Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Feb 2024
Substance Use Disorders among Adolescents in the United States: 2000-2019.
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are characterized by impairment caused by the recurrent use of alcohol, illicit drugs, or both. SUDs are pervasive and endemic among US adolescents, with potentially negative health and social consequences. Although the term experimentation normalizes adolescent substance abuse, the long-term consequences of this behavior beginning in adolescence can be detrimental to not only the adolescent but also the adult into which he or she develops. Our objective was to examine the epidemiology of SUD among hospitalized US adolescents, 13 to 19 years of age, during the time period 2000-2019. ⋯ The study examined the epidemiology, risk factors, and common characteristics of hospitalized adolescent patients with SUDs. The high burden of psychiatric and medical comorbidities observed among this patient group warrants designing effective and comprehensive substance use prevention and treatment programs for youths.
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Without rural hospitals, many patients may not have access to essential services, or even any health care. Rural hospitals provide a community hub for local access to primary care and emergency services, as well as a bridge to specialized care outside the community. ⋯ Born out of grassroots efforts in the rural US South, this model alliance, the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership, with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences supporting as an academic medical center participant, offers resources and programs intended to help rural hospitals and healthcare providers survive and even thrive in the challenging landscape that is forcing many other rural hospitals to close. The Arkansas Rural Health Partnership model is relevant for rural states that are seeking to develop or reenvision rural hospital alliances with academic medical centers to the benefit of the hospitals and the health of their communities and state.
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Southern medical journal · Feb 2024
Evaluation of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Curriculum of a Pediatrics Residency Program.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training is essential to graduate medical education, but it lacks standardization. Although the impact of providers' biases and cultural competency on patient outcomes is well documented, the value of and satisfaction with DEI curricula in Pediatrics residency training programs is not well studied. This study aimed to complete a cross-sectional evaluation of the current DEI curriculum at a large Pediatrics-focused academic institution and identify areas of perceived deficiency among Pediatrics trainees. ⋯ Pediatrics residents and program directors consider DEI topics important and express a need for more robust DEI curricula.
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Southern medical journal · Feb 2024
Gender Differences in Hospital Outcomes among COVID-19 Hospitalizations.
Many epidemiological studies have shown that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disproportionately affects males, compared with females, although other studies show that there were no such differences. The aim of the present study was to assess differences in the prevalence of hospitalizations and in-hospital outcomes between the sexes, using a larger administrative database. ⋯ Our findings show that male sex is an independent and strong risk factor associated with COVID-19 severity.
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Southern medical journal · Feb 2024
Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Colectomy Outcomes for Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) encompasses Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). These two chronic inflammatory conditions can differ in severity, presentation, and anatomical localization, and can greatly affect quality of life if not managed properly. Given the many healthcare challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, we studied the effects of the pandemic and corresponding changes to medical resources on surgical outcomes for patients with IBD. ⋯ Colectomy outcomes for patients with CD in 2020 were similar or improved in comparison with those seen in 2019, whereas colectomies for UC saw a statistically but not clinically significant increase in the rate of repeat operations. Overall, these patients seem to have been well managed despite the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic-induced strain on the healthcare system.