Patients With Psychiatric Diagnoses Who Undergo Colorectal Surgery May Be At Increased Risk For Postoperative Diagnoses, Readmission Within 90 Days, Study Indicates

Psychiatric News (2/10) reports, “Patients with psychiatric diagnoses who undergo colorectal cancer surgery may be at increased risk for postoperative complications and readmission within 90 days, but psychiatric treatment prior to surgery may help to reduce these risks,” investigators concluded after examining VA data on “58,961 patients” who “underwent colon or rectal surgery for colon or rectal cancer.” The findings were published online Feb. 9 in Psychiatric Services, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Psychiatric Diagnoses Prior to Colorectal Cancer Surgery Associated With Worse Outcomes, Psychiatric News, February 10, 2021

Poorer Patients With Alzheimer’s, Related Dementias In Rural Areas May Have More Difficulty Accessing Specialized Geriatric Care, Researchers Say

HealthDay (2/9) reports that “research suggests poor patients [with Alzheimer’s disease] living in rural areas may not have access to the specialists who could spot the first signs of memory declines.” Researchers “sought to determine whether Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s and related dementias were receiving care from” geriatric specialists, “as well as whether there were socioeconomic differences in access to care.” According to the study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, “people with incomes above $24,999 were more likely to have seen a geriatric specialist than those with incomes below $15,000. And the odds of having at least one visit were lower for those in non-metropolitan areas.”

Related Links:

— “Specialist Care for Alzheimer’s Is Tough to Find for Poorer, Rural Americans ” Cara Murez, HealthDay, February 9, 2021

People With Dementia Are More Likely To Contract SARS-CoV-2 And To Die From It, Study Indicates

The New York Times (2/9, Belluck) reports researchers examined millions of medical records in the US and found that “people with dementia had significantly greater risk of contracting the coronavirus, and they were much more likely to be hospitalized and die from it, than people without dementia.” The increased “risk could not be entirely explained by characteristics common to people with dementia that are known risk factors for [SARS-CoV-2 infection]: old age, living in a nursing home and having conditions like obesity, asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” because “after researchers adjusted for those factors, Americans with dementia were still twice as likely to have” been infected with SARS-CoV-2 “as of late last summer.” The findings were published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
        
USA Today (2/9, Rodriguez) reports the researchers also found that Black people with dementia “had nearly three times the risk of being infected with [SARS-CoV-2] as white patients did.” During the study, 73% “of Black patients with dementia were hospitalized during the study compared with about 53% of white patients,” and “23% of Black patients died compared with 19% of white patients.”
        
Healio (2/9, Ernst) and MedPage Today (2/9, George) also cover the study.

Related Links:

— “People With Dementia Are Twice as Likely to Get Covid, Huge Study Finds “Pam Belluck, The New York Times, February 9, 2021

Medical Schools Saw 17% Increase In Applications Last Year As Pandemic Heightens Focus On Healthcare Industry

The Houston Chronicle (2/8, Garcia) reports data from the Association of American Medical Colleges show “more than 7,500 more students applied for medical school in the U.S. last year, an increase of 17 percent,” and “nearly two dozen medical schools have seen applications jump by at least 25 percent.” In Texas, schools received 700 more applications, up 33% from the year prior according to the Texas Health Education Service. Though the “AAMC doesn’t know exactly what is behind the increase,” it points to “several likely factors, including students having more time to focus on applications while being stuck at home, as well as the nation’s current spotlight on frontline health care workers ‘extraordinary heroism’ amid the pandemic.”

Related Links:

— “Medical school applications are up in Houston. But why? “Julie Garcia, The Houston Chronicle, February 8, 2021

Many Adults In US Say They Will Continue Avoiding Crowds And Wearing Masks After The COVID-19 Pandemic Ends, Survey Finds

Healio (2/8, Miller) reports many adults in the US plan to continue certain practices aimed at curbing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, according to a national survey. In the survey, 80% of respondents said they plan to continue avoiding crowds and 72% said they plan to continue wearing masks in public.

HealthDay (2/8) also covers the story.

Related Links:

— “Most Americans say they will continue preventive measures after COVID-19 pandemic ends “Janel Miller, Healio, February 8, 2021

Hospitals Report Increase In Admissions For Alcoholic Hepatitis And Liver Failure

Los Angeles Times (2/8, Cahan) reports, “As the pandemic sends thousands of recovering alcoholics into relapse, hospitals across the country have reported dramatic increases in alcohol-related admissions for critical diseases such as alcoholic hepatitis and liver failure.” The Times adds, “Specialists at hospitals affiliated with the University of Michigan, Northwestern University, Harvard University and Mount Sinai Health System in New York City said rates of admissions for alcoholic liver disease have leapt by up to 50% since March.”

Related Links:

— “As alcohol abuse rises amid pandemic, hospitals see a wave of deadly liver disease “Eli Cahan, Los Angeles Times, February 8, 2021

COVID-19 Pandemic Has Reportedly Led Some People To Resume Smoking Or Smoke More Than They Did Before

The New York Times (2/6, Harel) reported, “Lots of people seem to be smoking again or more during the pandemic, if anecdotal evidence and preliminary sales figures for tobacco products are any measure.” The New York Times quoted several people describing how being stuck inside, isolated, and stressed has led them to start smoking again or smoke more than they were before the pandemic.

Related Links:

— “Smokers Might Be Lighting Up More “Monica Corcoran Harel, The New York Times, February 6, 2021

Many Young People Prescribed A Psychoactive Medication Report Misusing It, Study Indicates

Healio (2/5, Gramigna) reported,Over 20% of teens and young adults in the United States prescribed a psychoactive medication “reported misusing that drug,” researchers concluded in a study that “sought to evaluate prevalence and correlates of medical use and misuse of psychoactive prescription medications among 110,556 youth and young adults aged 12 to 25 years in the U.S.” The findings were published in the January issue of Family Medicine and Community Health.

Related Links:

— “Many teens and young adults misuse prescribed psychoactive drugs “Joe Gramigna, Healio, February 5, 2021

Transgender Adults May Have Higher Prevalence Of Substance Use Disorder Diagnoses Compared With Cisgender Adults, Researchers Say

Healio (2/4, Michael) reports, “Transgender adults have a higher prevalence of substance use disorder diagnoses compared with cisgender adults,” researchers concluded after conducting “a cross-sectional analysis of data from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse, which include claims from individuals insured commercially or through Medicare Advantage in 2017 who had at least five medical claims reported that year.” Included in the study were data on “a total of 15,637 transgender adults” who were “matched 3:1 with 46,911 cisgender adults based on age and geographic information.” The findings were published online Feb. 4 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Transgender adults more likely to be diagnosed with substance use disorders “Erin Michael, Healio, February 4, 2021