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Variation in Surgical Readmission Rates and Quality of Hospital CareUnplanned readmissions have gained much attention, both as a cost and healthcare quality issue.
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Rapid Triage Testing Could Improve Outcomes for Patients with Acute Kidney InjuryDavid Ludvigson and Nam Tran, PhD, write about the need for rapid triage testing as a method of improving outcomes for patients with acute kidney injury.
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Decision Support Systems in Oncology: Are we there yet?The push for clinical decision support technology in medicine is a logical consequence of our experiences as consumers and the need for intelligent support at the bedside.
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ACAAI 2011: Pathogenesis and Subtypes of Chronic Rhinosinusitis"The small number of patients that go on to develop chronic rhinosinusitis accumulates to about 15% of the population, making it an important disease," said Dr. Michael A. Kaliner during his lecture on chronic rhinosinusitis.
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Antithrombotic treatment of high-risk elderly patients hospitalized with atrial fibrillationWe assessed the pattern of use and the effectiveness of antithrombotic therapy in a cohort of high-risk elderly patients hospitalized for atrial fibrillation, with data derived from prescription, hospitalization, and mortality databases from 3 linked registries. Results showed that antithrombotic therapy was underused, even in patients with no comorbid conditions. In addition, patients exposed to antithrombotic therapy had a significantly lower mortality rate. The collection of epidemiological data by record linkage represents a flexible and readily available tool for monitoring and improving routine clinical care.
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Does Maintenance Therapy Improve Survival in NSCLC?One of the common assumptions in oncology treatment is that earlier detection and treatment is better and leads to improved survival and outcomes for patients, but does this hold true in reality?
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Intracranial hemorrhage in atrial fibrillation: Is there a racial/ethnic difference?We evaluated a multiethnic cohort of subjects with nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation hospitalized over a 6-year period to determine the racial and ethnic differences in the risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and the effect of warfarin treatment on ICH risk. Treatment with warfarin was associated with a 2-fold greater risk of ICH in whites, a 4- to 5-fold greater risk in both blacks and Hispanics, and a 15-fold greater risk in Asians. After adjusting for established stroke risk factors and warfarin use, Asians were 4 times as likely as whites to have ICH, whereas blacks and Hispanics were twice as likely.
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Asystole during sleep in a 46-year-old male athleteA number of electrocardiographic abnormalities have been described in athletes.1 Among these are sinus bradycardia and varying degrees of atrioventricular (AV) block. These findings have been attributed to the "athlete's heart," and are felt to be due to enhanced vagal tone seen with excellent physical conditioning. Secondarily it has also been suggested that there are intrinsic changes within the sinoatrial and AV nodes themselves, including prolonged sinus node recovery time and AV nodal Wenckebach, and these abnormalities persist following autonomic blockade.
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A Death in Milwaukee, Circa 1969During the first months of my internship at Milwaukee County Hospital, a distraught family asked me to remain with their loved one while he died. An elderly male with total pulmonary failure, his soul was tethered to earth only by IPPB-assisted respiration.
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ICD implantation: Knowing when to hold'emWe have seen a dramatic increase in use of ICDs along with expanded indications for these devices.
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How do cardiac and noncardiac conditions affect survival after ICD implantation?The benefits of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) have been shown in randomized clinical trials. The factors that affect the risk–benefit ratio in a community setting, however, have not been evaluated.
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Video Capsule Endoscopy: Recent Advances in DiagnosisInvestigation of the small intestine or the esophagus with conventional diagnostic and imaging modalities can be challenging. Video capsule endoscopy is a relatively new and noninvasive technique that allows direct visualization of the small bowel or the esophagus and can obviate the need for or guide the use of more invasive procedures. The capsule contains a miniature camera that takes pictures of the lining of the small intestine or the esophagus. Unlike conventional diagnostic procedures, video capsule endoscopy can often successfully identify the source of the problem quickly and painlessly. It is also useful in assessing patients with a variety of other conditions affecting the small intestine or the esophagus, including Crohn's disease, celiac disease, tumors, reflux disease, esophagitis, and Barrett's esophagus.
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Doctors' Roles in Better Outcomes, Lower Costs for Terminally Ill PatientsPhysicians can play an important role in helping patients define what dying well means to them and, when the time comes, help them make choices that are best for themselves and their families.
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Combined Effect of Physical Activity and Leisure Time Sitting on Obesity RiskWhat is the relationship between physical activity, leisure time, and a person's overall health.
