Outcomes of Children Admitted to a Pediatric Observation Unit With a Psychiatric Comanagement Model.

This cohort study describes outcomes of children requiring admission for mental health emergencies who receive psychiatric cotreatment in a pediatric observation unit.

An Evidence-Based Framework for Medical Student Research Training.

Background: As research becomes an increasingly important component of medical education, there is greater emphasis on incorporating programmatic enhancements to the research experience. This study builds a logic model to summarize research program inputs, outputs, and outcomes from research-oriented medical schools across the country, providing a framework that institutions can use to design and improve their medical student research training programs. Methods: Between November 2021 and February 2022, we administered a survey assessing institutional characteristics, research offerings, curriculum, funding, and student scholarly products to the medical schools ranked 1-50 in research in 2021 by US News and World Report. Results were compiled in the form of a logic model. Results: Thirty-seven institutions (72.5%) responded. Common program inputs included personnel such as at least one funded program director (97.3%), while funding for medical student research activities was highly variable (8-72%). There was much less funding for faculty research mentors (2.7%), advisors (18.9%), and teaching faculty (29.7%). Common outputs included a medical student research office or program (97.3%), formal research curricula (83.8%), and services and programs such as research day (91.9%). The most common outcomes tracked were publications (48.6%), presentations/posters (43.2%), student participation (29.7%), and completion of a research requirement (29.7%). Conclusions: Common themes in medical student research training programs may be conceptualized with a logic model that schools can use to develop, evaluate, and iteratively improve their programs. Institutions should consider their desired program outcomes prior to designing inputs (e.g., funding, personnel) and outputs (e.g., curriculum, training). Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-024-02001-3.

Anemia in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa : A systematic review with meta-analysis.

IMPORTANCE: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is associated with a number of physical and psychological comorbidities. Studies have suggested an association between HS and anemia; however, this association is not widely understood and may result in delayed diagnosis and treatment and possible increase in morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review and perform a meta-analysis regarding the association between HS and anemia, and to characterize the subtypes of anemia associated with HS. DATA SOURCES: A search of the EMBASE, Medline, Web of Science Core Collection, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from the time of database inception to September 25, 2022, yielded 313 unique articles. STUDY SELECTION: All observational studies and randomized controlled trials published in English that examined the odds ratio (OR) of anemia in patients with HS were screened by 2 independent reviewers. Case reports were excluded. Among 313 unique articles, 7 were deemed eligible. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines facilitated data extraction. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to analyze risk of bias of included studies. In addition to OR and 95% confidence intervals, relevant data on patient demographics and anemia subtypes were also extracted. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was the OR of anemia in HS patients. This study also attempted to characterize anemia subtypes associated with HS. RESULTS: In total, 2 case-control and 5 cross-sectional studies featured a total of 11,693 patients. Among the studies, 4 of 7 demonstrated a statistically significant positive association between anemia and HS (ORs, 2.20 [1.42-3.41], 2.33 [1.99-2.73], 1.87 [1.02-3.44], and 1.50 [1.43-1.57]), with macrocytic and microcytic subtypes being most common. After adjusting for publication bias, meta-analysis with random effects revealed HS to be associated with increased odds of anemia compared to non-HS groups (OR 1.59 [1.19, 2.11]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: There is a statistically significant positive association between HS and anemia, particularly for the aforementioned subtypes. Patients with HS should be screened for anemia. In case of lower hemoglobin concentration, the anemia of HS patients should be subdivided according to mean corpuscular volume of the red blood cells and further investigated depending on subtype.

Systematic review of TNFα-induced paradoxical psoriasis: Treatment outcomes of switching to alternative biologic therapies in inflammatory bowel disease patients.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the efficacies of different biologic therapies in treating tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα)-induced paradoxical psoriasis (PXP) and controlling inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) symptoms. METHODS: We conducted a literature search of the Ovid EMBASE, Ovid Medline, Web of Science Core Collection, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from their inception to October 3, 2021. We considered all peer-reviewed, randomized controlled trials, chart reviews, and observational studies that discussed the TNFα-induced PXP treatment outcomes in IBD patients of switching to different biologic therapies. RESULTS: Switching to ustekinumab (UST) resulted in complete or partial resolution of TNFα-induced PXP in 83.1% of patients (74 out of 89 patients), while switching to either vedolizumab (VDZ) or secukinumab led to complete resolution in 100% of patients (eight out of eight patients). Approximately 75.4% of patients who were switched to UST remained in IBD remission, 4.6% in partial remission, and 20.0% in the flare of IBD. CONCLUSIONS: UST has sufficient data to demonstrate the efficacy in treating TNFα-induced PXP and controlling IBD symptoms concurrently. More data is needed to validate the efficacies of VDZ and SEC in treating TNFα-induced PXP in IBD patients.

High Risk Features Contributing to 30-Day Readmission After Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Single Center Retrospective Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Risk of 30-day stroke readmission has been attributed to medical comorbidities, stroke severity, and hospitalization metrics. The leading etiologies appear to vary across institutions and remain a moving target. We hypothesized that patients with increased medical complexity have higher odds of 30-day readmission and the immediate time after discharge may be most vulnerable. We aimed to characterize patients with 30-day readmission after acute ischemic stroke (IS) and identify predictors of post-IS readmission. METHODS: We performed a retrospective case-control study analyzing post-IS 30-day readmission between January 2016-December 2019 using data from Mount Sinai Hospital's Get With The Guidelines database. We performed chi square analyses and multivariate adjusted logistic regression model including age, sex, coronary artery disease (CAD), renal insufficiency (RI), history of prior stroke or TIA, length of stay (LOS) > 7, and NIHSS ≥ 5. RESULTS: 6.7% (n = 115) of 1,706 IS encounters had 30-day readmission. The 115 cases were compared to 1,591 controls without 30-day readmission. In our adjusted model, CAD (OR = 1.7, p = 0.01), history of prior stroke or TIA (OR = 1.6, p = 0.01), LOS >7 (OR = 1.7, p = 0.02), and NIHSS ≥ 5 (OR = 4.5, p < 0.001) predicted 30-day readmission. 65% (n = 75) of readmitted patients had readmission within 14 days post-discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with post-IS 30-day readmission were more likely to have complex medical comorbidities and history of stroke or TIA compared to controls. Patients with more severe stroke and longer LOS may benefit from individualized transition of care plans and closer follow up during the vulnerable 30-day post-stroke period.

Transgender Healthcare: Development of an Illustrated eLearning Tool for Medical Education.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Purpose Transgender health competency among medical students and clinical providers remains poor, yet standardized curricula are lacking. Integrating the rapidly evolving teaching methods of the current technological era, a team of physicians and instructional designers created and evaluated a visual-format, interactive eLearning module to teach core competencies of transgender healthcare. Methods From September-March 2020, 416 students (MS1-MS4) from a NY-based medical school participated in the curriculum, which covered sexual development, gender affirmation surgeries, medical management, and health screening for transgender patients. Students completed pre/post surveys about their knowledge, comfort, and preparedness. Changes were assessed using the Chi-squared test. Commentaries were evaluated with thematic analysis. Results Pre-intervention, 68% of MS4s and 53% of MS3s rated the preclinical transgender curricula as "very poor," "poor," or "fair." Among the 187 students who took the module and post-survey, 79% felt "more comfortable" and 81% felt "more prepared" in providing healthcare to transgender patients after completion. Each class demonstrated statistically significant increases in comfort compared to baseline assessments. Students submitted >150 positive comments on the module's educational content, illustrations, and functionality. Conclusions As medical schools increasingly embrace virtual learning, this interactive learning tool serves as a model for expanding transgender healthcare curricula throughout the country.

The natural history of untreated estrogen receptor-positive, Her2-negative invasive breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Using prior mammograms from patients with delays in their breast cancer diagnoses, we sought to describe in-vivo growth kinetics of untreated breast cancer to determine if the time they became clinically apparent can be predicted. METHODS: Patient and tumor characteristics were collected from those who presented with "missed," untreated breast cancer to a breast center in a single institution. Only patients whose biopsied masses revealed estrogen receptor-positive, Her2-negative (ER+/Her2-) invasive cancers were included. Two attending radiologists reviewed images from prior mammograms. Rates of change in volume were calculated in mm3/day, and a logarithmic equation was used to calculate tumor volume doubling time (TVDT). A Spearman's Rho correlation was performed for the continuous variables, and the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare categorical data. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Logistic regression was performed to determine if patient or tumor characteristics were correlated to tumor growth velocity. RESULTS: Of the 36 ER+/Her2- invasive breast cancers included in the analysis, 13 (36%) were at least cT2 (of TNM), 7 (19%) were grade 3, and 7 (19%) were node positive at diagnosis. Grade (p = 0.043) and pathologic invasive tumor size (p = 0.001) were positively correlated to tumor growth velocity. Median TVDT was 385 days (23-1897). Age, nodal positivity, Oncotype Dx® Recurrence Score, time of diagnostic delay, and spheroid-ellipsoid discrepancy (SED) were not related to tumor growth velocity in this sample. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of patients with untreated ER+/Her2- invasive breast cancers, grade and pathologic tumor size were found to be positively correlated to growth velocity. The growth rates in a homogeneous group of tumors varied widely and could not be predicted. One possible explanation for this finding is that other difficult-to-measure biologic factors such as tumor microenvironment may play a greater role in tumor progression than traditional clinicopathologic characteristics.

Use of serum citrulline concentrations from routine newborn screen as a biomarker for necrotizing enterocolitis.

PURPOSE: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in preterm neonates, lacks a reliable biomarker. Citrulline is primarily produced by enterocytes and correlates with intestinal function. Serum citrulline concentration (CIT) is routinely measured in routine newborn screening (NBS). The purpose of the study is to test if CIT from NBS may predict the occurrence of NEC and whether it correlates with the time to full feeds (TTFF) and length of stay (LOS), serving as a biomarker of NEC and intestinal health. METHODS: In a retrospective case control study conducted on neonates with gestational age of 26-32 weeks, we compared CIT levels between cases (neonates with NEC) and controls (next-born neonate). NBS was collected within first 24 h, at day 5 and when the neonates achieved full feeds and were compared using non-parametric tests. RESULTS: There was no difference in CIT between the controls and cases on day 1 [11.42 (7.42-14.84 vs. 11.93 (6.85-18.8) µmol/L, p = 0.55], on day 5 [11.99 (7.99-16.55) vs. 13.70 (7.42-26.83) µmol/L, p = 0.05], or at full feeds [14.86 (6.85-25.69) vs. 15.7 (7.42-26.26) µmol/L, p = 0.87]. CIT on day 1 did not correlate with TTFF (r = 0.08, p = 0.53) or LOS (r = 0.23, p = 0.06), respectively). CONCLUSIONS: CIT from routine NBS does not serve as a biomarker to predict NEC in preterm neonates.

The Effect of Obesity on the Quality of Bowel Preparation for Colonoscopy: Results From a Large Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity has been linked to suboptimal bowel preparation but this association has not been conclusively investigated in prospective studies. GOALS: Our objective was to determine whether any relationship exists between obesity as measured by body mass index (BMI) and quality of bowel preparation. STUDY: Adult patients who presented for outpatient colonoscopy at a single urban ambulatory surgery center within a 6-month period and fulfilled inclusion criteria were prospectively enrolled for the study. Patients were divided by BMI into subcategories based on the World Health Organization international classification of obesity. The Modified Aronchick scale was used to assess bowel preparation for colonoscopy. A univariate and multivariate analysis was used to determine a possible association between BMI and poor preparation. RESULTS: A total of 1429 patients were evaluated. On the basis of inclusion criteria, 1314 subjects were analyzed, out of which 73% were overweight or obese. Inadequate bowel preparation was noted in 21.1% of patients. There was no correlation between obesity and the quality of the bowel preparation. Male gender (P=0.002), diabetes mellitus (P<0.0001), liver cirrhosis (P=0.001), coronary artery disease (P=0.003), refractory constipation (P<0.0001), and current smoking (P=0.01) were found to be independently predictive of poor bowel preparation. CONCLUSIONS: Increased BMI is not predictive of suboptimal bowel preparation for colonoscopy. The results of our study are pivotal given the increased risk of colorectal cancer in obese patients and their known lower rate of colorectal cancer screening in certain populations. It is important to avoid subjecting these patients to an intensive bowel preparation that may further discourage screening in a patient population that requires it.

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in Nonagenarian Patients: Is It Really Safe?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Literature on the safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in elderly patients is divided. Based on this we decided to examine the safety of ERCP in nonagenarian patients. METHODS: A total of 1,389 patients, with a mean age of 63.94±19.62 years, underwent ERCP during the study period. There were 74 patients aged 90 years or older with a mean age of 92.07±1.8. Logistic regression showed that nonagenarian patients had a significantly increased odds of in-patient mortality (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=9.6; 95% confidence interval [CI]=4, 23; p≤0.001). Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) ≥2 was also an independent predictor of in-patient mortality (AOR=2.4; 95% CI=1.2, 5.2; p=0.021). Age ≥90 was not associated with increased adverse events; however emergency procedures (AOR=2.4; 95% CI=1.5, 4; p<0.001) and CCI ≥2 (AOR=2.6; 95% CI=1.7, 4.0; p<0.001) were more likely to have adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Age ≥90 and CCI ≥2 are independently associated with increased odds of in-patient mortality in patients undergoing ERCP, whereas emergency procedures and CCI ≥2 are associated with an increased adverse event rate. Caution must be exercised when considering ERCP in patients aged ≥90 years and those with a CCI ≥2.

Frecuencia de parásitos intestinales en exámenes coproparasitológicos directos procesados en el laboratorio de investigación médica, 2011-2015 / Intestinal parasites frequency in direct coproparasitologic tests processed in medical research laboratory, 2011 - 2015

Introducción: Las parasitosis intestinales pueden provocar manifestaciones clínicas importantes, además que están relacionadas con desigualdades económicas y sociales. El objetivo de este estudio es describir la frecuencia, características macroscópicas, distribución etaria, de género y por estaciones del año de parásitos intestinales en exámenes coproparasitológicos directos simples procesados en el Laboratorio de Investigación Médica entre los años 2011 y 2015. Materiales y Métodos: Se trata de un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal. El universo corresponde a 3 728 muestras de exámenes coproparasitológicos directos simples que fueron procesadas en el Laboratorio de Investigación Médica de Cochabamba, Bolivia. Los datos recolectados, fueron procesados y analizados bajo estadística descriptiva con el programa Microsoft Office Excel® 2010. Resultados: Un 36,33% (n=1 328) de las muestras presentaron infección por parásitos intestinales, siendo el parásito más frecuente Blastocystis hominis con 44,5% (n=822); Giardia lamblia con 10,6% (n= 195) y Entamoeba histolytica/dispar con 8,1 % (n=149) representan los protozoarios intestinales patógenos. Entre los helmintos (3,41%), Hymenolepis nana es el más frecuente (2%). Según las características macroscópicas se reporta mayores frecuencias en muestras pastosas y semipastosas (53,69% y 38,33%, respectivamente). Los grupos etarios más parasitados fueron personas de 11-20 y 21-30 años (43% y 43,86%, respectivamente), afectando más al sexo femenino. Finalmente, en primavera se reportaron mayores frecuencias. Conclusión: Existe una considerable frecuencia de parásitos intestinales en la población que acude al laboratorio, cuyas características están acordes a las esperadas para las condiciones de nuestro medio.

Introduction: Intestinal parasites can cause important clinical manifestations, in addition they are related to economic and social inequalities. The objective of this study is to describe the frequency, macroscopic characteristics, age distribution, gender and seasonality of intestinal parasites in simple direct coproparasitological tests processed in the Medical Research Laboratory between 2011 and 2015. Materials and methods: It is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The universe corresponds to 3 728 samples of simple direct coproparasitological tests that were processed in the Medical Research Laboratory of Cochabamba, Bolivia. The data collected was processed and analyzed under descriptive statistics with the Microsoft Office Excel® 2010 program. Results: A 36,33% (n = 1 328) of the samples presented infection by intestinal parasites, being the most frequent parasite Blastocystis hominis with 44,5% (n = 822); Giardia lamblia with 10,6% (n = 195) and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar with 8,1% (n = 149) represent the pathogenic intestinal protozoa. Among the helminths (3,41%), Hymenolepis nana is the most frequent (2%). According to the macroscopic characteristics, higher frequencies are reported in pasty and semipastuous samples (53,69 and 38,33%, respectively).The most parasitized age groups were 11-20 and 21-30 years old (43 and 43,86%, respectively), affecting more the female sex. Finally, the spring year reported higher frequencies. Conclusion: There is a considerable frequency of intestinal parasites in the population that goes to the laboratory, whose characteristics are in line with those expected for the conditions of our environment.

An Experimental Study of Implicit Racial Bias in Recognition of Child Abuse.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated whether implicit racial bias influences pediatricians' suspicion of child abuse. METHODS: Child abuse experts developed 9 injury vignettes. Pediatricians (N = 342) were randomly assigned one of 2 versions to rate for suspicion of abuse, with the child's race in each vignette varying between white and black. Data were collected online and anonymously. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in suspicion for an abuse-related injury based on the race of the child. We adjusted for pediatrician race/ethnicity, years since graduation, location, and gender and did not find race effects. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated an experimental approach to study the influence of implicit racial bias on recognition of child abuse. Though we failed to find an effect, it is too early to conclude that none exists. The relationship among human cognition, behavior, and healthcare disparities is complex. Studies are needed that incorporate diverse approaches, clinical contexts and scenarios, patient and physician characteristics, and validated measures if we are to understand how it might be used to reduce healthcare disparities.

Relationship of ambulatory blood pressure and body mass index to left ventricular mass index in pediatric patients with casual hypertension.

Both obesity and hypertension are associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in children. Our objective was to compare the prevalence of LVH in obese and nonobese subjects with casual hypertension who underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Untreated children (aged 6-20 years) underwent 24-hour ABPM, and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) was measured. Subjects were classified into three groups: white coat hypertension (WCH), prehypertension (pre-HT), and hypertension (HT). The prevalence of LVH was compared between obese and nonobese subjects among the groups. Of 69 children who underwent ABPM, thirty-two patients (46%) had WCH, 13 (19%) had pre-HT, and 24 (35%) had HT. Mean age, BMI, and LVMI were similar in the groups (P = not significant [NS]). In all, 22 patients (32%) had LVH, with no difference among WCH versus pre-HT versus HT (37.5% vs. 46% vs. 16.7%, P = NS). Twenty-seven subjects (39%) were obese. The ratio of LVH in obese to nonobese was 55.5% to 16.6% (P = .001). In both pre-HT and WCH, patients with LVH had a significantly higher BMI z score (P = .02 and P = .01, respectively). LVMI correlated strongly with BMI z score (P = .0001) but not with any blood pressure parameter. Almost half of children with casual HT have WCH. LVH is prevalent in a third of children with HT, pre-HT, and WCH. In both pre-HT and WCH, patients with LVH were more likely to be obese. More than half of all the obese subjects had LVH. Obese children in all three groups may be at a greater risk for end organ damage.

Randomized control trial comparing physiologic effects in preterm infants during treatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) generated by Bubble NCPAP and Ventilator NCPAP: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) is an accepted form of non-invasive ventilation in preterm infants. Few, if any, studies have shown an advantage of one type of NCPAP over another. It has been theorized that bubble-generated NCPAP may be advantageous for the preterm neonate versus traditionally used ventilator-generated NCPAP. The aim of this study was to examine for any short-term differences in physiologic parameters in preterm subjects receiving these two different methods of NCPAP. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, prospective, cross-over pilot study of preterm infants being treated with NCPAP in the neonatal intensive care unit. Subjects were continuously monitored for several physiologic parameters including heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, cerebral tissue oxygen saturation and cerebral fractional oxygen extraction using routine neonatal monitors and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) while on 2 h of bubble NCPAP and 2 h of ventilator NCPAP. Subjects were randomized to be monitored while either starting on bubble NCPAP and then switching to ventilator NCPAP or starting on ventilator NCPAP and switching to bubble NCPAP. RESULTS: Eighteen subjects were included. We found no statistically significant difference in any of the physiologic parameters while subjects were receiving bubble NCPAP versus ventilator NCPAP during the monitoring time periods. While on bubble NCPAP, subjects showed a trend toward decreasing respiratory rate and decreasing cerebral fractional oxygen extraction over time, but this did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: There appears to be no difference in immediate physiologic effects between bubble NCPAP and ventilator NCPAP. This does not preclude the possibility of potential long-term differences, but any differences seen would likely be based on mechanisms that take more time to develop. A larger prospective trial is warranted to confirm our findings.

Children neglected: Where cumulative risk theory fails.

Neglected children, by far the majority of children maltreated, experience an environment most deficient in cognitive stimulation and language exchange. When physical abuse co-occurs with neglect, there is more stimulation through negative parent-child interaction, which may lead to better cognitive outcomes, contrary to Cumulative Risk Theory. The purpose of the current study was to assess whether children only neglected perform worse on cognitive tasks than children neglected and physically abused. Utilizing LONGSCAN archived data, 271 children only neglected and 101 children neglected and physically abused in the first four years of life were compared. The two groups were assessed at age 6 on the WPPSI-R vocabulary and block design subtests, correlates of cognitive intelligence. Regression analyses were performed, controlling for additional predictors of poor cognitive outcome, including socioeconomic variables and caregiver depression. Children only neglected scored significantly worse than children neglected and abused on the WPPSI-R vocabulary subtest (p=0.03). The groups did not differ on the block design subtest (p=0.4). This study shows that for neglected children, additional abuse may not additively accumulate risk when considering intelligence outcomes. Children experiencing only neglect may need to be referred for services that address cognitive development, with emphasis on the linguistic environment, in order to best support the developmental challenges of neglected children.

Executive function and cerebrovascular reactivity in pediatric hypertension.

Primary hypertension is associated with decreased performance on neurocognitive testing and a blunted cerebrovascular reactivity to hypercapnia. Parents of 14 children with hypertension and prehypertension completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions. Children underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and transcranial Doppler with reactivity measurement using time-averaged maximum mean velocity and end-tidal carbon dioxide during hypercapnia-rebreathing test. Comparing the reactivity slope for the patients to historical controls showed a statistically significant difference (t = -5.19, df = 13, P < .001), with lower slopes. Pearson correlations of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions scores with the reactivity slopes showed a statistically significant inverse relationship with Behavioral Regulation Index (r = -.60, P = .02), Metacognition Index (r = -.40, P = .05), and the Global Executive Component (r = -.53, P = .05). Children with hypertension have decreased executive function, and this correlates to low transcranial Doppler-reactivity slopes, suggesting that the brain is a target organ in hypertensive children.

Neonatal morbidities among full-term infants born to obese mothers.

INTRODUCTION: Impact of maternal obesity on full-term neonates is not known. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized increased incidence of neonatal morbidities requiring NICU admission in full-term neonates of obese women compared to neonates of normal-weight women. METHODS: Data from full-term pregnancies collected in the Consortium of Safe Labor study were analyzed. Maternal BMI was classified using the WHO criteria. Incidence of neonatal outcomes including sepsis, PDA, NEC, respiratory distress, or their combination were compared between newborns of obese and normal-weight women. RESULTS: Of the 109 488 women included in the study, 17.7% were obese. Maternal co-morbidities (diabetes, gestational diabetes, hypertension, and preeclampsia) increased with increasing maternal BMI. Both maternal obesity and its related co-morbidities were associated with higher incidence of neonatal morbidities. After adjusting for maternal comorbidities, there was a higher incidence of sepsis (AOR 1.91(1.45-2.50)), and combination of any of the neonatal outcomes (AOR 1.66(1.32-2.09)) among newborns of obese women than those of normal-weight women, along with an increased trend for incidence of PDA (Cochran-Armitage Test (CA) = 23.1, p < 0.0001) and NEC (CA = 7.2, p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: Maternal obesity is independently associated with increased incidence of neonatal sepsis and a combination of neonatal morbidities in full-term newborns with an increased trend for PDA and NEC.

A qualitative study of factors underlying decision making for joint replacement among African Americans and Latinos with osteoarthritis.

To support patients in making decisions that align with their unique cultural beliefs, an understanding of factors underlying patient preferences is needed. We sought to identify psychosocial factors that influenced decision making among African-American and Hispanic patients referred for knee or hip arthroplasty. Thirty-six participants deciding on surgery were interviewed. Responses were audio-taped, transcribed, and read. Codes were assigned to the raw data and then clustered into categories that were analyzed to yield overarching themes. This process was repeated independently by two corroborators. Six categories described the mental calculations made in patients' decision-making processes: 1) self-assessment of fit for surgery based on age and comorbidity, 2) research and development of mental report cards of their surgeons, 3) reliving of social network experiences, 4) reliance on faith and spirituality for guidance, 5) acknowledgment of fear and anxiety, and 6) setting expectations for recovery. This study advanced the understanding of how decisions about joint replacement are constructed and identified cultural levers that can be targeted for intervention. Developing culturally tailored health information that addresses some of our findings and disseminating messages through social networks may reduce the underutilization of joint replacement among racial and ethnic minority populations.

Strategies for conducting adolescent health research in the clinical setting: the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center HPV experience.

BACKGROUND: Clinical research with adolescents can be challenging due to issues of informed consent, parental involvement, institutional review board requirements, and adolescent psychosocial development. These requirements present a dilemma, particularly in the area of sexual health research, as adolescents are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections such as human papillomavirus (HPV). To successfully conduct adolescent research in the clinical setting, one requires an awareness of state statutes regarding adolescent confidentiality and consent for medical care, and a close partnership with the IRB. CASE STUDY: In 2007, the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center in collaboration with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine developed a longitudinal research study to examine the natural history of oral, cervical, and anal HPV in an adolescent female population engaged in high-risk sexual behaviors. We use this research project as a case study to explore the ethical, methodological, and clinical issues related to conducting adolescent health research. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS: Several strategies were identified to promote adolescent study participation, including: (1) building a research team that is motivated to work with adolescents; (2) combining research and patient care visits to avoid duplication of services; and (3) establishing a personalized communication network with participants. Using these methods, adolescent sexual health research can successfully be integrated into the clinical setting. While retaining a prospective cohort of adolescents has its challenges, a persistent and multi-disciplinary approach can help improve recruitment, sustain participation, and acquire critical data that will lead to improved healthcare knowledge applicable to understudied populations of adolescents.