The neutropenic diet historically has been a mainstay in oncology practice, with many providers continuing to adhere tightly to the diet for patients with neutropenia. However, clinically sound evidence remains limited and weak and does not support the diet as a foundation for policy and practice. Therefore, two questions remain: Does evidence exist to support the effectiveness of the neutropenic diet in reducing infection rates in the neutropenic oncology population? Based on limited evidence supporting the neutropenic diet in this population, what clinically sound diet strategies are best for these patients?

BackgroundTobacco smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in America, claiming 450,000 lives annually. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, caused by smoking in the vast majority of cases, became the third leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2008. The burden of asthma, often exacerbated by tobacco exposure, has widespread clinical and public health impact. Despite this considerable harm, we know relatively little about the natural history of lung disease and respiratory impairment in adults, especially after smoking cessation.Methods/DesignOur paper describes the design and rationale for using the 2004 Federal Bureau of Prisons tobacco ban to obtain insights into the natural history of respiratory diseases in adult men and women of different races/ethnicities who are imprisoned in federal medical facilities. We have developed a longitudinal study of new prison arrivals, with data to be collected from each participant over the course of several years, through the use of standardized questionnaires, medical chart reviews, lung function tests, six-minute walk tests, and stored serum for the analysis of present and future biomarkers. Our endpoints include illness exacerbations, medication and health services utilization, lung function, serum biomarkers, and participants’ experience with their health and nicotine addiction.DiscussionWe believe the proposed longitudinal study will make a substantial contribution to the understanding and treatment of respiratory disease and tobacco addiction.

Introduction The rapid worldwide spread of COVID-19 motivated medical professionals to pursue and authenticate appropriate remedies and treatment protocols. This article aims to analyze the potential benefits of one treatment protocol developed by a group of care providers caring for severe COVID-19 patients. Methods The clinical findings of COVID-19 patients who were transferred to a specialized care hospital after unsuccessful treatment in previous institutions, were analyzed. The specialized care hospital used a treatment protocol including hydroxyurea, a medication commonly used for sickle cell treatment, to improve respiratory distress in the COVID-19 patients. None of the COVID-19 patients included in the analyzed data were diagnosed with sickle cell, and none had previously taken hydroxyurea for any other conditions. Results In all presented cases, patients reverted to their baseline respiratory health after treatment with the hydroxyurea protocol. There was no significant difference in the correlation between COVID-19 and hydroxyurea. However, deaths were extremely low for those taking hydroxyurea. Conclusions Fatality numbers were extremely low for those taking hydroxyurea; death could be attributed to other underlying issues.

Children are a population that has an increased risk of harm during any disaster events. This risk can be decreased by educating children in disaster preparedness skills. This article outlines a basic modifiable curriculum for teaching weather-related disaster preparedness to children ages 10-13, and shares how this was accomplished at an elementary school in North Alabama through a collaboration between the school and a local college of nursing.

The current United States health care system is continuously falling short of the promises made by numerous political health care leaders. Although some efforts have been made to improve the system, such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the current system still leaves a large percentage of the population uninsured or underinsured. Additionally, patients delay seeking care because of the high out-of-pocket costs, which allows conditions to become more severe, therefore leading to more costly treatment and adding to the large amount of money that must be written off by health care organizations. In this chapter, a review is provided of Australia's effort to improve these conditions for Australians through Australia's Medicare program. The chapter will also suggest how some components of the Australian Medicare System could help improve the quality of the United States health care system.