News
LETTER: Point-of-Care Ultrasound: The (Sound) Wave of the Future for Hospitalists
July 3, 2016
Small devices carried in pockets during rounds can enable hospitalists to make quick decisions at the bedside, enhance and teach physical exam skills, streamline patient flow through the hospital, and potentially avoid the cost and risk of exposure to radiation.
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Metformin Continues to Be First-Line Therapy for Type 2 Diabetes
July 1, 2016
Clinical question: Which medications are most safe and effective at managing type 2 diabetes? Background: Patients and practitioners need an updated review of the evidence to select the optimal medication for type 2 diabetes management. Study design: Systematic review. Synopsis: The authors
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Reevaluating Cardiovascular Risk after TIA
July 1, 2016
Clinical question: What is the prognosis of patients who have a TIA or minor stroke? Background: Prior studies had estimated the risk in the three months following a TIA or minor stroke of having a stroke or acute coronary syndrome (ACS) as 12% to 20%, but this may not reflect the risk of modern
News
New HCV Diagnostic Tests Provide Accuracy and Low Costs
June 27, 2016
NEW YORK - Several hepatitis C virus core antigen (HCVcAg) tests accurately diagnose hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and could replace nucleic acid testing (NAT) in settings where HCV is prevalent, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis. "Overall, several of the tests perform very w
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Single Dose of Dexamethasone Not an Alternative to ‘Steroid Burst’ for Acute Asthma Treatment
June 27, 2016
Clinical question: Is one dose of dexamethasone comparable to five days of prednisone for treating mild-to-moderate asthma exacerbations? Background: Corticosteroids are the mainstay of initial treatment for asthma exacerbations.
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High-Flow Oxygen after Extubation Reduces Reintubation
June 27, 2016
Clinical question: Does nasal high-flow (NHF) oxygen after extubation reduce reintubation rates in low-risk patients? Background: NHF oxygen devices deliver warmed and humidified oxygen up to 60 liters per minutes. NHF provides positive end-expiratory pressure and dead-space washout.
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Tips Toward Better Clinical Summaries
June 26, 2016
“I recently discharged a complex patient from the hospital, and I was shocked to see the poor quality of his clinical summary,” says Erin Sarzynski, MD, MS, of Michigan State University’s Department of Family Medicine.
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Interhospital Transfer Handoff Practice Variance at U.S. Tertiary Care Centers
June 24, 2016
Clinical question: How do interhospital handoff practices differ among U.S. tertiary care centers, and what challenges and innovations have providers encountered? Background: Little has been studied regarding interhospital transfers.
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Oral Steroids as Good as NSAIDs for Acute Gout
June 24, 2016
Clinical question: Are oral steroids as effective as NSAIDs in treating acute gout? Background: Two small trials have suggested that oral steroids are as effective as NSAIDs in treating acute gout.
News
Who to Blame for Surgical Readmissions?
June 23, 2016
When too many surgery patients are readmitted, the hospital can be fined by the federal government - but a new study suggests many of those readmissions are not the hospital's fault. Many readmissions were due to issues like drug abuse or homelessness, the researchers found.
