Outcomes of Patients Discharged to Skilled Nursing Facilities After Acute Care Hospitalizations.

Objectives: To evaluate previously independent older patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and identify risk factors for failure to return home and death and development of a predictive tool to determine likelihood of adverse outcome.

Background: Little is known about the likelihood of return to home, and higher than expected mortality rates in SNFs have recently been described, which may represent an opportunity for quality improvement.

Methods: Retrospective cohort of older hospitalized patients discharged to SNFs during 2007 to 2009 in 5 states using Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services linked minimum data set data from SNFs.

Emergency department-reported injuries associated with mechanical home exercise equipment in the USA.

The goal of this study was to generate national estimates of injuries associated with mechanical home exercise equipment, and to describe these injuries across all ages. Emergency department (ED)-treated injuries associated with mechanical home exercise equipment were identified from 2007 to 2011 from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Text narratives provided exercise equipment type (treadmill, elliptical, stationary bicycle, unspecified/other exercise machine).

Increase in pediatric magnet-related foreign bodies requiring emergency care.

Study Objective: We describe magnetic foreign body injuries among children and obtain national estimates of magnetic foreign body injury incidence over time.

Methods: We searched the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System for cases of magnetic foreign bodies in children younger than 21 years in the United States, from 2002 to 2011. Cases were analyzed by location: alimentary or respiratory tract, nasal cavity, ear canal, or genital area.

Burst fractures of the lumbar spine in frontal crashes.

Background: In the United States, major compression and burst type fractures (>20% height loss) of the lumbar spine occur as a result of motor vehicle crashes, despite the improvements in restraint technologies. Lumbar burst fractures typically require an axial compressive load and have been known to occur during a non-horizontal crash event that involve high vertical components of loading. Recently these fracture patterns have also been observed in pure horizontal frontal crashes.