Journal of general internal medicine
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Antibiotic use remains common for the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of antibiotic use on the duration and severity of acute lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). ⋯ In this large prospective study in the US primary and urgent care setting, antibiotics had no measurable impact on the severity or duration of cough due to acute LRTI. Patients had unrealistic expectations regarding the duration of LRTI and the effect of antibiotics which should be the target of antibiotic stewardship efforts.
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The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has initiated a change in medical education and the development of new teaching concepts has become inevitable to maintain adequate training. ⋯ A teledidactic course for abdominal and thoracic ultrasound examinations is equally effective to traditional face-to-face teaching in this pilot study. Digital implementation with a portable ultrasound machine could be a great opportunity to promote ultrasound education worldwide and over great distances.
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Self-rated health is a simple measure that may identify individuals who are at a higher risk for hospitalization or death. ⋯ Even after adjusting for demographic and clinical factors, having a less favorable response on a single measure of self-rated health taken in middle age is a potent marker of future hospitalizations and death.
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Outpatient follow-up after a hospital discharge may reduce the risk of readmissions, but existing evidence has methodological limitations. ⋯ Outpatient follow-up within 30 days after a hospital discharge reduced risk of 30-day adverse events among HF patients, the benefit varying according to clinical complexity. Results suggest the need to prioritize patients who benefit from outpatient follow-up for these visits.