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Value of Ultra-Brief Cognitive Assessments in Predicting Negative Hospital Outcomes
December 28, 2015
Clinical question: What is the value of ultra-brief cognitive assessments in predicting hospital outcomes? Background: Cognitive assessment tools can be used to predict patient outcomes in the hospital setting.
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ACP Guidelines for Evaluation of Suspected Pulmonary Embolism
December 25, 2015
Clinical question: What are best practices for evaluating patients with suspected acute pulmonary embolism (PE)? Background: Use of CT in the evaluation of PE has increased across all clinical settings without improving mortality.
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Early Palliative Care Can Save Money
December 25, 2015
Clinical question: Does time to consult after admission change the effect palliative care consultation has on cost of care? Background: Studies have shown that early palliative care involvement improves quality of life and survival among cancer patients while reducing the cost of care.
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Parental Perceptions of Nighttime Communication Are Strong Predictors of Patient Experience
December 23, 2015
Clinical question: How does parental perception of overnight pediatric inpatient care affect the overall patient experience? Background: Restrictions on resident duty hours have become progressively more stringent as attention to the effects of resident fatigue on patient safety has increased.
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Effectiveness of Antipsychotics in Treatment of Delirium
December 21, 2015
Clinical questions: Are antipsychotics for the treatment of delirium safe and effective? Does efficacy differ between ICU and non-ICU settings? Does efficacy differ between first- and second-generation antipsychotics (SGA)? Background: Delirium is common in hospitalized patients.
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Predictors for Surgical Management of Small Bowel Obstruction
December 18, 2015
Clinical question: Are there clinical or computerized tomography (CT) findings that identify which patients will need early surgical management in adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO)? Background: Previous studies determined adverse outcomes resulting from delayed surgery in patients with
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Adding Advanced Molecular Techniques to Standard Blood Cultures May Improve Patient Outcomes
December 18, 2015
Clinical question: Does the addition of rapid multiplex polymerase chain reaction molecular techniques to standard blood culture bottle (BCB) processing, with or without antimicrobial stewardship recommendations, affect antimicrobial utilization and patient outcomes? Background: Standard BCB
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Some Readmission Risk Factors Not Captured by Medicare
December 14, 2015
Clinical question: Are there patient characteristics not currently measured by the Medicare readmission program that account for differences in hospital readmission rates? Background: The Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) financially penalizes hospitals with higher than
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Heparin Bridging for Atrial Fibrillation
December 3, 2015
Maralyssa Bann, MD, Kay M. Johnson, MD, Anneliese M. Schleyer, MD, MHA, FHM, Shobha W. Stack, MD, PhD, Lindee Strizich, MD, MSc, Jessica S. Woan, MD; Hospital Medicine Program, University of Washington Medicine, Seattle
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Modified Valsalva Better than Standard Maneuver to Restore Sinus Rhythm
December 1, 2015
Clinical question: Does a postural modification to the Valsalva maneuver improve its effectiveness? Background: The Valsalva maneuver, often used to treat supraventricular tachycardia, is rarely successful.