Background: Survivors of hospitalization for COVID-19 are potentially at high risk for subsequent psychiatric morbidity due to medical trauma, systemic inflammation, and potential neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2(1). In addition, social isolation during the hospital stay due to restrictive visitor policies and after discharge due to fears of contagion or stay-at-home orders could further increase psychiatric vulnerability […]

Background: Survivors of hospitalization for COVID-19 are potentially at high risk for subsequent psychiatric morbidity due to medical trauma, systemic inflammation, and potential neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2(1). In addition, social isolation during the hospital stay due to restrictive visitor policies and after discharge due to fears of contagion or stay-at-home orders could further increase psychiatric vulnerability […]

Background: In the treatment of sepsis, current guidelines from the Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommend IV crystalloid 30ml/kg in the first three hours of admission (1). The 30mL/kg guideline is designated as a strong recommendation with low quality of evidence(2). This evidence largely stems from the Rivers et al. study of 263 patients which showed improved […]

Background: Outcomes among hospitalized patients with severe vision impairment or blindness have not been extensively explored. The purpose of this study was to determine clinical and resource utilization outcomes in patients with severe vision impairment/blindness. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for year 2017, hospitalized adults with and without […]

Background: Outcomes among hospitalized patients with severe vision impairment or blindness have not been extensively explored. The purpose of this study was to determine clinical and resource utilization outcomes in patients with severe vision impairment/blindness. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for year 2017, hospitalized adults with and without […]

Background: Patients admitted to New Hanover Regional Medical Center with a history of opiate use disorder (OUD) and serious infections require a median length of stay (LOS) of 33 days and discharge against medical advice (AMA) 26% of the time, resulting in quality and safety gaps which includes incomplete treatment, readmissions, and high cost of […]

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) and atrial fibrillation (AF) may coexist. The association and impact of AF on PE have not been well studied. Methods: We queried the 2018 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to identify PE and AF hospitalizations using appropriate ICD-10 codes. PE with AF group was compared to PE without AF. Chi-square test […]

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: SARS-CoV-2, which has caused a global respiratory disease outbreak is also known to cause enteric infection and to present with gastrointestinal symptoms. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most commonly used medications in the U.S. and have been linked to possible adverse events such as an increased incidence of enteric infections and pneumonia. […]

Background: Approximately 1.5% of all admissions result in an against medical advice (AMA) discharge in the US. These individuals are almost twice as likely to be readmitted when compared to non-AMA patients, and are more likely to have a history of drug use. Numerous studies have investigated these patients who discharge AMA; however, detailed characteristics […]