The American journal of medicine
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Anorexia nervosa is associated with a markedly increased risk of sudden cardiac death, but the mechanism has not been elucidated. Whether QT prolongation is an intrinsic feature of eating disorders is uncertain because previous studies are limited by small sample size, and extrinsic factors associated with QT prolongation were inconsistently reported. This study set to determine population-mean heart-rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) in an unselected cohort of patients with eating disorders. ⋯ In the largest study of patients with eating disorders, population-mean QTc was normal and varied by subtype. Marked QTc prolongation occurred solely in the presence of extrinsic factors, suggesting that QTc prolongation is not intrinsic to eating disorders. Therefore, further study is needed to define the etiology of sudden death in patients with eating disorders.
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Since its emergence in December 2019, the virus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has quickly caused a pandemic. This virus causes a disease now known as coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19. As an increasing proportion of the at-risk population becomes infected, and patients with severe illness are hospitalized, it is essential for hospitalists to remain current on how to best care for people with suspected or confirmed disease. ⋯ Social distancing should be encouraged to prevent the spread of infection, and creative and innovative ways to reduce contact may need to be considered. Moreover, it is imperative to prepare for contingencies as medical staff will inevitably get sick or become unavailable. Hospitalists have the difficult task of caring for patients while also adapting to the many logistical and social elements of a pandemic.