Inflammation and poverty as individual and combined predictors of 15-year mortality risk in middle aged and older adults in the US.

Background: Chronic systemic inflammation and poverty are both linked to an increased mortality risk. The goal of this study was to determine if there is a synergistic effect of the presence of inflammation and poverty on the 15-year risk of all-cause, heart disease and cancer mortality among US adults. Methods: We analyzed the nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999 to 2002 with linked records to the National Death Index through the date December 31, 2019. Among adults aged 40 and older, 15-year mortality risk associated with inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP), and poverty was assessed in Cox regressions. All-cause, heart disease and cancer mortality were the outcomes. Results: Individuals with elevated CRP at 1.0 mg/dL and poverty were at greater risk of 15-year adjusted, all-cause mortality (HR = 2.45; 95% CI 1.64, 3.67) than individuals with low CRP and were above poverty. For individuals with just one at risk characteristic, low inflammation/poverty (HR = 1.58; 95% CI 1.30, 1.93), inflammation/above poverty (HR = 1.59; 95% CI 1.31, 1.93) the mortality risk was essentially the same and substantially lower than the risk for adults with both. Individuals with both elevated inflammation and living in poverty experience a 15-year heart disease mortality risk elevated by 127% and 15-year cancer mortality elevated by 196%. Discussion: This study extends the past research showing an increased mortality risk for poverty and systemic inflammation to indicate that there is a potential synergistic effect for increased mortality risk when an adult has both increased inflammation and is living in poverty.

The Impact of Virtual Interviews on Recruitment and Implicit Bias.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated virtual residency interview adoption. The impact of virtual interviews on program directors' (PD) National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) Match satisfaction, their future interview plans, and their perceptions about virtual interviews' influence on bias are unknown. We report the results of a survey of family medicine (FM) PDs about these topics after mandatory virtual interviews in 2020-2021. METHODS: A national survey of all FM PDs was conducted in April 2021 (n=619). The response rate was 46.37% (n=287). Questions asked whether PDs conducted virtual interviews, as well as PDs' general perceptions of virtual interviews' impact on administrative burden, diversity and bias; PD's ability to communicate program culture and assess applicants' alignment with program values; PD's satisfaction with Match results; and plans for interview structure postpandemic. RESULTS: Two hundred forty-four (93.1%) respondents performed only virtual interviews; 83.9% (n=220) conducting virtual interviews were satisfied with Match results, with no difference between programs with all virtual interviews vs others (OR 1.2, P=.994). PDs who communicated program values and involved residents in virtual interviews experienced higher Match satisfaction (OR 7.6, P<.001; OR 4.21, P=.001). PDs concerned about virtual interviews increasing bias against minorities before 2020 were still concerned after (OR 8.81, P<.001) and had lower Match satisfaction (OR 0.24, P=.001). CONCLUSIONS: Most FM PDs conducted entirely virtual interviews in 2020 and were satisfied with the Match. Interview processes including residents and conveying residency culture increased Match satisfaction. PDs are concerned about bias in virtual interviews, but more investigation about bias is needed.

Family Medicine Musculoskeletal Medicine Education: A CERA Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Musculoskeletal (MSK) concerns constitute up to 40% of primary care outpatient visits. Despite Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) family medicine program requirements for musculoskeletal medicine and sports medicine training, previous studies have shown that family medicine residency graduates do not have adequate training to manage common musculoskeletal conditions. Factors for this may include deficiencies in education at both the undergraduate and graduate medical education training levels. METHODS: A Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance survey of 287 family medicine program directors assessed the current state of the delivery of musculoskeletal medicine education. Opinions were gathered on the scope and delivery of training requirements as well as potential areas for further curricular attention. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty-seven program directors responded to the survey (response rate 41.53%). Most (72.60%) were in university based or affiliated programs and had a fellowship-trained primary care sports medicine physician (59.85%) curricular lead. A majority (77.4%) did not feel that PGY-1 residents enter residency with the physical exam skills needed to evaluate common musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions , and most (81.15%) did not feel that there should be changes to the current ACGME requirements. An area highlighted for further investment is faculty development in point-of-care ultrasound (39.85%). CONCLUSIONS: Although program directors believe that current ACGME MSK curricular requirements are likely appropriate, they do not feel residents arrive with the examination skills needed to evaluate common MSK conditions.Therefore, further attention can be given to medical student education in musculoskeletal exam skills prior to residency. Future research should develop objective measures using multiple assessors-students, residents, teaching faculty, and patients-to assess both the baseline and graduating competency in MSK medicine of our residents.

40-year-old woman • fever • rash • arthralgia • Dx?

► Fever ► rash ►arthralgia.

COVID-19 Post-acute Sequelae Among Adults: 12 Month Mortality Risk.

Background: There are concerns regarding post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, but it is unclear whether COVID-19 poses a significant downstream mortality risk. The objective was to determine the relationship between COVID-19 infection and 12-month mortality after recovery from the initial episode of COVID-19 in adult patients. Methods: An analysis of electronic health records (EHR) was performed for a cohort of 13,638 patients, including COVID-19 positive and a comparison group of COVID-19 negative patients, who were followed for 12 months post COVID-19 episode at one health system. Both COVID-19 positive patients and COVID-19 negative patients were PCR validated. COVID-19 positive patients were classified as severe if they were hospitalized within the first 30 days of the date of their initial positive test. The 12-month risk of mortality was assessed in unadjusted Cox regressions and those adjusted for age, sex, race and comorbidities. Separate subgroup analyses were conducted for (a) patients aged 65 and older and (b) those <65 years. Results: Of the 13,638 patients included in this cohort, 178 had severe COVID-19, 246 had mild/moderate COVID-19, and 13,214 were COVID-19 negative. In the cohort, 2,686 died in the 12-month period. The 12-month adjusted all-cause mortality risk was significantly higher for patients with severe COVID-19 compared to both COVID-19 negative patients (HR 2.50; 95% CI 2.02, 3.09) and mild COVID-19 patients (HR 1.87; 95% CI 1.28, 2.74). The vast majority of deaths (79.5%) were for causes other than respiratory or cardiovascular conditions. Among patients aged <65 years, the pattern was similar but the mortality risk for patients with severe COVID-19 was increased compared to both COVID-19 negative patients (HR 3.33; 95% CI 2.35, 4.73) and mild COVID-19 patients (HR 2.83; 95% CI 1.59, 5.04). Patients aged 65 and older with severe COVID-19 were also at increased 12-month mortality risk compared to COVID-19 negative patients (HR 2.17; 95% CI 1.66, 2.84) but not mild COVID-19 patients (HR 1.41; 95% CI 0.84, 2.34). Discussion: Patients with a COVID-19 hospitalization were at significantly increased risk for future mortality. In a time when nearly all COVID-19 hospitalizations are preventable this study points to an important and under-investigated sequela of COVID-19 and the corresponding need for prevention.

Vocal Cord Dysfunction: Rapid Evidence Review.

Vocal cord dysfunction (i.e., vocal cords closing when they should be opening, particularly during inspiration) should be suspected in patients presenting with inspiratory stridor or wheezing; sudden, severe dyspnea (without hypoxia, tachypnea, or increased work of breathing); throat or chest tightness; and anxiety, particularly in females. Common triggers include exercise, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, postnasal drip, upper or lower respiratory tract infection, and irritants. Nasolaryngoscopy and pulmonary function testing, with provocative exercise and methacholine, can help diagnose vocal cord dysfunction and are helpful to evaluate for other etiologies. Conditions that can trigger vocal cord dysfunction should be optimally treated, particularly asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and postnasal drip, while avoiding potential irritants. Therapeutic breathing maneuvers and vocal cord relaxation techniques are first-line therapy for dyspnea that occurs with vocal cord dysfunction. A subset of vocal cord dysfunction leads to dysphonia, as opposed to dyspnea, secondary to abnormal laryngeal muscle spasms (vocal cord closure is less severe). OnabotulinumtoxinA injections may be helpful for spasmodic dysphonia and for treating dyspnea in certain cases, although evidence is limited.

Case Report: Can Inhaled Adenosine Attenuate COVID-19?

This case report demonstrates a small repetition of the case series carried out in Italy wherein inhaled adenosine was administered to patients experiencing severe and worsening coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). The two cases are important not only because they were the first of their type in the United States, but also because both patients were DNR/DNI and were therefore expected to die. Study repetition is vitally important in medicine. New work in pharmacology hypothesizes that adenosine-regulator proteins may play a role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 infection. Furthermore, adenosine, by interacting with cell receptor sites, has pluripotent effects upon inflammatory cells, is anti-inflammatory, and is important in tissue hypoxia signaling. Inhaled adenosine is potentially safe; thousands have received it for asthmatic challenge testing. The effects of adenosine in these two cases were rapid, positive, and fit the pharmacologic hypotheses (as seen in prior work in this journal) and support its role as a therapeutic nucleoside.

The Pregnant Patient: Managing Common Acute Medical Problems.

Women often see their primary care physicians for common acute conditions during pregnancy. These conditions may be caused by pregnancy (obstetric problems) or worsened by pregnancy (obstetrically aggravated problems), or they may require special consideration during pregnancy because of maternal or fetal risks (nonobstetric problems). Primary care physicians should know the differential diagnosis for common conditions during pregnancy and recognize the important findings of obstetric and urgent nonobstetric problems. The family physician can evaluate and treat most nonobstetric problems, although obstetric problems require referral to a primary maternity care clinician. A tiered approach, including routinely looking for all-cause red flag symptoms and signs, while remaining aware of estimated gestational age, allows for high-quality care and shared decision making between the family physician and the pregnant patient. When treating common causes of nausea and epigastric pain/gastroesophageal reflux, lifestyle modifications are considered the safest and first-choice therapy, followed by well-established low-risk therapies, such as vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and doxylamine for nausea, and antacids not containing salicylates (found in bismuth combination products) for gastroesophageal reflux. Other common conditions during pregnancy are best treated with low-risk therapies, such as using antihistamines or topical steroids for rashes, first-generation cephalosporins or amoxicillin for cystitis, and physical therapy and acetaminophen for low back pain and headaches.