Background: Oropharyngeal dysphagia affects up to 86% of hospitalized patients with dementia. Texture-modified food and thickened fluids are the mainstay of dysphagia management in patients with dementia, yet data on whether these diets improve clinical outcomes is lacking. Using a mixed methods approach, this study aimed to evaluate the following: 1) adherence to dysphagia diets […]

Background: Of the many complications associated with COVID-19 infection, hypercoagulable states with subsequent thrombosis are some of the most feared implications. When trying to uncover a potential relationship between COVID-19 infection and risk for cerebrovascular ischemic events, knowing whether there is an increased risk for these events in those with other respiratory viral pathogens at […]

Background: Dysphagia is prevalent in older adults with dementia, particularly in the acute care setting. The objective of this study was to use an innovative approach to extract a more representative sample of patients with dysphagia from the electronic health record (EHR) to determine patient characteristics and outcomes associated with dysphagia in hospitalized persons with […]

Background: Confidentiality within adolescent medicine is imperative in establishing a trusting patient-physician relationship. In April 2021, the 21st Century Cures Act granted patients’ guardians immediate access to select patient electronic medical records. Whereas Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) history and physical (H&P) notes are visible to guardians, adolescent sensitive notes (ASN) remain confidential. At our institution, […]

Case Presentation: 62-year-old female patient with a past medical history of psoriasis (patient was on Adalimumab for three years, then switched to Ixekizumab around eight months before current presentation), gastroesophageal reflux disease, anxiety, hyperlipidemia, and a remote history of smoking in her twenties, who presented with progressive shortness of breath of five days duration. She […]

Case Presentation: Pachymeningeal enhancement (PME) is a radiological phenomenon describing the enhancement of the dura and outer layer of the arachnoid meninges best appreciated on contrast-enhanced MRI. We present a case of diffuse PME in the setting of a transient ischemic attack (TIA) which has been previously unreported. An 83-year old female with a history […]

Case Presentation: 57-year-old female patient with no significant past medical history presented to the ER with a chief complaint of progressive dyspnea and lower extremity weakness for the past 3 months. Oxygen saturation was 87% on room air. Physical exam revealed bilateral crackles on lung auscultation. Bilateral lower extremities (BLE) had 3/5 strength with a […]

Case Presentation: A 41-year-old woman with a history of progressive ILD, Raynaud’s phenomenon, and Sjögren syndrome presented to ED for worsening dyspnea on exertion, malaise, fevers, chills, and body ache lasting more than 3 weeks. She had received treatment with antibiotics and a short course of steroids as an outpatient without effect. On physical exam, […]

Case Presentation: A young man presented to the ED with four days of severe, sharp midsternal chest pain, fevers, diffuse arthralgias, bilateral conjunctivitis, diarrhea, and fatigue. He reported sexual intercourse with an HIV positive male partner four months prior to presentation and a history of multiple STI’s diagnosed in the past 6 years. Vitals: 101.5F, […]

Case Presentation: A 54-year-old man with a past medical history of intravenous drug use and morbid obesity presented with worsening bilateral lower leg pain and swelling. The patient reported chronic bilateral leg edema after a car accident a year before and started noticing skin changes with multiple bumps on his legs for several months. He […]