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VEST: A Positively Negative Clinical Trial

In a randomized trial of the wearable cardioverter-defibrillator prescribed to patients with left ventricular dysfunction after acute myocardial infarction, overall compliance rates were low. The authors observed no significant improvement in arrhythmic death rates; yet, overall mortality was lower.

Surgical Smoke State Laws: What IPs Need to Know

Rhode Island recently became the first state to require healthcare facilities to take measures to protect healthcare workers from the hazardous plume. With other states likely to follow, infection preventionists may want to revisit this issue, particularly the presence of toxic chemicals in the plume and the risk of possible infections and disease.

Intervention Reduces Infection Threat Posed by Therapy Dogs

While most patients can enjoy the benefits of pet therapy without risk of infection, those with cancer and other immune deficiency disorders are less protected. Researchers have pilot-tested a protocol that would make this activity safe for oncology patients, with plans now to test it in larger clinical settings.

LDL Cholesterol: How Low Do We Go?

A meta-analysis of 29 cholesterol-lowering outcome studies with baseline average low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels ≤ 70 mg/dL showed consistent major adverse cardiovascular event risk reductions down to average LDL levels of 21 mg/dL without any increase in adverse events.

MitraClip Scores Big Win in COAPT

The largest trial to date of MitraClip in highly selected patients with congestive heart failure and functional mitral regurgitation revealed significant reductions in heart failure hospitalization and two-year mortality.

Is Outpatient Prescribing Out of Control?

While restricting antibiotic use in hospitals has been heavily emphasized to stave off the rise of drug-resistant infections, a new study shows such efforts are conspicuously absent in outpatient settings — where 80% of these life-saving drugs are prescribed.

One Century After the Great Pandemic of 1918

Having killed some 50 million people worldwide and disappeared in little over a year, the 1918 influenza pandemic is steeped in fear and dread in infectious disease lore. Indeed, a warning of the “return” or emergence of such a virus is often cited as the need for an improved universal flu shot and mass immunization.

Data From Last Year’s Fatal Flu Season Show Areas of Weakness

In breaking down the numbers of the deadly 2017-2018 flu season, a jarring juxtaposition emerges. While about 90% of the record 80,000 deaths were in people over age 65, staff in long-term facilities had the lowest vaccination rate among any healthcare group.