Background: The Pediatric Early Warning System (PEWS) is an established tool that aids in the identification of hospitalized patients at risk for clinical deterioration. Many pediatric institutions have adopted the PEWS as a patient safety initiative. At St. Louis Children's Hospital, it was initially deployed on the oncology unit in June 2011 and then subsequently […]

Background: The US has a heavy burden of deaths from opioid overdoses, and New Mexico is not excepted from this. Treatment options for opioid use disorder (OUD) are buprenorphine/naloxone (“Suboxone”), methadone, naltrexone, counseling, and/or behavioral therapy. Long-acting oral opioids like Suboxone, are the most effective methods for treating opioid withdrawal and OUD. They are often […]

Background: Persons with opioid use disorders (OUD) represent a disproportionately high percentage of hospitalized patients, have greater lengths of stay and readmissions, can incur higher costs, and are at greater risk of drug-related death immediately post-discharge. Further, despite the availability of effective medications for OUD, patients often are not offered treatment during the inpatient encounter. […]

Background: Transition from an acute care setting to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) or home is ripe with opportunities for poor communication. Changes in medications, lack of understanding about disease processes, and inadequate discharge teaching make patients vulnerable. Misunderstanding or lack of recognition can result in a readmission. Thus, 30‐day readmissions to the hospital are […]

Case Presentation: A 30‐year‐old man with history of HIV and metastatic Kaposi sarcoma presented with 3 days of worsening pain, bilateral swelling, and progressive purplish discoloration of his lower extremities. Initial blood pressure was 95/56 mm Hg, heart rate 138 beats/minute, and respiratory rate 22/minute. Both legs were markedly swollen, dusky, and tender to midthigh. […]

Background: Inpatient addiction consultant services are an innovative and proliferating tool used to confront the opioid epidemic. As healthcare systems seek to address gaps in care for patients with substance use disorder (SUD), the inpatient setting is increasingly understood as a unique opportunity for counseling, referral for treatment, and initiation of medication assistance treatment (MAT) […]

Case Presentation: A 77‐year‐old man with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and hypogammaglobulinemia was hospitalized for generalized seizures. Three weeks prior to admission he was found to have progressive psychomotor slowing. Head CT revealed an area of low attenuation involving the frontal lobe with effacement of the cortical sulci and vasogenic edema. MRI demonstrated an abnormal […]

Background: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a highly prevalent medical condition that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. As rates of opioid addiction have increased in the last several years, hospitalists are uniquely positioned at the front lines to initiate evidence-based treatment for patients who are admitted with comorbid OUD and help link patients […]