Association Between US Hospital Teaching Status and Mortality
In an observational study of approximately 21 million hospitalizations of Medicare beneficiaries, adjusted 30-day mortality rates were significantly lower at 250 major teaching hospitals compared with 894 minor teaching and... read more
Sharing Research Through Social Media
Earlier this year, a group from the HARTSofthe possible team met here in Oxford to reflect on our progress and to plan what was needed next. We came up with a Rainbow Prism Model to show the three areas of our work: sharing... read more
Empirical MRSA Coverage for Nonpurulent Cellulitis
Cellulitis is an infection of the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue, manifesting as expanding erythema, edema, and warmth of the skin. In most instances of cellulitis, the causative microorganism cannot be definitively... read more
Facilitators and Barriers of Hand Hygiene
What keeps ICU nurses from washing their hands? And why do some overcome the barriers? Although there are many papers on hand hygiene, this new one in American Journal of Infection Control caught my eye. In this study 3,260... read more
Assessment of Post-ICU Functional Outcome
Poor functional status is common after critical illness, and can adversely impact intensive care unit (ICU) survivors’ abilities to live independently. Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), which encompass complex... read more
Seven Roadblocks to Improving Patient Safety
Don Berwick's 7 Roadblocks to Improving Patient Safety. Eliminating such incidents requires continuous attention, says Berwick, during the National Patient Safety Foundation Patient Safety Congress. Berwick, the Institute... read more
Delayed Referral Results in Missed Opportunities for Organ Donation
Rates of organ donation and transplantation have steadily increased in the United States and Canada over the past decade, largely attributable to a notable increase in donation after circulatory death. However, the number... read more
Prediction of Survival and Functional Outcomes After ICU Admission
This study assesses the 6-month discriminative accuracy of patient mortality and functional outcome predictions made by intensive care unit (ICU) physicians and nurses at the time of ICU admission. Intensive care unit physicians'... read more
Effect of Home NIV on Outcomes After Acute COPD Exacerbation
This randomized clinical trial compares the effects of home oxygen therapy with vs without home noninvasive ventilation (NIV) on time to readmission or death in patients with persistent hypercapnia after an acute chronic... read more
Diagnostic Value of Procalcitonin on Early Postoperative Infection After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
Procalcitonin was more accurate than C-reactive protein and WBC to predict early postoperative infection, but the diagnostic properties of procalcitonin could not be observed during the first 3 postoperative days due to the... read more
Exosomes in Critical Illness
Exosomes are small, cell-released vesicles (40–100 nm in size) with the potential to transfer proteins, lipids, small RNAs, messenger RNAs, or DNA between cells via interstitial fluids. Due to their role in tissue homeostasis,... read more
Nurses are burnt out. Here's how hospitals can help
Studies have found that overworked nurses lead to more errors and lower patient satisfaction. Nurses across the country are stressed, burnt out and thinking of leaving the profession. Surveys, polls and studies of all kinds... read more
Persistent Gaps in Use of Advance Directives Among Nursing Home Residents Receiving Maintenance Dialysis
Patients with end-stage renal disease receiving dialysis have a symptom burden and prognosis comparable to patients with incurable cancer. They frequently and increasingly receive intensive procedures near the end of life.... read more
Reflections on the ICU Liberation ABCDEF Bundle Improvement Collaborative
Ludwig Lin, MD, speaks with Brenda Pun, DNP, RN, ACNP, about the ICU Liberation ABCDEF Bundle Improvement Collaborative. Dr. Pun reflects upon Collaborative work, including origins and logistics of the project, team training... read more
How to Ensure Your Medical Wishes Are Followed if You’re Critically Ill and Incapacitated
It happens every day in the intensive care units of hospitals throughout the country: Physicians ask the loved ones of someone kept alive by a ventilator and other medical devices whether the patient would want to live hooked... read more
Generalizable Biomarkers in Critical Care
The sequencing of the human genome and the subsequent availability of inexpensive, robust methods for "omics" profiling (e.g., genome-wide association studies, gene expression microarrays, and metabolomics) have... read more
Video vs direct laryngoscopy in the ICU: are we asking the right question?
Endotracheal intubation in the operating room (OR) and the ICU are different procedures, but this is not always recognized. The ICU patient should be evaluated as a physiologically difficult airway, in contrast to the traditional... read more
