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Measuring the quality of a complex service like critical care that combines the highest technology with the most intimate caring is a challenge. Recently, consumers, clinicians, and payers have requested more formal assessments and comparisons of the quality and costs of medical care.
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In this randomized control trial, Schneiderman and Associates evaluated the effect of an intervention, namely, an ethics consultation, on several variables associated with the care of patients eventually dying in the ICU.
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The FDA has approved Pfizer's eplerenone (Inspra) for the treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF) in patients who have sustained a myocardial infarction. The drug is a selective aldosterone blocker, a new class of drug for the treatment of CHF.
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An outbreak of Pseudomonas surgical-site infections was traced to the infected thumbnail of a cardiac surgeon. The outbreak stopped after the infected nail was removed.
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Compliance with a protocol for managing catheter-related bacteremia was improved from 56% to 75% simply by sending a reminder by e-mail.
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Genetically engineered B lymphocytes were used for rapid detection and identification of pathogens, a methodology with potential use in diagnostics, biowarfare defense, and biomonitoring of food and water.
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The following summary of selected abstracts from 3 meetings will be published in multiple parts. The 43rd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) met in Chicago September 14-17, 2003. The Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) met in San Diego October 9-12, 2003. The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene meets in Philadelphia December 3-7, 2003.
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