Validation of an algorithm to identify fractures among patients within the Veterans Health Administration.

Objective: To validate an algorithm that identifies fractures using billing codes from the International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision (ICD-9) and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department visits in a population of patients.

Methods: We identified and reviewed a random sample of 543 encounters for adults receiving care within a single Veterans Health Administration healthcare system and had a first fracture episode between 2010 and 2019. To determine if an encounter represented a true incident fracture, we performed chart abstraction and assessed the type of fracture and mechanism.

Multimodality Cardiac Imaging in COVID.

Infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, is associated with numerous potential secondary complications. Global efforts have been dedicated to understanding the myriad potential cardiovascular sequelae which may occur during acute infection, convalescence, or recovery. Because patients often present with nonspecific symptoms and laboratory findings, cardiac imaging has emerged as an important tool for the discrimination of pulmonary and cardiovascular complications of this disease.

Primary Occurrence of Cardiovascular Events After Adding Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors or Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists Compared With Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors: A Cohort Study in Veterans With Diabetes.

Background: The effectiveness of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) in preventing major adverse cardiac events (MACE) is uncertain for those without preexisting cardiovascular disease.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that MACE incidence was lower with the addition of GLP1RA or SGLT2i compared with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4i) for primary cardiovascular prevention.

Design: Retrospective cohort study of U.

The Admission Checklist: The key steps and responsibilities for the admitting resident.

The process of admitting patients from the emergency department to the general medicine floor is foundational to the medical training process and medical practice more generally. Yet this process is rife with potential error if not approached systematically, and residents rarely receive explicit teaching in this area. The creation of an "Admission Checklist" proposed by the authors could serve the function of reducing error and enhancing inter-provider communication throughout this process.

Sizing Up Fontan Failure: Association with Increasing Weight in Adulthood.

Obesity has become increasingly recognized in adults with Fontan palliation, yet the relationship between weight changes in adulthood and Fontan failure is not clearly defined. We hypothesize that increasing weight in adulthood among Fontan patients is associated with the development of Fontan failure. Single-center data from adults with Fontan palliation who were not in Fontan failure at their first clinic visit in adulthood and who received ongoing care were retrospectively collected.

Hospitalization for Heart Failure Among Patients With Diabetes Mellitus and Reduced Kidney Function Treated With Metformin Versus Sulfonylureas: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background Metformin and sulfonylurea are commonly prescribed oral medications for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The association of metformin and sulfonylureas on heart failure outcomes in patients with reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate remains poorly understood. Methods and Results This retrospective cohort combined data from National Veterans Health Administration, Medicare, Medicaid, and the National Death Index.

HeartMate 3 in a ccTGA patient.

A 49-year-old female with congenitally corrected (or levo-) transposition of the great arteries complicated by nonischemic cardiomyopathy presented for worsening heart failure despite guideline-directed medical therapy and was found to be in cardiogenic shock. She successfully underwent ventricular assist device placement with a HeartMate III to her systemic right ventricle as a bridge to transplantation.