About

Dr. Andrea Hodge is the Department Chair of the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at USC Viterbi School of Engineering. She holds the titles of Arthur B. Freeman Professor and Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. Her research group focuses on the synthesis of engineered microstructures with nanoscale precision, enabling the creation of materials with tailored properties and functionalities. Her experimental approach includes characterization and testing to develop a fundamental understanding of processes and mechanisms within the synthesis-microstructure space. She utilizes various coating techniques such as sputtering and electrodeposition to design and produce new nano-structured, micro-structured, and amorphous materials for advanced applications.

Research topics

• Pathology
• Bioinformatics
• Intensive care medicine
• Medicine

Selected publications

• E-166 Mobile stroke unit computed tomography angiography facilitates triage without delaying care or thrombectomy

  2025-07-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• The Pathophysiology and Biomarkers of Delirium

  Seminars in Neurology · 2024 · 17 citations

  • Medicine
  • Intensive care medicine
  • Bioinformatics

  Delirium is a major disturbance in the mental state characterized by fluctuations in arousal, deficits in attention, distorted perception, and disruptions in memory and cognitive processing. Delirium affects approximately 18% to 25% of hospital inpatients, with even higher rates observed during critical illness. To develop therapies to shorten the duration and limit the adverse effects of delirium, it is important to understand the mechanisms underlying its presentation. Neuroimaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography, functional MRI, and near-infrared spectroscopy point to global atrophy, white matter changes, and disruptions in cerebral blood flow, oxygenation, metabolism, and connectivity as key correlates of delirium pathogenesis. Electroencephalography demonstrates generalized slowing of normal background activity, with pathologic decreases in variability of oscillatory patterns and disruptions in functional connectivity among specific brain regions. Elevated serum biomarkers of inflammation, including interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and S100B, suggest a role of dysregulated inflammatory processes and cellular metabolism, particularly in perioperative and sepsis-related delirium. Emerging animal models that can mimic delirium-like clinical states will reveal further insights into delirium pathophysiology. The combination of clinical and basic science methods of exploring delirium shows great promise in elucidating its underlying mechanisms and revealing potential therapeutic targets.

  DOI

• Risk Factors for Extremely Long Length-of-Stay Among Pediatric Emergency Patients

  Pediatric Emergency Care · 2009-12-01 · 25 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  OBJECTIVE: Over time, we observed more visits in our pediatric emergency department with length-of-stay (LOS) of more than 10 hours, whereas our mean LOS was approximately 3 hours. We sought to characterize factors associated with this extremely long LOS. METHODS: Eighty-one visits with LOS more than 10 hours were identified from January 1, 2001, to June 30, 2003. In this retrospective study, we compared these cases with 405 randomly selected age-matched controls with LOS less than 10 hours (5 controls per case). RESULTS: The groups were similar for sex, visit month, arrival mode, and level of training of the supervising physician. Cases more frequently arrived during night shifts (30% vs 13%) and had laboratory tests (93% vs 32%), radiological studies (83% vs 34%), procedures (28% vs 15%), sedations (24% vs 4%), subspecialty consultations (84% vs 20%), chief complaints of abdominal pain (42% vs 6%) and diagnoses of appendicitis (10% vs 1%), and had a greater hospitalization rate (67 vs 19%). Although more cases involved white patients (57% vs 31%), race was not associated with LOS more than 10 hours in adjusted analysis. In multivariable analysis, longer waiting time (odds ratio [OR], 1.013; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.007-1.019), night shift arrival (OR, 5.0; 95% CI, 1.9-12.8), higher triage acuity (lowest acuity: OR, 0.003; 95% CI, 0.0-0.286), radiology study other than radiographs (OR, 18.0; 95% CI, 7.5-43.1), and subspecialty consultation (OR, 7.6; 95% CI, 3.2-18.3) were associated with LOS more than 10 hours. CONCLUSIONS: In our pediatric emergency department, risk factors for LOS more than 10 hours included longer waiting time, night shift arrivals, high triage acuity, radiology studies, and subspecialty consultations. These factors may also be important considerations for quality improvement initiatives at other institutions.

  PublisherDOI

• Predictors of Pediatric Emergency Patients Discharged Against Medical Advice

  Clinical Pediatrics · 2008-09-03 · 34 citations

  articleSenior author

  Based on a retrospective 5-year medical record review, this study characterizes factors associated with patients discharged against medical advice (AMA) from a tertiary pediatric emergency department (ED) and compares rates of return to the ED and admission to the hospital with those of patients routinely discharged. Data from 94 patients discharged AMA are compared with those of 188 control patients. Pediatric patients at risk for discharge AMA are older than 15 years (odds ratio [OR], 3.561; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.695-7.482), self-register independent of a parent (OR, 3.100; 95% CI, 1.818-152.770), arrive by ambulance (OR, 2.761; 95% CI, 1.267-6.018), involve a consultant (OR, 2.592; 95% CI, 1.507-4.458), and have a chief complaint of abdominal pain (OR, 3.095; 95% CI, 1.154-8.303). Negative predictors include urgent triage (OR, 0.155; 95% CI, 0.039-0.618), a chief complaint of upper respiratory tract illness or otitis media (OR, 0.229; 95% CI, 0.075-0.702), and discharge diagnoses of infection (adjusted OR, 0.053; 95% CI, 0.004-0.767), disease of the nervous system and sense organs (adjusted OR, 0.066; 95% CI, 0.005-0.898), respiratory illness (adjusted OR, 0.072; 95% CI, 0.007-0.718), and gastrointestinal disease (adjusted OR, 0.050; 95% CI, 0.006-0.419). Certain key elements of discharge AMA are well documented, including consequences of discharge AMA (74.5%) and instructions for care (54.3%). Other elements such as alternative therapies (1.1%) are poorly documented. Patients discharged AMA have a significantly higher return rate (24.5%) within 15 days compared with patients who have routine discharge (6.4%) (chi2=18.85, P<.001). Ninety-six percent of patients who return to the ED have the same chief complaint at both visits if discharged AMA compared with 50% of patients who are discharged routinely (P=.003), with 25% admission rates at the time of second visit for both types of discharges. Adolescents who register themselves are at increased risk for discharge AMA. Patients who are triaged as urgent or nonurgent or who have minor illnesses are likely to be dispositioned routinely. Patients discharged AMA are more likely to return to the ED with the same complaint than patients who are routinely discharged.

  PublisherDOI

• 392 Clinical measures poorly predict diastolic filling

  European Journal of Heart Failure Supplements · 2006-01-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Diabetes and Hypertension in Isolated Sixth Nerve PalsyA Population-Based Study

  Ophthalmology · 2005-03-24 · 69 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Validation of the Pulmonary Score: An Asthma Severity Score for Children

  Academic Emergency Medicine · 2002-02-01 · 100 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  OBJECTIVES: In the absence of a validated "user-friendly" method of scoring asthma severity, the authors derived the pulmonary score (PS). The purpose of this study was to begin validation trials of the PS by comparing it with the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). METHODS: The study enrolled a convenience sample of children, aged 5-17 years, who came to the emergency department (ED) for treatment of an acute asthma exacerbation. The PEFR (best of three attempts) and the PS were measured before and after the first albuterol treatment by a physician and a nurse from a pool of 45 trained observers. The PS includes respiratory rate, wheezing, and retractions, each rated on a 0-3 scale. Decreasing PS and increasing PEFR indicate clinical improvement. Pre- and post-treatment PEFRs and PSs were compared using paired t-tests to establish construct validity. Correlation of pre- and post-treatment PSs with PEFRs was measured to establish criterion validity. RESULTS: Forty-six subjects completed the study. Mean percent predicted PEFR improved after treatment by 20.7% (p = 0.0001), and mean PS by 1.5 for nursing-obtained scores (p < 0.0001) and 1.9 for physician-obtained scores (p < 0.0001). Pre- and post-treatment PSs were significantly correlated with PEFRs. Correlations for the nursing-obtained scores were pre-treatment r = -0.57 (p = 0.0003) and post-treatment r = -0.67 (p = 0.0001), and for the physician-obtained scores were pre-treatment r = -0.44 (p = 0.003) and post-treatment r = -0.56 (p = 0.0001). The pre-treatment interrater reliability was 0.62 and the post-treatment was 0.53. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the construct and criterion validities of the PS as a measure of asthma severity among children in the ED. The PS is a practical substitute to estimate airway obstruction in children who are too young or too sick to obtain PEFRs.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Validation of the Pulmonary Score: An Asthma Severity Score for Children

  Academic Emergency Medicine · 2002-02-01 · 56 citations

  articleSenior author

  Objectives: In the absence of a validated “user-friendly” method of scoring asthma severity, the authors derived the pulmonary score (PS). The purpose of this study was to begin validation trials of the PS by comparing it with the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). Methods: The study enrolled a convenience sample of children, aged 5-17 years, who came to the emergency department (ED) for treatment of an acute asthma exacerbation. The PEFR (best of three attempts) and the PS were measured before and after the first albuterol treatment by a physician and a nurse from a pool of 45 trained observers. The PS includes respiratory rate, wheezing, and retractions, each rated on a 0-3 scale. Decreasing PS and increasing PEFR indicate clinical improvement. Pre- and post-treatment PEFRs and PSs were compared using paired t-tests to establish construct validity. Correlation of pre- and post-treatment PSs with PEFRs was measured to establish criterion validity. Results: Forty-six subjects completed the study. Mean percent predicted PEFR improved after treatment by 20.7% (p = 0.0001), and mean PS by 1.5 for nursing-obtained scores (p < 0.0001) and 1.9 for physician-obtained scores (p < 0.0001). Pre- and post-treatment PSs were significantly correlated with PEFRs. Correlations for the nursing-obtained scores were pre-treatment r = -0.57 (p = 0.0003) and post-treatment r = -0.67 (p = 0.0001), and for the physician-obtained scores were pre-treatment r = -0.44 (p = 0.003) and post-treatment r = -0.56 (p = 0.0001). The pre-treatment interrater reliability was 0.62 and the post-treatment was 0.53. Conclusions: These data support the construct and criterion validities of the PS as a measure of asthma severity among children in the ED. The PS is a practical substitute to estimate airway obstruction in children who are too young or too sick to obtain PEFRs.

  PublisherDOI

• Clinical pediatric emergency medicine: Environmental emergencies

  Clinical Pediatric Emergency Medicine · 2001-09-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• MANAGED CARE AND THE PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

  Pediatric Clinics of North America · 1999-12-01 · 9 citations

  review1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Gary Fleisher

  16 shared

• Willaim Schwartz

  Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

  4 shared

• Joann Bodurtha

  Johns Hopkins University

  4 shared

• Stuart E. Starr

  Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

  4 shared

• John Sargent

  Tufts University

  4 shared

• MARK CHRISTOFERSEN

  Southern California University for Professional Studies

  4 shared

• John D. Wong

  4 shared

• JOHN GREGG

  Southern California University for Professional Studies

  4 shared

Labs

• Malmstadt LabPI