OBJECTIVES To assess whether prior statin use protects against the development of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea (CDAD) in hospitalized patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS A retrospective case-control study conducted in three hospitals included all hospitalized patients diagnosed with CDAD in the Internal Medicine Departments (IMDs) during a 1 year period. Subjects were determined to h...

The prevalence of acromegaly is estimated to be 8-24/100,000, but several recent studies suggest it is underestimated. In particular, acromegaly is considered more prevalent in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) than in the normal population. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of acromegaly in hospitalized patients with T2DM. A total of 327 hospitalized patients with T2DM we...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether any associations exist between cultural (racial/ethnic, spiritual/religious) competence and end-of-life treatment decisions in hospitalized patients and the potential impact of those associations on hospitalists' provision of care. DATA SOURCES AND METHODS MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Psychlnfo, and CINAHL databases were searched using the following search terms: cu...

BACKGROUND Rehospitalization of heart failure patients is often considered the result of inadequate self-care yet only one study documents superior outcomes with better self-care. AIMS If inadequate self-care is related to hospitalizations, then hospitalized heart failure patients should have lower self-care skills than non-hospitalized patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate perc...

BACKGROUND Heart failure is a highly prevalent, morbid, and costly disease with a poor long-term prognosis. Evidence-based therapies utilized over the past 2 decades hold the promise of improved outcomes, yet few contemporary studies have examined survival trends in patients with acute heart failure. The primary objective of this population-based study was to describe trends in short- and long-...

OBJECTIVES Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the leading cause of hospitalization for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in young children worldwide.We evaluate the epidemiological and clinical patterns of RSV infection in infants hospitalized for LRTI in in Palermo, South Italy, Sicily. METHODS We collected the demographic details of infants hospitalized to G. Di Cristina Children'...