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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Smallpox Vaccination and Adverse ReactionsGuidance for Clinicians in the Jan. 24th edition of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The guidance is a thorough review of the smallpox vaccine with a well-illustrated compendium of complications.
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The purpose of this pre- and postintervention observation study was to evaluate the effect of an educational initiative on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rate. The educational program was directed towards respiratory therapists and critical care nurses.
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Synopsis: This carefully done systematic review of the existing literature shows that overall mortality and ICU length of stay are better with increasing involvement of critical care physicians in patient care.
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The fatality rates for hospital-associated pneumonia in general, and of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in particular, are high. For hospital-associated pneumonia, attributable mortality rates of 20% to 33% have been reported, according to the draft pneumonia prevention guideline by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Ventilator-related deaths and injuries often are caused by multiple system failures, especially in the ICU, according to a recent report from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
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In the United States, physicians trained in internal medicine provide a substantial portion of the care of critically ill patients.
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Synopsis: Physicians rated the quality of ICU care higher than nurses, and these health care providers opionions did not correlate with those of patients. Patients perceived satisfaction with their care waas rated higher by physicians than by either nurses or patients.
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The FDA has mandated a Black Box warning for all estrogen and estrogen/progestin products for use by postmenopausal women. The new warnings are based on analysis of data from the Womens Health Initiative (WHI) study that was published July 2002.
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Synopsis: In this small study, differences in the respiratory rate to tidal volume ratio (RTVR) after 1 hour of spontaneous breathing with ATC were a good predictor of whether patients would remain extubated or require reintubation. But was it really better than other tests?
