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The gold standard in the era of EBM is the randomized controlled trial (RCT). A properly designed and carried out RCT, in patients similar to those the practitioner manages and using end points relevant to both practitioner and patient, is more likely to be free from bias and to produce results that will stand up over time than other types of investigation such as retrospective analyses, case-control studies, and unsystematic clinical observations.
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In this randomized, controlled trial, when patients developed recurrent respiratory failure following extubation, the use of noninvasive ventilation delayed but did not prevent reintubation, and this delay was associated with a higher mortality rate in the ICU.
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This retrospective study determined that catheter-directed thrombolysis was equally effective and safe whether urokinase, alteplase, or reteplase was used, but that costs were substantially less with the newer recombinant drugs.
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FDA Rejects Plan B Bid; Recombinant Erythropoietin Products May Stimulate Tumor Growth; Rosuvastatin: Markets Most Potent Statin; FDA Actions.
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An infant with pneumonia, a girl with an infected tattoo, and a child with an insect bite. Would you suspect community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in all these patients? In fact, these are all recent examples of actual MRSA cases seen at Brandon (FL) Regional Hospitals ED.
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How many patients would you estimate come to your ED for alcohol-related diseases and injuries? According to a new report, the number may be much higher than you think. There are three times as many alcohol-related ED visits than previous estimates, with an estimated 68.6 million ED visits attributed to alcohol each year, says a study based on the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys data from 1992-2000.
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This is the second in a two-part series on high-alert medications in the ED. This month, we address how to avoid dosage errors involving heparin. Last month, we gave practice changes to avoid errors with high-alert drugs.
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A new career ladder for emergency department registrars at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC, has helped reduce staff turnover and is providing increased motivation for employees to perform at higher levels in cash collections, among several other categories.
