August 31, 2010 |  0
The CDC has announced an expected 160 million doses of influenza vaccine this year, to be available by the end of September. The single vaccine will incorporate all 3 influenza viruses (including the 2009 H1N1) and will be universally recommended to all adult patients and all healthcare workers (CDC website)
August 28, 2010 |  0
In this systematic review of bedside assessments for delirium in hospitalized patients, the CAM had the best diagnostic accuracy of all tests reviewed, with a positive likelihood ratio of 10 and negative likelihood ratio of 0.2 (abstract).
August 27, 2010 |  0
In this retrospective analysis of 5777 hospitalized patients, ESR and CRP “agreed” (both elevated or both normal) in 67% of patients. Of the 33% disagreements, chart review found the majority of disagreements were an elevated ESR and normal CRP, where the CRP more accurately reflected the patient’s condition (resolving inflammatory condition or false positive ESR). […]
August 26, 2010 |  0
Public Policy Contributor Brad Flansbaum writes… That line came from none other than Barack Obama at the Whitehouse Correspondents dinner this year, obviously lampooning the glass as half empty, 24/7 news cycle machine. Normally, I accept the tabloid trough feed of the day, the presumed inspiration for the above laugh line, with my usual healthy […]
August 25, 2010 |  0
This paper described the role and process of a hospitalist managing patients admitted but boarding in the ED of a large tertiary care hospital. In hospitals with high occupancy rates, ED boarders are a common and vulnerable patient population, the care of which is often fragmented and unpredictable. This program is intriguing and may be feasible for […]
August 25, 2010 |  0
In this large retrospective analysis, every 10% increase in the “fragmentation” of care (% of care given by a hospitalist that was not the patient’s primary hospitalist) increased the LOS by 0.39 days. Although it is easy to agree that care fragmentation is undesirable, we need to figure out ways to balance career longevity with care continuity […]