Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Medicine's Roots: Through The Banyan Trees, Emily E. Klosterman

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

I started residency before the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when we were able to see our patient’s faces without masks, give reassuring smiles, and sit closely while discussing a difficult diagnosis. Little did I know that in 2019, the way we practice would change overnight, as an unprecedented virus took hold. We could no longer see our patients’ faces, reassuring smiles were hidden by masks, and close conversations were held at a distance. Our homes became our claustrophobic havens, and the hospitals were saturated with patients.

Driven by a deep-rooted need to assist others, we continued onward. As life …

Vertical Transmission Of Sars-Cov-2 In A Twin Pregnancy, Tiffany C. Chang, Rebecca F. Herbert, Stacey N. Tran, Victoria M. Weprinsky, Bhaskari Burra, Chi Dola

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first identified in 2019 and rapidly evolved into the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The emergence of a highly morbid disease has posed ongoing challenges in the diagnosis, management, and prevention of COVID-19. The uncertainty underlying medical decision making is further compounded by preexisting conditions, including pregnancy. Here, we report a twin pregnancy complicated by maternal COVID-19 and the vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2. We hope that our experiences contribute to a better understanding of the disease in pregnancy and, ultimately, guide the development of effective treatment and prevention …

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 CO^₂ 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 …

Covid: Health Inequities Exposed And How We Can Do Better, Timothy Mcnamara, Kara Mann, Josephin Mathai

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

If a fair and just healthcare system is the goal, then the COVID-19 pandemic proves America still has a long way to go in its effort to achieve health equity for all. Inequalities in the healthcare landscape have been amassing for decades. Lack of access to quality care, underfunded public health programs, and the rising cost of treatment are just a few of the proposed origins of systemic inequity—all of which were apparent long before COVID-19’s arrival. Will observing these deep-seated issues under the lens of an ongoing pandemic shine a brighter light on these enduring disparities? More importantly, what …

Covid-19 And Mental Health Disparities In The Black American Population, Israel Taylor

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

The current COVID-19 pandemic has amplified health disparities that have long existed for minoritized groups in the United States. There have been disproportionate effects on the mental and physical health of the Black American population, specifically because of longstanding racial, social, and economic injustices. To fully understand the current state of Black mental health and the extent to which COVID-19 has impacted it, we examine historical examples of unjust mental health practices throughout generations. We then explore why depression, suicidality, and other mental illnesses may have a profound effect on a community that has been made vulnerable to socioeconomic shifts. …

The Impact Of Covid-19 In The Latinx Community, Laura Pedraza, Ricardo Villela, Vikki Kamatgi, Kaitlyn Cocuzzo, Ricardo Correa, Miriam Zylberglait Lisigurski

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the existing health and social disparities that affect minority groups in the United States (US), including the Latinx community. This situation has been reflected in many aspects of health, including increased morbi-mortality and reduced adherence to medical and scientific recommendations. Limited access to health care, financial challenges, migrant status, and health literacy, or lack thereof, have all hampered the Latinx community's ability to seek aid quickly and to be tested or treated effectively for this disease. This pandemic has shown that the Latinx community's socioeconomic status correlates with greater mortality rates when compared to other …

Conscious And Unconscious Bias: The Hidden Pandemic Of Biases In Healthcare Exacerbated By Covid-19, Ibtisam Rauf, Abigail Hartmann, Alexandre Koumtchev, Syed Anjum Khan, Rahul Kashyap

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

There are limited data on unconscious bias in healthcare, but there is consistent evidence that it alters clinical decision-making. COVID-19 exacerbated many pre-existing disparities, and this paper seeks to identify, deconstruct, and propose mitigation strategies for a few of them.

Discussion

Five of the largest disparities amplified by the pandemic are discussed in this paper. Older people, Black people, uninsured people, rural communities, and people with lower education levels have been disproportionally affected in both morbidity and mortality.

Conclusions

The disparities discussed above did not occur in a vacuum but are the result of systemic issues. Equity starts with …

Protective Equipment Preparedness And Accessibility: A Survey Of Medical Trainees, Navin R. Prasad, Jason An, Hyunju Heineke, Napatkamon Ayutyanont, Deepinder Bal, Rahul Kashyap

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Introduction

After being removed from patient care due to equipment shortages, medical students and new residents around the United States are returning to clinical medicine/acute care settings as the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic continues. We hypothesize that trainees returned with increased preparedness and had better access to and knowledge of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Methods

Anonymous online surveys were distributed via snowball sampling to medical students and residents performing clinical duties in the United States. Respondents completed self-assessments for preparedness regarding PPE use, access to PPE and COVID-19 testing, and access to COVID-19 positive patients. Group comparisons were conducted using chi-square …