Background: Clinical practice guidelines state that mobility is supposed to play an important role in determining use and duration of pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis. This study examines whether measured mobility levels relate to pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis use among hospitalized older adults. Methods: Prospective observational data from a sample of community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 60 years, [...]

Background: Patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) experience large burdens of morbidity, mortality, and hospital costs. Over a third of patients with diabetes will develop DFUs in their lifetime; and almost half of these patients subsequently develop diabetic foot infections (DFIs). Although it has been reported that obese patients with diabetes do not have higher [...]

Background: Over 160,000 PEG placement procedures are performed each year in the US and 8.1% of all long-term care residents receive feeding via PEG tube. The objective of the study was to explore reasons for hospital re-admissions of long-term care residents with a PEG-tube. Methods: A one-year retrospective study of long-term care PEG-fed residents over [...]

Background: Cost-related medication non-adherence (CRN) is a persistent and serious challenge among the elderly population in the US. For elderly patients with limited economic means at increased risk of hospitalization, CRN may elevate the risk of repeated hospitalizations and emergency department visits, and lead patients into a downward spiral of worse heath and higher non-adherence. [...]

Background: Serum magnesium is a commonly checked laboratory assay during hospital admissions. However, there is little evidence demonstrating benefit from ordering and repleting magnesium for most inpatients – including critically-ill patients. Methods: Laboratory and magnesium repletion ordering data from 2015-2016 was obtained directly from laboratory and pharmacy databases for inpatient encounters with at least one [...]

Background: Serum magnesium is a commonly checked laboratory assay. Unfortunately, there is little evidence demonstrating benefit from checking and repleting magnesium for the majority of inpatients – including those who are critically ill. Methods: An internet based survey was sent to internal medicine house staff and hospitalist services (including attending physicians and NPs/PAs) at Massachusetts [...]

Background: Cellulitis is a common cause of hospitalization. In the United States there are approximately 650,000 hospitalizations for cellulitis yearly, accounting for 1% of all admissions and approximately $10 billion. Most patients when hospitalized are treated with combinations of antibiotics with broad-spectrum Gram-positive, Gram-negative and anaerobic coverage. The Infectious Disease Society of America recommends hospitalization [...]