Date Completed: 1/26/09
Faculty Name: J. Michael Straughn
UAB Department: Obstetrics/Gynecology
UAB School: Medicine
Campus Address: OHB 560
Campus Zip: 2930
Telephone: 934-4986
Email Address: jmstraughn@yahoo.com
Office Fax: 975-6174
Research Program Area: Women's Cancer
Project Title: The Impact of a Small Bowel Series on Gynecologic Oncology Patients With Intestinal Dysfunction
Project Status: About to begin
Proposed Start Date: May 15
Proposed End Date: August 28
Number of Weeks of Internship: 12
Number of Interns: 1
Other faculty, staff, or graduate students who may help supervise intern: Amelia Sutton, M.D.
Expected Number of Work Hours Per Week: Negotiable
Expected Work Schedule for Intern: Flexible, intern can largely set his or her own schedule
Number of hours that preceptor will personally supervise or work with intern: As needed
Category of Research: Clinical (Patient Care) Research
Cancer Research: Cervix, Ovary, Uterus
Project Description: Intestinal dysfunction is common in women with gynecologic malignancies. Intestinal surgery is difficult and risky in this patient population. Conservative management and time is usually the primary management. A small bowel series with gastrografin provides both diagnostic and therapeutic information to the surgeon. Water-soluble contrast medium has been evaluated to predict the need for surgery in adhesive small bowel obstruction. Gastrografin is the contrast medium most commonly mentioned. It is an ionic, bitter-flavored mixture of sodium diatrizoate, meglumine diatrizoate, and a wetting agent (polysorbate 80). The osmolarity is 1900 mOsm/L, approximately six times that of extracellular fluid. It promotes shifting of fluid into the bowel lumen and increases the pressure gradient across an obstructive site. The bowel content is diluted, and in the presence of the wetting agent, passage of bowel contents through a narrowed lumen is facilitated. Gastrografin also decreases edema of the bowel wall and enhances bowel motility. Gastrografin is water-soluble and relatively safe even if the obstruction is complicated by perforation. We plan to evaluate the therapeutic effect of Gastrografin in patients with partial obstruction after gynecologic surgery and patients with gynecologic malignancies. A retrospective chart review will be performed on 200 patients.
Intern's Anticipated Duties:
Duty 1: Create a database
Duty 2: Obtain clinical data from the medical records and electronic records
Duty 3: Analyze the data
Preceptor will provide intern with access to the following: office or desk space, computer and printer
Likelihood of authoring publications: Very Likely
Background, education, experience, or expertise preferred: Just the willingness to learn
This faculty member has been a CaRES Preceptor for two summers.
Intern 1: Mary Kathryn Huddleston Colburn