May 28, 2010 |  5
You probably saw yesterday’s hospitalist piece in the New York Times, arguably the best lay article on the movement to date. It hit all the right notes, and did so with uncommon grace and fairness. The piece, written by the Times’ Jane Gross, profiled Dr. Subha Airan-Javia, a young hospitalist at the Hospital of the […]
May 27, 2010 |  0
This large retrospective analysis of >84,000 patients hospitalized with COPD confirms the benefits of antibiotics; antibiotic treated patients had lower risks of mechanical ventilation, inpatient mortality, and COPD readmissions (although higher Cdiff readmission rates). This large analysis confirms guideline recommendations for antibiotic therapy in patients hospitalized with COPD exacerbations (abstract)
May 27, 2010 |  0
In this large trial, >2500 patients with carotid stenosis were randomized to either stenting or endarterectomy. There were no differences at 2.5 years in the rate of the primary outcome between the groups (composite of stroke, MI, or death), but at 4 years follow-up, the stent group had significantly higher rates of stroke/death (6% vs […]
May 25, 2010 |  0
Although the CDC and many medical centers endorse routinely replacing peripheral IV catheters every 3-4 days, there is little evidence behind that recommendation. This Cochrane meta-analysis compared an as-needed versus routine approach, and found no difference in the rates of phlebitis, with a significant reduction in cost in the as-needed group. As-needed replacement of peripheral […]
May 25, 2010 |  0
In this large observational cohort of >2,000 patients with COPD, the adjusted risk of mortality and COPD exacerbations were both lower in those on beta blockers (both hazard ratios were 0.7, CI 0.6-0.8). These data suggest there is no reason to avoid beta blockers in patients with COPD, and beta blockers may actually be associated […]
May 25, 2010 |  0
John Nelson writes… Notice anything similar about these two articles? Where have all the General Internists Gone? and The Impending Disappearance of the General Surgeon Generalists, it seems, could be on the way out