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Purpose: Tobacco use using a waterpipe is an emerging trend among college students. Although cigarette smoking is low among college athletes, waterpipe tobacco smoking may appeal to this population. The purpose of this study was to compare cigarette and waterpipe tobacco smoking in terms of their associations with organized sport participation., Methods: In the spring of 2008, we conducted an online survey of 8,745 college students at eight institutions as part of the revised National College Health Assessment. We used multivariable regression models to assess the associations between tobacco use (cigarette and waterpipe) and organized sports participation., Results: Participants reported participation in varsity (5.2%), club (11.9%), and intramural (24.9%) athletics. Varsity athletes and individuals who were not varsity athletes had similar rates of waterpipe tobacco smoking (27.6% vs. 29.5%, p=.41). However, other types of athletes were more likely than their counterparts to have smoked waterpipe tobacco (35.1% vs. 28.7%, p < .001 for club sports and 34.8% vs. 27.7%, p < .001 for intramural sports). In fully-adjusted multivariable models, sports participants of any type had lower odds of having smoked cigarettes, whereas participants who played intramural sports (odds ratio=1.15, 95% confidence interval=1.03, 1.29) or club sports (odds ratio=1.15, 95% confidence interval=1.001, 1.33) had significantly higher odds of having smoked waterpipe tobacco., Conclusions: College athletes are susceptible to waterpipe tobacco use. In fact, compared with their nonathletic counterparts, club sports participants and intramural sports participants generally had higher odds of waterpipe tobacco smoking. Allure for waterpipe tobacco smoking may exist even for individuals who are traditionally considered at low risk for tobacco use., (Copyright 2010 Society for Adolescent Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Many emergency department (ED) providers do not follow guideline recommendations for the use of the pneumonia severity index (PSI) to determine the initial site of treatment for patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We identified the reasons why ED providers hospitalize low-risk patients or manage higher-risk patients as outpatients., Methods: As a part of a trial to implement a PSI-based guideline for the initial site of treatment of patients with CAP, we analyzed data for patients managed at 12 EDs allocated to a high-intensity guideline implementation strategy study arm. The guideline recommended outpatient care for low-risk patients (nonhypoxemic patients with a PSI risk classification of I, II, or III) and hospitalization for higher-risk patients (hypoxemic patients or patients with a PSI risk classification of IV or V). We asked providers who made guideline-discordant decisions on site of treatment to detail the reasons for nonadherence to guideline recommendations., Results: There were 1,306 patients with CAP (689 low-risk patients and 617 higher-risk patients). Among these patients, physicians admitted 258 (37.4%) of 689 low-risk patients and treated 20 (3.2%) of 617 higher-risk patients as outpatients. The most commonly reported reasons for admitting low-risk patients were the presence of a comorbid illness (178 [71.5%] of 249 patients); a laboratory value, vital sign, or symptom that precluded ED discharge (73 patients [29.3%]); or a recommendation from a primary care or a consulting physician (48 patients [19.3%]). Higher-risk patients were most often treated as outpatients because of a recommendation by a primary care or consulting physician (6 [40.0%] of 15 patients)., Conclusion: ED providers hospitalize many low-risk patients with CAP, most frequently for a comorbid illness. Although higher-risk patients are infrequently treated as outpatients, this decision is often based on the request of an involved physician.

Objective: To compare the 28-day mortality and hospital length of stay of patients with community-acquired pneumonia who were transferred to an intensive care unit on the same day of emergency department presentation (direct-transfer patients) with those subsequently transferred within 3 days of presentation (delayed-transfer patients)., Design: Secondary analysis of the original data from two North American and two European prospective, multicenter, cohort studies of adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia., Patients: In all, 453 non-institutionalized patients transferred within 3 days of emergency department presentation to an intensive care unit were included in the analysis. Supplementary analysis was restricted to patients without an obvious indication for immediate transfer to an intensive care unit., Interventions: None., Measurements and Main Results: The sample consisted of 138 delayed-transfer and 315 direct-transfer patients, among whom 150 (33.1%) were considered to have an obvious indication for immediate intensive care unit admission. After adjusting for the quintile of propensity score, delayed intensive care unit transfer was associated with an increased odds ratio for 28-day mortality (2.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-3.85) and a decreased odds ratio for discharge from hospital for survivors (0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.39-0.71). In a propensity-matched analysis, delayed-transfer patients had a higher 28-day mortality rate (23.4% vs. 11.7%; p = 0.02) and a longer median hospital length of stay (13 days vs. 7 days; p < .001) than direct-transfer patients. Similar results were found after excluding the 150 patients with an obvious indication for immediate intensive care unit admission., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that some patients without major criteria for severe community-acquired pneumonia, according to the recent Infectious Diseases Society of America/American Thoracic Society consensus guideline, may benefit from direct transfer to the intensive care unit. Further studies are needed to prospectively identify patients who may benefit from direct intensive care unit admission despite a lack of major severity criteria for community-acquired pneumonia based on the current guidelines.

Background: A mixed-methods quality improvement (QI) project for patients with pneumonia hospitalized from the emergency department (ED) was undertaken to (1) delineate the basic steps in the flow of patient care from presentation in the ED to time to first antibiotic dose (TFAD), (2) identify perceived barriers to and facilitators of reduced TFAD within these steps, (3) describe QI strategies to improve TFAD rates, and (4) identify perceived strategies for facilities to enhance performance., Methods: The QI project was conducted at 10 lower- and 10 higher-performing Veterans Affairs hospitals on the basis of the proportion of patients whose TFAD was within four hours of presentation. An ED physician, an ED nurse, a radiologist, a pharmacist, and a quality manager from each site were invited to participate in a survey and focus group., Results: Of the 82 survey participants, 59 (72%) perceived that ordering and performing the chest radiograph was the step most frequently resulting in TFAD delays. Medical provider assessment, chest radiograph interpretation, ordering/obtaining blood cultures, and ordering/administering initial antibiotic therapy also caused TFAD delays. The most commonly perceived barriers were patient and x-ray equipment transportation delays and communication delays between providers. The most frequently used strategies to reduce TFAD were stocking antibiotics in the ED and physician education. Focus groups emphasized the importance of multifaceted QI approaches and a top-down hospital leadership style to improve TFAD performance., Discussion: TFAD relies on a series of complex, stepwise processes of care that involve numerous hospital departments and is often delayed by well-described barriers. Addressing these barriers, as well as involving facility leadership in setting institutional QI goals, could possibly improve performance on this pneumonia quality measure.

Background: Although past research has elucidated the principal risk factors and efficacy of preventive interventions for contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CIAKI), provider awareness of this empiric evidence base is largely unknown. We sought to assess provider knowledge of the risk factors and preventive interventions for CIAKI., Methods: We asked medical providers caring for patients undergoing procedures with intravascular iodinated contrast to complete a survey designed to assess their knowledge of the risk factors and preventive interventions for CIAKI., Results: Of the 87 participating providers, nearly all (n = 85; 98%) recognized chronic kidney disease and intravascular volume depletion as risk factors. However, 35 (41%) incorrectly identified allergy to contrast media as a risk factor and 8 (10%) incorrectly identified intravenous (IV) water as an effective preventive intervention. Compared with those with little or no prior training on CIAKI, those with substantial prior training correctly reported that peripheral vascular disease and atrial fibrillation are not risk factors and that fenoldopam and IV water are ineffective preventive interventions (P < 0.05). Trainees were more likely than those who had completed their postgraduate medical training to correctly report that IV saline and sodium bicarbonate are effective preventive interventions and that fenoldopam, dopamine, mannitol, and IV water are ineffective measures (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: There is wide variability in providers' knowledge of CIAKI. Providers with more training on CIAKI and trainees had greater knowledge of the risk factors and preventive interventions for CIAKI. These findings underscore the need to standardize and intensify provider education of this costly and preventable iatrogenic condition.

Organizations recommend media literacy to reduce tobacco use, and higher media literacy has been associated with lower smoking among high school students. The relationship between smoking media literacy and tobacco use, however, has not been systematically studied among college students. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between smoking and smoking media literacy among college students. We conducted the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) at a large, urban university, adding six items measuring smoking media literacy. A total of 657 students responded to this random sample e-mail survey. We used multiple logistic regression to determine independent associations between smoking media literacy items and current smoking. The media literacy scale was internally consistent (alpha = 0.79). Of the respondents, 21.5% reported smoking cigarettes over the past 30 days. In a fully adjusted multivariate model, participants with medium media literacy had an odds ratio (OR) for current smoking of 0.45 (95% CI = 0.29, 0.70), and those with high media literacy had an OR for current smoking of 0.38 (95% CI = 0.20, 0.70). High smoking media literacy is independently associated with lower odds of smoking. Smoking media literacy may be a valuable construct to address in college populations.

Objective: To assess the role of a Toyota production system (TPS) quality improvement (QI) intervention on appropriateness of perioperative antibiotic therapy and in length of hospital stay (LOS) among surgical patients., Study Design: Pre-post quasi-experimental study using local and national retrospective cohorts., Methods: We used TPS methods to implement a multifaceted intervention to reduce nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections on a Veterans Affairs surgical unit, which led to a QI intervention targeting appropriate perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis. Appropriate perioperative antibiotic therapy was defined as selection of the recommended antibiotic agents for a duration not exceeding 24 hours from the time of the operation. The local computerized medical record system was used to identify patients undergoing the 25 most common surgical procedures and to examine changes in appropriate antibiotic therapy and LOS over time., Results: Overall, 2550 surgical admissions were identified from the local computerized medical records. The proportion of surgical admissions receiving appropriate perioperative antibiotics was significantly higher (P <.01) in 2004 after initiation of the TPS intervention (44.0%) compared with the previous 4 years (range, 23.4%-29.8%) primarily because of improvements in compliance with antibiotic therapy duration rather than appropriate antibiotic selection. There was no statistically significant decrease in LOS over time., Conclusion: The use of TPS methods resulted in a QI intervention that was associated with an increase in appropriate perioperative antibiotic therapy among surgical patients, without affecting LOS.

Objectives: To compare the prevalence of influenza and pneumococcal immunization rates according to sex in a national sample of older veterans in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system., Design: Retrospective, cross-sectional., Setting: VA healthcare system., Participants: Current VA healthcare system users aged 65 and older eligible for immunization in fiscal years 2001 to 2003 (N=48,424 patient records)., Measurements: Generalized estimating equations were performed to analyze combined chart review and administrative data to determine effect of sex on receipt of influenza and pneumococcal immunizations., Results: Unadjusted immunization rates were higher for men than women for influenza (73% vs 69%) and pneumococcal (87% vs 83%) vaccine. Adjusting for demographics, clinical comorbidities, use, and region, women had significantly lower odds of influenza (odds ratio (OR)=0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI=0.79-0.92) and pneumococcal (OR=0.77, 95% CI=0.71-0.84) immunization., Conclusion: Older female veterans have lower rates of immunization than older male veterans in VA settings. Although VA remains above community levels for immunization, older female veterans will benefit from targeted efforts to increase immunization prevalence.

Overall, third-party payers accept many of the indications for GH therapy. The evidence of pathology in GHD and other causes of short stature are compelling, and the support for improvement in height and metabolic outcomes with GH therapy in most of these disorders is well accepted. To provide well-intentioned coverage and safe and effective treatments to clients who most need it, health plans must do due diligence and ensure that the indications for which they cover rhGH are compelling, beneficial, and safe. Ensuring that those patients who will most benefit from GH therapy do receive treatment may require that unsupported diagnoses are excluded from coverage.

Objective: To integrate and expand on previously published models of wheelchair service delivery, and provide a preliminary framework for developing more comprehensive, descriptive models of wheelchair service delivery for adults with spinal cord injury within the U.S. health care system., Design: Literature review and a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews., Setting: Not applicable., Participants: Ten academic, clinical, regulatory, and industry experts (Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] and non-VA) in wheelchair service delivery., Interventions: Not applicable., Main Outcome Measures: Interviewees were asked to discuss the full range of variables and stakeholders involved in wheelchair service delivery, and to limit their scope to the provision of primary subsequent or replacement chairs (not backup chairs) to adults within the United States., Results: Most experts we interviewed stressed that clients who require a wheelchair play a central role in the wheelchair service delivery process. Providers (including clinicians, rehabilitation engineers, and rehabilitation counselors) are also critical stakeholders. More so than in other health care settings, suppliers play an integral role in the provision of wheelchairs to clients and may significantly influence the appropriateness of the wheelchair provided. Suppliers often have a direct role in wheelchair service delivery through their interactions with the clinician and/or client. This model also identified a number of system-level factors (including facility administration and standards, policies, and regulations) that influence wheelchair service delivery and ultimately the appropriateness of the wheelchair provided., Conclusions: We developed a detailed, descriptive model of wheelchair service delivery that integrates the delivery process and device outcomes, and includes the patient-level, provider-level, and system-level factors that may directly influence those processes and outcomes. We believe that this detailed model can help clinicians and researchers describe and consider the complexities of wheelchair service delivery. It can be used to identify factors that may be related to disparities in wheelchair service delivery and in the appropriateness of the wheelchair prescribed. Further, this model can help researchers and clinicians identify factors that may be related to disparities in wheelchair service delivery, and intervene to reduce such disparities.

Objective: The objective of the study was to identify patient and provider factors associated with prescribing antibiotics for outpatients with acute respiratory tract infections of likely nonbacterial etiology., Methods: We identified outpatients who were diagnosed in the emergency department with nonspecific upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) and acute bronchitis at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System from June 15, 2003, to June 14, 2004, and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center from November 30, 2003, to March 31, 2004. Stepwise logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated with antibiotic prescribing., Results: Overall, 26% of the 667 eligible patients with URIs and/or acute bronchitis received antibiotics. Antibiotics were prescribed significantly more frequently for acute bronchitis at one site (97% vs 65%, P < .001). Using multivariable analysis, the following factors were independently associated with antibiotic prescribing (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval): presence of 1 or more comorbidities (2.1, 1.2-3.5), fever (2.5, 1.4-4.4), purulent sputum (2.5, 1.5-4.4), shortness of breath (2.8, 1.4-5.4), altered breath sounds (4.6, 2.4-8.6), diagnosis of acute bronchitis (15.9, 8.0-31.8), provider age > or = 30 years (2.6, 1.1-6.3), and noninternal medicine specialty (2.7, 1.2-6.0)., Conclusions: Antibiotic use was high and varied substantially for URIs and acute bronchitis. Specific signs and symptoms, a diagnosis of acute bronchitis, and provider age and specialty were associated with antibiotic prescribing. Interventions to decrease inappropriate prescribing should address the perceived utility of antibiotics in acute bronchitis and the accuracy of signs and symptoms in diagnosing a bacterial respiratory infection.

Background: Two thirds of all sexual references in music are degrading in nature, yet it remains uncertain whether these references promote earlier sexual activity. The purpose of this study was to determine if exposure to lyrics describing degrading sex in popular music is independently associated with sexual behavior in a cohort of urban adolescents., Methods: All ninth-grade health students at three large urban high schools completed in-school surveys in 2006 and 2007. Participants' exposure to lyrics describing degrading sex was computed with overall music exposure and content analyses of their favorite artists' songs. Outcomes included sexual intercourse and progression along a noncoital sexual continuum. Multivariable regression was used to assess independent associations between exposure to lyrics describing degrading sex and outcomes., Results: The 711 participants were exposed to 14.7 hours each week of songs with lyrics describing degrading sex (SD=17.0). Almost one third of participants (n=216) had previously been sexually active. Compared to those with the least exposure to lyrics describing degrading sex, those with the most exposure were more than twice as likely to have had sexual intercourse (OR=2.07; 95% CI=1.26, 3.41), even after adjusting for all covariates. Similarly, among those who had not had sexual intercourse, those in the highest tertile of exposure to lyrics describing degrading sex were nearly twice as likely to have progressed along a noncoital sexual continuum (OR=1.88; 95% CI=1.23, 2.88) compared to those in the lowest tertile. Finally, the relationships between exposure to lyrics describing nondegrading sex and sexual outcomes were not significant., Conclusions: This study supports an association between exposure to lyrics describing degrading sex in popular music and early sexual experience among adolescents.

Background: The factors that affect the implementation of preventive care for contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CIAKI) are unknown., Objective: To assess patient and provider factors associated with the use of preventive care for CIAKI., Design: Prospective cohort study., Participants: Patients with kidney disease undergoing procedures with intravascular iodinated radiocontrast., Measurements: We recorded the use of preventive care defined as the administration of: (1) pre- and post-procedure isotonic intravenous (IV) fluid, (2) N-acetylcysteine, and (3) iso-osmolal radiocontrast. We surveyed patients' providers to assess their knowledge, experience, and training on CIAKI and used multiple logistic regression to assess the independent associations of patient and provider factors with the use of these preventive interventions., Results: We enrolled 660 patients and 87 providers. Patient factors associated with use of IV fluid and N-acetylcysteine were higher baseline serum creatinine (OR 1.5 and 5.0, p < 0.05) and inpatient status (OR 3.0 and 6.3, p < 0.05), while higher baseline serum creatinine was associated with the use of iso-osmolal contrast (OR = 13.4, p < 0.01). The primary provider characteristics associated with the use of IV fluid and N-acetylcysteine were a greater degree of prior training on CIAKI (OR 1.9 and 2.8, p < 0.05) and higher number of prior patients with CIAKI (OR 2.7 and 2.6, p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Patient baseline kidney function and provider training and experience with CIAKI are independently associated with the use of preventive care. Efforts to increase and intensify the training providers receive on CIAKI may help decrease the incidence of this costly iatrogenic condition.

Background: Risk factors for early mortality after pulmonary embolism (PE) are widely known. However, it is uncertain which factors are associated with early readmission after PE. We sought to identify predictors of readmission after an admission for PE., Methods: We studied 14 426 patient discharges with a primary diagnosis of PE from 186 acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania from January 1, 2000, to November 30, 2002. The outcome was readmission within 30 days of presentation for PE. We used a discrete proportional odds model to study the association between time to readmission and patient factors (age, sex, race, insurance, discharge status, and severity of illness), thrombolysis, and hospital characteristics (region, teaching status, and number of beds)., Results: Overall, 2064 patient discharges (14.3%) resulted in a readmission within 30 days of presentation for PE. The most common reasons for readmission were venous thromboembolism (21.9%), cancer (10.8%), pneumonia (5.2%), and bleeding (5.0%). In multivariable analysis, African American race (odds ratio [OR], 1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.38), Medicaid insurance (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.31-1.81), discharge home with supplemental care (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.27-1.54), leaving the hospital against medical advice (OR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.80-4.48), and severity of illness were independently associated with readmission; readmission also varied by hospital region., Conclusions: Early readmission after PE is common. African American race, Medicaid insurance, severity of illness, discharge status, and hospital region are significantly associated with readmission. The high readmission rates for venous thromboembolism and bleeding suggest that readmission may be linked to suboptimal quality of care in the management of PE.

Context: Although certain media exposures have been linked to the presence of psychiatric conditions, few studies have investigated the association between media exposure and depression., Objective: To assess the longitudinal association between media exposure in adolescence and depression in young adulthood in a nationally representative sample., Design: Longitudinal cohort study., Setting and Participants: We used the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to investigate the relationship between electronic media exposure in 4142 adolescents who were not depressed at baseline and subsequent development of depression after 7 years of follow-up. Main Outcome Measure Depression at follow-up assessed using the 9-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale., Results: Of the 4142 participants (47.5% female and 67.0% white) who were not depressed at baseline and who underwent follow-up assessment, 308 (7.4%) reported symptoms consistent with depression at follow-up. Controlling for all covariates including baseline Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale score, those reporting more television use had significantly greater odds of developing depression (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.08 [1.01-1.16]) for each additional hour of daily television use. In addition, those reporting more total media exposure had significantly greater odds of developing depression (1.05 [1.0004-1.10]) for each additional hour of daily use. We did not find a consistent relationship between development of depressive symptoms and exposure to videocassettes, computer games, or radio. Compared with young men, young women were less likely to develop depression given the same total media exposure (odds ratio for interaction term, 0.93 [0.88-0.99])., Conclusion: Television exposure and total media exposure in adolescence are associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms in young adulthood, especially in young men.

In this retrospective study of 332 cases of Legionnaires' disease (LD) in 4 Danish counties between 1995 and 2005 we aimed to compare the sensitivity of culture, PCR, urinary antigen testing, and serology to the mode of acquisition, serogroup, and severity of disease. Furthermore, we analyzed time to diagnosis. Laboratory confirmed cases of LD were found through the national Danish surveillance system and departments of clinical microbiology. In our study PCR was more sensitive (79.2%) than urinary antigen testing (70.4%), serology (54.8%), and culture (39.9%) (p<0.001).The sensitivity of Legionella urinary antigen test was higher among travel-associated cases (90.2%) compared to non-travel-associated cases (65.8%) and hospital acquired cases (45.7%) (p<0.001). Overall, the most common species and serogroup identified was L. pneumophila serogroup 1 (64.3% (110/171)). Community acquired cases with serogroup 1 were diagnosed earlier (mean 5 d, IQR: 4-9 d) than community acquired cases with other species or serogroups (mean 10.5 d, IQR: 5-19.5) (p<0.001). In conclusion, the urinary antigen test, PCR, and culture were conducive to the diagnosis of Legionella infection, and ordering of all 3 tests is recommended to ensure a definite and rapid diagnosis of Legionella.

We aimed to determine which media exposures are most strongly associated with marijuana and alcohol use among adolescents. In 2004, we surveyed 1,211 students at a large high school in suburban Pittsburgh regarding substance use, exposure to entertainment media, and covariates. Of the respondents, 52% were female, 8% were non-White, 27% reported smoking marijuana, and 60% reported using alcohol. They reported average exposure to 8.6 hr of media daily. In adjusted models, exposure to music was independently associated with marijuana use, but exposure to movies was independently associated with alcohol use. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Introduction: To identify risk factors for early (< three days) intensive care unit (ICU) admission of patients hospitalised with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and not requiring immediate ICU admission, and to stratify the risk of ICU admission on days 1 to 3., Methods: Using the original data from four North American and European prospective multicentre cohort studies of patients with CAP, we derived and validated a prediction rule for ICU admission on days 1 to 3 of emergency department (ED) presentation, for patients presenting with no obvious reason for immediate ICU admission (not requiring immediate respiratory or circulatory support)., Results: A total of 6560 patients were included (4593 and 1967 in the derivation and validation cohort, respectively), 303 (4.6%) of whom were admitted to an ICU on days 1 to 3. The Risk of Early Admission to ICU index (REA-ICU index) comprised 11 criteria independently associated with ICU admission: male gender, age younger than 80 years, comorbid conditions, respiratory rate of 30 breaths/minute or higher, heart rate of 125 beats/minute or higher, multilobar infiltrate or pleural effusion, white blood cell count less than 3 or 20 G/L or above, hypoxaemia (oxygen saturation < 90% or arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) < 60 mmHg), blood urea nitrogen of 11 mmol/L or higher, pH less than 7.35 and sodium less than 130 mEq/L. The REA-ICU index stratified patients into four risk classes with a risk of ICU admission on days 1 to 3 ranging from 0.7 to 31%. The area under the curve was 0.81 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.78 to 0.83) in the overall population., Conclusions: The REA-ICU index accurately stratifies the risk of ICU admission on days 1 to 3 for patients presenting to the ED with CAP and no obvious indication for immediate ICU admission and therefore may assist orientation decisions.

The prognosis of community-acquired pneumonia ranges from rapid resolution of symptoms and full recovery of functional status to the development of severe medical complications and death. The pneumonia severity index is a rigorously studied prediction rule for prognosis that objectively stratifies patients into quintiles of risk for short-term mortality on the basis of 20 demographic and clinical variables routinely available at presentation. The pneumonia severity index was derived and validated with data on >50,000 patients with community-acquired pneumonia by use of well-accepted methodological standards and is the only pneumonia decision aid that has been empirically shown to safely increase the proportion of patients given treatment in the outpatient setting. Because of its prognostic accuracy, methodological rigor, and effectiveness and safety as a decision aid, the pneumonia severity index has become the reference standard for risk stratification of community-acquired pneumonia.

Background: In the management of acute pulmonary embolism, the prevalence of thrombolytic therapy is uncertain, and its benefits compared with standard anticoagulation remain a subject of debate., Methods: This analysis included 15,116 patient discharges with a primary diagnosis of pulmonary embolism from 186 acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania (January 2000 to November 2002). We compared propensity score-adjusted mortality between patients who received thrombolysis and those who did not, using logistic regression to model mortality within 30 days of presentation and Poisson regression to model in-hospital mortality., Results: Of the 15,116 patient discharges, only 356 (2.4%) received thrombolytic therapy. The overall 30-day mortality rate for patients who received thrombolytic therapy was 17.4% compared with 8.6% for those who did not. The corresponding in-hospital mortality rates were 19.6 and 8.3, respectively, per 1000 person-days. However, mortality risk associated with thrombolysis varied with the propensity to receive thrombolysis: the odds ratios of 30-day mortality were 2.8 (P = .007), 3.9 (P < .001), 1.8 (P = .09), 1.0 (P = .98), and 0.7 (P = .30) for patients in the lowest to the highest quintiles of the propensity score distribution who received thrombolysis. A similar pattern was observed in the risk ratios for in-hospital death., Conclusions: In this large sample of patients hospitalized for acute pulmonary embolism, thrombolytic therapy was used infrequently. Risk of in-hospital and 30-day mortality appears to be elevated for patients who were unlikely candidates for this therapy based on characteristics at presentation, but not for patients with a relatively high predicted probability of receiving thrombolysis.

Practice guidelines recommend outpatient care for selected patients with non-massive pulmonary embolism (PE), but fail to specify how these low-risk patients should be identified. Using data from U.S. patients, we previously derived the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI), a prediction rule that risk stratifies patients with PE. We sought to validate the PESI in a European patient cohort. We prospectively validated the PESI in patients with PE diagnosed at six emergency departments in three European countries. We used baseline data for the rule's 11 prognostic variables to stratify patients into five risk classes (I-V) of increasing probability of mortality. The outcome was overall mortality at 90 days after presentation. To assess the accuracy of the PESI to predict mortality, we estimated the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values for low- (risk classes I/II) versus higher-risk patients (risk classes III-V), and the discriminatory power using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Among 357 patients with PE, overall mortality was 5.9%, ranging from 0% in class I to 17.9% in class V. The 186 (52%) low-risk patients had an overall mortality of 1.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.1-3.8%) compared to 11.1% (95% CI: 6.8-16.8%) in the 171 (48%) higher-risk patients. The PESI had a high sensitivity (91%, 95% CI: 71-97%) and a negative predictive value (99%, 95% CI: 96-100%) for predicting mortality. The area under the ROC curve was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.70-0.86). The PESI reliably identifies patients with PE who are at low risk of death and who are potential candidates for outpatient care. The PESI may help physicians make more rational decisions about hospitalization for patients with PE.

Background and Objectives: Most studies of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CIAKI) have focused on patients undergoing angiographic procedures. The incidence and outcomes of CIAKI in patients undergoing nonemergent, contrast-enhanced computed tomography in the inpatient and outpatient setting were assessed., Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: Patients with estimated glomerular filtration rates (GFRs) <60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) undergoing nonemergent computed tomography with intravenous iodinated radiocontrast at an academic VA Medical Center were prospectively identified. Serum creatinine was assessed 48 to 96 h postprocedure to quantify the incidence of CIAKI, and the need for postprocedure dialysis, hospital admission, and 30-d mortality was tracked to examine the associations of CIAKI with these medical outcomes., Results: A total of 421 patients with a median estimated GFR of 53 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) were enrolled. Overall, 6.5% of patients developed an increase in serum creatinine >or=25%, and 3.5% demonstrated a rise in serum creatinine >or=0.5 mg/dl. Although only 6% of outpatients received preprocedure and postprocedure intravenous fluid, <1% of outpatients with estimated GFRs >45 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) manifested an increase in serum creatinine >or=0.5 mg/dl. None of the study participants required postprocedure dialysis. Forty-six patients (10.9%) were hospitalized and 10 (2.4%) died by 30-d follow-up; however, CIAKI was not associated with these outcomes., Conclusions: Clinically significant CIAKI following nonemergent computed tomography is uncommon among outpatients with mild baseline kidney disease. These findings have important implications for providers ordering and performing computed tomography and for future clinical trials of CIAKI.

Background: Existing severity assessment tools, such as the pneumonia severity index (PSI) and CURB-65 (tool based on confusion, urea level, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and age >or=65 years), predict 30-day mortality in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and have limited ability to predict which patients will require intensive respiratory or vasopressor support (IRVS)., Methods: The Australian CAP Study (ACAPS) was a prospective study of 882 episodes in which each patient had a detailed assessment of severity features, etiology, and treatment outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify features at initial assessment that were associated with receipt of IRVS. These results were converted into a simple points-based severity tool that was validated in 5 external databases, totaling 7464 patients., Results: In ACAPS, 10.3% of patients received IRVS, and the 30-day mortality rate was 5.7%. The features statistically significantly associated with receipt of IRVS were low systolic blood pressure (2 points), multilobar chest radiography involvement (1 point), low albumin level (1 point), high respiratory rate (1 point), tachycardia (1 point), confusion (1 point), poor oxygenation (2 points), and low arterial pH (2 points): SMART-COP. A SMART-COP score of >or=3 points identified 92% of patients who received IRVS, including 84% of patients who did not need immediate admission to the intensive care unit. Accuracy was also high in the 5 validation databases. Sensitivities of PSI and CURB-65 for identifying the need for IRVS were 74% and 39%, respectively., Conclusions: SMART-COP is a simple, practical clinical tool for accurately predicting the need for IRVS that is likely to assist clinicians in determining CAP severity.

Background: Little is known about whether health care providers (physicians) implement preventive care for contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CIAKI). The objectives of our prospective cohort study were (1) to assess provider use of preventive strategies for CIAKI, (2) to determine the incidence of CIAKI, and (3) to examine the association of CIAKI with adverse outcomes at 30 days, including death, need for dialysis, and hospital admission., Methods: We prospectively identified patients with estimated glomerular filtration rates less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) undergoing procedures with intravascular radiocontrast agents and recorded the use of intravenous fluids and N-acetylcysteine and the discontinuation of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications. We measured postprocedure serum creatinine levels to quantify the incidence of CIAKI and tracked 30-day mortality and need for dialysis or hospitalization to evaluate the association of CIAKI with these outcomes., Results: Preprocedure and postprocedure intravenous fluids were administered to 264 of 660 study patients (40.0%), more commonly with coronary angiography than with computed tomography (91.2% vs 16.6%, P < .001). N-acetylcysteine was administered to 39.2% of patients, while only 6.8% of patients using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were instructed to discontinue the medication. In a propensity analysis, the use of intravenous fluids was associated with a reduced rate of CIAKI. The incidence of CIAKI was lowest following computed tomography (range, 0.0%-10.9%) and was highest following noncoronary angiography (range, 1.9%-34.0%). Eleven patients (1.7%) died, 1 patient (0.2%) required dialysis, and 83 patients (12.6%) were hospitalized; however, CIAKI was not independently associated with hospital admission or death., Conclusions: Strategies to prevent CIAKI are implemented nonuniformly. Although biochemical evidence of CIAKI is relatively common, clinically significant CIAKI is rare. These findings should help health care providers focus the use of preventive care on the highest-risk patients and have important implications for future clinical trials.

Background: Studies that have assessed antibiotic appropriateness in acute respiratory tract infections (RTIs) with a likely bacterial etiology have focused only on antibiotic choice and ignored other important aspects of prescribing, such as dosing, drug-drug interactions, and duration of treatment., Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing practices in outpatients with acute bacterial RTIs (community-acquired pneumonia [CAP], sinusitis, or acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis [AECB])., Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study enrolled outpatients with CAP, sinusitis, or AECB who were evaluated in a Veterans Affairs emergency department over a 1-year period. Using electronic medical records, trained research assistants completed data-collection forms that included patient characteristics (eg, marital status, history of alcohol abuse), diagnosis, comorbidities, concurrent medications, and antibiotics prescribed. To assess antimicrobial appropriateness, a trained clinical pharmacist reviewed the data-collection forms and applied a Medication Appropriateness Index (MAI), which rated the appropriateness of a medication using 10 criteria: indication, effectiveness, dosage, directions, practicality (defined as capability of being used or being put into practice), drug-drug interactions, drug-disease interactions, unnecessary duplication, duration, and expensiveness (defined as the cost of the drug compared with other agents of similar efficacy and tolerability). Previous studies have found good inter- and intrarater reliabilities between a clinical pharmacist's and an internal medicine physician's MAI ratings (kappa=0.83 and 0.92, respectively)., Results: One hundred fifty-three patients were included (mean age, 58 years; 92% male; and 65% white). Overall, 99 of 153 patients (65%) had inappropriate antibiotic prescribing as assessed using the MAI. Expensiveness (60 patients [39%]), impracticality (32 [21%]), and incorrect dosage (15 [10%]) were the most frequently rated problem. Penicillins, quinolones, and macrolides were the most common antibiotic classes prescribed inappropriately. A history of alcohol abuse was associated with a lower likelihood of inappropriate prescribing compared with no history of alcohol abuse (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.32; 95% CI, 0.10-0.98), while patients who were married were more likely to receive inappropriately prescribed antibiotics than those who were not married (AOR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.25-5.59)., Conclusions: Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing based on the MAI criteria was common (65%) in this selected patient population with acute bacterial RTIs, and often involved problems with expensiveness (39%), impracticality (21%), and incorrect dosage (10%). Future interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing should consider aspects beyond choice of agent.

Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to assess the incidence of clinically significant contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) among patients undergoing non-emergent coronary angiography., Background: Although retrospective analyses have emphasized the association of CIN with adverse patient outcomes, the actual incidence of clinically significant CIN following non-emergent coronary angiography is not clear., Methods: We prospectively identified patients with baseline estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73 m(2) undergoing non-emergent coronary angiography. We measured serum creatinine 48-96 hr following angiography and assessed the incidence of CIN using two definitions, a rise in Scr > or = 25% and > or = 0.5 mg/dl. We tracked the need for dialysis, hospitalization related to kidney injury, and 30-day mortality to examine the association of CIN with these outcomes., Results: We enrolled 181 patients with a median eGFR of 52 ml/min/1.73 m(2). Of the 165 patients (91%) with post-procedure Scr data, the incidence of CIN was 6.1-8.5%. One patient required dialysis (0.55%) and one (0.55%) died within 30 days. Although 38 patients required hospital admission, CIN was not associated with the need for hospitalization. Patients with an increase in Scr > or = 25% demonstrated a trend toward increased risk for 30-day mortality (P = 0.09), whereas those with increments in Scr > or = 0.5 mg/dl had a marginally higher risk for dialysis (P = 0.06) and 30-day mortality (P = 0.06), although these associations failed to meet the level of statistical significance., Conclusions: Biochemically defined CIN occurs in a small, but notable proportion of patients undergoing non-emergent coronary angiography. However, clinically significant CIN is very uncommon., (2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides an ideal opportunity to conduct mental health services research among vulnerable populations, given its extensive data sources, disproportionate number of vulnerable patients (older, often with comorbidities), and quality improvement mission. Although VA facilities are often affiliated with universities, successful VA-academic research partnerships are sometimes elusive. The Continuous Improvement for Veterans in Care: Mood Disorders (CIVIC-MD) study was a partnership with a VA facility that had not been engaged in mood disorders research. This column describes how the partnership formed, key elements of its success, and challenges and opportunities to inform future research partnerships.

Background: The optimal length of stay (LOS) for patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) is unknown. Although reducing LOS is likely to save costs, the effects on patient safety are unclear. We sought to identify patient and hospital factors associated with LOS and assess whether LOS was associated with postdischarge mortality., Methods: We evaluated patients discharged with a primary diagnosis of PE from 186 acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania (January 2000 through November 2002). We used discrete survival models to examine the association between (1) patient and hospital factors and the time to discharge and (2) LOS and postdischarge mortality within 30 days of presentation, adjusting for patient and hospital factors., Results: Among 15 531 patient discharges with PE, the median LOS was 6 days, and postdischarge mortality rate was 3.3%. In multivariate analysis, patients from Philadelphia were less likely to be discharged on a given day (odds ratio [OR], 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73-0.93), as were black patients (OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.82-0.94).The odds of discharge decreased notably with greater patient severity of illness and in patients without private health insurance. Adjusted postdischarge mortality was significantly higher for patients with an LOS of 4 days or less (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.21-2.00) relative to those with an LOS of 5 to 6 days., Conclusions: Several hospital and patient factors were independently associated with LOS. Patients with a very short LOS had greater postdischarge mortality relative to patients with a typical LOS, suggesting that physicians may inappropriately select patients with PE for early discharge who are at increased risk of complications.

Background: Despite the dissemination of practice guidelines for bipolar disorder, outcomes remain suboptimal, largely due to poor treatment adherence. The episodic nature of bipolar disorder disrupts appropriate patient-provider dynamics, interfering with appropriate care. Maintaining a beneficial therapeutic alliance with providers is one important strategy for improving adherence. We examine the association between adherence and therapeutic environment perceptions among veterans with bipolar disorder., Methods: Participants were recruited from the Continuous Improvement for Veterans in Care--Mood Disorders (CIVIC-MD) study (N=435). Individual items and a summary score from the Health Care Climate Questionnaire (HCCQ) for bipolar disorder solicited patient evaluations of their therapeutic environment. Multivariable logistic analyses examined the association between therapeutic alliance and two measures of adherence (missed medication days and intrapersonal barriers), adjusting for relevant patient characteristics., Results: Adherence difficulty was reported on both measures, with substantial differences between perceived barriers and actual medication behavior. Significantly fewer minority veterans endorsed good adherence than white patients (59% versus 77%), although no ethnic differences were noted in therapeutic environment perceptions. Multivariable results indicated that positive therapeutic alliance was associated with better adherence (HCCQ effect sizes 13-20%). Notably, patients reporting providers encouraged "staying in regular contact" were more likely to be adherent, as were patients whose "providers regularly review their progress"., Limitations: Generalizability from observational study; adherence defined by cross-sectional patient self-report., Conclusions: The observed association between medication adherence and therapeutic alliance with bipolar treatment supports intervention efforts to strengthen the patient-provider relationship, a bond likely to yield positive clinical outcomes.

Objective: To assess the association between adolescent smoking and volume of exposure to various forms of media after controlling for multiple relevant covariates., Methods: A survey of all adolescents at a large suburban high school assessed: (1) current smoking and susceptibility to future smoking; (2) volume of exposure to various media; and (3) covariates related to smoking. Multivariate logistic regression models assessed relationships between each of the independent variables (media exposures) and the two smoking outcomes after controlling for covariates., Results: Of the 1138 respondents, 19% (n=216) reported current smoking. Forty percent (n=342) of the non-smokers (n=922) were susceptible to future smoking. Students reported exposure to an average of 8.6 (standard deviation 5.1)h of media daily, including 2.6h of music. Those with high exposure to films and music were more likely to be smokers (P(trend)=0.036 and P(trend)<0.001, respectively), and those with high exposure to books were less likely to be smokers (P(trend)<0.001). After controlling for all relevant covariates, those with high exposure to music had greater odds of being smokers than those with low exposure [odds ratio (OR) 1.90, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.10-3.30], and those with high exposure to books had lower odds of being current smokers (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.33-0.94)., Conclusion: Exposure to films and music are associated with smoking, but only the relationship between music exposure and smoking persists after rigorous covariate control. Exposure to books is associated with lower odds of smoking.

Introduction: In observational studies, a significant difference in the outcomes between treated and untreated patients may be observed in absence of treatment effect and caused by differences in baseline characteristics., Exegesis: Propensity score analysis is a post hoc adjustment method which consists in deriving the conditional probability of receiving the treatment for a patient given his measured baseline characteristics (i.e., the propensity score). Matching each treated patient to an untreated one who has the nearest propensity score tends to balance baseline characteristics between the two groups and reduce the risk for overt bias. Then, the outcomes can be compared between matched treated and untreated patients., Conclusion: Propensity score analysis is relevant for clinical conditions and treatments for which randomized controlled trials are unlikely to be conducted. However, propensity analysis cannot adjust for unmeasured characteristics and sensitivity analysis should be performed to assess how sensitive the conclusions are to potential confounding factors.

Background: Rehospitalization after inpatient treatment of community-acquired pneumonia occurs in one-tenth of all hospitalizations, but the clinical circumstances surrounding readmission to the hospital have not been well studied. The objective of this study was to identify the causes and risk factors for rehospitalization of inpatients with community-acquired pneumonia., Methods: This project was performed as part of a randomized, multicenter, controlled trial of the implementation of practice guidelines to reduce the duration of intravenous antibiotic therapy and duration of hospitalization for patients who have received a clinical and radiographic diagnosis of pneumonia. The trial was conducted at 7 hospitals in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from February 1998 through March 1999. The primary outcome for these analyses was rehospitalization within 30 days after the index hospitalization. Two physicians independently assigned the cause of rehospitalization as pneumonia related, comorbidity related, or both; consensus was reached for all assignments. Patient demographic characteristics and clinical factors independently associated with rehospitalization were identified using multiple logistic regression analysis., Results: Of the 577 patients discharged after hospitalization for community-acquired pneumonia, 70 (12%) were rehospitalized within 30 days. The median time to rehospitalization was 8 days (interquartile range, 4-13 days). Overall, 52 rehospitalizations (74%) were comorbidity related, and 14 (20%) were pneumonia related. The most frequent comorbid conditions responsible for rehospitalization were cardiovascular (n = 19), pulmonary (n = 6) and neurological (n = 6) in origin. Less than a high school education (odds ratio, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.4), unemployment (odds ratio, 3.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-12.3), coronary artery disease (odds ratio, 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-4.7), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (odds ratio, 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-4.1) were independently associated with rehospitalization., Conclusions: The majority of rehospitalizations following pneumonia are comorbidity related and are the result of underlying cardiopulmonary and/or neurologic diseases. Careful attention to the clinical stability of patients with these coexisting conditions at and following hospital discharge may decrease the frequency of rehospitalization of patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

Objective: To perform a comprehensive content analysis of substance use in contemporary popular music., Design: We analyzed the 279 most popular songs of 2005 according to Billboard magazine. Two coders working independently used a standardized data collection instrument to code portrayals of substance use., Outcome Measures: Presence and explicit use of substances and motivations for, associations with, and consequences of substance use., Results: Of the 279 songs, 93 (33.3%) portrayed substance use, with an average of 35.2 substance references per song-hour. Portrayal of substance use varied significantly (P < .001) by genre, with 1 or more references in 3 of 35 pop songs (9%), 9 of 66 rock songs (14%), 11 of 55 R & B/hip-hop songs (20%), 22 of 61 country songs (36%), and 48 of 62 rap songs (77%). While only 2.9% of the 279 songs portrayed tobacco use, 23.7% depicted alcohol use, 13.6% depicted marijuana use, and 11.5% depicted other or unspecified substance use. In the 93 songs with substance use, it was most often motivated by peer/social pressure (45 [48%]) or sex (28 [30%]); use was commonly associated with partying (50 [54%]), sex (43 [46%]), violence (27 [29%]), and/or humor (22 [24%]). Only 4 songs (4%) contained explicit antiuse messages, and none portrayed substance refusal. Most songs with substance use (63 [68%]) portrayed more positive than negative consequences; these positive consequences were most commonly social, sexual, financial, or emotional., Conclusions: The average adolescent is exposed to approximately 84 references to explicit substance use daily in popular songs, and this exposure varies widely by musical genre. The substance use depicted in popular music is frequently motivated by peer acceptance and sex, and it has highly positive associations and consequences.

Insight into the perceived value of psychotherapy and pharmacological treatment may improve adherence to medication regimens among patients with bipolar disorder, because patients are more likely to take medication they believe will make them better. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of patients recruited into the Continuous Improvement for Veterans in Care-Mood Disorders (CIVIC-MD; July 2004-July 2006), assessing therapeutic insight and 2 measures of medication adherence: the Morisky scale of intrapersonal barriers and missing any doses the previous 4 days. Among 435 patients with bipolar disorder, 27% had poor adherence based on missed dose and 46% had poor adherence based on the Morisky. In multivariable models, greater insight into medication was negatively associated with both measures of poor adherence. Odds of poor adherence increased for women, African Americans, mania, and hazardous drinking. The association of mutable factors-hazardous drinking, manic symptoms, and insight-could represent an opportunity to improve adherence.

Background: In numerous high-risk medical and surgical conditions, a greater volume of patients undergoing treatment in a given setting or facility is associated with better survival. For patients with pulmonary embolism, the relation between the number of patients treated in a hospital (volume) and patient outcome is unknown., Methods: We studied discharge records from 186 acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania for a total of 15 531 patients for whom the primary diagnosis was pulmonary embolism. The study outcomes were all-cause mortality in hospital and within 30 days after presentation for pulmonary embolism and the length of hospital stay. We used logistic models to study the association between hospital volume and 30-day mortality and discrete survival models to study the association between in-hospital mortality and time to hospital discharge., Results: The median annual hospital volume for pulmonary embolism was 20 patients (interquartile range 10-42). Overall in-hospital mortality was 6.0%, whereas 30-day mortality was 9.3%. In multivariable analysis, very-high-volume hospitals (> or = 42 cases per year) had a significantly lower odds of in-hospital death (odds ratio [OR] 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.51-0.99) and of 30-day death (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.54-0.92) than very-low-volume hospitals (< 10 cases per year). Although patients in the very-high-volume hospitals had a slightly longer length of stay than those in the very-low-volume hospitals (mean difference 0.7 days), there was no association between volume and length of stay., Interpretation: In hospitals with a high volume of cases, pulmonary embolism was associated with lower short-term mortality. Further research is required to determine the causes of the relation between volume and outcome for patients with pulmonary embolism.

Background: Many patients initiate renal replacement therapy with suboptimal anemia management. The factors contributing to this remain largely unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the associations of race and ethnicity with anemia care prior to the initiation of renal replacement therapy., Methods: Using data from the medical evidence form filed for patients who initiated renal replacement therapy between 1995-2003, we assessed racial and ethnic differences in pre-end-stage renal disease hematocrit levels, the use of erythropoiesis stimulation agents (ESAs), the proportion of patients with hematocrit levels > or = 33% and the proportion of patients with hematocrit levels < 33% that did not receive ESA. We also examined secular trends in racial and ethnic differences in these parameters., Results: In multivariable analyses, non-Hispanic blacks had lower hematocrit levels (delta hematocrit = -0.97%, 95% CI: -1.00-0.94%), and were less likely to receive ESA (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.81-0.84), to initiate renal replacement therapy with hematocrit > or = 33% (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.77-0.79) or to receive ESA if the hematocrit was < 33% (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.77-0.80) than non-Hispanic whites. White Hispanics also had lower hematocrit levels (delta hematocrit = -0.42%, 95% CI:-0.47% to -0.37%), and were less likely to receive ESA (OR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.85-0.88), to have hematocrit levels > or = 33% (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.89-0.93) or to receive ESA if the hematocrit was < 33% (OR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.83-0.87) than non-Hispanic whites. These disparities persisted over the eight-year study period., Conclusions: African-American race and Hispanic ethnicity are associated with suboptimal pre-end-stage renal disease anemia management. Efforts to improve anemia care should incorporate targeted interventions to decrease these disparities.

Background: Prior studies with limited clinical information reported a higher short-term mortality for men than for women with pulmonary embolism (PE). We compared 30-day mortality for men and women hospitalized with PE using a large statewide database., Methods: The sample consisted of 9304 female and 6227 male patient discharges for PE treated at 186 Pennsylvania hospitals between January 2000 and November 2002. We compared 30-day mortality for women and men, using random-effect logistic regression to adjust for clinical characteristics shown to predict early mortality, as well as patient race, insurance status, and hospital volume. We assessed interactions among sex, race, and clinical variables., Results: The overall crude 30-day mortality rate was 8.9% for women and 9.8% for men. The unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of 30-day mortality for women was 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.80, 1.00). After adjusting for baseline clinical and demographic characteristics, insurance status, and hospital volume, women had a lower risk of 30-day mortality (adjusted OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.7, 0.9)., Conclusions: Women hospitalized with PE had significantly lower odds of 30-day mortality compared with men.

Background and Objectives: Although several studies have found that the burden of symptoms in patients who are on maintenance hemodialysis is substantial, little is known about renal providers' awareness of these symptoms. The aim of this study was to assess renal provider recognition of symptoms and their severity in hemodialysis patients., Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: The Dialysis Symptom Index, a 30-item measure of symptoms and their severity, was administered to patients during a routine hemodialysis session. Immediately after surveying patients, the renal provider who evaluated the patient completed the Dialysis Symptom Index to report the symptoms that he or she believed were present in that patient. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of provider reports of symptoms were calculated using patient reports as the reference standard. Patient-provider agreement on the presence and severity of symptoms was assessed using the kappa statistic., Results: Surveys were completed by 75 patients and 18 providers. For 27 of 30 symptoms, the sensitivity of provider responses was <50%, and provider responses for 25 symptoms were characterized by positive predictive values of <75%. kappa scores for 25 symptoms including those pertaining to pain, sexual dysfunction, sleep disturbance, and psychologic distress were <0.20, indicating poor provider recognition of these symptoms. Providers underestimated the severity of 19 of 30 symptoms., Conclusions: Renal providers are largely unaware of the presence and severity of symptoms in patients who are on maintenance hemodialysis. Implementation of a standardized symptom assessment process may improve provider recognition of symptoms and promote use of symptom-alleviating treatments.

In order to confirm the validity of the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) for patients in Europe, data from adults with pneumonia who were enrolled in two prospective multicentre studies, conducted in France (Pneumocom-1, n = 925) and Spain (Pneumocom-2, n = 853), were compared with data from the original North American study (Pneumonia PORT, n = 2287). The primary outcome was 28-day mortality; secondary outcomes were subsequent hospitalisation for outpatients, and intensive care unit admission and length of stay for inpatients. All outcomes within individual risk classes, and mortality rates in low-risk (PSI I-III) and higher-risk patients, were compared across the three cohorts. Overall mortality rates were 4.7% in Pneumonia PORT, 6.3% in Pneumocom-2 and 10.6% in Pneumocom-1 (p <0.01), ranging from 0.4% to 1.6% (p 0.06) for low-risk patients and from 13.0% to 19.1% (p 0.24) for high-risk patients. Despite significant differences in baseline patient characteristics, none of the study outcomes differed within the low-risk classes. The sensitivity and negative predictive value of low-risk classification for mortality exceeded 93% and 98%, respectively. Thus, in two independent European cohorts, the PSI predicted patient outcomes accurately and reliably, particularly for low-risk patients. These findings confirm the validity of the PSI when applied to patients from Europe.

The longer a person is homeless, the more likely he or she is to experience poor health and be placed at higher risk for premature death. This makes interventions early in one's homelessness an important prevention strategy. However, little is known about where someone goes for help when they first become homeless and how well those sites are prepared to address the multitude of issues facing a homeless person. In order to address this question, we conducted a cross-sectional community-based survey in two US cities in 1997 using population proportionate sampling of homeless persons identified at 91 sites to identify 'first-stop' access sites and reasons for seeking help at those sites. A total of 230 persons participated in the face-to-face interview (93% response rate). From a list of 20 possible 'first-stop' sites, 105 (45.7%) reported going to a soup kitchen, 71 (30.9%) went to a welfare office, 64 (27.8%) sought admission to a detoxification centre, 60 (26.1%) met with a homeless outreach team, 57 (24.8%) went to a family member, and 54 (23.5%) went to an emergency room. Individuals with a chronic medical or mental health condition were significantly more likely to access a healthcare site (medical: 62.6% vs. 47.6%, P = 0.02; mental health: 62.4% vs. 38.8%, P < 0.01) or social service agency (medical: 64.0% vs. 43.3%, P = 0.02; mental health: 59.1% vs. 40.7%, P < 0.01). Those persons reporting a need for alcohol treatment were significantly more likely to first go to a healthcare site (46.4% vs. 29.1%, P < 0.01) and those with alcohol abuse/dependence were less likely to seek help from family or friends (66.7% vs. 81.9%, P < 0.01). Most respondents sought assistance for concerns directly associated with an immediate need as opposed to seeking care for issues causing their actual homelessness. These findings suggest the need to expand and integrate the availability of services at 'first-stop' access sites that facilitate early exits from homelessness.

Objective: African Americans currently bear the greatest burden of morbidity and mortality due to smoking, and exposure to pro-tobacco media messages predicts smoking. This study compared the concentration (proportion of media messages that are for tobacco) and density (pro-tobacco media messages per person) of pro-tobacco media messages between African American and Caucasian markets., Methods: We searched Medline (1966 to June 2006), PsychINFO (1974 to June 2006), and CINAHL (1982 to June 2006) for studies from peer-reviewed journals directly comparing the volume of pro-tobacco media messages in African American and Caucasian markets. From each study, we extracted the number of total media messages, the number of tobacco-related messages, and the number of residents living in each market area. We calculated the concentration and density of tobacco advertising in each market., Results: Out of 131 studies identified, 11 met eligibility criteria, including seven comparing billboard/signage in African American and Caucasian markets and four comparing magazine advertising in African American and Caucasian markets. Meta-analysis estimated a pooled odds ratio of 1.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1, 2.6) for a given billboard being smoking-related in African American vs. Caucasian market areas (i.e., concentration). The pooled rate ratio of the density of smoking-related billboards was 2.6 (95% CI 1.5, 4.7) in African American vs. Caucasian market areas. Magazine data were insufficient for meta-analysis., Conclusion: Available data indicated that African Americans are exposed to a higher volume of pro-tobacco advertising in terms of both concentration and density. These findings have important implications for research, policy measures, and educational interventions involving racial disparities due to tobacco.

Objective: To validate the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI), a clinical prognostic model which identifies low-risk patients with pulmonary embolism (PE)., Design: Validation study using prospectively collected data., Setting: A total of 119 European hospitals., Subjects: A total of 899 patients diagnosed with PE., Intervention: The PESI uses 11 clinical factors to stratify patients with PE into five classes (I-V) of increasing risk of mortality. We calculated the PESI risk class for each patient and the proportion of patients classified as low-risk (classes I and II). The outcomes were overall and PE-specific mortality for low-risk patients at 3 months after presentation. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity and predictive values to predict overall and PE-specific mortality and the discriminatory power using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve., Results: Overall and PE-specific mortality was 6.5% (58/899) and 2.3% (21/899) respectively. Forty-seven per cent of patients (426/899) were classified as low-risk. Low-risk patients had an overall mortality of only 1.2% (5/426) and a PE-specific mortality of 0.7% (3/426). The sensitivity was 91 [95% confidence interval (CI): 81-97%] and the negative predictive value was 99% (95% CI: 97-100%) for overall mortality. The sensitivity was 86% (95% CI: 64-97%) and the negative predictive value was 99% (95% CI: 98-100%) for PE-specific mortality. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for overall and PE-specific mortality were 0.80 (95% CI: 0.75-0.86) and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.68-0.86) respectively., Conclusions: This validation study confirms that the PESI reliably identifies low-risk patients with PE who are potential candidates for less costly outpatient treatment.

Objective: Limited data exist on the quality of care for patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE), and it is unknown whether the processes and outcomes of care for this illness differ between African Americans and whites., Study Design and Setting: We retrospectively studied 168 patients hospitalized for VTE in two Veterans Affairs hospitals during fiscal years 2000-2002. Patient characteristics, information about processes of care, and medical outcomes at 90 days after the index VTE event were abstracted from medical records. We used logistic regression to explore associations between race, processes of care, and the overall 90-day complication rate (i.e., death, bleeding, or recurrent VTE), adjusting for patient baseline characteristics., Results: Multivariable analysis demonstrated that administration of warfarin within 1 day of starting heparin (odds ratio [OR] 0.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.05-0.42) and overlap of heparin and warfarin treatment >or=4 days (OR 0.09, 95% CI: 0.02-0.50) were associated with a lower complication rate, and African American race was associated with a higher complication rate (OR 5.2, 95% CI: 1.3-21.6). Race was not significantly associated with the performance of processes of care in multivariable analysis., Conclusion: Although African Americans had an increased risk of complications following VTE, race was not independently associated with the use of processes of care for VTE.

Background: Although the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) has been extensively validated, little is known of the impact of its routine use as an aid to site-of-treatment decisions for patients with pneumonia who present to emergency departments (EDs)., Methods: A prospective, observational, controlled cohort study of patients with pneumonia was conducted in 8 EDs that used the PSI (PSI-user EDs) and 8 EDs that did not use the PSI (PSI-nonuser EDs) in France. The outcomes examined included the proportion of "low-risk" patients (PSI risk classes I-III) treated as outpatients, all-cause 28-day mortality, admission of inpatients to the intensive care unit, and subsequent hospitalization of outpatients., Results: Of the 925 patients enrolled in the study, 472 (51.0%) were treated at PSI-user EDs, and 453 (49.0%) were treated at PSI-nonuser EDs; 449 (48.5%) of all patients were considered to be at low risk. In PSI-user EDs, 92 (42.8%) of 215 patients at low risk were treated as outpatients, compared with 56 (23.9%) of 234 patients at low risk in PSI-nonuser EDs. The adjusted odds ratios for outpatient treatment were higher for patients in PSI risk classes I and II who were treated in PSI-user EDs, compared with PSI-nonuser EDs (adjusted odds ratio, 7.0 [95% confidence interval, 2.0-25.0] and 4.6 [95% confidence interval, 1.3-16.2], respectively), whereas the adjusted odds ratio did not differ by PSI-user status among patients in risk class III or among patients at high risk. After adjusting for pneumonia severity, mortality was lower in patients who were treated in PSI-user EDs; other safety outcomes did not differ between patients treated in PSI-user and PSI-nonuser EDs., Conclusions: The routine use of the PSI was associated with a larger proportion of patients in PSI risk classes I and II who had pneumonia and who were treated in the outpatient environment without compromising their safety.

Background: Although studies have shown that African American haemodialysis patients report better overall quality of life than Whites, racial differences in depression and symptom burden remain less well characterized. The aim of this study was to compare these domains between African American and White patients on chronic haemodialysis., Methods: We surveyed African American and White maintenance haemodialysis patients. Depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Cognitive Depression Index (CDI). Symptoms were evaluated using the Dialysis Symptom Index (DSI)., Results: Among the 82 Whites and 78 African Americans enrolled, there were no racial differences in the prevalence of depression (27% in African Americans vs 27% in Whites, P = 1.0), BDI Scores (11.2 vs 10.9, P = 0.6) or CDI scores (6.0 vs 6.0, P = 0.9). Symptom burden was substantial in both African Americans and Whites (median number of symptoms 8.5 and 9.0, respectively) with no racial differences in the overall burden or severity of symptoms. However, based on a single item, African Americans were more likely to describe their religious/spiritual beliefs as "very important". Adjustment for demographic and treatment characteristics had no impact on the associations of race with depression or symptoms., Conclusions: Depression and symptoms are highly prevalent in both African American and White haemodialysis patients, without racial differences in these health-related domains. In exploratory analyses, spiritual/religious beliefs appear to be of greater importance to African Americans. The relevance of these observations to the advantages in quality of life and survival among African Americans on haemodialysis warrants further investigation.

Objectives: Previous studies reported a higher incidence of in-hospital mortality for Black patients who had pulmonary embolism than for White patients. We used a large statewide database to compare 30-day mortality (defined as death within 30 days from the date of latest hospital admission) for Black and White patients who were hospitalized because of pulmonary embolism., Methods: The study cohort consisted of 15531 discharged patients who had been treated for pulmonary embolism at 186 Pennsylvania hospitals between January 2000 and November 2002. We used random-effects logistic regression to model 30-day mortality for Black and White patients, and adjusted for patient demographic and clinical characteristics., Results: The unadjusted 30-day mortality rates were 9.0% for White patients, 10.3% for Blacks, and 10.9% for patients of other or unknown race. When adjusted for severity of disease using a validated clinical prognostic model for pulmonary embolism, Black patients had 30% higher odds of 30-day mortality compared with White patients at the same site (adjusted odds ratio = 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.1,1.6). Neither insurance status nor hospital volume was a significant predictor of 30-day mortality., Conclusion: Black patients who had pulmonary embolism had significantly higher odds of 30-day mortality compared with White patients.

We provide a framework for health services-related researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to guide future health disparities research in areas ranging from detecting differences in health and health care to understanding the determinants that underlie disparities to ultimately designing interventions that reduce and eliminate these disparities. To do this, we identified potential selection biases and definitions of vulnerable groups when detecting disparities. The key factors to understanding disparities were multilevel determinants of health disparities, including individual beliefs and preferences, effective patient-provider communication; and the organizational culture of the health care system. We encourage interventions that yield generalizable data on their effectiveness and that promote further engagement of communities, providers, and policymakers to ultimately enhance the application and the impact of health disparities research.

The absence of a universally accepted definition of radiocontrast nephropathy (RCN) has hampered efforts to characterize effectively the incidence and the clinical significance of this condition. The objective of this study was to identify a clinically relevant definition of RCN by assessment of the relationships between increases in serum creatinine (Scr) of varying magnitude after coronary angiography and clinical outcomes. An electronic medical database was used to identify all patients who underwent coronary angiography at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center during a 12-yr period and abstract Scr levels before and after angiography, as well as demographic characteristics and comorbid conditions. Changes in Scr after angiography were categorized into mutually exclusive categories on the basis of absolute and relative changes from baseline levels, with a separate category denoting "unknown" change. Discrete proportional odds models were used to examine the association between increases in Scr and 30-d in-hospital mortality and length of stay. A total of 27,608 patients who underwent coronary angiography were evaluated. Small absolute (0.25 to 0.5 mg/dl) and relative (25 to 50%) increases in Scr were associated with risk-adjusted odds ratios for in-hospital mortality of 1.83 and 1.39, respectively. Larger increases in Scr generally were associated with greater risks for these clinical outcomes. Small increases in Scr after the administration of intravascular radiocontrast are associated with adverse patient outcomes. This observation will help guide the post-procedure care of patients who undergo coronary angiography and has important implications for future studies that investigate RCN.