POCT for emergency assessment of coagulation in patients treated with direct oral anticoagulants

POCT for emergency assessment of coagulation in patients treated with direct oral anticoagulants

Hemochron Signature Point-of-care testing (POCT) can be a fast and reliable alternative for guiding emergency treatment during rivaroxaban and dabigatran therapy. It allows the rapid identification of a relevant fraction... read more

Clinical practice guideline on diagnosis and treatment of hyponatraemia

Clinical practice guideline on diagnosis and treatment of hyponatraemia

Hyponatraemia, defined as a serum sodium concentration <135 mmol/l, is the most common disorder of body fluid and electrolyte balance encountered in clinical practice. It can lead to a wide spectrum of clinical symptoms,... read more

CHS using virtual critical care for heart patients

CHS using virtual critical care for heart patients

It just might be the future of medicine. Using cameras, microphones and medical sensors, heart surgeons and cardiologists inside the Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute at Carolinas HealthCare System are treating patients... read more

How survival of cancer patients in critical care has improved in the last 3 decades

How survival of cancer patients in critical care has improved in the last 3 decades

Comprehensive care for critically ill patients with cancer is a collaborative effort, and close cooperation between oncology as well as palliative and critical care is essential. Collaborative decision making is a cornerstone... read more

Thrombocytosis in the ED

Thrombocytosis in the ED

Both reactive thrombocytosis and clonal thrombocytosis may be associated with vasomotor symptoms. The key difference is that thrombotic and bleeding events are much more common in myeloproliferative thrombocytosis, whereas... read more

Interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing practices for hospital inpatients

Interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing practices for hospital inpatients

This review includes 221 studies (58 RCTs, and 163 NRS). Most studies were from North America (96) or Europe (87). The remaining studies were from Asia (19), South America (8), Australia (8), and the East Asia (3). We found... read more

Catheter System Drains Recurrent Pleural Effusions

Catheter System Drains Recurrent Pleural Effusions

A novel catheter system enables patients to drain pleural fluid at home, instead of requiring them to return to the hospital for thoracentesis. The PleurX catheter system consists of a catheter that is inserted in the chest... read more

Crizanlizumab use lowers rates of sickle cell crises

Crizanlizumab use lowers rates of sickle cell crises

Patients with sickle cell disease treated with high-dose crizanlizumab experienced lower annualized rates of sickle cell crisis compared to placebo treatment, regardless of their baseline use of hydroxyurea. Those treated... read more

Benefits and harms of duloxetine for treatment of stress urinary incontinence

Benefits and harms of duloxetine for treatment of stress urinary incontinence

Duloxetine was significantly better than placebo in terms of percentage change in weekly incontinence episodes (mean difference - 13.56%, 95% confidence interval [CI] -21.59% to -5.53%) and change in Incontinence Quality... read more

Lower C. difficile mortality with vancomycin than metronidazole

Lower C. difficile mortality with vancomycin than metronidazole

Treating Clostridium difficile infection with vancomycin achieves the same recurrence rates as does treatment with metronidazole, but with a significantly lower 30-day mortality, new research suggests. The 30-day mortality... read more

Exacerbation of COPD: Causes, Warning Signs, and Treatment

Exacerbation of COPD: Causes, Warning Signs, and Treatment

What is a COPD exacerbation and what are the main causes? Learn about what the symptoms are and what is suggested to try to prevent COPD. Most commonly referred to as COPD, the term describes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.... read more

Prominent clinical guidelines fall short of conflict of interest standards

Prominent clinical guidelines fall short of conflict of interest standards

Two recent clinical practice guidelines, one for cholesterol management and another for treatment of chronic hepatitis C, did not meet the Institute of Medicine's standards for limiting commercial conflicts of interest, according... read more

Acetaminophen, Among Other Medications, Triggers Drug-Induced Liver Injury

Acetaminophen, Among Other Medications, Triggers Drug-Induced Liver Injury

More than 1,000 medications, with acetaminophen being the most common, have been associated with drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Diagnosis can be challenging due to the multitude of contributing factors, and timely recognition... read more

Spinraza Cuts Risk of Permanent Ventilation with SMA

Spinraza Cuts Risk of Permanent Ventilation with SMA

Biogen announced new data from the Phase 3 ENDEAR study that showed a statistically significant reduction in the risk of death or permanent ventilation in Spinraza (nusinersen)-treated infants with spinal muscular atrophy... read more

Cholera bacteria infect more effectively with a simple twist of shape

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

Attenuated T-cell Vaccination Helps SLE Patients

Attenuated T-cell Vaccination Helps SLE Patients

Vaccinating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with attenuated T-cells improved their symptoms, according to results of a small controlled trial. T-cells are immune cells that play a key role in lupus.... read more

ACC Releases Afib Treatment Interruption Guidelines

ACC Releases Afib Treatment Interruption Guidelines

Revised recommendations released today by the American College of Cardiology are designed to help clinicians determine if, and for how long, Afib patients on anticoagulants should be taken off the medications before scheduled... read more