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The initial 80% savings rate that Denvers Centura-St. Anthony Central Hospital realized through standardizing a formulary for ICU sedative drugs has held firm for more than four years, according to medical director Joseph Heit, MD.
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Many ICU physicians dont get the reimbursement they deserve because they quit billing for critical care too soon, says consultant Frank Lucas, who has performed chart audits based on payer mix and midnight census of 100-150 records to assess potential revenues for more than 35 ICUs.
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In patients with pulmonary embolism, elevated plasma levels of cardiac troponins help to identify a subgroup of patients who are at high risk and who may benefit from more aggressive treatment.
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Pneumococcal vaccine protects older adults from developing pneumococcal bacteremia but does not prevent community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), according to a new study from Group Health Cooperative in Seattle.
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It is possible to use pacemakers to detect symptomatic and asymptomatic nonsustained atrial high-rate episodes, and detection of these atrial high-rate episodes identifies patients at higher risk for death, stroke, and atrial fibrillation.
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Waiting for symptom development before recommending valve replacement surgery in young patients with severe aortic regurgitation due to rheumatic disease resulted in an overall 91% survival, free of symptoms over 10 years.
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Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the community is a benign disease associated a relatively low incidence of cardiac death. Syncope and left ventricular outflow tract obstructions are the 2 factors associated with sudden death or functional deterioration, respectively.