JAMA network open
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The US opioid crisis was deemed a public health emergency in 2017. More than 130 individuals in the US die daily as a result of unintentional opioid overdose deaths. ⋯ Take-home naloxone as part of overdose education and naloxone distribution provided to patients in an opioid treatment program may be associated with a strategic targeted harm reduction response for reversing opioid overdose-related deaths. Policy makers may consider regulations to mandate overdose education and naloxone distribution in opioid treatment programs.
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Examining trends in mortality following hip fracture and its associated factors is important for population health surveillance and for developing preventive interventions. ⋯ Malay ethnicity, older age, male sex, prefracture comorbidity, and trochanteric fractures were independently associated with increased risk of death, identifying population groups that could be targeted for intervention strategies. The improvement in relative mortality for women but not men suggests the need to develop interventions that improve mortality outcomes for men.
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Despite a growing recognition of the increased mortality risk among sepsis survivors, little is known about the patterns of end-of-life care among this population. ⋯ The findings of this study suggest that death within 1 year after sepsis discharge may be common among Medicare beneficiaries discharged to home health care. Although 1 in 2 decedents used hospice, aggressive care near the end of life and late hospice referral were common. Readily identifiable risk factors suggest opportunities to target efforts to improve palliative and end-of-life care among high-risk sepsis survivors.
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Low diaphragm muscle mass at the outset of mechanical ventilation may predispose critically ill patients to poor clinical outcomes. ⋯ In this study, low baseline diaphragm muscle mass in critically ill patients was associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation, complications of acute respiratory failure, and an increased risk of death in the hospital.
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Unexpected complications in term newborns have been recently adopted by the Joint Commission as a marker of obstetric care quality. ⋯ In this study, severe unexpected complication rates among term newborns varied widely. When included in the metric numerator, neonatal transfer was the primary factor associated with complications, especially among hospitals with the highest rates. Transfers were more likely to be necessary when infants were born in hospitals with lower levels of neonatal care. Thus, if this metric is to be used in its current form, it would appear that accreditors, regulatory bodies, and payers should consider adjusting for or stratifying by a hospital's level of neonatal care to avoid disincentivizing against appropriate transfers.