Southern medical journal
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The purpose of this study was to assess the health literacy levels of Hispanic college students. ⋯ The overall health literacy level of the participants was higher than the general Hispanic adult population. Investing in the education of Hispanics may help to address disparities in health literacy.
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Southern medical journal · Jan 2014
ReviewNegative predictive value of cardiac troponin for predicting adverse cardiac events following blunt chest trauma.
Cardiac-specific troponins (Tns) are sensitive and specific markers of myocardial injury that have been shown to be predictive of outcomes in many cardiac and noncardiac conditions. We sought to determine whether normal cardiac Tn concentrations obtained during the first 24 hours following blunt chest trauma would predict good cardiac outcomes. A PubMed/MEDLINE search was performed to identify prospective studies in patients with blunt chest trauma in which serial cardiac TnT or TnI values were measured within 24 hours of admission and clinical outcomes assessed. ⋯ Studies that used the lower reference limit of Tn as the cutoff for cardiac injury showed 100% negative predictive value (NPV) for developing cardiac complications, whereas studies using higher Tn cutoffs showed wider variation in NPV (50%-98%). Cardiac Tn measured within 24 hours using the lower reference limit (LRL) as the cutoff appears to have excellent NPV for clinically significant adverse cardiac events. This could allow for early discharge after a 24-hour observation period in otherwise uncomplicated blunt chest trauma patients and avoid the need for more expensive cardiac imaging and additional resource utilization.
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Southern medical journal · Jan 2014
No difference in emergency department length of stay for patients with limited proficiency in English.
The population of the United States continues to diversify, with an increasing percentage of individuals who have limited English proficiency (LEP). A major concern facing emergency departments (EDs) around the country is increasing length of stay (LOS). Although multiple studies have shown racial and ethnic disparities in waiting time and LOS, no studies have examined specifically whether patients with LEP have a different LOS than English-speaking (ES) patients. In addition, no studies have examined whether the use of interpreters by patients with LEP has a significant impact on LOS. We hypothesized that there was a significant difference in LOS when comparing patients with LEP and ES patients and patients with LEP who used interpreters versus patients with LEP who did not. ⋯ There was no difference in LOS for patients with LEP; however, patients with LEP who used interpreters had a significant increase in LOS compared with those who did not use interpreters.