Background & aims: New York is the current epicenter of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The underrepresented minorities, where the prevalence of obesity is higher, appear to be affected disproportionately. Our objectives were to assess the characteristics and early outcomes of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Bronx and investigate whether obesity is associated with worse outcomes independently from age, gender and other comorbidities. Methods: This retrospective study included the first 200 patients admitted to a tertiary medical center with COVID-19. The electronic medical records were reviewed at least three weeks after admission. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Results: 200 patients were included (female sex: 102, African American: 102). The median BMI was 30 kg/m 2 . The median age was 64 years. Hypertension (76%), hyperlipidemia (46.2%), and diabetes (39.5%) were the three most common comorbidities. Fever (86%), cough (76.5%), and dyspnea (68%) were the three most common symptoms. 24% died during hospitalization (BMI b 25 kg/m 2 : 31.6%, BMI 25-34 kg/m 2 : 17.2%, BMI ≥ 35 kg/m 2 : 34.8%, p = 0.03). Increasing age (analyzed in quartiles), male sex, BMI ≥ 35 kg/m 2 (reference: BMI 25-34 kg/m 2 ), heart failure, CAD, and CKD or ESRD were found to have a significant univariate association with mortality. The multivariate analysis demonstrated that BMI ≥ 35 kg/m 2 (reference: BMI 25-34 kg/m 2 , OR: 3.78; 95% CI: 1.45-9.83; p = 0.006), male sex (OR: 2.74; 95% CI: 1.25-5.98; p = 0.011) and increasing age (analyzed in quartiles, OR: 1.73; 95% CI: 1.13-2.63; p = 0.011) were independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality. Similarly, age, male sex, BMI ≥ 35 kg/m 2 and current or prior smoking were significant predictors for increasing oxygenation requirements in the multivariate analysis, while male sex, age and BMI ≥ 35 kg/m 2 were significant predictors in the multivariate analysis for the outcome of intubation. Conclusions: In this cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in a minority-predominant population, severe obesity, increasing age, and male sex were independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality and in general worse in-hospital outcomes.

Background Approximately 500,000 patients are discharged from U.S. hospitals against medical advice annually, but the associated risks are unknown. Methods We examined 148,810 discharges from an urban, academic health system between 7/1/2002 and 6/30/2008. Of these, 3,544 (2.4%) were discharged against medical advice and 80,536 (54.1%) were discharged home. We excluded inpatient deaths, transfers to other hospitals or nursing facilities, or discharges with home-care. Using adjusted and propensity score matched analyses, we compared 30-day mortality, 30-day readmission, and length of stay between discharges against medical advice and planned discharges. Results Discharge against medical advice was associated with higher mortality than planned discharge, after adjustment (ORadj = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.48–2.86), and in propensity-matched analysis (ORmatched = 2.46, 95% CI: 1.29 – 4.68). Discharge against medical advice was also associated with higher 30-day readmission after adjustment (ORadj 1.84; 95% CI 1.69 – 2.01), and in propensity-matched analysis (ORmatched 1.65, 95% CI: 1.46 – 1.87). Finally, discharges against medical advice had shorter lengths-of-stay than matched planned discharges (3.37 vs. 4.16 days, p <0.001). Conclusions Discharge against medical advice is associated with increased risk for mortality and readmission. In addition, discharges against medical advice have shorter lengths-of-stay than matched planned discharges, suggesting that the increased risks associated with discharge against medical advice are attributable to premature discharge.

Wrong-patient electronic orders occur frequently with computerized provider order entry systems, and electronic interventions can reduce the risk of these errors occurring.

Objective Although tight glucose control is widely used in hospitalized patients, there is concern that medication-induced hypoglycemia may worsen patient outcomes. We sought to determine if the mortality risk associated with hypoglycemia in hospitalized non-critically ill patients is linked to glucose-lowering medications (drug-associated hypoglycemia) or if it is merely an association mediated by comorbidities (spontaneous hypoglycemia). Methods Retrospective cohort of patients admitted to the general wards of an academic center during 2007. The in-hospital mortality risk of a hypoglycemic group (at least one blood glucose ≤ 70 mg/dl) was compared to that of a normoglycemic group using survival analysis. Stratification by subgroups of patients with spontaneous and drug-associated hypoglycemia was performed. Results Among 31,970 patients, 3,349 (10.5%) had at least one episode of hypoglycemia. Patients with hypoglycemia were older, had more comorbidities, and received more antidiabetic agents. Hypoglycemia was associated with increased in-hospital mortality (HR: 1.67, 95% CI, 1.33 to 2.09, p<0.001). However, this greater risk was limited to patients with spontaneous hypoglycemia (HR: 2.62, 95% CI, 1.97 to 3.47, p<0.001), not to those with drug-associated hypoglycemia (HR: 1.06, 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.52, p=0.749). After adjustment for patient comorbidities, the association between spontaneous hypoglycemia and mortality was eliminated (HR: 1.11, 95% CI, 0.76 to 1.64, p=0.582). Conclusions Drug-associated hypoglycemia was not associated with increased mortality risk in patients admitted to the general wards. The association between spontaneous hypoglycemia and mortality was eliminated after adjustment for comorbidities, suggesting that hypoglycemia may be a marker of disease burden rather than a direct cause of death.

A total of 273 cases of biopsy-proven ischemic colitis were identified of which 71 (26.0%) involved only the right side. Patients with IRCI had a worse outcome than those with colon ischemia involving other colon regions, including a fivefold need for surgery and a twofold mortality.

The efficacy of glucocorticoids in COVID-19 is unclear. This study was designed to determine whether systemic glucocorticoid treatment in COVID-19 patients is associated with reduced mortality or mechanical ventilation. This observational study included 1,806 hospitalized COVID-19 patients; 140 were treated with glucocorticoids within 48 hours of admission. Early use of glucocorticoids was not associated with mortality or mechanical ventilation. However, glucocorticoid treatment of patients with initial C-reactive protein (CRP) ≥20 mg/dL was associated with significantly reduced risk of mortality or mechanical ventilation (odds ratio, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.08- 0.70), while glucocorticoid treatment of patients with CRP <10 mg/dL was associated with significantly increased risk of mortality or mechanical ventilation (OR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.39-5.03). Whether glucocorticoid treatment is associated with changes in mortality or mechanical ventilation in patients with high or low CRP needs study in prospective, randomized clinical trials. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2020;15:XXX-XXX. © 2020 Society of Hospital Medicine

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Background and objectives: Elevated alkaline phosphatase (AlkPhos) and phosphate levels are associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients receiving dialysis. A retrospective cohort study was conducted to test these associations in outpatients with an estimated GFR >60 ml/min/1.73 m 2 .Design, setting, participants, & measurements: Patients with serum AlkPhos and phosphate levels measured between 2000 and 2002 (n ‫؍‬ 10,743) at Montefiore Medical Center (MMC) clinics were followed through September 11, 2008 (median 6.8 years). Mortality data were obtained via Social Security Administration records (n ‫؍‬ 949 deaths). Hospitalization data were obtained from MMC records.Results: The mean age was 51 years, 64% were women, 22% were white, 26% were non-Hispanic black, 16% were Hispanic, 13% had a diagnosis of hypertension, 9% had diabetes mellitus, and 8% had cardiovascular disease at baseline. AlkPhos and phosphate were independently associated with mortality and cardiovascular-related hospitalization after multivariable adjustment. Comparing patients in the highest (>104 U/L) versus lowest quartile of AlkPhos (<66 U/L), the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for mortality was 1.65 (P trend across quartiles <0.001). For the highest compared with the lowest quartile of serum phosphate (>3.8 mg/dl versus <3.0 mg/dl), the adjusted HR for mortality was 1.29 (P trend across quartiles ‫؍‬ 0.008). High AlkPhos but not phosphate levels were also associated with all-cause, infection-related, and fracture-related hospitalization.Conclusions: Higher levels of serum AlkPhos and phosphate were associated with increased mortality and cardiovascularrelated hospitalization in an inner-city clinic population. Further studies are needed to elucidate mechanisms underlying these associations.