Age-Related Vulnerability to Malnutrition-Related Mortality: Younger Patients are at Risk.

Introduction: Malnutrition among older adults continues to be a prevalent health concern. While literature has highlighted an increased risk of malnutrition mortality for adults older than 65 y, the age threshold at which malnutrition effects survival and mortality remains unexplored.

Methods: Annual crude and age-adjusted malnutrition-related mortality data from 2009 to 2018 was extracted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database.

A Core Outcome Set for Adult General ICU Patients.

Objectives: Randomized clinical trials informing clinical practice (e.g., like large, pragmatic, and late-phase trials) should ideally mostly use harmonized outcomes that are important to patients, family members, clinicians, and researchers.

Assessing initial/early aversion-resistant drinking across male and female alcohol-preferring and non-preferring rats.

Background: One trait of alcohol use disorder (AUD) is continuing to drink despite negative consequences. The current study investigated initial/early aversion-resistant drinking (ARD) across selectively bred alcohol-preferring lines to assess aversion resistance with minimal ethanol history and subsequent ethanol-seeking and drinking profiles. Additionally, ARD was assessed in alcohol-preferring and non-preferring rats using a sucrose reinforcer to determine if ARD may be a genetic risk factor for AUD.

Penalizing underage alcohol use is associated with lower mortality for young drivers: Use/lose laws and their association with motor vehicle collision mortality.

Background: Motor vehicle collisions (MVC) continue to be a leading cause of mortality for youth in the United States. Since 2010, seven states have revoked mandatory laws that suspended licenses for underage alcohol use, also known as use/lose laws. This study analyzed whether each state's policy change was associated with increased youth MVC mortality.

Mobile App-Facilitated Collaborative Palliative Care Intervention for Critically Ill Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Few person-centered, scalable models of collaborative intensive care unit (ICU) clinician-palliative care specialist care exist.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a collaborative palliative care intervention compared to usual care among family members of patients in the ICU.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This parallel-group randomized clinical trial with patient-level randomization was conducted between April 2021 and September 2023.

Disparities in educational attainment and assault mortalities among Asian Americans in the USA, 2009-2021.

Background: In 2021, a spike in Asian American hate crimes resurged discussion on Asian health disparities. This study describes the association between education and assault among Asian Americans and their subgroups.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used individual-level data from the mortality multiple cause-of-death data from the National Center for Health Statistics from 2009 to 2021.

Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition Timing in eICU Collaborative Research Database by Race: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Introduction: Racial and ethnic disparities in malnutrition are well-known, but it is unknown if there are disparities in early nutrition delivery for intensive care unit (ICU) patients, which is associated with better outcomes. We investigated the timing of enteral nutrition (EN) and parenteral nutrition (PN) initiation in the ICU, examining for racial differences.

Methods: Using the eICU-Collaborative Research Database (eICU-CRD) from 2014 to 2015, we analyzed patients eligible for EN and PN from 208 hospitals.

Care Transitions After Critical Illness.

Patients and their caregivers navigate multiple transitions of care across the health system as they recover from their critical illness. Current research supports the development of integrated models of care to improve patient outcomes after critical illness. Future research to ensure the development of integrated models across different regions and to understand the optimal mode of delivery of these is required.

Hospital costs of COVID-19, post-COVID-19 condition and other viral pneumonias: a cost comparison analysis.

Objectives: To compare hospital admission costs for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases to hospital admission costs for other viral pneumonia cases in Australia, and to describe hospital admission costs for post-COVID-19 condition.

Design, Setting, Participants: A cost comparison analysis of hospital admissions due to COVID-19 or other viral pneumonias between 1 January 2020 and 30 June 2021 at Victorian public health acute and subacute services.

Main Outcome Measures: Demographic characteristics, clinical outcomes (including diagnoses, impairment, subacute admission, intensive care unit admissions, ventilation, and length of stay) and cost data (including diagnostic-related groups, and total, direct and indirect costs).

Quality improvement initiative to achieve early enteral feeds in preterm infants at a level IV neonatal intensive care unit.

Objective: We report the results of a quality improvement initiative to reduce the time to full enteral feeds and number of central line and parenteral nutrition days in premature infants in a level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by 20%.

Study Design: In 2020, a multidisciplinary team at our NICU initiated a quality improvement project to improve enteral feeding in infants with a birthweight <1800 g. The key drivers were early donor human milk consent, trophic feeds initiation, and modification of the enteral feeding guidelines.

Association of Area Deprivation Index With Mortality in Critically Ill Adults With COVID-19.

Background: Various social determinants of health have been established as significant risk factors for COVID-19 transmission, prevalence, incidence, and mortality. Area deprivation index (ADI, a composite score made up of educational, housing, and poverty markers) is an accepted multidimensional social determinants of health measure. Little is known about how structural social determinants of health before hospitalization, including ADI, may affect mortality related to COVID-19 in critically ill patients.

Prescribing by level of deprivation in Wales: an investigation of selected medicine groups.

Background: Prescribing is the most common intervention made by healthcare professionals. Our study aimed to compare prescribing between general practitioner (GP) practices with the highest and lowest levels of deprivation.

Methods: The deprivation level of each GP practice was determined using data from the income domain of the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation and individual patient postcodes.

Complications associated with prone positioning in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients: A multicentre, retrospective observational study.

Background And Aims: Prone positioning is commonly applied to improve gas exchange in mechanically ventilated patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Whilst prone positioning is effective, specific complications may arise. We aimed to assess the prevalence of specific complications related to prone positioning in patients mechanically ventilated for COVID-19-related ARDS.

Temperature dependence of regional heterothermy in a diminutive ectotherm.

Regional heterothermy describes when body regions differ in temperature, which can have important ramifications for performance because most biological processes are temperature dependent. However, the relationship between regional heterothermy and environmental temperature is not well known, particularly for ectotherms. The relationship between environmental heterogeneity and regional heterothermy might also yield insight into how the latter is regulated.

Pulmonary rehabilitation with balance training for fall reduction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomized controlled trial.

Background And Objectives: Available evidence suggests that adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) performed substantially worse than healthy controls on many balance measures and balance training can improve the balance measures in this population. We conducted this study to determine the effects of incorporating balance training into pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) on the incidence of falls at 12 months follow-up in high fall risk adults with COPD.

Methods: We conducted a prospective international multi-center randomized controlled trial.

Predictive Energy Equations Inaccurately Estimate Metabolic Demands of Older Adult Trauma Patients.

Introduction: Suboptimal nutrition promotes unfavorable outcomes in trauma patients, particularly among those aged 60 and over. While many institutions employ predictive energy equations to determine patients' energy requirements, mounting evidence shows these equations inaccurately estimate caloric needs. In this pilot randomized controlled trial, we sought to quantify the discrepancy between predictive equations and indirect calorimetry (IC)-the gold standard for determining energy requirements-in the older adult trauma population.

The Earlier the Better: Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fractures Associated With Improved Outcomes.

Introduction: Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) has been associated with lower rates of mortality and fewer respiratory complications. This study sought to evaluate the association between SSRF timing and patient outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective analysis included patients aged ≥45 y who underwent SSRF in the Trauma Quality Improvement Program database from 2016 to 2020.

Growth at 2 years corrected age in preterm infants discharged on two different breast milk enhancements: An observational study.

Objective: Breast milk (BM) enhancement is often used to meet the nutritional needs of preterm infants after hospital discharge to achieve optimal growth. This study compared growth at 18-28 months corrected age (CA) among very preterm (VP) and very low birth weight (VLBW) infants discharged from the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) on two BM enhancements.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review study of infants born between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2017, with gestational age < 32 weeks or birthweight < 1500 g, discharged from the NICU on BM enhancements; fortification of BM with infant formula additives (BM-F) or unfortified BM supplemented with bottle feeds of infant formula (BM-S).

Age-Neutral Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fractures: Breaking the Ageism Barrier.

Introduction: Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) is associated with lower rates of mortality and fewer complications. This study evaluates whether the decision to undergo SSRF is associated with age, race, ethnicity, and insurance status and assesses associated clinical outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective analysis included patients ≥45 y old with rib fractures who underwent SSRF in the Trauma Quality Improvement Program from 2016 to 2020.

The Ethical Obligation to Treat Infectious Patients: A Systematic Review of Reasons.

During pandemics, healthcare providers struggle with balancing obligations to self, family, and patients. While HIV/AIDS seemed to settle this issue, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rekindled debates regarding treatment refusal. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL Complete, and Web of Science using terms including obligation, refusal, HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, and pandemics.