-
Based on the findings of this meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled trials, early (7 days after intubation) or late (any time after 7 days) tracheostomy placement did not alter clinical outcomes in study patients, including no differences in mortality, incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU stay, hospital stay, or sedation.
-
After caring for patients with Clostridium difficile infection, nearly 25% of health care workers were found to have hand contamination with C. difficile spores.
-
Hospitalists are frequently asked in many systems to work harder and see more patients, yet the effect of the hospitalist workload on the quality and efficiency of care has not been systematically evaluated.
-
The first U.S. case of MERS-CoV infection diagnosed in the U.S. has been identified in an individual traveling from Saudi Arabia.
-
Reducing 30-day hospital readmission rates is an important goal in improving healthcare quality and reducing healthcare costs.
-
There are four predictors for a potentially avoidable readmission due to end-of-life issues: number of admissions in the past year, opiate prescription at discharge, neoplasm and Elixhauser comorbidity index.
-
In this large observational study in four hospitals with a standardized rapid response system, among patients with an initial team activation who were not immediately transferred to the ICU, those with one or more additional activations during the hospitalization were more likely to need ICU care and had both longer hospital stays and higher mortality.
-
Corticosteroid use is associated with an increased risk of symptomatic pulmonary embolism. The greatest risk is in the first 30 days of use and increases with increasing steroid dose.
-
Low MEWS score may be beneficial in identifying a subset of hospitalized patients unlikely to benefit from nocturnal vital sign monitoring.
-
The toxicity of statins was increased in older adults who were coprescribed the CYP3A4 inhibitors clarithromycin or erythromycin.
