Trevor Thompson

FDA will hold a webinar regarding the proposed rule, which reiterates FDA’s assertion of jurisdiction over laboratory developed tests and proposes a...

White people who visit hospital emergency departments with pain are 26% more likely than Black people to be given opioid pain medications, such as morphine. This was a key finding from our recent study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. We also found that Black patients were 25% more likely than White patients to be given only nonopioid painkillers, such as ibuprofen, which are typically available over the counter.

White people who visit hospital emergency departments with pain are 26% more likely than Black people to be given opioid pain medications such as morphine.

White people who visit hospital emergency departments with pain are 26 percent more likely than Black people to be given opioid pain medications such as morphine. This was a key

Effective strategies for addressing racial disparities in pain treatment are likely those that target underlying causes, the authors write.

The Farmington police officers who shot and killed a man after going to the wrong house for a domestic violence call will not be charged.

Background Widespread transmission of COVID-19 continues to threaten public health, particularly of rural, American Indian communities. Although COVID-19 risk factors for severe disease and clinical characteristics are well described in the general population, there has been little shared on hospitalized American Indian populations.

BackgroundUnderstanding the impact of pharmacological therapy on pneumonia severity is crucial for effective clinical management. The impact of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) and beta-blockers (BBs) on pneumonia severity remains unknown, warranting further investigation.MethodologyThis retrospective study examined the hospital records of inpatients (≥75 years) admitted with community-acquired pneumonia in 2021. Pneumonia severity associated with the use of pre-established ACEi and BB therapy was documented using CURB-65 (confusion, uraemia, respiratory rate, blood pressure, age ≥65 years) and pneumonia severity index (PSI) scores. Descriptive statistics and multivariable linear regression were used to analyse differences across BB therapy, ACEi therapy, their combination, or neither (control group).ResultsA total of 803 patient records were examined, of whom 382 (47.6%) were male and 421 (52.4%) were female. Sample sizes for each group were as follows: control (n = 492), BB only (n = 185), ACEi only (n = 68), and BB + ACEi (n = 58). Distribution of aspiration pneumonia (AP) versus non-AP for each group, respectively, was control (21.1% vs. 78.9%), BB only (9.7% vs. 90.3%), ACEi only (7.3% vs. 92.7%), and ACEi + BB (12.1% vs. 87.9%). No significant differences in PSI and CURB-65 scores were found between intervention groups even after controlling for patient characteristics and irrespective of AP or non-AP aetiology. Patients with AP had significantly higher CURB-65 (p = 0.026) and PSI scores (p = 0.044) compared to those with non-AP.ConclusionsPre-prescribed ACEi or BB therapy did not appear to be associated with differences in pneumonia severity. There were no differences in pneumonia severity scores with ACEi and BB monotherapy or combined ACEi and BB therapy.

Tommy Harris hit a hole in one Sunday at the Cherokee Ranch Golf Club in Jacksonville.

BMJ doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-078607 (Published 21 August 2024) Cite this as: BMJ 2024;386:e078607