Emergent themes from a quality improvement programme for CLABSI/CAUTI prevention in ICUs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention has been difficult for healthcare providers to maintain during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study summarises themes for maintaining infection prevention activities learnt from the implementation of a quality improvement (QI) programme during the pandemic.

Methods: We conducted qualitative analysis of participants' semistructured exit interviews, self-assessments on HAI prevention activities, participant-created action plans, chat-box discussions during webinars and informal correspondence.

Development of a Novel and Scalable Simulation-Based Teamwork Training Model Using Within-Group Debriefing of Observed Video Simulation.

The Challenge: Effective teamwork and communication skills are essential for safe and reliable health care. These skills require training and practice. Experiential learning is optimal for training adults, and the industry has recognized simulation training as an exemplar of this approach.

Quantification of Neighborhood-Level Social Determinants of Health in the Continental United States.

Importance: An association between social and neighborhood characteristics and health outcomes has been reported but remains poorly understood owing to complex multidimensional factors that vary across geographic space.

Objectives: To quantify social determinants of health (SDOH) as multiple dimensions across the continental United States (the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia) at a small-area resolution and to examine the association of SDOH with premature mortality within Chicago, Illinois.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this cross-sectional study, census tracts from the US Census Bureau from 2014 were used to develop multidimensional SDOH indices and a regional typology of the continental United States at a small-area level (n = 71 901 census tracts with approximately 312 million persons) using dimension reduction and clustering machine learning techniques (unsupervised algorithms used to reduce dimensions of multivariate data).

Unintended Consequences After Postoperative Ileus in Spinal Fusion Patients.

Background: Postoperative ileus is not uncommon after spinal surgery. Although previous research has focused on the frequency of ileus formation, little has been done to investigate the clinical sequelae after development. We investigated the effect of postoperative ileus on patients' length of stay and rates of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) formation, myocardial infarction (MI), aspiration pneumonia, sepsis, and death.

Morphologic variations of the second cervical vertebra in Down syndrome compared with age-matched peers.

OBJECTIVEAtlantoaxial instability is an important cause of pain and neurological dysfunction in patients with Down syndrome (DS), frequently requiring instrumented fusion of the upper cervical spine. This study provides a quantitative analysis of C2 morphology in DS patients compared with their peers without DS to identify differences that must be considered for the safe placement of instrumentation.METHODSA retrospective chart review identified age-matched patients with and without DS with a CT scan of the cervical spine.

Impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid Expansion on Cancer Admissions and Surgeries.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the trends in cancer (CA) admissions and surgeries after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion.

Methods: This is a retrospective study using HCUP-SID analyzing inpatient CA (pancreas, esophagus, lung, bladder, breast, colorectal, prostate, and gastric) admissions and surgeries pre- (2010-2013) and post- (2014) Medicaid expansion. Surgery was defined as observed resection rate per 100 cancer admissions.