Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Aug 2020
Association of Renal Clearance with Cerebral White Matter Vascular Disease in Hospitalized Veterans With and Without Delirium.
To assess the relation between renal function and delirium and to assess and compare the relation between cerebral white matter lesion (WML) and renal function as estimated by three formulas for the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in older adult hospitalized veterans with and without delirium. ⋯ The association between stages 2 through 5 of chronic kidney disease and WLM support the role of kidney function as a potential risk factor for WML in older adult military veterans. The Cockcroft-Gault formula is an important renal index of suspected WML and renal stages 2 through 5, superior to the MDRD-6 and MDRD-4, respectively, in association with WML in older adult military veterans.
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Southern medical journal · Aug 2020
Patient and Hospital Characteristics of Newborns with Neonatal Withdrawal Syndrome.
We sought to evaluate hospital resource usage patterns and determine risk factors for neonatal withdrawal syndrome (NWS) in the United States. ⋯ Since 2000, the number of infants treated for NWS in the US neonatal intensive care units has increased fivefold, accounting for an estimated $1.5 billion in annual hospital expenditures. The high hospital resource usage among NWS neonates raises the possibility that care for expectant mothers who use opiates and their newborns may be able to be delivered in a more efficient and effective manner. Because the majority of the study population was covered by Medicaid programs, state policy makers should be mindful of the impact the opioid crises continue to have on expectant mothers and their infants.
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Southern medical journal · Aug 2020
Exploring Knowledge, Beliefs, and Attitudes about Teen Pregnancy among Latino Parents in Arkansas.
Arkansas has the highest incidence of teen pregnancy in 15- to 19-year-olds in the United States, and Latinas remain one of the cultural groups that are most at risk of becoming adolescent mothers. Teen mothers and their children are more likely to face poor socioeconomic conditions and negative health sequelae that perpetuate the cycle of poverty. Tailored interventions meant for families, communities, and/or churches should address both abstinence and other types of contraception to educate young people how to stay healthy, prevent unwanted pregnancy, and empower them to make informed decisions. To develop effective educational interventions, it is essential to understand the current knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward teen pregnancy among Latino parents in Arkansas. ⋯ Our findings indicate that based on attitudes toward sexual health, interventions should be tailored to certain groups based on children's sex and age and to parents who had children as teens themselves. Educational materials should emphasize the strengths of Latino culture, such as family values and desire for children to attain a college degree and economic stability before bearing children.
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Southern medical journal · Aug 2020
Narrative Medicine Rounds: Promoting Student Well-Being during the Third Year of Medical School.
Narrative medicine allows physicians and other health providers to share stories and reflect on the practice of medicine. Through the process of reflection and shared storytelling, narrative medicine may promote strategies for well-being and the prevention of physician burnout. Designed to foster skills to promote physician wellness, the required narrative medicine rounds activity during the family medicine clerkship at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University includes a written assignment and a small group session, during which students share their stories with their peers. ⋯ There was significant overlap in the themes related to strategies for personal well-being and those for patient care. Students were able to identify multiple, specific strategies to promote their own future well-being. These findings suggest that even a brief narrative medicine session may have an impact on students' understanding of strategies to prevent burnout and improve future patient care.