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Background: Over the past 20 years, hospitalists have assumed a greater portion of healthcare service for hospitalized patients. This was mainly due to reducing the length of stay (LOS) and hospital costs shown by many studies. In contrast, other studies suggested increased cost and resources utilization associated with hospitalist-run care models. Aim: We aimed to provide class 1 evidence regarding the effect of hospitalist-run care models on the efficiency of care and patient satisfaction. Design: Meta-analysis. Methods: Four electronic medical databases were searched to retrieve all relevant studies. Two authors screened titles and abstracts of search results for eligibility according to predefined criteria. Initially eligible studies were screened for full text inclusion. Included studies were reviewed for data on LOS, hospital cost, readmission, mortality, and patient satisfaction. Available data were abstracted and analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis. Results: Sixty-one studies were included for analysis. The overall effect size favored hospitalist-run care models in terms of LOS (MD = −0.67 day, 95% CI [−0.78, −0.56], p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in terms of hospital cost (MD = $92.1, 95% CI [−910.4, 1094.6], p = 0.86) whereas patient satisfaction was similar or even better in hospitalist compared to non-hospitalist (NH) service. Conclusion: Our analysis showed that hospitalist care is associated with decreased LOS and increased patient satisfaction compared to NH. This indicates an increase in the efficiency of care that does not come at the expense of care quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Rare co-existance of disease or pathology Background: Bullosis diabeticorum (BD) is a condition characterized by recurrent, spontaneous, and non-inflammatory blistering in patients with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. While etiopathogenesis remains unclear, roles of neuropathy, vasculopathy and UV light are hypothesized. Most literature reports negative direct and indirect immunofluorescence findings in diabetics with bullous eruptions. Porphyria cutanea tarda, bullous pemphigoid, epidermolysis bullosa, and pseudoporphyria are other differential diagnoses of bullous lesions, and they must be excluded. Case Report: We present a 42-year-old African American male with long standing poorly controlled insulin dependent diabetes mellitus with blisters on his left hand and feet. The blisters were noticed three weeks prior to presentation and, thereafter, rapidly increased in size and spontaneously ruptured. Physical examination revealed a multitude of both roofed and unroofed bullous painless skin lesions. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining dramatized the dermal-epidermal blistering and re-epithelization process. Direct Immunofluorescence (DIF) was positive for 2 + IgG deposition in the already thickened basement membrane of the capillaries of the superficial vascular plexus. After debridement, his wounds greatly improved with over three months of aggressive wound care. Conclusions: Primary immunologic abnormality likely plays no role in the onset of BD. To date, only one article has reported nonspecific capillary-associated immunoglobulin M and C3. This is the first case of BD with IgG deposition in the superficial capillary basement membrane. Positive findings on DIF suggest vasculopathy. Dermal microangiopathy, secondary to immunologic abnormality, is a possible underlying pathogenesis to bullae formation. Punch biopsy with DIF can be an additional diagnostic modality in the management of such cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospitalists, known as physicians, are an emerging group in the medical field that is focused on the general medical care of hospitalized patients. Specializing in hospital medicine, they often attract a mix of appreciation and criticism. In the present manuscript, we review the pros and cons of a hospitalist in the health-care system. Although experts agree that hospitalists add value to the health-care system by reducing costs, streamlining administrative processes, and contributing to improved health-care outcomes, there is a large degree of disagreement regarding the extent of hospitalist contribution to overall improvements on health-care outcomes. In this paper, new strategies to overcome reported shortcomings and to further improve the quality of health care are discussed. Abbreviations:SHM: Society of Hospital Medicine; BOOST: Better Outcomes by Optimizing Safe Transitions; RED: Re-Engineered Discharge; CHF: chronic heart failure; MI: myocardial infarction; ICU: intensive care unit; PACT: post-acute care transitions; MRSA: methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus; CINAHL: The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature; PCP: primary care physician. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon monoxide poisoning has been documented in literature to cause severe neurological and tissue toxicity within the body. However, cardiotoxicity is often overlooked, but not uncommon. Previous research studies and case reports have revealed a significant relationship between carbon monoxide intoxication and myocardial ischemic events. We report a case of a 48-year-old male, who was exposed to severe smoke inhalation due to a house fire and subsequently developed a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. Ischemic changes were evident on electrocardiogram, which demonstrated T-wave inversion in lead III and ST-segment depression in leads V4-V6. Elevated cardiac enzymes were also present. After standard treatment for an acute cardiac event, the patient fully recovered. This case demonstrates that myocardial ischemic changes due to carbon monoxide poisoning may be reversible if recognized in early stages and treated appropriately, thus reminding physicians that a proper cardiovascular examination and diagnostic testing should be performed on all patients with carbon monoxide poisoning. Abbreviations: NSTEMI: Non-ST elevation myocardial infarction [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hospitalists and primary care physicians encounter renal disease daily. Although most cases of acute kidney injury (AKI) are secondary to dehydration and resolve by giving fluids, many cases of AKI are due to not uncommon but unfamiliar causes needing nephrology evaluation. Common indications to consult a nephrologist on an emergency basis include hyperkalemia or volume overload in end stage renal disease patients (ESRD). Other causes of immediate consultation are cresenteric glomerulonephritis / rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis in which renal prognosis of the patient depends on timely intervention. The following evidence-based key information could improve patient care and outcomes. Abbreviations:AKI: Acute kidney injury ESRD: End stage renal disease patients [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Medical residents, as part of their job to balance the demands of their work with caring for themselves so as to be mentally, emotionally, and physically sound to stay clinically competent. While regulatory and legislative attempts at limiting medical resident work hours have materialized but have yet to attain passage, there are fairly little data looking into how residents cope up with their demands and yet attend to their own personal health. Design: Anonymous mailed survey. Subjects: Three hundred and thirty-seven residents from all internal medicine residency programs within United States. Methods: We conducted a survey in the form of a questionnaire that was sent by e-mail to the program directors of various internal medicine residency programs within the United States, and responses were collected between May 19 and June 21, 2009. Response was well appreciated with total number of participants of 337 with even demographical distribution in gender, residency year, AMG/IMG, age group. Seventy-one percent of the residents felt that they would prefer getting admitted to their own hospital for any acute medical or surgical condition. Of the 216 residents who have had received health care in the past, almost half of them chose their own hospital because of the proximity, while 45% did not choose their own hospital despite proximity. Two out of three residents missed their doctors appointments or cancelled them due to demands of medical training. Only half of the residents have a primary care physician and almost 80% of them did not have their yearly health checkup. Close to 30% held back information regarding their social and sexual history from their provider because of privacy and confidentiality concerns. Eighty percent of residents never received information about barriers that physicians may face in obtaining care for their socially embarrassing conditions. Seventy percent felt that their performance then was suboptimal because of that health condition and also felt sick but did not drop the call. Half of the residents had concerns that they might be having a psychiatric illness, but only 5% of them received a formal evaluation at their own hospital and 23 (12.4%) at an outside hospital. Conclusions: It is very important to have more studies to emphasize on resident's physical and mental health and encourage them to have a primary care physician. There are several reasons preventing residents from getting a formal evaluation, confidentiality reasons, lack of time - schedule constraints, fear of being labeled, and social repercussions are few of them. Program directors should encourage the residents to not only care of the health of their patients but also be enthusiastic about their personal health issues for upgraded, revised patient care, and ultimately for their overall well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic health records (EHR) are not a new idea in the U.S. medical system, but surprisingly there has been very slow adoption of fully integrated EHR systems in practice in both primary care settings and within hospitals. For those who have invested in EHR, physicians report high levels of satisfaction and confidence in the reliability of their system. There is also consensus that EHR can improve patient care, promote safe practice, and enhance communication between patients and multiple providers, reducing the risk of error. As EHR implementation continues in hospitals, administrative and physician leadership must actively investigate all of the potential risks for medical error, system failure, and legal responsibility before moving forward. Ensuring that physicians are aware of their responsibilities in relation to their charting practices and the depth of information available within an EHR system is crucial for minimizing the risk of malpractice and lawsuit. Hospitals must commit to regular system upgrading and corresponding training for all users to reduce the risk of error and adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses that hospitalists are frontline providers involved in newly diagnosed incidents of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). It mentions about the risk of Covid-19 spread in health care facilities like outpatient dialysis units. It also mentions that uric acid is one of the potential drivers of kidney function decline.

To analyze racial disparities in Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the United States of America and discuss possible reasons behind this inequality. We obtained estimated case counts of African-American, Caucasian, Native American, Asian and Hispanic individuals with coronavirus disease (COVID-19)infection through May 5, 2020, from publicly available data on state departments of health websites. We calculated race-specific fractions as the percentage of the total population and analyzed the reasons behind this disparity. The incident rates of COVID-19 were higher among African Americans and among Latinos disproportionately higher than their representation in 14 states and 9 states, respectively. A similar observation was also reported for New York city. The percentage of deaths reported among African Americans was disproportionately higher than their represented share in the population in 23 out of 35 states. It was reported that 22.4% of COVID-19 deaths in the USA were African American, even though black people make up 13.4% of the USA population. The analysis shows the disparity of coronavirus disease outcomes by ethnicity and race. Additional research is needed to determine the factors behind this inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospitalists and primary care physicians encounter renal disease daily. Although most cases of acute kidney injur)' (AKI) are secondary to dehydration and resolve by giving fluids, many cases of AKI are due to not uncommon but unfamiliar causes needing nephrology evaluation. Common indications to consult a nephrologist on an emergency basis include hyperkalemia or volume overload in end stage renal disease patients (ESRD). Other cause for urgent consultation are cresenteric glomerulonephritis/and rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis in which renal prognosis of the patient depends on timely intervention. The following are evidence-based pearls which could improve patient care and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guideline scope: A guideline developed by the American College of Physicians (ACP) Clinical Guidelines Committee with recommendations for managing adults with acute or recurrent gout. Guideline development methods: The guideline was based on a systematic review* of nonpharmacologic (e.g., lifestyle interventions, dietary supplements, or alternative treatments) and pharmacologic treatments for acute gout attacks, management of hyperuricemia to prevent attacks, and discontinuation of drug treatments for chronic gout in adults ≥ 18 years of age; searches were done from Jan 2010 to March 2016. Evidence was rated using the GRADE criteria. The guideline was reviewed by journal peer reviewers and ACP Regents and Governors. Recommendations: Recommendations are summarized in the Table. Due to insufficient evidence, no recommendations were made for dietary and lifestyle management of gout or criteria for discontinuing urate-lowering therapy in chronic gout. Conclusions: The American College of Physicians recommends corticosteroids, NSAIDs, or low-dose colchicine for patients with acute gout. It recommends against starting long-term urate-lowering therapy in most patients after a first gout attack or those with infrequent attacks and that clinicians discuss benefits, harms, costs, and individual preferences with patients before starting urate-lowering therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe adverse events, including eczema vaccinatum (EV), can result after smallpox vaccination. Persons at risk for EV include those with underlying dermatologic conditions, such as atopic dermatitis. We investigated a case of vaccinia infection, possibly acquired during sexual contact with a recently vaccinated military service member, in a female Maryland resident with atopic dermatitis. The U.S. Department of Defense's Vaccine Healthcare Centers Network (VHCN) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) worked in conjunction with the patient's physician and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) to confirm the diagnosis, ensure treatment, and prevent further transmission. Specimens collected from the patient were tested at the DHMH laboratories and were positive by real-time polymerase chain reaction for nonvariola orthopoxvirus. Testing at the CDC verified the presence of vaccinia-specific DNA signatures. Continuing spread of the patient's lesions led to the administration of vaccinia immune globulin and strict infection control measures to prevent tertiary transmission to vulnerable family members, also with atopic dermatitis. VHCN contacted the service member to reinforce vaccination site care and hygiene. This case underscores the importance of prevaccination education for those receiving the smallpox vaccine to protect contacts at risk for developing severe adverse reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) has significant health implications. Anemia is usually an unseen comorbidity, which could significantly affect outcomes in AECOPD patients, and there is limited data to support this. We conducted this study to assess the effect of anemia on this patient population., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample (NIS) data from 2008 to 2014. Patients with AECOPD and anemia with age >40 years were identified using appropriate International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes, excluding transfer out to other hospitals. We calculated the Charlson Comorbidity Index as a measure of associated comorbidities. We analyzed bivariate group comparisons in patients with and without anemia. Odds ratios were calculated using multivariate logistic and linear regression analysis using SAS version 9.4 (2013; SAS Institute Inc. Cary, North Carolina, United States)., Results: Among 3,331,305 patients hospitalized with AECOPD, 567,982 (17.0%) had anemia as a comorbidity. The majority of patients were elderly, women, and white. After adjusting for potential confounders in regression, mortality (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.25, 95%CI: 1.18-1.32), length of hospital stay (β 0.79, 95%Cl 0.76-0.82), and hospitalization cost (β 6873, 95%Cl 6437-7308) were significantly higher in patients with anemia. In addition, patients with anemia required significantly higher blood transfusion (aOR 16.9, 95%CI 16.1-17.8), invasive ventilator support (aOR 1.72, 95%CI 1.64-1.79), and non-invasive ventilator support (aOR 1.21, 95%CI 1.17-1.26)., Conclusion: In this first retrospective largest cohort study on this topic, we find anemia is a significant comorbidity associated with adverse outcomes and healthcare burden in hospitalized AECOPD patients. We should focus on close monitoring and management of anemia to improve the outcomes in this population., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Sonani et al.)

Masks are widely discussed during the course of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Most hospitals have implemented universal masking for their healthcare workers, and the Center for Disease Control currently advises even the general public to wear cloth masks when outdoors. The pertinent need for masks arises from plausible dissemination of the SARS-CoV-2 through close contacts, as well as the possibility of virus transmission from asymptomatic, pre-symptomatic, and mildly symptomatic individuals. Given current global shortages in personal protective equipment, the efficacy of various types of masks: N95 respirators, surgical masks, and cloth masks are researched. To accommodate limited supplies, techniques for extended use, reuse, and sterilization of masks are strategized. However, masks alone may not greatly slow down the COVID-19 pandemic unless they are coupled with adequate social distancing, diligent hand hygiene, and other proven preventive measures.

Dapsone, a sulfone antibiotic, is used for prophylaxis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in patients with documented sulfa allergy. Acquired methemoglobinemia caused by dapsone is not uncommon in patients with normal glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) levels. Discrepancy between oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry and arterial oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) readings, a phenomenon known as "saturation gap," is noted with cases of methemoglobinemia. Although its prevalence in renal transplant patients is poorly described, there is evidence that its incidence is increasing. Here we describe a case series of 4 patients who were switched from trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) to dapsone and subsequently developed methemoglobinemia. Symptoms occur at varying methemoglobin levels and are more severe in patients with pre-existing coronary disease or chronic lung disease. Early recognition and cessation of dapsone is imperative, especially in renal transplant.
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Objective: To develop and validate a clinical prediction scale for hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection (CDI)., Methods: A community-based, 360-bed hospital located in the suburbs of a metropolitan area in the United States served as the setting for the present retrospective cohort study. The cohort consisted of patients admitted to the adult medical service over a six-year period from October 2005 to September 2011. The cohort was divided into derivation (October 2005 to September 2009) and validation (October 2009 to September 2011) groups. The primary outcome measure was hospital-onset CDIs identified as stool positive for C difficile after 48 h of hospital admission ordered for new-onset unformed stool by the treating physician., Results: In the derivation phase, 35,588 patients were admitted to the medical service and 21,541 stayed in hospital beyond 48 h. A total of 266 cases of CDI were identified, 121 of which were hospital onset. The developed clinical prediction scale included the onset of unformed stool (5 points), length of hospital stay beyond seven days (4 points), age >65 years (3 points), long-term care facility residence (2 points), high-risk antibiotic use (1 point) and hypoalbuminemia (1 point). The scale had an area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) of 0.93 (95% CI 0.82 to 0.94) in predicting hospital-onset CDI, with a sensitivity of 0.94 (95% CI 0.88 to 0.97) and a specificity of 0.80 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.80) at a cut-off score of 9 on the scale. During the validation phase, 16,477 patients were admitted, of whom 10,793 stayed beyond 48 h and 58 acquired CDI during hospitalization. The predictive performance of the score was maintained in the validation cohort (AUC 0.95 [95% CI 0.93 to 0.96]) and the goodness-to-fit model demonstrated good calibration., Conclusion: The authors developed and validated a simple clinical prediction scale for hospital-onset CDI. This score can be used for periodical evaluation of hospitalized patients for early initiation of contact precautions and empirical treatment once it is validated externally in a prospective manner.

Introduction: Medical residents, as part of their job to balance the demands of their work with caring for themselves so as to be mentally, emotionally, and physically sound to stay clinically competent. While regulatory and legislative attempts at limiting medical resident work hours have materialized but have yet to attain passage, there are fairly little data looking into how residents cope up with their demands and yet attend to their own personal health., Design: Anonymous mailed survey., Subjects: Three hundred and thirty-seven residents from all internal medicine residency programs within United States., Methods: We conducted a survey in the form of a questionnaire that was sent by e-mail to the program directors of various internal medicine residency programs within the United States, and responses were collected between May 19 and June 21, 2009. Response was well appreciated with total number of participants of 337 with even demographical distribution in gender, residency year, AMG/IMG, age group. Seventy-one percent of the residents felt that they would prefer getting admitted to their own hospital for any acute medical or surgical condition. Of the 216 residents who have had received health care in the past, almost half of them chose their own hospital because of the proximity, while 45% did not choose their own hospital despite proximity. Two out of three residents missed their doctors appointments or cancelled them due to demands of medical training. Only half of the residents have a primary care physician and almost 80% of them did not have their yearly health checkup. Close to 30% held back information regarding their social and sexual history from their provider because of privacy and confidentiality concerns. Eighty percent of residents never received information about barriers that physicians may face in obtaining care for their socially embarrassing conditions. Seventy percent felt that their performance then was suboptimal because of that health condition and also felt sick but did not drop the call. Half of the residents had concerns that they might be having a psychiatric illness, but only 5% of them received a formal evaluation at their own hospital and 23 (12.4%) at an outside hospital., Conclusions: It is very important to have more studies to emphasize on resident's physical and mental health and encourage them to have a primary care physician. There are several reasons preventing residents from getting a formal evaluation, confidentiality reasons, lack of time - schedule constraints, fear of being labeled, and social repercussions are few of them. Program directors should encourage the residents to not only care of the health of their patients but also be enthusiastic about their personal health issues for upgraded, revised patient care, and ultimately for their overall well-being.