Newest Updates to Health Providers on the Hazards of Ultra-Processed Foods and Proposed Solutions.

At present, the United States has the lowest life expectancy of all 12 large, rich countries in the world. While overweight and obesity, as well as lack of regular physical activity, are well recognized, another less well-known plausible hypothesis to explain this observation is the unprecedented consumption of ultra-processed food in the United States. Whether ultra-processed food contributes to our currently rising rates of morbidity and mortality from noncommunicable diseases requires direct testing in analytic studies designed a priori to do so. At present, ultra-processed foods are likely to play major roles in a myriad of diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, a variety of cancers, and even mental health disorders. As was the case with cigarettes, we find ourselves needing to fight a battle where the entertainment industry, the food industry, and public policy do not align with our patients' needs. This does not mean that we should not begin to engage our patients in this vital conversation. Indeed, it makes it all the more important, and timely, that we do so.

Evaluation of an Individualized Learning Plan Template for the Transition to Residency.

Background Specialty-specific individualized learning plans (ILPs) have been promoted to improve the undergraduate to graduate medical education transition, yet few pilots have been described. Objective To create and report on the feasibility and acceptability of a pilot internal medicine (IM) ILP template. Methods The ILP was created by a group of diverse IM expert stakeholders and contained questions to stimulate self-reflection and collect self-reported readiness data from incoming interns. US IM residency programs were invited to pilot the ILP with interns in spring 2022. Data was used at the programs' discretion. The pilot was evaluated by a post-pilot survey of programs to elicit perceptions of the impact and value of the ILP and analyze anonymous ILP data from 3 institutions. Results Fifty-two IM residency programs agreed to participate with a survey response rate of 87% (45 of 52). Of responding programs, 89% (40 of 45) collected ILPs, thus we report on data from these 40 programs. A total of 995 interns enrolled with 782 completing ILPs (79%). One hundred eleven ILPs were analyzed (14%). Most programs found the ILP valuable to understand incoming interns' competencies (26 of 40, 65%) and areas for improvement (24 of 40, 60%) and thought it should continue (29 of 40, 73%). Programs estimated the ILP took interns 29.2±14.9 minutes and 21.6±10.3 minutes for faculty mentors to complete. The most common barrier was faculty mentor participation. Conclusions An ILP based on interns' self-reported data was feasible and valuable to IM residency programs in understanding interns' competencies and areas for improvement.

Evolving Trends in US Mortality from Opioid Overdose: Heroin and Beyond.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to explore evolving trends in US drug overdose mortality, overall and by age, sex, race, urbanization, and geography from 1999-2020. METHODS: This is a descriptive epidemiologic study. We used the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research and Multiple Cause of Death files from the National Center for Health Statistics. We used crude and age-adjusted cause of death and mortality rate ratios as measures of effects and 95% confidence limits to test for significance. RESULTS: From 1999-2020, drug overdoses caused 1,013,852 deaths and 4.3-fold increase in mortality rate ratios. Subgroup findings were sex (4.5 men, 4.0 women), race (4.6 White, 3.9 Black or African American, 4.0 Asian or Pacific Islanders, 5.1 Native Americans or Alaskan Natives), age (highest 5.6 in 25-34 years, lowest 1.1 in 75-84, and 0.77 in 85+), geography (highest 6.0 in Midwest, lowest 2.6 in West), and urbanization (highest 6.2 in non-metro, lowest 3.7 in metro). CONCLUSIONS: Drug overdoses in the United States from 1999-2020 increased 4.3-fold, with the highest increase in White and Native American or Alaskan Native populations, and Midwest and non-metro areas. The data create preventive and therapeutic challenges, including restrictions on pharmaceutical industries and enhanced efforts by health care providers in safer prescribing. Addiction care should be integrated into all clinical practices, regardless of specialty, and into undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education. Targeted interventions are needed to adequately assess patients and provide care. Analytic studies designed a priori are necessary to test hypotheses formulated from these data.

Approach to Diarrhea.

Diarrhea is a common complaint in primary care offices. It affects the patient's quality of life and increases health care resource utilization. Although most cases of diarrhea are acute and self-limiting, there are multiple causes that can lead to serious morbidity and mortality. Likewise, chronic diarrhea can be a sign of a more serious condition and requires thoughtful evaluation. Ultimately, primary care physicians must take an evidence-based and comprehensive approach to diarrhea to appropriately apply health care resources in the interest of patient care.

Dormant Crohn's Disease Reactivated by Clostridioides difficile Infection.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by chronic transmural inflammation of any portion of the gastrointestinal tract. The etiology of CD remains unknown although genetic, immunological, and acquired factors have been recognized as contributing to its development. Alterations of intestinal microbiota, including Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile), are theorized to alter humoral immunity and contribute toward CD flare pathogenesis. As such, cases of IBD remission can be undone by alterations in the gut microbiota and subsequently confound the diagnosis of inflammatory or infectious etiologies of diarrhea. We present a case of a 73-year-old female with dormant CD for 25 years who experienced an atypical course of diarrhea found to have a CD flare in the setting of acute C. difficile colitis.

An unusual case of checkpoint-inhibitor-induced pleuropericarditis.

INTRODUCTION: Pembrolizumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor that promotes effector T-cell functions on malignant cells by binding to programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1). Pembrolizumab is well tolerated in most cases with an adverse event profile consisting mainly of pruritus, fatigue, and anorexia. Cardiotoxicity comprises 1% of the total adverse events. CASE REPORT: We present a case of a 64-year-old female with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who developed pleuropericarditis following pembrolizumab therapy. MANAGEMENT & OUTCOME: The patient was successfully managed with colchicine, furosemide, and timely initiation of methylprednisolone with the improvement of her symptoms. The decision to discontinue pembrolizumab was made, and six months after this intervention, the patient has remained asymptomatic. DISCUSSION: Clinicians should recognize these potential immune-mediated adverse effects to provide effective and timely management and optimize patient care.

Perceptions, Coping Strategies, and Mental Health of Residents during COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: Since the inception of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the United States has been the leader in cases and deaths. Healthcare workers treating these severely ill patients are at risk of many deleterious consequences. Residents, in particular, may be affected by physical as well as psychological consequences. Because data are sparse on perceptions, coping strategies, and the mental health of residents during COVID-19, we explored these issues in survey data from a community-based academic program in the southeastern United States. METHODS: In May 2020, when US deaths from COVID-19 reached 100,000, we administered multiple-choice online anonymous surveys to assess resident perceptions, coping strategies, and self-reported levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. We used the COPE inventory to assess coping strategies and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 59 (41.3%) of 143 eligible residents completed the survey, 52 (88.1%) of whom believed that they were likely or very likely to become infected with COVID-19. If infected, 17 (28.8%) believed that their illness would be serious or very serious. The top three strategies to cope with COVID-19 included acceptance, self-distraction, and use of emotional support. With respect to depression, anxiety, and stress, all of the mean scores were in the normal range. CONCLUSIONS: During COVID-19, residents in a southern community-based program with an academic affiliation reported effective coping strategies, predominantly acceptance, self-distraction, and use of emotional support. They reported concerns about becoming infected and, if they did, that their illness would likely be serious. Finally, they have not experienced depression, anxiety, or reported stress. The findings may be restricted in generalizability to a southern community-based program with an academic affiliation.

Compliance with CDIM-APDIM Guidelines for Department of Medicine Letters: an Opportunity to Improve Communication Across the Continuum.

BACKGROUND: With rising applications to internal medicine programs and pending changes in United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 score reporting, program directors desire transparent data for comparing applicants. The Department of Medicine Letters of Recommendation (DOM LORs) are frequently used to assess applicants and have the potential to provide clearly defined data on performance including stratification of a medical school class. Despite published guidelines on the expected content of the DOM LOR, these LORs do not always meet that need. OBJECTIVES: To better understand the degree to which DOM LORs comply with published guidelines. METHODS: We reviewed DOM LORs from 146 of 155 LCME-accredited medical schools in the 2019 Match cycle, assessing for compliance with published guidelines. RESULTS: Adherence to the recommendation for DOM LORs to provide a final characterization of performance relative to peers was low (68/146, 47%). Of those that provided a final characterization, 19/68 (28%) provided a quantitative measure, and 49/68 (72%) provided a qualitative descriptor. Only 17/49 (35%) with qualitative terms described those terms, and thirteen distinct qualitative scales were identified. Ranking systems varied, with seven different titles given to highest performers. Explanations about determination of ranking groups were provided in 12% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to published guidelines for DOM LORs varies but is generally low. For program directors desiring transparent data to use in application review, clearly defined data on student performance, stratification groupings, and common language across schools could improve the utility of DOM LORs.

SARS-CoV-2 is rapidly inactivated at high temperature.

In the absence of a vaccine, preventing the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the primary means to reduce the impact of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Multiple studies have reported the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material on surfaces suggesting that fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is feasible. High temperature inactivation of virus has been previously suggested, but not shown. In the present study, we investigated the environmental stability of SARS-CoV-2 in a clinically relevant matrix dried onto stainless steel at a high temperature. The results show that at 54.5 °C, the virus half-life was 10.8 ± 3.0 min and the time for a 90% decrease in infectivity was 35.4 ± 9.0 min. These findings suggest that in instances where the environment can reach temperatures of at least 54.5 °C, such as in vehicle interior cabins when parked in warmer ambient air, that the potential for exposure to infectious virus on surfaces could be decreased substantially in under an hour.

Solving the Problem of Insomnia in Clinical Practice.

Insomnia is a common condition affecting approximately 50% of people at some point. Physicians must be equipped to diagnose and treat it as part of outpatient practice. Chronic insomnia is a common complaint that has potentially dangerous short-term and long-term effects, but effective treatments are available. The 2 methods of treatment are psychological, which is preferred, and pharmacologic, for when behavioral therapies are not effective. It is important to understand the various behavioral interventions and risks and benefits of the medications available to engage patients in a shared decision-making model to find the best treatment for each patient.

Chronic Kidney Disease.

Chronic kidney disease is encountered by the primary care physician, in no small part owing to the high rates of hypertension and diabetes, the 2 most common etiologies of chronic kidney disease in the United States. As a primary care physician, it is important to understand the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and evaluation methods of chronic kidney disease even before a referral to nephrology. Additionally, the primary care physician plays a vital role in mitigating the risks of chronic kidney disease as well as the complications and comorbidities.

Increasing Temperature and Relative Humidity Accelerates Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 on Surfaces.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first identified in China in late 2019 and is caused by newly identified severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Previous studies had reported the stability of SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture media and deposited onto surfaces under a limited set of environmental conditions. Here, we broadly investigated the effects of relative humidity, temperature, and droplet size on the stability of SARS-CoV-2 in a simulated clinically relevant matrix dried on nonporous surfaces. The results show that SARS-CoV-2 decayed more rapidly when either humidity or temperature was increased but that droplet volume (1 to 50 µl) and surface type (stainless steel, plastic, or nitrile glove) did not significantly impact decay rate. At room temperature (24°C), virus half-life ranged from 6.3 to 18.6 h depending on the relative humidity but was reduced to 1.0 to 8.9 h when the temperature was increased to 35°C. These findings suggest that a potential for fomite transmission may persist for hours to days in indoor environments and have implications for assessment of the risk posed by surface contamination in indoor environments.IMPORTANCE Mitigating the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical settings and public spaces is critically important to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases while effective vaccines and therapeutics are under development. SARS-CoV-2 transmission is thought to primarily occur through direct person-to-person transfer of infectious respiratory droplets or through aerosol-generating medical procedures. However, contact with contaminated surfaces may also play a significant role. In this context, understanding the factors contributing to SARS-CoV-2 persistence on surfaces will enable a more accurate estimation of the risk of contact transmission and inform mitigation strategies. To this end, we have developed a simple mathematical model that can be used to estimate virus decay on nonporous surfaces under a range of conditions and which may be utilized operationally to identify indoor environments in which the virus is most persistent.

Resident Knowledge and Perception of Pain Management.

Chronic pain involves a complex mechanism that afflicts 50 million adults in the United States and incurs societal costs upwards of $560 billion annually. The consequences of this epidemic have resulted in an epidemic of its own, with the opioid crisis becoming a top priority in healthcare. Historically, the sub-optimal practices of overprescribing opioids and inadequate monitoring of iatrogenic addiction have contributed to this problem. If progress is to be made in this area, it is imperative that we examine how future physicians are being trained to manage pain. We examined internal medicine resident knowledge regarding pain as well as their satisfaction with medical school preparation in this regard using two surveys: The Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (KASRP) and The Medical School Pain Curriculum Survey (MSPCS). Residents scored an overall 60.7% on the knowledge assessment survey, and less than 50% of respondents agreed that their medical school curriculum had prepared them sufficiently. This suggests that improvements can be made in medical school curricula regarding pain management education to better train physicians on how to manage pain, particularly in an era that demands expertise in this area.

The New Internal Medicine Subinternship Curriculum Guide: a Report from the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine.

The internal medicine (IM) subinternship has been a long-established clinical experience in the final phase of medical school deemed by key stakeholders as a crucial rotation to prepare senior medical students for internship. Medical education has changed greatly since the first national curriculum for this course was developed in 2002 by the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM). Most notably, competency-based medical education (CBME) has become a fixture in graduate medical education and has gradually expanded into medical school curricula. Still, residency program directors and empirical studies have identified gaps and inconsistencies in knowledge and skills among new interns. Recognizing these gaps, the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine (APDIM) surveyed its members in 2010 and identified four core skills essential for intern readiness. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) also published 13 core entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for entering residency to be expected of all medical school graduates. Results from the APDIM survey along with the widespread adoption of CBME informed this redesign of the IM subinternship curriculum. The authors provide an overview of this new guide developed by the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) Medical Student-to-Resident Interface Committee (MSRIC).

Work Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Medicine Residents.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to screen for the burden of work-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in internal medicine residents. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of internal medicine residents from three academic institutions was conducted using the PCL-5 screening tool. RESULTS: Off all residents surveyed, 5.2% screened positive for PTSD symptoms (N = 194). 86.1% of all trainees identified stressors during training. Positive PTSD screens were significantly higher in PGY3 residents (X2 = 15.24, p = 0.0005). Of all PGY3 residents, 9.8% (N = 4) and 14.6% (N = 6) of residents screened positive for PTSD symptoms based on absolute and cluster score criteria, respectively. Verbal/physical assault by patients/families/colleagues were triggers for the most cases of positive screens. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported stressors are highly prevalent in internal medicine trainees. Verbal/physical assault by patients and families appear to be the triggering event for most positive screens. These observations will help with future study designs to quantify the burden of work related PTSD in internal medicine trainee physicians so that appropriate supportive measures can be provided.