Rurality as a Risk Factor for Pulmonary Health Disparities.

Rural populations experience significant pulmonary health disparities compared with urban populations. Patients in rural communities experience health determinants including high smoking prevalence, worse nutrition, lower educational attainment, specific occupational exposures, decreased health-care access, as well as unique cultural and political drivers of health. This article describes social determinants of pulmonary health relevant in rural communities, describes examples of existing pulmonary disparities in rural populations, and highlights health policies with potential to mitigate disparities.

Early Empiric Antibiotic Use in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To investigate temporal trends and outcomes associated with early antibiotic prescribing in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Design: Retrospective propensity-matched cohort study using the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) database.

Setting: Sixty-six health systems throughout the United States that were contributing to the N3C database.

Differences in lung function between major race/ethnicity groups following hospitalization with COVID-19.

Background: Ethnic minorities have higher rates of infection, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 compared to White Americans.

Research Question: Is race/ethnicity an independent predictor of lung dysfunction following hospitalization with COVID-19?

Study Design: and Methods: Patients hospitalized at the University of Virginia Medical Center with COVID-19 underwent a questionnaire within 30 days following discharge. Those who had persistent respiratory symptoms were invited to complete spirometry, lung volumes, and diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide.