News
Prednisolone or Pentoxifylline Show No Mortality Benefit in Alcoholic Hepatitis
July 29, 2015
Clinical question: Does administration of prednisolone or pentoxifylline reduce mortality in patients hospitalized with severe alcoholic hepatitis? Background: Alcoholic hepatitis is associated with high mortality.
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News
Standard Discharge Communication Process Improves Verbal Handoffs between Hospitalists, PCPs
July 29, 2015
Clinical question: Can a standardized discharge communication process, coupled with an electronic health record (EHR) system, improve the proportion of completed verbal handoffs from in-hospital physicians to PCPs within 24 hours of patient discharge? Background: Discharge from the hospital setti
News
Nomogram Predicts Post-Operative Readmission
July 29, 2015
Clinical question: Can a nomogram accurately predict a patient’s risk of post-operative 30-day readmission? Background: Medicare and Medicaid have implemented penalties for hospitals with high readmission rates.
News
Antiepileptic Drugs Reduce Risk of Recurrent Unprovoked Seizures
July 29, 2015
Clinical question: What are the updated recommendations for treating first unprovoked seizure in adults? Background: Approximately 150,000 adults present with an unprovoked first seizure in the U.S. annually, and these events are associated with physical and psychological trauma.
News
New Expectations for Value-Based Healthcare
July 29, 2015
A new book by three leading hospital medicine advocates for maximizing efficiency and outcomes while managing costs and avoiding waste in healthcare—also known as value-based healthcare—offers a primer filled with practical advice for doctors and other clinicians.1 The hospitalist authors of Underst
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Opinion
Tips for Hospitalists on Spending More of Their Time at the Top of Their License
July 29, 2015
[caption id="attachment_10717" align="alignright" width="250"] Image Credit: SHUTTERSTOCK.COMI think arranging post-hospital appointments should be no more difficult for the hospitalist than ordering a CBC.[/caption] Hospitalists spend too little time working at the top of their license.
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News
Specialty Hospitalists May Be Coming to Your Hospital Soon
July 29, 2015
Nearly 20 years ago, Bob Wachter, MD, coined the term “hospitalist,” defining a new specialty caring for the hospitalized medical patient.
News
PPI Usage with SBP Prophylaxis Predicts Recurrent Infections in Cirrhosis
July 29, 2015
Clinical question: What are the risk factors for development of a recurrent infection in cirrhotic patients hospitalized with an initial infection? Background: Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cirrhosis.
News
Nontoxigenic C. diff Spores May Decrease Rates of Recurrent CDI
July 29, 2015
Clinical question: Is treatment with nontoxigenic C. diff strain M-3 (NTCD-M3) safe and effective in preventing recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI)? Background: C. diff is the most commonly identified healthcare pathogen, and CDI has a 25%-30% recurrence rate. Not all C.
News
Retrievable IVC Plus Anticoagulation Does Not Reduce Risk of Recurrent Pulmonary Embolism
July 29, 2015
Clinical question: Does a retrievable inferior vena cava (IVC) filter in addition to anticoagulation in patients with an acute pulmonary embolism (PE) decrease the risk of recurrent PE? Background: Inferior vena cava placement has increased dramatically over the last three decades.
