Predictors for development of critical illness amongst older adults with COVID-19: Beyond age to age-associated factors.

Introduction: Older adults with COVID-19 have disproportionately higher rates of severe disease and mortality. It is unclear whether this is attributable to age or attendant age-associated risk factors. This retrospective cohort study aims to characterize hospitalized older adults and examine if comorbidities, frailty and acuity of clinical presentation exert an age-independent effect on COVID-19 severity.

Appropriateness of blood culture: A comparison of practices between the emergency department and general wards.

Background: The decision to perform a blood culture is influenced by factors, such as the pretest probability of bacteremia, resource availability and individual clinician's preference. The lack of formal guidelines results in inconsistencies in practices and an inappropriate or overuse of blood cultures. The primary aim of this study is to compare the rate of positive blood cultures in the emergency department (ED) and general ward.