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Full-Text Articles in Public Health
Who Left The Hospital Against Medical Advice During The Early Covid-19 Pandemic?, Bryan Werner, Se Won Lee
Who Left The Hospital Against Medical Advice During The Early Covid-19 Pandemic?, Bryan Werner, Se Won Lee
HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine
Background
Patients leaving against medical advice (AMA) presents a challenge to hospitals as they try to manage costs and improve patient outcomes in an ever-increasing competitive market. Investigating AMA discharges that occurred during the early COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity to better understand this phenomenon and be better prepared for the future.
Methods
This retrospective analysis of 34 379 patients from a nationwide private healthcare system across 20 states analyzed patients during the early stages of the pandemic who chose to leave against medical advice (AMA) after being admitted with COVID-19 infection and identified several patient characteristics associated with …
Co2 Levels Behind And In Front Of Different Protective Mask Types, Hossein Akhondi, Sassan Kaveh, Kimball Kaufman, Tina Danai, Napatkamon Ayutyanont
Co2 Levels Behind And In Front Of Different Protective Mask Types, Hossein Akhondi, Sassan Kaveh, Kimball Kaufman, Tina Danai, Napatkamon Ayutyanont
HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine
Objectives
Many individuals have difficulty adapting to face mask use and report symptoms while using masks. Our primary objective was to determine whether continuous mask-wearing causes elevated levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) behind the facemasks.
Methods
CO2 concentrations were measured behind 3 different types of face masks and were compared to CO2 concentrations at the mask front in 261 subjects who continuously wore masks for at least 5 minutes. These CO2 concentrations were also measured in several randomly selected subjects after a 5-minute walk.
Results
There were significantly higher CO2 concentrations behind the mask …
Hand Hygiene And Hospital-Acquired Infections During Covid-19 Increased Vigilance: One Hospital’S Experience, Alexander Kong, Carlos S. Botero Suarez, Bebe Rahamatalli, Jennifer Shankweiler, Olga Karasik
Hand Hygiene And Hospital-Acquired Infections During Covid-19 Increased Vigilance: One Hospital’S Experience, Alexander Kong, Carlos S. Botero Suarez, Bebe Rahamatalli, Jennifer Shankweiler, Olga Karasik
HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine
Background
Hospital-acquired infections are associated with increased morbidity, mortality, costs and length of stay. Prior studies have linked increased hand hygiene compliance with reduced hospital-acquired infection rate. With the increased vigilance for personal and institutional hygiene practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, we hypothesized increased hand hygiene compliance and, as a result, decrease in hospital-acquired infections in our hospital.
Methods
Hand hygiene compliance data was provided by the hospital’s Quality Department. We queried and empirically analyzed local hospital-acquired infection data obtained from our Quality Department and the National Healthcare Safety Network. We compared local hand hygiene compliance rates before and after …
Fear-Based Barriers To Care In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Christopher Ott
Fear-Based Barriers To Care In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Christopher Ott
HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine
COVID-19 has made patients afraid to engage with providers in-person to manage acute, chronic and preventive non-COVID-related health care needs. As health care providers, we must continue to do everything within our power to address our patients’ fear of our infrastructure and the increasing barriers they are experiencing to accessing the care that they need.