Tag: study
Statins for Primary Prevention
A recent issue of JAMA contains the latest US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation statement on statins for prevention of cardiovascular disease in adults, along with the accompanying evidence report and... read more
Clinical Pharmacist Role in the ICU
An overview of the various facets of pharmacist practice in the intensive care unit (ICU), the current extent to which pharmacists are present in the ICU, along with a discussion on barriers and lessons learned in garnering... read more
COPD Patients in US Often Skip Medications
People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often have other chronic conditions, like heart disease, and those who are poor about keeping up with treatments for these comorbidites are also less likely to adhere... read more
Cholera bacteria infect more effectively with a simple twist of shape
The bacteria that cause the life-threatening disease cholera may initiate infection by coordinating a wave of mass shapeshifting that allows them to more effectively penetrate the intestines of their unwitting victims, according... read more
Germ-zapping robots put to the test to combat hospital-acquired infections
The $2 million effort supported by the NIH's Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is the first of its kind to study no-touch room disinfection. Michigan researchers will look at the ability of high intensity ultraviolet... read more
GCA independently raises risk for VTE
The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) increases markedly shortly before the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA) regardless of glucocorticoid exposure, peaks at the time of diagnosis, and then progressively declines,... read more
Catheter safeguards at hospitals reduce infections and save money
U.S. hospitals are reducing bloodstream infections related to catheters by implementing rigorous safeguards that also save millions of healthcare dollars each year, according to research led by Cedars-Sinai.... read more
Adrenomedullin: a marker of impaired hemodynamics in cardiogenic shock
Bio-ADM is a valuable prognosticator and marker of impaired hemodynamics in CS patients. High levels of bio-ADM may show shock refractoriness and developing end-organ dysfunction and thus help to guide therapeutic approach... read more
Sepsis Algorithm a Deadly Marker
An attempt by a Phoenix, AZ, hospital to develop a marker for deadly sepsis instead found that the algorithm identified patients at an increased risk of dying. Increasingly, algorithms govern daily life, playing an important... read more
Poor outcome predictors in status epilepticus
Predictors of poor outcomes in patients with status epilepticus admitted to the neurointensive care unit include complex partial status epilepticus, refractory status epilepticus, or the development of nonconvulsive status... read more
Improving the quality of nurse‐influenced patient care in the ICU
Quality of care is a major focus in the intensive care unit (ICU). The nursing-initiated QI project demonstrated improved ICU patient care in relation to early enteral nutrition commencement, DSIs and early and daily mobilizing.... read more
The Role of Intensive Care Registries
To develop, implement, evaluate and sustain a quality improvement programme in the ICU is an important and demanding undertaking. The work can be made easier by joining an intensive care registry. Mature registries have resources... read more
Is platelet transfusion associated with hospital-acquired infections in critically ill patients?
After adjustment for confounders, including patient severity and other blood components, platelet transfusion was independently associated with ICU-acquired infection. Further research aiming to better understand this association... read more
A New Organ you didn't know you had: The Mesentery
The research of Dr. J. Calvin Coffey, foundation chair of surgery at the University of Limerick, is reclassifying this part of the digestive system as a contiguous organ. In a new study, Coffey has established the anatomy... read more
Hospital ICUs Are Overused
A study conducted on ICU admissions at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center states that the hospital’s Intensive Care Units are being overused by non-deserving patients. This revelation is suggesting that the hospital’s most evasive... read more
Metformin Associated with Reduced Mortality in CKD, CHF, and CLD
Metformin is currently the suggested initial treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus in the United States. In the past, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not recommend metformin for patients with chronic kidney... read more
Airway Driving Pressure and Lung Stress in ARDS Patients
Since the first description of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in the 1960s, numerous studies have sought the optimal tidal volume, positive end-expiratory pressure, plateau pressure, and inspired fraction of oxygen... read more
New molecular map reveals how cells spew out potassium
New research from The Rockefeller University has determined, for the first time, the complete structure of an ion channel that plays an important role in cellular electrical signaling by sending potassium ions out of the... read more
Patient Achieves Remission With CAR-T Cell Therapy for Aggressive Brain Tumors
A case study published in the December 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine outlines the results of a patient treated with his own genetically modified CAR-T cells, using central memory T cells, a stem-cell-like... read more
Triple therapy for influenza with naproxen, clarithromycin, and oseltamavir?
Antiviral therapy for influenza is a sore subject. Oseltamavir was initially felt to be a silver bullet. Unfortunately, it turned out that its efficacy was overblown by publication bias. Discordance between guidelines, practice,... read more
ECG Accuracy Raised by Placement of Electrode Patch
A single-use patch that ensures the uniform placement of electrocardiogram (ECG) leads cuts down on inaccuracies and saves time. A new study to evaluate CQP placement found a significant difference between the minimum time... read more
