Southern medical journal
-
Southern medical journal · Feb 2021
High Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus and Mental Illness Among Victims of Sudden Death.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and is associated with sudden death. Mental illness among individuals with DM may confound medical care. This study assessed the association of mental illness with DM and poorly controlled DM in sudden death victims. ⋯ DM is a common comorbid condition in sudden death victims. Among victims, mental illness is associated with the control of DM. Early management of comorbid mental illnesses may improve the care of patients with DM and reduce the incidence of sudden death.
-
Southern medical journal · Feb 2021
Maternity Units in Rural Hospitals in North Carolina: Successful Models for Staffing and Structure.
Almost 15% of all US births occur in rural hospitals, yet rural hospitals are closing at an alarming rate because of shortages of delivering clinicians, nurses, and anesthesia support. We describe maternity staffing patterns in successful rural hospitals across North Carolina. ⋯ Innovative staffing models, including family physicians, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists, are critical for the survival of rural hospitals that provide vital maternity services in underserved areas.
-
Southern medical journal · Feb 2021
Multicenter Study Observational StudyAttended Automated Office Blood Pressure Measurement Versus Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in a Primary Healthcare Setting in Chile.
As part of the HEARTS in the Americas initiative, Chilean primary healthcare centers have implemented novel hypertension management strategies, including new diagnostic approaches. This study evaluated the concordance between attended automated office blood pressure (AOBP) measurements with an oscillometric device and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). ⋯ Attended AOBP alone may not be sufficient for adequate classification, diagnosis, and management of hypertension in Chile or other countries with similar demographics.
-
Southern medical journal · Feb 2021
Integrating Women's Health Education into the Internal Medicine Residency Program Curriculum.
National guidelines and the American Board of Internal Medicine have highlighted critical areas of women's health (WH) that are important to the training of Internal Medicine (IM) residents. Our objective was to assess and improve WH education in a large academic community-based IM residency program. ⋯ Our study highlighted significant gaps in our WH curriculum. Based on our findings, we redesigned our educational and experiential WH curriculum to augment knowledge, comfort, perceived importance of, and exposure to areas of need. Enhancing education and increasing clinical exposure to fundamental WH issues will promote higher quality care for women patients.
-
Southern medical journal · Feb 2021
Using a Resident-Led School Outreach Program to Improve Knowledge of All-Terrain Vehicle Safety.
During the past decade, all-terrain vehicle (ATV)-related injuries treated in US emergency departments decreased by 33%, down to approximately 100,000 injuries in 2016. In comparison, the number of children evaluated for ATV injuries in the Children's of Alabama emergency department more than doubled between 2006 and 2016, counter to the national trend. The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines state that ATV operators should be at least 16 years old; however, children younger than 16 continue to represent almost one-third of all ATV-related injuries nationwide, and nearly all of the injuries to children in Alabama. ⋯ The STARs program dramatically improved short-term ATV safety knowledge, and many participants reported they were likely to subsequently use the safe practices presented. School-based programs, such as STARs, may help increase ATV safety awareness and change behaviors in high-risk age groups. This training may be successfully provided by various motivated individuals, including medical residents.