By: James Pitt  Jul. 02, 2018

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) is a common lung disorder involving reduced airflow. Dexur has previously the relationship between air pollution and COPD in Oklahoma, a state with little air quality monitoring at county level. Connecticut, however, has monitors in each of its eight counties. Dexur has previously investigated length of stay among COPD patients in Connecticut. Here, analysts examined the relationship between air quality and 30-day COPD readmissions rate, a measure of disease burden

By: James Pitt  Jun. 29, 2018

Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is an irregular heartbeat that has a major impact on quality of life and increases the risk of stroke or heart failure. A May 2018 meta-analysis found that diabetes raises the risk of atrial fibrillation by 28%.

By: James Pitt  Jun. 28, 2018

A Lancet Respiratory Medicine meta-analysis found that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) have a 1.33 odds ratio of being diagnosed with hypertension, compared to the non-COPD population.

By: James Pitt  Jun. 27, 2018

Hyponatremia, i.e. low blood sodium, is a common electrolyte imbalance. According to the Mayo Clinic, risk factors for hyponatremia include age, certain medications, kidney disease and heart failure (due to their effects on water excretion), and intensive physical activities like marathons.

By: James Pitt  Jun. 26, 2018

A June 4 Miami Herald investigation found that according to CMS data, Jackson Health System performed under the national benchmark on incidence of MRSA bloodstream infections, but at or above the national benchmark on five other types of infection. Dr. Lilian Abbo of Jackson Health attributed this to the case mix at Jackson Health and the high prevalence of MRSA in Miami-Dade County.

By: James Pitt  Jun. 25, 2018

Fluid balance is a measure of whether a patient has excess, or insufficient, fluid relative to electrolytes. Dexur has previously examined the effects of fluid imbalance in sepsis, a well-studied topic.

By: James Pitt  Jun. 22, 2018

According to the Centers for Disease Control, heart failure remains the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. Dexur analysts examined rates of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) at Alabama hospitals with over 1,500 Medicare-eligible inpatient discharges per year. HFrEF is a subtype of heart failure generally associated with worse outcomes than heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Dexur has previously reported on HFrEF’s effects on coronary bypass patients in Massachusetts and acute myocardial infarction patients in Florida.

By: James Pitt  Jun. 20, 2018

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a condition in which a blood clot forms in a vein, then may dislodge and block blood supply elsewhere. VTE is a common comorbidity of sepsis. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommends that patients with severe sepsis receive daily prophylaxis against VTE, with both pharmacologic therapy and pneumatic compression devices when possible.

By: James Pitt  Jun. 19, 2018

Asthma is a chronic lung disease which narrows the airways. It affects over 25 million people in the US, including 7 million children. Risk factors for developing asthma include air pollution, poverty, and tobacco smoke. Though asthma is often regarded as a childhood disease, 8.8% of adults had asthma as of 2011-2014.

Dexur analysts examined hospital-level data at the twenty hospitals in Mississippi with the most Medicare-eligible inpatient discharges for asthma in 2013-2016. The average readmission rate across these hospitals was close to Mississippi's state average, so they are a fair representation of the state.

By: James Pitt  Jun. 18, 2018

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in the US, killing approximately 370,000 people each year. (Coronary heart disease is a synonym). It occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries that feed the heart itself, a condition called coronary atherosclerosis.