Hospital Medicine Alert
RSSArticles
-
Do Antibiotics Reduce Hormonal Contraceptive Effectiveness?
This is a systematic review of studies evaluating the effect of concomitant non-rifamycin antibiotics use on hormonal contraceptive effectiveness. Although data are limited, there is no evidence to support the existence of drug interactions.
-
Patent Foramen Ovale Intervention Rises to Occasion in Cryptogenic Stroke
After years of uncertainty, three large randomized trials have shown a benefit to patent foramen ovale closure in reducing recurrence after cryptogenic stroke in the right patients.
-
In-hospital vs. Telephone Availability of an Intensivist at Night
When overnight shifts were staffed by nighttime intensivists rather than residents with attending intensivists on call remotely, most nurses perceived improvements in clinical care, procedures, efficiency, communication, and job place comfort.
-
Antibiotics and Adverse Events: Doctors, Do No Harm!
A retrospective study found that among 1,488 hospitalized patients who received an antibiotic, 298 (20%) experienced at least one antibiotic-associated adverse drug event.
-
Caring for Providers: Mindfulness for Healthcare Practitioners
Preliminary studies show some promise for use of mindfulness interventions in healthcare practitioners, but the time required for training medical providers in these techniques is identified as a limitation to implementation.
-
Angiotensin II Raises Blood Pressure in Patients with Vasodilatory Shock
The ATHOS-3 trial represents an important proof of concept trial regarding angiotensin II as a new vasopressor in the armamentarium to treat vasodilatory shock.
-
Natriuretic Peptide-guided Therapy Does Not Improve Systolic Heart Failure Outcomes
A recent meta-analysis of 11 trials showed a significant reduction in all-cause mortality with natriuretic peptide-guided therapy, although the individual trial results varied substantially.
-
Is a Dabigatran Reversal Agent Effective?
Dabigatran is an attractive oral anticoagulant for patients who demonstrate indications for oral anticoagulation but are at high risk of bleeding.
-
Functional Outcomes After Receiving Life-sustaining Therapy in the ICU
Among patients who have spent at least three days in an ICU and required even brief mechanical ventilation and/or vasopressor support, almost half are dead and only one-third return to their baseline at six months. Several factors present on the first day of admission are associated with not returning to baseline status.
-
Frailty as a Patient Assessment Tool Prior to Aortic Valve Replacement
Assessment of frailty adds important prognostic information about risk of death and disability following both surgical aortic valve replacement and transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Among the available instruments for assessing frailty, a scale known as the Essential Frailty Toolkit demonstrated the best correlation with outcomes.