Tag: infection
Big Data Detects Sepsis In Major Hospitals
Data analytics have found that large medical facilities have higher rates of death from sepsis than their smaller hospital counterparts. Researchers from Houston Methodist Hospital recently used Big Data analytics to learn... read more
Use of Patient-Generated Wound Data to Improve Postdischarge SSI Monitoring
The use of mobile health (mHealth) to convey patient-generated health data (PGHD) offers new enhancements and challenges to the provision of surgical care. The Mobile Post-Operative Wound Evaluator (mPOWEr) is a patient-centered... read more
Admission to the ICU is Associated With Changes in the Oral Mycobiome
A prospective exploratory study was conducted to characterize the oral mycobiome at baseline and determine whether changes occur after admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). We found that ICU admission is associated... read more
Evaluating the Validity of Sepsis-3 Criteria in the Emergency Department
In this multicenter prospective cohort study involving 879 patients with suspected infection treated at the emergency department, the qSOFA was better at predicting in-hospital mortality with an area under the receiver operating... read more
Antipyretic Therapy in Critically Ill Septic Patients
This meta-analysis aimed to examine the impact of antipyretic therapy on mortality in critically ill septic adults. Inclusion criteria were observational or randomized studies of septic patients, evaluation of antipyretic... read more
Which position is safest for central line placement: subclavian, jugular, femoral?
Where to place a central venous catheter is a decision driven mainly by individual experience and preference. The limited evidence available has not established any site as superior; the subclavian position has been reported... read more
Lung Microbiome: Key to Respiratory Ills?
Recently, JAMA discussed this research and its potential clinical applications with 2 experts on the front lines, Jack Gilbert, PhD, a microbial ecologist at the University of Chicago and director of its new Microbiome Center... read more
Komodo dragon-inspired synthetic peptide DRGN-1 promotes wound-healing of a mixed-biofilm infected wound
Cationic antimicrobial peptides are multifunctional molecules that have a high potential as therapeutic agents. We have identified a histone H1-derived peptide from the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), called VK25. Using... read more
The impact of emergency department crowding on early interventions and mortality in patients with severe sepsis
Critically ill patients require significant time and care coordination in the emergency department (ED). We hypothesized that ED crowding would delay time to intravenous fluids and antibiotics, decrease utilization of protocolized... read more
The Prevalence of Acute Critical Neurological Disease in Children
Neurologic insults are a significant pediatric international health issue. They are frequent and contribute substantial morbidity and mortality. These data suggest a need for an increased focus on acute critical neurologic... read more
How Well Do Leapfrog Safe Practices Scores Correlate with Hospital Compare Ratings and Penalties
Hospital quality scores are publicly available, but the extent to which they reflect patient safety remains controversial. This study compared measures from the Leapfrog Group, which incorporates mandatory publicly reported... read more
Gastric Acid Suppression and Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection
This meta-analysis examines the association between recurrent Clostridium difficile infection and use of gastric acid suppressant medications. Meta-analyses of observational studies suggest that patients who receive gastric... read more
What’s new in the extracorporeal treatment of sepsis?
Clinical research has shown that endotoxin is indeed circulating in the blood of up to 50% of sepsis shock patients and associated with impaired clinical outcome. In view of the pivotal role of endotoxin in sepsis patients,... read more
Ultra-Short-Course Antibiotics for Patients With Suspected Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia but Minimal and Stable Ventilator Settings
Many patients started on antibiotics for possible ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) do not have pneumonia. Patients with minimal and stable ventilator settings may be suitable candidates for early antibiotic discontinuation.... read more
Presentations of adult septic patients in the prehospital setting as recorded by emergency medical services
The most common keywords related to septic patients’ symptom presentation were: abnormal/ suspected abnormal temperature (64.1.%), pain (38.4%), acute altered mental status (38.2%), weakness of the legs (35.1%), breathing... read more
Comparing Use of Low-Value Health Care Services Among U.S. Advanced Practice Clinicians and Physicians
Many physicians believe that advanced practice clinicians (APCs) provide care of relatively lower value. APCs and physicians provided an equivalent amount of low-value health services, dispelling physicians' perceptions... read more
Role of Combination Antimicrobial Therapy for Vancomycin‐Resistant Enterococcus faecium Infections
Enterococcus species are the second most common cause of nosocomial infections in the United States and are particularly concerning in critically ill patients with preexisting comorbid conditions. Rising resistance to antimicrobials... read more
The biggest killer you may not know
It kills more than bowel, breast and prostate cancer combined. A report in 2015 said four in 10 patients being admitted to accident and emergency units were not being reviewed quickly enough and uncovered delays in giving... read more
National ICU Quality Indicators Revisited
The use of QI at a national level is a suitable method to focus on quality in healthcare. Independently of public access to the results, a local or national ICU network will have a lot to gain from engaging in the process... read more
Decreased cytokine production by mononuclear cells after severe gram-negative infections
Failure of circulating monocytes for adequate cytokine production is a trait of sepsis-induced immunosuppression; however, its duration and association with final outcome are poorly understood. Defective TNF-α production... read more
Multifaceted educational intervention shortened time to antibiotic administration in children with sepsis
A multifaceted educational intervention shortened time to antibiotic administration in children with severe sepsis and septic shock: ABISS Edusepsis pediatric study. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) recommends the administration... read more
New Guidelines for Accurate Diagnosis of C. difficile Infection
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), a potentially lethal bacterial infection, causes colon inflammation and is responsible for 3,700 deaths in Europe per year. This highly symptomatic infection causes fever, diarrhea,... read more
