-
Carried out in four ICUs in the Netherlands, this study evaluated the effects of a serum lactate-guided resuscitation protocol during initial management of critically ill patients with elevated lactate levels, as compared to standard management not guided by serial lactate measurements.
-
Burn injuries account for half a million visits to the emergency department each year and present numerous challenges in management. The spectrum of burn injuries is immense, ranging from simple first-degree burns with no sequela to third-degree burns with hypermetabolic response. In addition, pediatric patients add unique challenges to providing optimal care.
-
You have just taken sign-out when a nurse comes up to you and says that there is a 64-year-old man in the critical bay who took an overdose of his medications. The patient has a history of hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and depression. The patient is lethargic but arousable, and reports he took about 40 tablets of immediate-release metoprolol three hours ago in an attempt to "end it all." The nurses are starting IV lines, checking vitals, and putting the patient on the monitor. You wonder, "Is it too late for gastric decontamination? If he is symptomatic, which therapy will I try first, and what are my options?"
-
In this issue: Tiotropium for uncontrolled asthma, sibutramine pulled from market, incidence and mortality data from WHI, FDA Actions.
-
Following a chart review that indicated few (24%) medical ICU (MICU) patients received consultation for physical therapy (PT) or occupational therapy (OT) a percentage almost 50% lower than at two other academic medical centers in the same city as well as a higher prevalence of deep sedation, the authors elected to initiate a QI project designed to reduce the use of deep sedation and improve patients' functional ability.
-
-
Desai and colleagues carried out a comprehensive review of published studies on long-term complications among survivors of critical illness in an attempt to find common characteristics and themes that might be used in developing strategies for preventing or mitigating them.
-
Acetaminophen (known as paracetamol outside the United States) is the most commonly used analgesic in the world, usually considered to be safe and benign.
-
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a final rule for hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) for calendar year (CY) 2011 with a payment rate increase of 2.35%.
-
A new year is fast approaching, and with it comes unusual challenges for ED compliance. As recovery audit contractors (RAC) step up audit activities, many hospitals and ED practice groups are taking a second look at appropriate ways to ensure compliance without sacrificing revenue.