Background: The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) might be protective in patients with sepsis. We sought to characterize potential association of hyperlipidemia (HLP) vs no HLP with all-cause mortality among patients hospitalized for pneumonia. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study. The initial cohort consisted of consecutive 8,553 adults hospitalized at a large academic center with [...]

Background: There is evidence that significantly disruptive health events, such as hospitalizations, may increase patients’ receptiveness to interventions that lead to healthier lifestyle choices and medication adherence. For example, research has shown that hospitalizations are particularly effective settings for delivering some interventions aimed at preventing chronic disease morbidity, such as intervening on tobacco use. Additional [...]

Background: Hyperlipidemia is a recognized risk factor for incident acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), and no such documented association with pneumonia. However, the influence of hyperlipidemia on long-term mortality after AMI, HF, or pneumonia has not yet been fully understood. The objectives are to estimate the effect of hyperlipidemia and [...]

Case Presentation: A 49-year-old male presented with altered mental status and diffuse body pain. He denied any alcohol or drug intoxication, chest pain, shortness of breath, or infectious symptoms. His past history included chronic hypothyroidism and alcoholism. He had a temperature of 36.8 degrees Celsius with a heart rate of 96 bpm and was alert [...]

Case Presentation: A 59-year-old female with recently diagnosed perihilar lung mass and liver lesions presented for evaluation of painless jaundice and transaminitis. Initial laboratory studies revealed a sodium of 129 mOsm/kg, elevated bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, lipase, and liver enzymes. Initial hyponatremia workup showed a serum osmolality of 279 mOsm/kg, urine osmolality of 118 mOsm/kg, and [...]