Abstract:The relationship between amount of alcohol consumption and social, psychological, and cognitive status was examined in 270 healthy, independently living men and women over age 65. Forty-eight per cent of the sample recorded some alcohol intake during a three-day diet record, with 8 per cent drinking 30 or more grams of alcohol daily. Alcohol intake was positively associated with male gender, income, and amount of education and negatively

No abstract

Introduction A compartment syndrome (CS) occurs when increased pressure within an anatomic compartment leads to inadequate perfusion. Although rare, gluteal CS can be encountered when an unconscious person has a prolonged period of immobilization. Presentation of case A 20-year-old male with history of polysubstance abuse leading to passing out, presented with right buttock and lower extremity pain, increased creatinine phosphokinase (CPK), and acute renal failure. Physical examination and MRI confirmation supported gluteal CS. Patient was taken to the OR for gluteal fasciotomy. Afterwards, the pain improved, the CPK and creatinine trended to normal. He was discharged home on day 7. Discussion CS can occur in any part of the body with fascial compartments. Increased compartmental pressure causes compression of vessels and nerves in the area that can lead to ischemia and necrosis. CS can occur after trauma, excessive fluid resuscitation, or surgery. It is also reported due to the prolonged periods of immobilization and increasing pressure on dependent areas. Often, intra-compartmental pressure is measured to confirm the diagnosis. The mainstay of treatment is fasciotomy. Conclusion Due to the rarity of gluteal compartment syndrome, the diagnosis is often delayed. If the affected area is ischemic for a significant amount of time, it can lead to sciatic nerve palsy, paresthesias, paralysis and muscle necrosis. Patients may experience irreversible damage after the syndrome and as such providers should be cognizant of this clinical entity to make an early diagnosis of gluteal compartment syndrome.

Background As the United States (US) population increases, the demand for more trauma surgeons (TSs) will increase. There are no recent studies comparing the TS density temporally and geographically. We aim to evaluate the density and distribution of TSs by state and region and its impact on trauma patient mortality. Methods A retrospective cohort analysis of the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile (PM), 2016 US Census Bureau, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC’s) Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) to determine TS density. TS density was calculated by dividing the number of TSs per 1 000 000 population at the state level, and divided by 500 admissions at the regional level. Trauma-related mortality by state was obtained through the CDC’s WISQARS database, which allowed us to estimate trauma mortality per 100 000 population. Results From 2007 to 2014, the net increase of TS was 3160 but only a net increase of 124 TSs from 2014 to 2020. Overall, the US has 12.58 TSs/1 000 000 population. TS density plateaued from 2014 to 2020. 33% of states have a TS density of 6-10/1 000 000 population, 43% have a density of 10-15, 12% have 15-20, and 12% have a density >20. The Northeast has the highest density of TSs per region (2.95/500 admissions), while the Midwest had the lowest (1.93/500 admissions). Conclusion The density of TSs in the US varies geographically, has plateaued nationally, and has implications on trauma patient mortality. Future studies should further investigate causes of the TS shortage and implement institutional and educational interventions to properly distribute TSs across the US and reduce geographic disparities.

Background Although safeguards requiring emergency care are provided regardless of a patient's payor status, disparate outcomes have been reported in trauma populations. The purpose of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to determine whether race/ethnicity or insurance status had an effect on mortality and to systematically present the literature in the adult and pediatric trauma populations during the last decade. Methods An online search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and SAGE Journals was performed for publications from January 2009 to March 2019. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were used. The GRADE Working Group criteria were utilized to assess the evidence quality. A meta‐analysis was conducted to compare mortality between insured/uninsured and Caucasian/non‐Caucasian patients. Results Our search revealed 680 publications that qualified for evaluation. Of these, 41 were included in the final analysis. Twenty‐six studies included adults only, nine studies included pediatric patients only, and six studies evaluated both. Twelve studies evaluated the effects of race/ethnicity, 18 examined insurance status, and 11 investigated both. Uninsured patients had 22% greater odds of death than insured patients (OR 1.22; CI 1.21–1.24). Non‐Caucasian patients had 18% greater risk of death than Caucasian patients (OR 1.18; CI 1.17–1.20). Conclusion Both the adult and pediatric trauma populations suffer outcome disparities based on race/ethnicity and insurance status. Overall, patients without insurance coverage and minority groups (i.e., non‐Caucasians) had worse outcomes, as measured by odds of death and all‐cause mortality.