December 31, 2008 |  0
In this population-based retrospective analysis, researchers found that anaphylaxis was relatively uncommon (incidence 50 per 100,000 person-years), was not morbid (resulted in no deaths), and was most commonly caused by foods (33%), followed by insect stings (19%), and medications (14%). The trigger was unknown in 25%. A second recurrence occurred in 21%, and a third […]
December 31, 2008 |  0
In this industry-sponsored phase-3 trial of patients with skin/skin-structure infections or catheter-related bloodstream infections with gram positive organisms, linezolid was non-inferior to vancomycin. For skin infections, clinical success rates were 90% in each group. For catheter related bloodstream infections, microbiologic success rates were 86% for linezolid and 91% for vancomycin (abstract). Linezolid is currently FDA […]
December 29, 2008 |  5
Rob Bessler writes… The New Year is upon us. Hospital medicine’s busiest time of year. There is no better time than now to do some needed housekeeping for your practice site. It is our belief at Sound that there is nothing more important that the quality of the team that we develop and support.  The […]
December 27, 2008 |  8
When will patients start reviewing quality data before choosing their doctors and hospitals? The answer has been “soon” for several years, but “soon” may finally be the right answer. If you doubt it, check out the Commonwealth Fund’s new site, “Why Not The Best?” The central premise of the healthcare transparency movement has been that […]
December 26, 2008 |  0
An FDA advisory panel has voted to ban the use of serevent (salmeterol) and foradil (formoteral) for the treatment of asthma, based on a comprehensive review of literature indicating that beta-agonist monotherapy for asthma is associated with higher risk of severe asthma exacerbations and possibly a higher risk of death (FDA site). For now, these […]
December 26, 2008 |  0
Similar to a previous post (“Glucose control in and out of the ICU” from 10/08), another RCT of ICU patients were randomized to intensive (80-110) versus conventional (180-200) blood sugar control, and found no difference between the groups for the primary (ICU mortality) or secondary (hospital mortality, length of stay, infections, transfusions, dialysis, or duration […]