Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Jan 2025
Trends in Medical Students' Legal Concerns Regarding Abortion Care in the Wake of the 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization Decision.
The 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization US Supreme Court decision dramatically shifted the legal landscape in health care, leaving state legislatures to redefine the ethics of medical practice. As gold-standard medical procedures become banned and criminalized, physicians are facing heightened legal uncertainty and grappling with moral dilemmas of where and how to practice. This study aimed to quantitatively assess trends in legal concern among medical students and identify correlations with decision making regarding future medical training. ⋯ Individuals with heightened proximity to reproductive healthcare may face greater ethical and moral dilemmas as they seek future career opportunities in a post-Roe v Wade world. These data suggest that they seem highly responsive to moving out of abortion-restricted states, indicating that the Dobbs decision, and the legal landscape it has created, may further exacerbate disparities in reproductive health care.
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Southern medical journal · Jan 2025
Linkage to Treatment and Recovery Support Services for Patients with a Substance Use Disorder: A Survey of Kentucky Physicians.
The purpose of this study was to survey current physicians in Kentucky to evaluate their management of patients with substance use disorder (SUD), with a focus on the identification of their referral methods for linkage to SUD treatment and recovery support services. ⋯ There are gaps in screening and linkage to care, especially in internal medicine and family medicine physicians. Work is necessary to increase screening, build provider capacity to treat, and increase knowledge of SUD treatment and recovery resources in Kentucky.
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Southern medical journal · Jan 2025
Increased Prevalence of Skeletal Anomalies on Ultrasound Evaluation of Buprenorphine-Exposed Human Fetuses.
In this study, buprenorphine was the primary source of maternal opioid exposure at the time of initial prenatal evaluation. Current recommendations advise that level II ultrasounds be performed in patients with substance use disorders. For some patients, distance, transportation, and costs associated with obtaining ultrasounds from a specialist pose significant barriers. This study was thus undertaken to evaluate the value of level II ultrasounds in buprenorphine-exposed pregnancies. ⋯ This is the first report of skeletal anomalies in buprenorphine-exposed human fetuses. Causality is unproven, but this report is consistent with prior human and animal studies in which maternal opioid use has been linked to significant impairments in bone growth and development. Our findings suggest that anatomic surveys of fetuses exposed to buprenorphine should be performed by individuals with expertise in the detection of fetal skeletal anomalies.
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Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the third leading cause of cardiovascular death. The objective of this study was to examine the current management of pulmonary embolism at a single academic institution. ⋯ The management of PE has evolved, and proper risk stratification is key. Largely speaking, low- and intermediate-risk patients can be treated with anticoagulation, whereas patients with severe right ventricular strain and hemodynamic instability may require more advanced therapies.
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Southern medical journal · Jan 2025
Untapped Resources? Engaging Junior Faculty with Advanced Career Training in Near-Peer Mentoring to Build Professional Identity.
Effective early mentoring is essential for propelling academic careers. There is a growing cohort of junior faculty with advanced skills in medical education and research; these individuals need both mentoring and the opportunity to take on mentorship roles. ⋯ By leveraging their unique skills as near-peer mentors, these individuals can build connections and reach career goals more cohesively and rapidly. In this perspective, we review the skills necessary for junior faculty with advanced career training to balance effectively the dual roles of mentee and near-peer mentor, as well as how departments can best support these unique new faculty members.