A recent story in the Knoxville News Sentinel examined how the opioid crisis in the United States is putting cardiology departments in a difficult spot.
More and more younger patients are being diagnosed with endocarditis, a condition long tied to IV drug use. But those who misuse and abuse opioids are at high risk for readmission or death.
“We can do this high-risk surgery and give them a new heart valve, but if we operate and get them through the surgery, they go right back to using drugs,” said Lawrence Lee, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. “We’ve had people reuse within a week of going home. If they infect the (replacement) tissue valve, that’s even harder to treat.”
Thomas Pollard, MD, a cardiologist at Parkwest Medical Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, hopes outcomes can improve as hospitals push patients into rehab after surgery, instead of having them spend six weeks in the hospital.
“I’m hopeful I will show them they’re not going to spend any more money, or maybe even less money, than they were before,” Pollard said
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Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.