Associations of Primary Spoken Language With Individual Perception of Hearing-Related Disability.

Objectives: Hispanic/Latino adults are less likely than non-Hispanic White adults to seek treatment for hearing disability. While differential socioeconomic factors may contribute to this finding, differences in phonology and syntax in the Spanish, versus English, language may also influence patient perception of hearing disability. The objective of this study is to investigate the association between primary language spoken and participant perception of hearing disability.

Characterization of Stealth Liposome-Based Nanoparticles Encapsulating the ACAT1/SOAT1 Inhibitor F26: Efficacy and Toxicity Studies In Vitro and in Wild-Type Mice.

Cholesterol homeostasis is pivotal for cellular function. Acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase 1 (ACAT1), also abbreviated as SOAT1, is an enzyme responsible for catalyzing the storage of excess cholesterol to cholesteryl esters. ACAT1 is an emerging target to treat diverse diseases including atherosclerosis, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.

A Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS) Clinic in Rural New England.

This article explores the demand and utilization of a rural post-acute COVID syndrome clinic. Electronic health records were used to identify referrals between April 2021 and April 2022 and to describe characteristics of referred patients and referrals generated to specialty services. Of the 747 referrals received, 363 (48.

Geographical location, cigarette risk perceptions, and current smoking among older US adults.

Introduction: Cigarette smoking and smoking-related lung disease are more common in rural (vs urban) areas of the United States (US). This study examined relationships between geographical location, cigarette risk perceptions, and current smoking among older adults who are at greatest risk of developing smoking-related lung disease.

Methods: The study was a secondary data analysis of 12126 respondents aged ≥40 years from Wave 5 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study.

Timing and content of serious illness conversations for patients with advanced heart failure in a specialty-aligned palliative care service.

Background: Patients with advanced heart failure (AHF) desire communication around values and goals prior to treatment decisions.

Objectives: To evaluate the timing and content of the first serious illness communication (SI conversation) for patients with AHF after referral to a specialist palliative care (PC) team (HeartPal).

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we used electronic health records to identify patients referred to HeartPal and their first SI conversations at a tertiary care hospital between October 2018 and September 2021.

Anaphylaxis: Definition and criteria.

Anaphylaxis is a systemic allergic reaction that may be severe and life-threatening. With more than a dozen anaphylaxis definitions proposed over the past several decades and several diagnostic criteria in circulation, there is a need for a multinational consensus definition to simplify management across specialties. Anaphylaxis diagnostic criteria are more alike than they are different, and approaches of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, World Allergy Organization, and Brighton Collaborative help to add granularity and perspective to patient management.

Food allergy prevention through the decades: An ounce of humility is worth a pound of cure.

Food allergy prevention has undergone a significant transformation over the past 3 decades. This review provides an overview of the evolution of food allergy prevention, highlighting changes in guidance, cost-effectiveness of prevention, the role of shared decision-making, and the emergence of oral immunotherapy for those in whom primary prevention fails. Changes to food allergy prevention over recent decades can be conceptualized into five epochs, which have followed a general trend of loosening restrictions on the allergen introduction timeline.

Predictors of postpandemic preparedness for special pathogens.

In this survey of 31 hospitals, large metropolitan facilities had a 9.5-fold odds of reporting preparedness for special pathogens; hospitals with special pathogens teams had a 14.3-fold odds of reporting preparedness for special pathogens.

Pearls for practice from the 2023 joint task force anaphylaxis practice parameter.

Purpose Of Review: To share important highlights on the management of anaphylaxis from the latest 2023 practice parameter.

Recent Findings: The 2023 Allergy Immunology Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters (JTFPP) anaphylaxis practice parameter provides updated anaphylaxis guidance. Criteria for the diagnosis of anaphylaxis are reviewed.

A Hybrid Markov-SPC Approach to Assess Cost Differences in Urgent Care Utilization Using Patient-Reported Data in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background: Cost is a key outcome in quality and value, but it is often difficult to estimate reliably and efficiently for use in real-time improvement efforts. We describe a method using patient-reported outcomes (PROs), Markov modeling, and statistical process control (SPC) analytics in a real-time cost-estimation prototype designed to assess cost differences between usual care and improvement conditions in a national multicenter improvement collaborative-the IBD Qorus Learning Health System (LHS).

Methods: The IBD Qorus Learning Health System (LHS) collects PRO data, including emergency department utilization and hospitalizations from patients prior to their clinical visits.

Trends in patient characteristics and mortality among Medicare patients diagnosed with peripheral artery disease.

Introduction: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a well-described risk factor for mortality, but few studies have examined secular trends in mortality over time for patients with PAD. We characterized trends in mortality in patients with PAD in recent years among Medicare patients.

Methods: We used Medicare claims to identify patients with a new diagnosis code for PAD between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2018 using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnosis codes.

Comparing spatial distributions of ALA-PpIX and indocyanine green in a whole pig brain glioma model using 3D fluorescence cryotomography.

Significance: ALA-PpIX and second-window indocyanine green (ICG) have been studied widely for guiding the resection of high-grade gliomas. These agents have different mechanisms of action and uptake characteristics, which can affect their performance as surgical guidance agents. Elucidating these differences in animal models that approach the size and anatomy of the human brain would help guide the use of these agents.

Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis in the setting of acute intracerebral hemorrhage.

Background: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening condition among diabetic patients characterized by metabolic anion gap (AG) acidosis of arterial pH <7.30, glucose >250 mg/dL, and positive ketones. The triggers for DKA can be infection, surgery, and, in reported cases, intraparenchymal hemorrhage (IPH).

Clinician perspectives on the perioperative roles and responsibilities of anesthesia, surgery, and primary care.

Background: Although high-risk older patients benefit from a multidisciplinary approach to perioperative care, the specific roles and responsibilities of the clinicians involved have yet to be adequately characterized.

Methods: Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with four anesthesia preoperative clinic providers, seven surgeons, and nine primary care providers in northern New England.

Results: The analysis revealed both distinct and overlapping roles and responsibilities.

Comparison of In-person VS remote learning modalities for ultrasound-guided knee arthrocentesis training using formalin-embalmed cadavers.

Objectives: This study aims to compare the efficacy of remote versus in-person training strategies to teach ultrasound guided knee arthrocentesis using formalin embalmed cadavers.

Methods: 30 first-year medical student participants were randomly assigned to remote or in-person training groups. Pre- and post- training surveys were used to evaluate participant's self-confidence in their ability to perform the procedure.

An Exploratory Study of Dynamic Capabilities and Performance Improvement in Hospitals.

Goal: Recent efforts to push hospitals to provide high-value care have relied on payment incentives. However, evidence indicates that 70% to 90% of performance improvement projects do not achieve their desired goals. Therefore, in addition to managing external industry pressures, hospitals need to develop performance improvement (PI) capabilities that enable them to capitalize on improvement opportunities, effectively develop and adopt solutions, and ensure the sustainability of improvements over time.

The impact of breast cancer radiation therapy exposure on the prevalence of breast arterial calcification.

Objectives: Mammographic breast arterial calcification (BAC) is an emerging imaging biomarker of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in women. The purpose of this study was to assess if breast radiation therapy (RT) exposure impacts the screening utility of this imaging biomarker.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included women ages 40-75 years who underwent index screening mammography between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2012.

Impact of Chronic Kidney Disease on Outcomes following Vascular Procedure in the Vascular Quality Initiative.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) increases morbidity and mortality in most vascular procedures. However, a binary classification of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, which is often used in both modeling and clinical trials, may not be optimal for predicting clinical outcomes.