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Antimicrobial Stewardship Resources Often Lacking in Hospitalists’ Routines
November 4, 2015
The best antibiotic stewardship programs weave improvements into the routines of hospitalists. But at the end of the day, developing and overseeing these important programs does require some level of time and money.
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Chemotherapy Does Not Improve Quality of Life with End-Stage Cancer
November 3, 2015
Clinical question: Does palliative chemotherapy improve quality of life (QOL) in patients with end-stage cancer, regardless of performance status? Background: There is continued debate about the benefit of palliative chemotherapy at the end of life.
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Post-Operative Transfusions after Noncardiac Surgery Associated with Increased Adverse Outcomes
October 29, 2015
Clinical question: Do transfusions affect post-operative outcomes after noncardiac surgery? Background: Studies have demonstrated that a restrictive transfusion strategy is probably superior to a liberal transfusion strategy in many clinical settings.
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Easing the Grieving Process for Families of Patients Dying in the ICU
October 29, 2015
Clinical question: Can we dignify death in the ICU and ease the grieving process by soliciting wishes from patients, families, and care team members? Background: The death of the critically ill patient in the ICU can be dehumanizing and overwhelming for the patient’s family and friends, leading t
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Pediatric Trigger Tool Helps Identify Inpatient Pediatric Harm
October 29, 2015
Clinical question: Can a trigger tool identify harms for hospitalized children? Background: An estimated 400,000 people die annually in the United States as a result of hospital-associated harm.
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Left Atrial Appendage Closure Favorable Over Warfarin for Atrial Fibrillation
October 29, 2015
Clinical question: Is there a favorable risk-benefit ratio for left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) compared to warfarin for prevention of stroke, systemic embolism, and cardiovascular death in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation? Background: LAAC with the WATCHMAN device was shown to be noninferior
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Thrombosis Management Demands Delicate, Balanced Approach
October 22, 2015
The delicate balance involved in providing hospitalized patients with needed anticoagulant, anti-platelet, and thrombolytic therapies for stroke and possible cardiac complications while minimizing bleed risks was explored by several speakers at the University of California San Francisco’s annual Man
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“Wish List” Outlines Patients’ Expectations for Hospital Stays, and Some Easy Fixes
October 20, 2015
Even before HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems), hospital leaders and clinicians were striving to provide not only high quality care, but a place patients choose to meet their future healthcare needs.
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Urinalysis Is Reliable Infection Predictor in Infants
October 6, 2015
Clinical question: In infants younger than three months of age with bacteremic urinary tract infection (UTI), how sensitive and specific are urinalysis (UA) findings? Background: Infants are commonly hospitalized with UTIs. The gold standard for diagnosis is considered to be urine culture.
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High-Flow Nasal Oxygen Therapy Noninferior to BiPAP in Post-Operative Respiratory Failure
October 6, 2015
Clinical question: In post-operative cardiothoracic surgery patients, is high-flow nasal oxygen therapy inferior to BiPAP for resolution of acute respiratory failure? Background: Acute respiratory failure is common following cardiothoracic surgery, and noninvasive ventilation often is used to avo