October 31, 2010 |  0
Public Policy Contributor Brad Flansbaum writes… I have come across some topical material that might have some interest for SHM blog readers and thought I would pass it along. It goes without saying, you can read it while “inspecting” your child’s trick or treat bag; just don’t get chocolate on the keyboard.
October 29, 2010 |  0
In this large cohort of patients tested for Cdiff by PCR, repeat testing of patients (that were initially test negative) was rarely helpful, as 97.5% of the repeat tests were also negative. The authors recommend not to do repeat testing within 7 days, unless the patient has evidence of a new infection (abstract).
October 28, 2010 |  0
According to the AHRQ, hospital mortality rates have significantly declined for CHF, AMI, pneumonia, and stroke, dropping 60%, 47%, 55%, and 35% respectively from 1994 to 2007. These are likely a result of improvements in process measures as mandated by regulatory agencies, so is very encouraging to witness the fruits of our collective labor (AHRQ […]
October 27, 2010 |  0
This industry funded trial randomized patients with recent stroke (with 6 months) to either cilostazol (100mg bid) or ASA (81mg qday) for a mean of 29 months. The incidence of stroke was significantly lower in the cilostazol group (Hazard ratio 0.74, CI 0.56-0.98), as was the incidence of bleeding (0.77% vs 1.78%). The issue with […]
October 21, 2010 |  4
One of the central tenets of the patient safety movement is that modern medicine is a team sport. Unfortunately, its players – particularly physicians – were trained and socialized to be free-spirited individualists. We need the Celtics of the 80s; what we have is a collection of young John McEnroes. While this theory has been […]
October 20, 2010 |  0
This was an analysis of the effect of a team training program for surgical personnel, initiated within the VA hospital system. Surgical outcomes were compared between the team-training site and the non-team-training sites, as well as historical data. The team training consisted of 2 months prep work, 1 day conference, and quarterly coaching interviews. The […]