Social Isolation and Incident Heart Failure Hospitalization in Older Women: Women's Health Initiative Study Findings.

Background The association of social isolation or lack of social network ties in older adults is unknown. This knowledge gap is important since the risk of heart failure (HF) and social isolation increase with age. The study examines whether social isolation is associated with incident HF in older women, and examines depressive symptoms as a potential mediator and age and race and ethnicity as effect modifiers.

Use of a Brief Negotiation Interview in the emergency department to reduce high-risk alcohol use among older adults: A randomized trial.

Objective: To determine whether a Brief Negotiation Interview (BNI) performed in the emergency department (ED) can reduce future rates of alcohol use among older adults who are high-risk drinkers.

Methods: Adults aged 65 years and older in a single academic ED were screened for high-risk alcohol use based on the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism definition of >7 drinks per week or >3 drinks per occasion. Eligible individuals who were high-risk drinkers who passed a cognitive impairment screener and who consented to enrollment were randomly assigned to receive the BNI versus usual care.

Validity evidence for an instrument for cognitive load for virtual didactic sessions.

Background: COVID necessitated the shift to virtual resident instruction. The challenge of learning via virtual modalities has the potential to increase cognitive load. It is important for educators to reduce cognitive load to optimize learning, yet there are few available tools to measure cognitive load.

Utility of COVID-19 antigen testing in the emergency department.

Background: The BinaxNOW coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Ag Card test (Abbott Diagnostics Scarborough, Inc.) is a lateral flow immunochromatographic point-of-care test for the qualitative detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid protein antigen. It provides results from nasal swabs in 15 minutes.

Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke Symptoms in the REGARDS Study.

Background It is unknown if stroke symptoms in the absence of a stroke diagnosis are a sign of subtle cardioembolic phenomena. The objective of this study was to examine associations between atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke symptoms among adults with no clinical history of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Methods and Results We evaluated associations between AF and self-reported stroke symptoms in the national, prospective REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) cohort.

Is diabetes associated with increased pathological burden in Alzheimer's disease?

Introduction: We examined the association between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypothesized that diabetes is associated with an increased pathological burden in clinically and pathologically diagnosed AD.

Methods: All data were obtained from the Uniform Data Set (UDS) v3, the Neuropathology Data Set, and the Researcher's Data Dictionary-Genetic Data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. The dataset (37 cases with diabetes and 1158 cases without) relies on autopsy-confirmed data in clinically diagnosed AD patients who were assessed for diabetes type in form A5 or D2 during at least one visit.

Pathways by Which Food Insecurity Is Associated With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk.

Background Food insecurity (FI) has been associated with an increased atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk; however, the pathways by which FI leads to worse cardiovascular health are unknown. We tested the hypothesis that FI is associated with ASCVD risk through nutritional/anthropometric (eg, worse diet quality and increased weight), psychological/mental health (eg, increased depressive symptoms and risk of substance abuse), and access to care pathways. Methods and Results We conducted a cross-sectional study of adults (aged 40-79 years) using the 2007 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Hospital Readmissions and Mortality Among Fee-for-Service Medicare Patients With Minor Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: Findings From the COMPASS Cluster-Randomized Pragmatic Trial.

Background Mortality and hospital readmission rates may reflect the quality of acute and postacute stroke care. Our aim was to investigate if, compared with usual care (UC), the COMPASS-TC (Comprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services Transitional Care) intervention (INV) resulted in lower all-cause and stroke-specific readmissions and mortality among patients with minor stroke and transient ischemic attack discharged from 40 diverse North Carolina hospitals from 2016 to 2018. Methods and Results Using Medicare fee-for-service claims linked with COMPASS cluster-randomized trial data, we performed intention-to-treat analyses for 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year unplanned all-cause and stroke-specific readmissions and all-cause mortality between INV and UC groups, with 90-day unplanned all-cause readmissions as the primary outcome.

Perceptions of quality of communication in family interactions in neurocritical care.

Objective: Given the challenges of patient-provider communication in neurocritical care lacking robust decision-making tools on prognostication, we investigated concordance in perceptions of communication among participants in family discussions and assess the different domains of communication that affect these perceptions.

Methods: Prospective observational study conducted over 4 months in a tertiary-level academic medical center neurocritical care unit. Our study involved family discussions regarding plan of care for admitted patients observed by a neutral observer.

DUOGLOBE: One-Year Outcomes in a Real-World Study of Levodopa Carbidopa Intestinal Gel for Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) is an established treatment for improving motor and some non-motor symptoms (NMS) in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). Prospective long-term data in routine clinical practice are limited.

Objective: Assess LCIG effectiveness and safety in patients with advanced PD after 12 months during real-world routine clinical practice.

An Exploration of Emergency Department Visits for Home Unintentional Injuries Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder for Evidence to Modify Injury Prevention Guidelines.

Objectives: Current childhood injury prevention guidance is anchored by a child's age. For example, children are considered at high risk for falls at ages 4 years and less, and guidance for prevention focuses on these ages. However, these guidelines may not be adequate for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Brain White Matter Structure and Amyloid Deposition in Black and White Older Adults: The ARIC-PET Study.

Background White matter abnormalities are a common feature of aging and Alzheimer disease, and tend to be more severe among Black individuals. However, the extent to which white matter abnormalities relate to amyloid deposition, a marker of Alzheimer pathology, remains unclear. This cross-sectional study examined the association of white matter abnormalities with cortical amyloid in a community sample of older adults without dementia and examined the moderating effect of race.

Relationship Between a Plant-Based Dietary Portfolio and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Findings From the Women's Health Initiative Prospective Cohort Study.

Background The plant-based Dietary Portfolio combines established cholesterol-lowering foods (plant protein, nuts, viscous fiber, and phytosterols), plus monounsaturated fat, and has been shown to improve low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. No studies have evaluated the relation of the Dietary Portfolio with incident CVD events. Methods and Results We followed 123 330 postmenopausal women initially free of CVD in the Women's Health Initiative from 1993 through 2017.

Multiple Blood Biomarkers and Stroke Risk in Atrial Fibrillation: The REGARDS Study.

Background Atrial fibrillation is associated with increased stroke risk; available risk prediction tools have modest accuracy. We hypothesized that circulating stroke risk biomarkers may improve stroke risk prediction in atrial fibrillation. Methods and Results The REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) study is a prospective cohort study of 30 239 Black and White adults age ≥45 years.

Virtual multispecialty point-of-care ultrasound rotation for fourth-year medical students during COVID-19: Innovative teaching techniques improve ultrasound knowledge and image interpretation.

Objectives: Point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) has been integrated into undergraduate medical education. The COVID-19 pandemic forced medical schools to evolve clinical rotations to minimize interruption through implementation of novel remote learning courses. To address the students' need for remote clinical education, we created a virtual PoCUS course for our fourth-year class.

Tobacco Use Prevalence and Transitions From 2013 to 2018 Among Adults With a History of Cardiovascular Disease.

Background Although tobacco product use and transitions have been characterized in the general population, few studies have focused on individuals with established cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a population-based sample. Methods and Results We examined tobacco use prevalence and longitudinal patterns of tobacco product transitions in adults (≥18 years) of the nationally representative PATH (Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health) study, from 2013 to 2014 (Wave 1) through 2016 to 2018 (Wave 4). Prevalent CVD was classified through self-report of having had a heart attack, heart failure, stroke, or other heart condition.

Outcomes of Rescue Endovascular Treatment of Emergent Large Vessel Occlusion in Patients With Underlying Intracranial Atherosclerosis: Insights From STAR.

Background Some emergent large vessel occlusions (ELVOs) are refractory to reperfusion because of underlying intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS), often requiring rescue therapy (RT) with balloon angioplasty, stenting, or both. In this study, we investigate the safety, efficacy, and long-term outcomes of RT in the setting of mechanical thrombectomy for ICAS-related ELVO. Methods and Results We queried the databases of 10 thrombectomy-capable centers in North America and Europe included in STAR (Stroke Thrombectomy and Aneurysm Registry).

Ethical issues in the access to emergency care for undocumented immigrants.

Patients who are undocumented immigrants (UIs) frequently present to emergency departments in the United States, especially in communities with large immigrant populations. Emergency physicians confront important ethical issues when providing care for these patients. This article examines those ethical issues and recommends best practices in emergency care for UIs.

Leadership Matters: Needs Assessment and Framework for the International Federation for Emergency Medicine Administrative Leadership Curriculum.

Objectives: The objective was to research and develop a novel curriculum on administrative leadership development within the discipline of emergency medicine (EM) with the goal of establishing and implementing it through the world's EM professional organizations.

Methods: From 2016 to 2018 an assessment of different administrative and leadership programs was performed by researching and reviewing previously outlined curricula. Using the data from this assessment, a questionnaire was developed, that was subsequently sent to members of the International Federation for Emergency Medicine's (IFEM) listserv.

Corroboration of Height Velocity Prediction Markers for rhGH With an Oral GH Secretagogue Treatment in Children With GHD.

Context: Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) is approved for treatment of pediatric growth hormone deficiency (GHD), with greatest growth responses observed in those with severe GHD. Orally administered GH secretagogues (GHS) may be useful treatment in patients with moderate GHD. Distinguishing children with severe moderate GHD could identify children who would be better treated with rhGH or GHS.

Early return to continence and potency with use of dehydrated human umbilical cord graft at the time of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: A case study and analysis of relevant literature.

Introduction: Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy often causes damage to the neurovascular bundle which results in erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Recovery may take months; however, dehydrated umbilical cord allografts appear to offer an advantage in terms of a faster return to continence and potency.

Case Presentation: A 67-year-old male, who presented with intermediate-risk prostate cancer, underwent a bilateral nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy and placement of dehydrated human umbilical cord graft.