Attributable Delay of Discharge for Children with Long-Term Mechanical Ventilation.

Objective: To assess the reasons for discharge delays for children with long-term mechanical ventilation.

Study Design: Charts of children (0-18 years of age) with a new tracheostomy in the Pulmonary Habilitation Program at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago were retrospectively reviewed for demographic information, medical diagnoses, medical stability, discharge to home, reasons for discharge delay, and hours of staffed home nursing.

Obese women's perceptions of weight gain during pregnancy: a theory-based analysis.

Objective: Excess gestational weight gain (GWG) in obese women is linked to adverse maternal outcomes and is particularly pervasive among African Americans, who have the highest obesity rates in the USA. A better understanding of culturally relevant attitudes and perceptions of GWG is needed to develop targeted interventions to prevent excess GWG among this group.

Design: Using the constructs of Social Cognitive Theory, we explored attitudes and perceptions surrounding diet and exercise among low-income obese African-American pregnant women in Baltimore.

Vital Signs: Pregnancy-Related Deaths, United States, 2011-2015, and Strategies for Prevention, 13 States, 2013-2017.

Background: Approximately 700 women die from pregnancy-related complications in the United States every year.

Methods: Data from CDC's national Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System (PMSS) for 2011-2015 were analyzed. Pregnancy-related mortality ratios (pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births; PRMRs) were calculated overall and by sociodemographic characteristics.

Severe Maternal Morbidity, A Tale of 2 States Using Data for Action-Ohio and Massachusetts.

Purpose Describe how Ohio and Massachusetts explored severe maternal morbidity (SMM) data, and used these data for increasing awareness and driving practice changes to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. Description For 2008-2013, Ohio used de-identified hospital discharge records and International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes to identify delivery hospitalizations. Massachusetts used existing linked data system infrastructure to identify delivery hospitalizations from birth certificates linked to hospital discharge records.

National practice trends for the surgical management of lung cancer in the CMS population: an atlas of care.

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been established as a safe and effective alternative to an open approach for the treatment of early-stage lung cancer. Despite this, differences in utilization across the nation are present. The aims of this study were to: (I) characterize trends in the use of open surgery and VATS for the management of lung cancer across the United States, and (II) describe if particular regions of the country utilize minimally invasive surgery more frequently.

The health and social implications of household air pollution and respiratory diseases.

Approximately three billion individuals are exposed to household air pollution (HAP) from the burning of biomass fuels worldwide. Household air pollution is responsible for 2.9 million annual deaths and causes significant health, economic and social consequences, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Enhanced Replication of Mouse Adenovirus Type 1 following Virus-Induced Degradation of Protein Kinase R (PKR).

Protein kinase R (PKR) plays a major role in activating host immunity during infection by sensing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) produced by viruses. Once activated by dsRNA, PKR phosphorylates the translation factor eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), halting cellular translation. Many viruses have methods of inhibiting PKR activation or its downstream effects, circumventing protein synthesis shutdown.

Outcomes of Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation of Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Devices and Subsequent Stroke.

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the functional outcomes and medical complications of patients with left ventricular assist device implantation and subsequent stroke during comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation.

Design: Retrospective cohort study of 21 patients admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation facility between 2009 and 2015. Main outcome measurements include admission and discharge Functional Independence Measure, length of stay, and Functional Independence Measure efficiency.

Health system factors and caesarean sections in Kosovo: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To investigate the association of caesarean section rates with the health system characteristics in the public hospitals of Kosovo.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: Five largest public hospitals in Kosovo.

Chronic Medication Use in Children Insured by Medicaid: A Multistate Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background And Objectives: Little is known about the use of chronic medications (CMs) in children. We assessed the prevalence of CM use in children and the association of clinical characteristics and health care resource use with the number of CMs used.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of children ages 1 to 18 years using Medicaid from 10 states in 2014 grouped by the annual number of CMs (0, 1, 2-4, 5-9, and ≥10 medications), which are defined as a dispensed ≥30-day prescription with ≥2 dispensed refills.

Australia and New Zealand Islet and Pancreas Transplant Registry Annual Report 2018-Islet Donations, Islet Isolations, and Islet Transplants.

Background: This is an excerpt from chapter 4 of the annual registry report from the Australia and New Zealand islet and pancreas transplant registry. The full report is available at http://anziptr.org/reports/.

Bridging Vaccine-Induced HIV-1 Neutralizing and Effector Antibody Responses in Rabbit and Rhesus Macaque Animal Models.

Studies in animal models are essential prerequisites for clinical trials of candidate HIV vaccines. Small animals, such as rabbits, are used to evaluate promising strategies prior to further immunogenicity and efficacy testing in nonhuman primates. Our goal was to determine how HIV-specific vaccine-elicited antibody responses, epitope specificity, and Fc-mediated functions in the rabbit model can predict those in the rhesus macaque (RM) model.

Pediatric Readmissions Within 3 Days of Discharge: Preventability, Contributing Factors, and Necessity.

Objectives: Among pediatric 30-day readmissions, 20% to 30% are preventable, and ∼25% are within 3 days of discharge. We investigated the preventability, contributing factors, and necessity of 3-day pediatric readmissions.

Methods: We enrolled patients who were readmitted within 3 days at a freestanding tertiary children's hospital in this single-site observational study from July 2016 to February 2017.

Caesarean section in uninsured women in the USA: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the odds of caesarean section (CS) for uninsured women in the USA and understand the underlying mechanisms as well as consequences of lower use.

Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data Sources: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library and CINAHL from the first year of records to April 2018.

Using fetal scalp stimulation with Doppler ultrasonography to enhance intermittent auscultation in low-resource settings: a diagnostic trial from Tanzania.

Background: Hypoxia during labor contributes to 2.2 million intrapartum and early neonatal deaths each year. An additional 0.

Application of an Implementation Science Framework to Policies on Immediate Postpartum Long-Acting Reversible Contraception.

Objectives: Implementation science provides useful tools for guiding and evaluating the integration of evidence-based interventions with standard practice. The objective of our study was to demonstrate the usefulness of applying an implementation science framework-the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR)-to increase understanding of implementation of complex statewide public health initiatives, using the example of Medicaid immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) policies.

Methods: We conducted semistructured telephone interviews with the 13 state teams participating in the Immediate Postpartum LARC Learning Community.

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Checklist and Learning Collaborative to Promote Quality and Safety in the Perinatal Care of Women with Opioid Use Disorders.

Introduction: Perinatal opioid use disorder (OUD) represents a maternal-child health crisis in the United States. Untreated, OUD is associated with maternal and neonatal morbidity due to infectious disease, polysubstance use, co-occurring mental health conditions, prematurity, neonatal opioid withdrawal, and maternal mortality from overdose. Although national guidelines exist to optimize perinatal care for women with OUD, wide variation persists in health care providers' experience caring for this population and in the quality of care delivered.

Association of Home Respiratory Equipment and Supply Use with Health Care Resource Utilization in Children.

Objective: To compare health care use and spending in children using vs not using respiratory medical equipment and supplies (RMES).

Study Design: Cohort study of 20 352 children age 1-18 years continuously enrolled in Medicaid in 2013 from 12 states in the Truven Medicaid MarketScan Database; 7060 children using RMES were propensity score matched with 13 292 without RMES. Home RMES use was identified with Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System and International Classification of Diseases codes.

Role of Prices, Utilization, and Health in Explaining Texas Medicaid Newborn Care Spending Variation.

Background: Newborn care is one of the most frequent types of hospitalization and Medicaid covers over 50% of all births nationwide. However, little is known about regional variation in Medicaid newborn care spending and its drivers.

Objectives: To measure the contribution of market-level prices, utilization, and health risk on regional variation in spending among newborn Medicaid population in Texas.