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Two ICU patients experienced respiratory arrest while receiving polymyxin. Given the recent resurgence of use of this antibiotic and its close relative colistin to treat gram-negative infections resistant to newer agents, clinicians should be aware of this infrequent but long-known and potentially fatal adverse effect.
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Infection is the second leading cause of death in hemodialysis patients, with mortality rates ranging from 12-36% in this vulnerable population.
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Timely recognition and treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) are crucial if we are to achieve optimal outcomes for our patients. Silent ischemia, or the absence of classical symptoms of ischemia, may delay the diagnosis.
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Although current guidelines recommend delaying neuroprognostication during therapeutic hypothermia following resuscitation from cardiac arrest, this review of 55 consecutive patients so managed found that a "poor prognosis" designation was arrived at during the hypothermia period in most of them, including six patients who were eventually discharged with a favorable neurologic outlook.
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The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) early after myocardial infarction (MI) has been shown to increase the risk of death or recurrent MI, but little is known about the long-term risks. Thus, this group from Denmark evaluated their national database and identified more than 99,000 patients who survived 30 days after discharge following their first MI.
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In this single-center, prospective study, median duration of antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) decreased from 10 to 7 days with an antibiotic stewardship program that included education and prospective feedback to the managing team.
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Zolpidem and risk of falls; AVR and anticoagulation; statins in cancer patients; and FDA actions.
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In the first report (Newland et al), a quasi-experimental study with a control group (also known as a nonrandomized, postintervention design) was performed from 20042010 to determine the impact of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) implemented in March 2008 in a tertiary care childrens hospital that was based on prospective-audit-with-feedback. The control group included 25 childrens hospitals.
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Family members who received a diary written during their family members ICU admission had lower levels of symptoms related to post-traumatic stress disorder.
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