Browsing by Subject "Co-morbidities"

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    A Review of Research on Disparities in the Care of Black and White Patients With Cancer in Detroit
    (Frontiers Media, 2021-07-07) Simon, Michael S.; Raychaudhuri, Sreejata; Hamel, Lauren M.; Penner, Louis A.; Schwartz, Kendra L.; Harper, Felicity W. K.; Thompson, Hayley S.; Booza, Jason C.; Cote, Michele; Schwartz, Ann G.; Eggly, Susan; Epidemiology, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health
    Racial disparities in cancer incidence and outcomes are well-documented in the US, with Black people having higher incidence rates and worse outcomes than White people. In this review, we present a summary of almost 30 years of research conducted by investigators at the Karmanos Cancer Institute's (KCI's) Population Studies and Disparities Research (PSDR) Program focusing on Black-White disparities in cancer incidence, care, and outcomes. The studies in the review focus on individuals diagnosed with cancer from the Detroit Metropolitan area, but also includes individuals included in national databases. Using an organizational framework of three generations of studies on racial disparities, this review describes racial disparities by primary cancer site, disparities associated with the presence or absence of comorbid medical conditions, disparities in treatment, and disparities in physician-patient communication, all of which contribute to poorer outcomes for Black cancer patients. While socio-demographic and clinical differences account for some of the noted disparities, further work is needed to unravel the influence of systemic effects of racism against Black people, which is argued to be the major contributor to disparate outcomes between Black and White patients with cancer. This review highlights evidence-based strategies that have the potential to help mitigate disparities, improve care for vulnerable populations, and build an equitable healthcare system. Lessons learned can also inform a more equitable response to other health conditions and crises.
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    Closing gaps in medication taking for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease patients among US adults
    (Elsevier, 2022-11-11) Liu, Xiaowei; Tang, Lijiang; Tang, Ying; Du, Changqing; Chen, Xiaofeng; Xu, Cheng; Yan, Jing; Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine
    Background: The secondary preventive medical remedies used in the U.S. general population, particularly those with numerous co-morbidities, are poorly understood. We aimed to assess health outcomes and the extent of their adherence to guideline-based secondary prevention medications among U.S. coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. Methods: We analysed information from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2018 on people in the United States aged 18 to 85 who had a personal history of coronary heart disease (CHD). Logistic regression analyses were used to identify characteristics related to healthcare access that were linked with not taking any indicated drugs among CHD and other co-morbidity patients in the U.S. Results: We gathered 4256 CHD patients aged 18 and above. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEIs/ARBs), statins, and antiplatelet medications were taken by 50.94%, 48.26%, 53.41 %, and 19.78% of the population, respectively. Surprising, not received recommended drugs was reached up to 21.12%, and taking all four drugs was only 7.64%. In conclusion, the logistic regression analysis revealed that the chance of not taking prescribed drugs increased with age (18-39), race (Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Black), low income, lack of insurance, and the absence of co-morbidities (hypertension, heart failure, and diabetes mellitus). Conclusions: The gap between the proposed secondary preventative measures and their actual execution remains sizable. In order to achieve 'Healthy Aging', a systematic approach for prevention of CHD is urgently needed.
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    Evidence Vs. Practice in Early Drain Removal Following Pancreatectomy
    (Elsevier, 2020-04-01) Villafane-Ferriol, N.; Baugh, K.A.; McElhany, A.L.; Van Buren, G., II; Fang, A.; Tashakori, E.K.; Mendez Reyes, J.E.; Cao, H.S. Tran; Silberfein, E.J.; Massarweh, N.; Hsu, C.; Barakat, O.; Schmidt, C.; Zyromski, N.J.; Dillhoff, M.; Villarreal, J.A.; Fisher, W.E.; Surgery, School of Medicine
    Background: Early drain removal when postoperative day (POD) 1 drain fluid amylase (DFA) was ≤ 5000 U/L reduced complications in a previous randomized controlled trial. We hypothesized that most surgeons continue to remove drains late and this is associated with inferior outcomes. Methods: We assessed the practice of surgeons in a prospectively maintained pancreas surgery registry to determine the association between timing of drain removal with demographics, co-morbidities, and complications. We selected patients with POD1 DFA ≤ 5000 U/L and excluded those without drains, and subjects without data on POD1 DFA or timing of drain removal. Early drain removal was defined as ≤ POD5. Results: 244 patients met inclusion criteria. Only 90 (37%) had drains removed early. Estimated blood loss was greater in the late removal group (190 mL vs 100 mL, p = 0.005) and pathological findings associated with soft gland texture were more frequent (97(63%) vs 35(39%), p < 0.0001). Patients in the late drain removal group had more complications (84(55%) vs 30(33%), p = 0.001) including pancreatic fistula (55(36%) vs 4(4%), p < 0.0001), delayed gastric emptying (27(18%) vs 3(3%), p = 0.002), and longer length of stay (7 days vs 5 days, p < 0.0001). In subset analysis for procedure type, complications and pancreatic fistula remained significant for both pancreatoduodenectomy and distal pancreatectomy. Conclusion: Despite level 1 data suggesting improved outcomes with early removal when POD1 DFA is ≤ 5000 U/L, experienced pancreas surgeons more frequently removed drains late. This practice was associated with known risk factors (EBL, soft pancreas) and may be associated with inferior outcomes suggesting potential for improvement.