Background: Delirium is an acute state of brain failure marked by sudden onset of confusion, a fluctuating course, inattention, and often an abnormal level of consciousness. Delirium affects about 11-40% of the hospitalized patient population. In hospital delirium has been associated with 10-fold increased risk for death and a 3-to-5 fold increased risk for nosocomial […]

Background: COVID-19  has claimed over 260,000 American lives (1), disproportionately affecting older adults (2). High mortality rates in older adults, along with the potential need for resource allocation, placed an even higher importance on the timely discussion and documentation of advance directives (3). The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of early […]

Background: Frailty is a clinical syndrome characterized by vulnerability to stressors resulting from a loss of physiological reserve across multiple systems. Frailty is a common condition in older adults and is associated with disability, morbidity, increased healthcare utilization, and mortality. Frailty assessments derive from two major frameworks: the frailty phenotype and the deficit accumulation model. […]

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected millions of people worldwide with worse outcomes demonstrated in those with certain co-morbid conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV), a four-county region along the Texas-Mexico border has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. The case fatality ratio in the RGV from COVID-19 […]

Background: The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) population has been steadily growing in the United States over the past decade. Several reports suggested higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in the transgender population, including higher rates of human immunodeficiency virus infection, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol abuse, smoking and mood disorders. Our […]

Background: Current data indicate that racial and ethnic minorities bear a disproportionate burden of COVID-19 infection and mortality (1-4). Consequently, communities with a higher proportion of minorities are expected to have a higher burden of infection and mortality, however, this hypothesis has not been tested. Therefore, we estimated the disparities across US counties in the […]

Background: Engaged healthcare team members are more likely to be satisfied with their job and remain in their organizations (1-3). However, little is known about the effects of burnout on work engagement in hospital nurses. Therefore, we examined the relationship between burnout, work engagement, and job satisfaction in nurses in a tertiary referral hospital. Methods: […]

Background: Methylnaltrexone (MNTX) is a peripherally acting µ-opioid receptor antagonist indicated for opioid-induced constipation (OIC), which can be a serious consequence of opioid analgesia. We evaluated whether baseline osmotic agent (eg, milk of magnesia, polyethylene glycol, lactulose, sorbitol) or stimulant (eg, senna, bisacodyl) use affects the efficacy and safety of MNTX among a subgroup of […]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic introduced significant stressors on the healthcare workforce and psychological distress is on the rise. The objective of this study was to evaluate a Hospitalist Morale Index (HMI) as a measure of well-being during the pandemic in comparison to other measures of morale, quality of life, and burnout. Methods: The HMI is […]

Background: A career in medicine is undoubtedly demanding and often takes a toll on the mental health of the individuals employed in this setting. Residents are an especially vulnerable population. In this study we aim to assess different aspects of resident life that might contribute to mental stress during residency such as a collegial work […]