Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Sep 2023
Effect of Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitor Use on Time to HIV Viral Suppression before Delivery.
We sought to determine whether pregnant individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prescribed integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) antiretrovirals (ARVs) achieve viral suppression faster than individuals taking non-INSTI regimens and to determine whether there were differences in viral suppression at delivery among INSTI ARVs. ⋯ Despite recommendations to prescribe INSTI in pregnancy for rapid viral suppression, we did not find a significant difference in time to viral suppression when pregnant individuals were taking non-INSTI ARVs. We did not find that one INSTI ARV was superior for viral suppression.
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Southern medical journal · Aug 2023
Sensitivity and Specificity of Diagnostic Algorithms of Preoperative Anemia.
Preoperative management of anemia is one of the pillars of patient blood management. Diagnostic algorithms developed to support an anemia diagnosis have not yet been validated. The aim of this study was to validate and compare three commonly used diagnostic algorithms for preoperative anemia. ⋯ We were able to show that the diagnostic anemia algorithm of the Institute for Blood Management, Gotha, Germany is superior to those of the Network for the Advancement of Transfusion Alternatives and the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management in its ability to detect the six common types of preoperative anemia in patients scheduled to undergo abdominal surgery, the presence of multiple types of anemias in a given patient, and its ability to detect rare anemias that have a clinical implication for management.
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Southern medical journal · Aug 2023
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Education during Inpatient Internal Medicine Rounds.
Inpatient rounding is a foundational component of medical education in academic hospitals. The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted traditional inpatient rounding practices. The objectives of this study were to describe how Internal Medicine inpatient team rounding changed because of COVID-19-related precautions and the effect of these changes on education during rounds. ⋯ This study evaluated Internal Medicine team member focus groups to describe how the COVID-19 pandemic affected medical education during rounds. Academic teaching programs can adapt the findings from this study to address and prevent pandemic-related gaps in medical education during rounds now and during future potential disruptions to medical education.
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Southern medical journal · Aug 2023
Comparative Analysis of Costs of Caring for Inpatient COVID-19 Patients and Non-COVID-19 Patients at One Academic Center.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created a significant financial burden on the US healthcare system. The purpose of this study was to compare the costs of caring for patients admitted with COVID-related illness versus non-COVID patients. We hypothesized that the average daily costs of hospitalization would be higher among COVID patients compared with non-COVID patients. ⋯ The average daily direct hospital cost is higher among patients with COVID compared with non-COVID-related illness. Many reasons contributed to this cost difference, including decreased nurse staffing ratios, lower physician censuses, and needed infrastructure changes. Studies with a larger sample size and more precise comparable study groups are warranted to validate our findings.
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Southern medical journal · Aug 2023
Predictors of Skin, Hair, and Nail Supplement Use: Analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) Cross-Sectional Data.
Approximately half of US adults use dietary supplements, often for dermatologic purposes. When survey respondents in a nationally representative population were asked the reasons for their use of a specific supplement, 87% chose "for healthy skin, hair, and nails." Despite widespread use, supplements have potential risks and lack regulatory safeguards. Because most supplement users choose to use them without the advice of a healthcare professional, it is important to identify factors predicting use. This study examined demographic predictors of skin, hair, and nail supplement use among 2015-2016 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey respondents, a nationally representative sample. ⋯ Factors such as age, education, income, and sex predict supplement use. Knowledge of such trends may help practitioners counsel patients on potential supplement risks and the many unknowns related to their use. Any patient could be using skin, hair, and nail supplements over the counter, including pregnant and older adult populations, as well as generally healthy patients. This would help protect patients from the possible dangers of supplements, including laboratory test interference and teratogenicity.