Background: Compared to peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC), midlines have a lower risk of bloodstream infection, but several studies have found increased thrombosis risk for a variety of clots such as deep vein thrombosis, superficial vein thrombosis, and greater daily hazard of thrombosis. Given increased midline use, better safety data is needed for complications such [...]

Background: Elderly patients have a higher risk of developing aspiration pneumonia and have a higher risk of death if hospitalized for aspiration pneumonia. This study was conducted to confirm the effectiveness of an aspiration prevention program using the Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS) for elderly patients hospitalized with acute medical illness. Methods: Starting in April 2021, [...]

Background: Racial and ethnic disparities in heart failure (HF) care and outcomes occur, despite rapid improvement in HF therapies and survival [1,2]. The Burden of Treatment Theory is a framework for illustrating and explaining how interactions between patients, healthcare systems, and support networks affect their ability to manage a chronic illness, including HF [3]. We [...]

Background: Mortality reviews are a cornerstone of patient safety and quality improvement efforts. Increasingly, electronic medical record and web-based tools are leveraged to identify gaps in quality of care through retrospective or real-time mortality reviews. However, studies have yet to compare results when utilizing both review methods in the same patient cohort. This study aims [...]

Background: High flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is a non-invasive oxygen delivery system commonly used in emergency rooms, pediatric intensive care units (PICU), and pediatric wards for respiratory illnesses. Previously, HFNC was strictly managed in the ICU, but this is becoming less common as more pediatric wards have initiated its use. Questions have arisen regarding the [...]

Background: Pediatric hospitalists are responsible for providing high quality care in the hospital setting while teaching learners and maintaining a professional learning environment. This skill is rarely taught during medical training. Peer observation is a collaborative tool with potential for mutual benefit; offering the observer an opportunity to learn new strategies and the individual observed [...]

Background: Growth faltering or failure to thrive is a common cause of admission in infancy and early childhood. In the United States, approximately 2-10% of children experience lower-than-expected growth associated with malnutrition (Tang et al). Growth faltering accounts for 3-5% of pediatric hospitalizations (Mazze et al, 2019). Malnutrition is associated with complications of increased risk [...]

Background: There is increasing awareness that social determinants of health (SDOH) contribute to inequities in health outcomes. Due to methodological challenges, most studies have focused on adult metrics and quantitative data are limited. The Child Opportunity Index (COI) is a unified measure of SDOH with local specificity at the level of census tracts, using indicators [...]

Background: Postpartum Depression can have a negative impact on the physical, cognitive, and behavioral development of children. In the most extreme cases, it can be associated with the cause of death for mothers and their children. Some risk factors that can lead to Postpartum Depression are teenage pregnancy, late or lack of prenatal care, food/housing [...]

Background: Regionalization of pediatric healthcare has led to an increased proportion of hospitalizations at tertiary care centers and freestanding children’s hospitals. For some of these patients, transfer from another hospital is required to access inpatient care. There are known disparities in access to care for historically marginalized races/ethnicities, but it is unclear if these disparities [...]