Hospital Medicine Alert
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NOTICE: February 2018 was the final issue of this publication.
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Follow-up Blood Cultures in Gram-negative Bacteremia — Don’t Order Them
Not only does ordering routine follow-up blood cultures in patients with GNR bacteremia seldom produce helpful information, but common false-positive results can lead to longer length of stay, additional inappropriate antibiotic therapy, and increased healthcare costs.
More ICU Care Does Not Equal Better Survival for Elderly Patients
With an aging population and growing numbers of ICU beds, the question arises as to whether the ICU truly is beneficial for this vulnerable population. To explore this question, a cluster-randomized, clinical trial was designed to determine whether a method of systematic ICU admission in critically ill elderly patients reduced six-month mortality.
Implementing Noninvasive Ventilation: If You Build It, They Will Come
This study affirmed that giving allied health professions autonomy to execute care within well-structured, supervised protocols/guidelines is an efficient solution to many of the current obstacles in providing patient care in an increasingly fractured environment.Thrombectomy Is Effective Up to 24 Hours After Stroke – the DAWN Trial
Among a group of ischemic stroke patients last known to be well six to 24 hours earlier and who had a mismatch between clinical deficit and infarct size, outcomes regarding disability and functional independence were better if treated with mechanical thrombectomy, rather than standard care alone.
Rehabilitation From Neurological Insults: The Role of Music-based Interventions
This large-scale review study brings promising direction to the field; understanding the effect of specific musical interventions on specified outcomes could and should lead to a more targeted and efficacious approach.