Hospital Medicine Alert – June 1, 2009
June 1, 2009
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The One Thing Certain in the ICU Is Uncertainty
This study showed that surrogate decision-makers with a loved one in the ICU want clinicians to discuss the patient's prognosis, even if it is uncertain.Discontinuing Anti-platelet Therapy in Patients with Drug-eluting Stents
The introduction of drug-eluting stents (DES) was met with enthusiasm from the interventional cardiology community because of the dramatic reduction in rates of in-stent restenosis (ISR). However, it came to be recognized that this clinical benefit, due to reduced proliferation of smooth muscle cells, came at a price.Non-invasive Ventilation in Acute Respiratory Failure: Importance of the Interface
When 4 different interfaces with varying internal dead space were randomly applied during non-invasive ventilation in 14 patients with acute respiratory failure, there were no significant differences in gas exchange, minute ventilation, or work of breathing, but patient tolerance of the different devices varied substantially.The Buck Stops with Discharge Planning
Almost one-fifth of Medicare patients who were discharged from a hospital were rehospitalized within 30 days, and about a third were rehospitalized within 90 days. Most of these readmissions were not planned.A Best-evidence Review of Indications for Induction of Labor
To review the evidence supporting indications for inductions of labor.