Differences in erythrocyte phospholipid membrane long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and the prevalence of fatty acid desaturase genotype among African Americans and European Americans.

Numerous studies have reported an association between genetic variants in fatty acid desaturases (FADS1 and FADS2) and plasma or erythrocyte long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels. Increased levels of n-6 PUFAs have been associated with inflammation and several chronic diseases, including diabetes and cancer. We hypothesized that genetic variants of FADS that more efficiently convert precursor n-6 PUFA to arachidonic acid (AA) may explain the higher burden of chronic diseases observed in African Americans. To test this hypothesis, we measured the level of n-6 and n-3 PUFAs in erythrocyte membrane phospholipids and genotyped the rs174537 FADS variants associated with higher AA conversion among African American and European American populations. We included data from 1,733 individuals who participated in the Tennessee Colorectal Polyp Study, a large colonoscopy-based case-control study. Erythrocyte membrane PUFA percentages were measured using gas chromatography. Generalized linear models were used to estimate association of race and genotype on erythrocyte phospholipid membrane PUFA levels while controlling for self-reported dietary intake. We found that African Americans have higher levels of AA and a higher prevalence of GG allele compared to whites, 81% vs 43%, respectively. Homozygous GG genotype was negatively associated with precursor PUFAs (linoleic [LA], di-homo-γ-linolenic [DGLA]), positively associated with both product PUFA (AA, docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]), product to precursor ratio (AA to DGLA), an indirect measure of FADs efficiency and increased urinary isoprostane F2 (F2-IsoP) and isoprostane F3 (F3-IsoP), markers of oxidative stress. Increased consumption of n-6 PUFA and LA resulting in increased AA and subsequent inflammation may be fueling increased prevalence of chronic diseases especially in African descent.

Smoking and red blood cell phospholipid membrane fatty acids.

Smoking is associated with lower n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) concentrations; however, limited studies have accounted for dietary PUFA intake or whether tobacco dose or smoking duration influences this association. We measured red blood cell phospholipid (RBC) membrane concentrations of fatty acids in 126 current smokers, 311 former smokers, and 461 never smokers using gas liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Smokers had lower RBC membrane percentages of total n-3 LCPUFAs compared to former smokers or never smokers (median percent: 5.46, [interquartile range (IQR) 4.52, 6.28] versus 6.39; [IQR: 5.18, 7.85] versus 6.59; [IQR 5.34, 8.01]) (p<0.001) and this association remained after adjusting for dietary PUFA intake. Duration of smoking and cigarettes per day were not associated with RBC membrane n-3 LCPUFA differences. Smoking is associated with lower n-3 LCPUFA RBC membrane percentages and this association was not influenced by diet or smoking dose or duration.

Relationship between patient complaints and surgical complications.

BACKGROUND: Patient complaints are associated with increased malpractice risk but it is unclear if complaints might be associated with medical complications. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an association exists between patient complaints and surgical complications. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 16,713 surgical admissions was conducted over a 54 month period at a single academic medical center. Surgical complications were identified using administrative data. The primary outcome measure was unsolicited patient complaints. RESULTS: During the study period 0.9% of surgical admissions were associated with a patient complaint. 19% of admissions associated with a patient complaint included a postoperative complication compared with 12.5% of admissions without a patient complaint (p = 0.01). After adjusting for surgical specialty, co-morbid illnesses and length of stay, admissions with complications had an odds ratio of 1.74 (95% confidence interval 1.01 to 2.98) of being associated with a complaint compared with admissions without complications. CONCLUSIONS: Admissions with surgical complications are more likely to be associated with a complaint than surgical admissions without complications. Further research is necessary to determine if patient complaints might serve as markers for poor clinical outcomes.

Primary care physician attitudes concerning follow-up of abnormal test results and ambulatory decision support systems.

OBJECTIVES: Failures to follow-up abnormal test results are common in ambulatory care. Information systems could assist providers with abnormal test result tracking, yet little is known about primary care providers attitudes toward outpatient decision support systems. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 216 primary care physicians (PCPs) that utilize a single electronic medical record (EMR) without computer-based clinical decision support. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 65% (140/216). Less than one-third of the respondents were satisfied with their current system to manage abnormal laboratory, radiographs, Pap smear, or mammograms results. Only 15% of providers were satisfied with their system to notify patients of abnormal results. Over 90% of respondents felt automated systems to track abnormal test results would be useful. Seventy-nine percent of our respondents believed that they could comply better with guidelines through electronic clinical reminders. CONCLUSIONS: Most PCPs were not satisfied with their methods for tracking abnormal results. Respondents believed that clinical decision support systems (CDSS) would be useful and could improve their ability to track abnormal results.

Physician satisfaction with two order entry systems.

OBJECTIVES: In the wake of the Institute of Medicine report, To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System (LT Kohn, JM Corrigan, MS Donaldson, eds; Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999), numerous advisory panels are advocating widespread implementation of physician order entry as a means to reduce errors and improve patient safety. Successful implementation of an order entry system requires that attention be given to the user interface. The authors assessed physician satisfaction with the user interface of two different order entry systems-a commercially available product, and the Department of Veterans Affairs Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS). DESIGN AND MEASUREMENT: A standardized instrument for measuring user satisfaction with physician order entry systems was mailed to internal medicine and medicine-pediatrics house staff physicians. The subjects answered questions on each system using a 0 to 9 scale. RESULTS: The survey response rates were 63 and 64 percent for the two order entry systems. Overall, house staff were dissatisfied with the commercial system, giving it an overall mean score of 3.67 (95 percent confidence interval [95%CI], 3.37-3.97). In contrast, the CPRS had a mean score of 7.21 (95% CI, 7.00-7.43), indicating that house staff were satisfied with the system. Overall satisfaction was most strongly correlated with the ability to perform tasks in a "straightforward" manner. CONCLUSIONS: User satisfaction differed significantly between the two order entry systems, suggesting that all order entry systems are not equally usable. Given the national usage of the two order entry systems studied, further studies are needed to assess physician satisfaction with use of these same systems at other institutions.