Health equity in pediatrics: Current concepts for the care of children in the 21st century (Dis Mon).

This is an analysis of important aspects of health equity in caring for children and adolescents written by a multidisciplinary team from different medical centers. In this discussion for clinicians, we look at definitions of pediatric health equity and the enormous impact of social determinants of health in this area. Factors involved with pediatric healthcare disparities that are considered include race, ethnicity, gender, age, poverty, socioeconomic status, LGBT status, living in rural communities, housing instability, food insecurity, access to transportation, availability of healthcare professionals, the status of education, and employment as well as immigration. Additional issues involved with health equity in pediatrics that are reviewed will include the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, behavioral health concepts, and the negative health effects of climate change. Recommendations that are presented include reflection of one's own attitudes on as well as an understanding of these topics, consideration of the role of various healthcare providers (i.e., community health workers, peer health navigators, others), the impact of behavioral health integration, and the need for well-conceived curricula as well as multi-faceted training programs in pediatric health equity at the undergraduate and postgraduate medical education levels. Furthermore, ongoing research in pediatric health equity is needed to scrutinize current concepts and stimulate the development of ideas with an ever-greater positive influence on the health of our beloved children. Clinicians caring for children can serve as champions for the optimal health of children and their families; in addition, these healthcare professionals are uniquely positioned in their daily work to understand the drivers of health inequities and to be advocates for optimal health equity in the 21st century for all children and adolescents.

Effect of Pharmacoprophylaxis on Postoperative Outcomes in Adult Elective Colorectal Surgery: A Multi-Center Retrospective Cohort Study within an Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Framework.

BACKGROUND: The application of enhanced recovery after surgery principles decreases postoperative complications (POCs), length of stay (LOS), and readmissions. Pharmacoprophylaxis decreases morbidity, but the effect of specific regimens on clinical outcomes is unclear. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Records of 476 randomly selected adult patients who underwent elective colorectal surgeries (ECRS) at 10 US hospitals were abstracted. Primary outcomes were surgical site infection (SSI), venous thromboembolism (VTE), postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), pain, and ileus rates. Secondary outcomes included LOS and 7- and 30-day readmission rates. RESULTS: POC rates were SSI (3.4%), VTE (1.5%), PONV (47.9%), pain (58.1%), and ileus (16.1%). Cefazolin 2 g/metronidazole 500 mg and ertapenem 1 g were associated with the shortest LOS; cefotetan 2 g and cefoxitin 2 g with the longest LOS. No SSI occurred with ertapenem and cefotetan. More Caucasians than Blacks received oral antibiotics before intravenous antibiotics without impact. Enoxaparin 40 mg subcutaneously daily was the most common inpatient and discharge VTE prophylaxis. All in-hospital VTEs occurred with unfractionated heparin. Most received rescue rather than around-the-clock antiemetics. Scopolamine patches, spinal opioids, and IV lidocaine continuous infusion were associated with lower PONV. Transversus abdominis plane block with long-acting local anesthetics, celecoxib, non-anesthetic ketamine bolus, ketorolac IV, lidocaine IV, and pregabalin were associated with lower in-hospital pain severity rates. Gabapentinoids and alvimopan were associated with lower ileus rates. Acetaminophen, alvimopan, famotidine, and lidocaine patches were associated with shorter LOS. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences in pharmacotherapy regimens that may improve primary and secondary outcomes in ECRS were identified. In adult ECRS, cefotetan or ertapenem may be better regimens for preventing in-hospital SSI, while ertapenem or C/M may lead to shorter LOS. The value of OA to prevent SSI was not demonstrated. Inpatient enoxaparin, compared to UFH, may reduce VTE rates with a similar LOS. A minority of patients had a documented PONV risk assessment, and a majority used as-needed rather than around-the-clock strategies. Preoperative scopolamine patches continued postoperatively may lower PONV and PDNV severity and shorter LOS. Alvimopan may reduce ileus and shorten LOS. Anesthesia that includes TAP block, ketorolac IV, and pregabalin use may lead to reduced pain rates. Acetaminophen, alvimopan, famotidine, and lidocaine patches may shorten LOS. Given the challenges of pain management and the incidence of PONV/PDNV found in this study, additional studies should be conducted to determine optimal opioid-free anesthesia and the benefit of newer antiemetics on patient outcomes. Moreover, future research should identify latent pharmacotherapy variables that impact patient outcomes, correlate pertinent laboratory results, and examine the impact of order or care sets used for ECRS at study hospitals.

Changing a Community: A Holistic View of the Fundamental Human Needs and Their Public Health Impacts.

There are many approaches to changing a community to ensure it serves the people's fundamental needs. For example, enabling equitable access to critical aspects of the community, such as quality healthcare, high-quality education, and job training, is vital for promoting community safety through enhancing tolerance and respect for diversity. However, creating a community that serves the fundamental needs of the people demands a substantive investment of effort. Understanding the nature of these efforts requires discussion of community engagement, examining community networks and their role in fostering cooperative action, enhancing public safety, and identifying the structures of involvement and pertinent routes for developing community land. Understanding such efforts entails knowing the issues related to gentrification and disbandment. These hands-on possibilities can help avert the possibility of people being pushed out of their community settings. These insights further shed light on how the family unit and larger community are able to create collective unity and foster each member's responsibility in community service provision that promotes community integration. Examining how violence and other factors affect a community's collective power is necessary to determine how a community can avoid such violence and encourage positive changes at the individual and family levels to promote community cooperation and safety. Essentially, changing a community can yield significant improvements in public health. Addressing factors such as access to nutritious food, healthcare, physical activity, and social amenities and fostering social cohesion through community engagement can collectively contribute to reducing the burden of chronic diseases and promoting overall well-being. This review provides insight into crucial issues that have long plagued the societal disconnect between the local community and the leadership, policymakers, or other authoritative institutions that govern them, thus affecting the implementation of strategic social and public health initiatives. We will also explore strategies to mitigate these potential pitfalls.

Postprandial Hypotension: An Underreported Silent Killer in the Aged.

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is one of the most common autonomic dysfunctions, with high prevalence in populations of elderly, hypertensive, diabetic, or Parkinson's patients. Evidence is emerging that OH co-occurs with postprandial hypotension (PPH); a greater prevalence of PPH than of OH is reported for Parkinson's disease patients. OH is diagnosed by measuring the blood pressure changes associated with postural changes and often produces alterations in consciousness or other such bothersome symptoms as fainting. PPH is diagnosed by measuring the blood pressure changes associated with ingesting high carbohydrate test meals. Because of the time lag between food ingestion and absorption, PPH is often not reported as symptomatic and, therefore, not diagnosed as PPH. OH and PPH are independent predictors for all causes of mortality. Relative underdiagnosis may qualify PPH as a "silent killer" disease. This review is aimed at providing updates on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical aspects associated with the diagnosis and treatment of PPH. Highlighting the current gaps in knowledge and research about PPH is expected to make medical practitioners more cognizant of the dangers of underdiagnosis and motivate future research to identify individuals and populations at high risk for PPH and its sequelae.