Hospital Medicine Alert – July 1, 2011
July 1, 2011
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Stroke in Patients Undergoing PCI
Cerebrovascular events (CVE), including stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA), are recognized complications of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). -
Compliance with Antihypertensive Therapy
Hypertension is usually asymptomatic, so adherence to drug therapy is an issue, especially if the drugs used cause symptoms. -
Long-Term Psychological Effects of Critical Illness
This observational study noted that critically ill patients provided with clinical psychological support during their ICU stay had less anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder at one year post-discharge compared to historical controls. -
Does COPD Worsen Outcomes When Mechanical Ventilation Is Required for Other Reasons?
In a cohort of mechanically ventilated patients admitted with a variety of acute diagnoses, those diagnosed with COPD (but not in exacerbation) had higher ICU mortality but no difference in risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia as compared to patients without the diagnosis of COPD. -
CRP in Acute Pericarditis
The utility of inflammatory markers in acute pericarditis is not well understood. Thus, these investigators from Italy prospectively evaluated serial high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) serum levels in patients with acute pericarditis followed for 24 months on average. -
Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures
Frontal lobe dysfunction may predispose people to have psychogenic nonepileptic seizures; this dysfunction can be measured by analyzing a brief period of the awake EEG.