Obtaining the Best Possible Medication History at Hospital Admission: Description of a Pharmacy Technician-Driven Program to Identify Medication Discrepancies.

Purpose: Describe the process of obtaining the best possible medication history (BPMH) by Certified Pharmacy Technicians (CPhTs) on hospital admission to identify medication discrepancies.

Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted between December 2016 and June 2017 at a quaternary center in New York, including all patients 18 years and older admitted to the medicine service through the Emergency Department (ED) and seen by a CPhT. CPhTs obtained the BPMH using a systematic approach involving a standardized interview, checking medications with secondary sources and updating the electronic health record (EHR).

Patterns of alcohol use among early head and neck cancer survivors: A cross-sectional survey study using the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT).

Objective: Alcohol use among survivors of head and neck cancer (HNC) negatively impacts patient outcomes and is an important risk factor for recurrent and second primary tumors. Despite recommendations from several cancer societies, alcohol consumption remains a common problem in this population.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) Self-Report questionnaire.

Chronic perinatal hypoxia delays cardiac maturation in a mouse model for cyanotic congenital heart disease.

Compared with acyanotic congenital heart disease (CHD), cyanotic CHD has an increased risk of lifelong mortality and morbidity. These adverse outcomes may be attributed to delayed cardiomyocyte maturation, since the transition from a hypoxic fetal milieu to oxygen-rich postnatal environment is disrupted. We established a rodent model to replicate hypoxic myocardial conditions spanning perinatal development, and tested the hypothesis that chronic hypoxia impairs cardiac development.

Age-dependent changes in electrophysiology and calcium handling: implications for pediatric cardiac research.

Rodent models are frequently employed in cardiovascular research, yet our understanding of pediatric cardiac physiology has largely been deduced from more simplified two-dimensional cell studies. Previous studies have shown that postnatal development includes an alteration in the expression of genes and proteins involved in cell coupling, ion channels, and intracellular calcium handling. Accordingly, we hypothesized that postnatal cell maturation is likely to lead to dynamic alterations in whole heart electrophysiology and calcium handling.

Constant Observation Practices for Hospitalized Persons With Dementia: A Survey Study.

Despite substantial staffing and cost implications, the use of constant observation (CO) has been poorly described in the acute care setting. The purpose of this cross-sectional, multicenter, survey study was to assess hospital provider practices regarding the use of CO. Of the 543 surveys distributed, 231 were completed across 5 sites.

Nonadherence to Geriatric-Focused Practices in Older Intensive Care Unit Survivors.

Background: Older adults account for more than half of all admissions to intensive care units; most remain alive at 1 year, but with long-term sequelae.

Objective: To explore geriatric-focused practices and associated outcomes in older intensive care survivors.

Methods: In a 1-year, retrospective, cohort study of patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit and subsequently transferred to the medicine service, adherence to geriatric-focused practices and associated clinical outcomes during intensive care were determined.

A Multicomponent Model to Improve Hospital Care of Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

Objectives: To determine whether a multicomponent intervention improves care in hospitalized older adults with cognitive impairment.

Design: One-year retrospective chart review with propensity score matching on critical demographic and clinical variables was used to compare individauls with cognitive impairmenet on intervention and nonintervention units.

Setting: Large tertiary medical center.

Measuring Functional Status in Hospitalized Older Adults Through Electronic Health Record Documentation.

Objectives: Hospitalization-associated disability affects up to 60% of older adults; however, standardized measures of function are not routinely used and documented. We sought to determine whether nursing documentation in electronic medical records can be used to determine mobility status and associated clinical outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective study of 2383 medical patients aged 75 years and older was conducted at a large academic tertiary hospital in New York.

Patterns and outcomes of prescribing venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in hospitalized older adults: a retrospective cohort study.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Hospitalized, medically ill older adults have increased risk; despite guidelines, data suggest suboptimal pharmacologic prophylaxis rates. Factors influencing provider prescribing non-compliance are unclear.