We conducted focused internet searches to identify two core competency models in foreign affairs and six competency models in global public health. Employing domain word...

Many health professions education programs in high-income countries (HICs) have adopted a competency-based approach to learning. Although global health programs have followed this trend, defining and assessing competencies has proven problematic, particularly in resource-constrained settings of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where HIC stu...

The demand for global health opportunities over the past decade has fueled a brisk increase in the number of global health training programs, yet the employment opportunities for graduates of such programs remain poorly understood. This pilot survey presents the characteristics of 178 global health employment opportunities available during two spe...

The demand for global health educational opportunities among students and trainees in high-income countries (HICs) has led to a proliferation of available global health programs. In keeping with the drive towards competency-based medical education, many of these programs have been defining their own global health competencies. Developing such compe...

developing a theoretical framework for global programs in schools of nursing, calling for quality standards, identifying metrics for measuring outcomes on all partners, increasing interprofessional opportunities and addressing nursing regulation issues pertaining to credit-toward major global coursework. Funding: None. Abstract #: 01ETC015 A framew...

Medical knowledge in recent decades has grown prodigiously and has outstripped the capacity of the human brain to absorb and understand it all. This burgeoning of knowledge has created a dilemma for medical educators. We can no longer expect students to continue memorizing this large body of increasingly complex knowledge. Instead, our efforts shou...

At the combined American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) Annual Meeting/World Apheresis Association (WAA) Congress in San Francisco, California, in April of 2014, the opening session highlighted the status of apheresis outside of the United States. The organizers invited physicians active in apheresis in countries not usually represented at such inter...

Education and training in transfusion medicine have improved over the past decade in developing countries but are still generally deficient for the purpose of maintaining the safety of the global blood supply. In 2009, the World Health Organization global database on blood safety indicated that only 72% of countries in the world were able to meet t...

Learning communities, which are an emerging trend in medical education, create a foundation for professional and academic development through the establishment of longitudinal relationships between students and faculty. In this article, the authors describe the robust learning community system at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, which enco...

As PEPFAR delegates its operations on the African continent to local providers, close attention should be given to appropriate capacity building and strengthening of health care systems by nurturing south-to-south partnerships. The Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) fund was established with the purpose of building the capacity of the...

Programmed death-1 (PD-1) is a negative immunoregulatory cell surface receptor molecule whose interaction with its ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2 downmodulates T-cell immune responses. Originally investigated in the context of self-tolerance, PD-1 has more recently been discovered to be upregulated on T cells of HIV-infected individuals. High levels of PD...

In summary, refractory TTP can be effectively treated (at least in the short term) with concurrent rituximab and TPE. Unknown presently is whether rituximab, alone or in combination with other therapies such as TPE, is best suited for particular presentations of TTP. Considering its blocking effect on B lymphocytes and antibody inhibitor production...

Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a rare, autosomal dominant genetic disorder caused by the decreased or absent activity of ferrochelatase, the final enzyme in the heme biosynthetic pathway. This enzyme defect in peripheral blood progenitor cells leads to the accumulation of protoporphyrin deposits in multiple tissues. Plasmapheresis has been...

Antigenic mimicry or cross-reactivity between Group A streptococcal antigens and cardiac autoantigens may initiate an autoimmune response resulting in cardiovascular damage in acute rheumatic fever. This study describes a molecular biological approach to the identification of such cross-reactive cardiac antigens. Two human heart cDNA libraries were...