Echocardiographic linear fractional shortening for quantification of right ventricular systolic function-A cardiac magnetic resonance validation study.

BACKGROUND: Echocardiography (echo)-based linear fractional shortening (FS) is widely used to assess left ventricular dysfunction (LVdys ), but has not been systematically tested for right ventricular dysfunction (RVdys ). METHODS: The population comprised LVdys patients with and without RVdys (EF<50%) on cardiac MRI (CMR): Echo included standard RV indices (fractional area change [FAC], TAPSE, S', and FS in parasternal long-axis (RV outflow tract [RVOT ]) and apical four-chamber views (width [RVWD ], length [RVLG ]). RESULTS: A total of 168 patients underwent echo and CMR (3±3 days); FAC (46±9 vs 28±11), TAPSE (1.9±0.4 vs 1.5±0.3), and S' (11.4±2.3 vs 10.0±2.6, all P≤.001) were lower among RVdys patients, as were FS indices (RVOT 32±8 vs 17±10 | RVWD 40±11 vs 22±12 | RVLG 16±5 vs 9±4%; all P<.001). FS indices yielded similar magnitude of correlation with CMR RVEF (r=.73-.56) as did FAC (r=.70), which was slightly higher than TAPSE (r=.47) and S' (r=.31; all P<.001). FS indices decreased stepwise vs CMR RVEF tertiles, as did FAC (all P<.001). In multivariate analysis, FS in RVOT (regression coefficient .51 [CI 0.37-0.65]), RVWD (0.30 [0.19-0.41]), and RVLG (0.45 [0.20-0.71]; all P≤.001) was independently associated with CMR RVEF. FS indices yielded good overall diagnostic performance (AUC: RVOT 0.89 [CI 0.82-0.97] | RVWD 0.87 [0.78-0.96] | RVLG 0.80 [0.70-0.90]; all P<.001) for CMR-defined RVdy (RVEF<50%). CONCLUSIONS: RV linear FS provides RV functional indices that parallel CMR RVEF. Parasternal long-axis RVOT width, four-chamber RV width, and length are independently associated with RVEF, supporting use of multiple FS indices for RV functional assessment.

Emergency Department Management of Low Back Pain: A Comparative Review of Guidelines and Practices.

This narrative review examines the current best practices and guidelines for integrating pharmacologic interventions, imaging, and physiotherapy in the management of low back pain. The review also explores how patient factors such as age, sex, comorbidities, and prevalent pathologies/diagnoses influence the choice and effectiveness of these treatment approaches.

Envisioning Better Healthcare Systems: A Unique and Innovative Journey From Community Hospital to Academic Medical Center.

The transformation from a community hospital to an academic medical center (AMC) presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities. This editorial provides an in-depth analysis of the barriers encountered and solutions developed within a large community hospital in Florida as it embarked on this transition, with a focus on the global relevance of issues experienced such as competition with major markets, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the development of multiple Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) programs and balancing the complexities of the United States healthcare system. In alignment with the call for submissions, this editorial highlights the personal experiences of healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers involved in this transition and explores how the lessons learned can inform the development of better healthcare systems worldwide.

Health Priorities of Multi-Morbid Ambulatory Patients in New York City During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, adults with chronic conditions delayed or avoided seeking preventative and general medical care, leading to adverse consequences for morbidity and mortality. In order to bring patients back into care, we, in this qualitative study, sought to understand the foremost health-related needs of our multi-morbid ambulatory patients to inform future outreach interventions. Via a telephone-based survey of our high-risk patients, defined using a validated EPIC risk model for hospitalization and ED visits, we surveyed 214 participants an open-ended question, "What is your top health concern that you would like to speak with a doctor or nurse about". We found 4 major themes: 1) primary care matters, 2) disruptions in health care, 3) COVID-19's impact on physical and mental health, and 4) amplified social vulnerabilities. Our results suggest that interventions that reduce barriers to preventative services and disruptions to healthcare delivery are needed.

Factors Associated with Never Having Had A Video Visit.

INTRODUCTION: Disparities in access to video-visit services have been described during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, we aimed to examine factors associated with not having a video-visit among a medically high-risk ambulatory population. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, our telephone-based survey was designed to understand the health-related challenges, social needs, and access to and attitudes toward video-visit. RESULTS: In the multivariable analysis, having fewer symptoms unrelated to COVID, more barriers to medications, and less confidence with video-visit software were significantly associated with an increased prevalence of not having a video-visit. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that additional efforts are needed to eliminate disparate video-visit use.