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Two critically important infection control issues injection safety and antibiotic resistance are vying to be the top priority in the next phase of the Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), said Don Wright, MD, MPH, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Healthcare Quality at the HHS.
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In this two-part insulin primer, the authors will explore all aspects of insulin therapy. The first article will review the currently available forms of insulin, their formulation, mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, and appropriate use in diabetes therapy. The authors will address the practical aspects of insulin therapy including when and how to start insulin, review titration regimens, and provide insight into selecting insulins to best match patient needs.
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In this retrospective study of extubation outcomes in five ICUs at a single medical center, patients extubated at night had no increase in adverse events and their mortality rates and lengths of ICU stay were lower.
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Mean daily doses of up to 40 mg of prednisone equivalents and lengthy ICU stays were associated with impaired physical outcomes in patients who survived acute lung injury.
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The term thrombocytopenia refers to platelet counts < 150,000/microL, with severe thrombocytopenia defined as a count < 50,000/microL.
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During my final year of interventional cardiology training, a woman in her 60s was brought emergently to the cath lab in cardiogenic shock, with diffuse ST-segment elevations.
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Patients on mechanical ventilation who were managed with both conservative fluid administration and aggressive diuresis weaned faster, had significantly more ventilator-free days, and experienced reduced incidences of both ventilator-associated complications and ventilator-associated pneumonia.
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Compared to manual surveillance methods, an electronic surveillance tool for catheter-associated urinary tract infections had a high negative predictive value but a low positive predictive value.
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A large, multicenter clinical trial that compared protocol-based care to usual care for patients presenting to emergency departments with early sepsis and septic shock found no differences in clinical outcomes. However, early recognition and therapy was beneficial and should be the standard of care.
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In this large prospective study of trauma patients, the most important factor associated with post-traumatic seizures was the presence of alcohol intoxication.