J Natl Med Assoc
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The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is highly contagious pathogen that primarily causes respiratory illnesses. Howerver, multiple gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms have been reported in Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted a retrospective cohort study of inpatients with COVID-19 at the George Washington University Hospital (GWUH) to assess the prevalence of GI symptoms and their association with clinical outcomes. ⋯ Our study suggests that GI symptoms portend a less-severe clinical course of COVID-19 which may reflect a different disease phenotype and lower overall immune response. Additional research should focus on more robust symptom reporting and longer follow-up.
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This study examines different types of organ donation public service announcement appeal messages (narrative, counter argument, and statistical) in relation to their effectiveness on the African American community. Previous studies on public service announcements aimed at African Americans and how effective the different message appeals are examined along with issues effecting the likelihood of African Americans consenting to be organ donors. ⋯ Analysis of survey data suggest that narrative appeals are more effective than statistical and counter argument appeals but statistical and counter argument did not differ from each other. Implications of this finding along with directions for future research is included.
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Previous research has shown that patients from historically marginalized groups in the United States tend to have poorer outcomes after joint replacement surgery and that they are less likely to receive joint replacement surgery at high-volume hospitals. However, little is known regarding how this group of patients chooses their joint replacement surgeon. The purpose of this study was to understand the factors influencing the choice of joint replacement surgeon amongst a diverse group of patients. ⋯ The process of choosing a joint replacement surgeon is a complex decision-making process with several factors at play. Despite growing availability of information regarding surgeons, patients largely relied on referrals for choosing their joint replacement surgeon regardless of ethnicity. Referring physicians need to ensure that patients are able to access hospital and surgeon outcomes, operative volume, and industry-payment information to learn more about their orthopedic surgeons in order to make an informed choice.
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Despite the growing awareness across the general population, migraine is often underdiagnosed and undertreated in socially and economically marginalized groups. The present study aimed to investigate the differential effects of race and income on other sociodemographic data and hospital length of stay in patients admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of migraine headache. ⋯ The occurrence of migraine diagnosis on hospital admission in the USA can be impacted by culturally driven patient-clinician communication differences between ethnic groups.
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Cystic fibrosis (CF), an inherited autosomal recessive disease that results in the accumulation of mucus and damage primarily to the respiratory and digestive tracts is caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. In the United States, it has been estimated that CF occurs in 1 out of 3500 infants. The objective of this study was to explore the patient and hospital characteristics associated with CF hospitalizations and inpatient mortality in pediatric CF patients. ⋯ Despite our finding of an increased likelihood of being hospitalized for CF among NH-White and male pediatric patients, no association between race or sex and CF inpatient death was observed when adjusted for covariates. More research is needed to determine the impact of sex and race on CF mortality rates.