The Southern Medical Journal is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Medical Association. It has a multidisciplinary and inter-professional focus that covers a broad range of topics relevant to physicians and other healthcare specialists.
SMJ // Browse the Southern Medical Journal
SMJ Article | Original Article
Lymphedema Awareness and Experience in the Turner Syndrome Community
Objective: Lymphedema commonly affects females with Turner syndrome (TS), although it may be underrecognized and untreated. The objective of this study was to better understand self-reported lymphedema prevalence, knowledge, and experience in TS. Methods: A 24-question anonymous survey was distributed to females with TS or their caregivers at a TS...
SMJ Article | Original Article
Clinical Shift Distribution in Academic Hospital Medicine Fellowship across 10 Years
Objectives: As hospital medicine (HM) has grown as a specialty, it has been paralleled by an increase in HM fellowship training programs. Limited data are available surrounding clinical exposure for HM fellows. Using data from a large academic medical center with a long-standing HM fellowship program, we reviewed the types...
SMJ Article | Original Article
LGBTQ+ Health Inequities in a Rural, Conservative Context: Alabama Compared with Other Southern States
Objectives: There are no statewide statistics regarding the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) Alabamians. To fill this gap, we used data collected by the Southern Equality Research and Policy Center to compare Alabama with other southern US states regarding the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ people....
SMJ Article | Original Article
Neighborhood Ecologies, Cases, and Deaths during the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons for Current and Future Epidemics?
Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionately affected Black and Latinx communities. Ecologic analyses have shown that counties with a higher percentage of Latinx and Black people have worse COVID-19 outcome rates. Few ecologic analyses have been published at the neighborhood (census tract) level. We sought to determine...
Posted in: Infectious Disease128
SMJ Article | Original Article
A Cohort Study of Lt. Col. Luke J. Weathers VA Medical Center Patients with Positive FIT and Incomplete GI Evaluation during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Objectives: The reasons for and incidence of delay in screening colonoscopies during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are of major public health interest. The risks and reasons for delay likely vary between public and private institutions. This research sought to analyze data regarding the completion of screening colonoscopies after...
Posted in: Gastroenterology43
SMJ Article | Original Article
Healthcare Provider Burnout: Red Flag for a Rising Epidemic
Objectives: This article aims to broaden the understanding of burnout in healthcare providers, its causes, and its reduction strategies. The objectives are to raise awareness, facilitate early intervention, and, ultimately, improve the overall well-being of healthcare providers and the quality of patient care. Methods: The study investigated healthcare-provision–associated burnout, an...
SMJ Article | Original Article
Efficacy and Safety of Direct Oral Anticoagulants Compared to Warfarin in Patients with Cirrhosis and Splanchnic Vein Thrombosis
Objective: The incidence of splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT) is reported to be
Posted in: Liver Disease8
SMJ Article | Original Article
Impact of Frailty on COVID-19 Hospitalizations: Results from the California State Inpatient Database
Objectives: Frail patients are at greater risk of experiencing adverse clinical outcomes in any critical illness due to decreased physiologic reserves, greater susceptibility to the adverse effects of treatment, and greater needs for intensive care. In this study, we sought to assess the prevalence of frailty and associated adverse in-hospital...
Posted in: Infectious Disease128
SMJ Article | Original Article
Effect of HIV Status and Charlson Comorbidity Index on COVID-19 Clinical Outcomes in a Case-Control Study
Objectives: During the course of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, numerous comorbidities were identified as risk factors for increased morbidity and mortality. Few studies have examined human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and COVID-19 co-infection and the impact of HIV on COVID-19 outcomes. In this study, we compared outcomes of people...
SMJ Article | Perspectives
Running Helps: Medical Students and Attending Physicians are on the Same Track
To understand the benefits and growing popularity of running, I reflected on my own experiences, interviewed physicians who run here in New Orleans, and sought the insight of a professional running coach.
