Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Critical Care for August 2015. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Low Adherence to Guidelines for Prevention of Catheter Infections
FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many health care providers don’t follow guidelines meant to reduce the risk of infection from arterial catheter placement in intensive care unit patients, according to research published online Aug. 7 in Critical Care Medicine.
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Azithromycin Routine in Hospital Despite Risk for QTc Prolongation
FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Azithromycin is routinely prescribed to hospitalized patients despite risk factors for corrected QT (QTc) prolongation and administration of interacting medications, according to a study published online Aug. 19 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
AMA: Ruling Makes It Easier for Insurers to Terminate Doctors
FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The outcome of a recent case regarding the termination of physicians by an insurance company following a dispute over the necessity of medical services provided has serious implications for physicians and their patients, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Antiviral Rx May Help Prevent Ebola, Small Study Suggests
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Antiviral drugs may help protect people from developing Ebola after exposure to the virus, a new case study suggests. The results were published online Aug. 25 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Worse Outcomes for Children With Delay in Epinephrine
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Delay in epinephrine administration is associated with worse outcomes for children with in-hospital cardiac arrest with an initial nonshockable rhythm, according to a study published in the Aug. 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Too Few Blacks, Hispanics Pursuing Careers As Physicians
TUESDAY, Aug. 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Too few members of certain minority groups are pursuing careers in U.S. medicine, resulting in a serious lack of diversity among general practitioners and specialists, according to a research letter published online Aug. 24 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Catheter-Directed, Low-Dose Fibrinolysis Safe, Effective for PE
TUESDAY, Aug. 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed, low-dose fibrinolysis appears safe and efficacious for acute massive and submassive pulmonary embolism (PE), according to a study published in the Aug. 24 issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.
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Medication Review at ICU to Ward Transfer Cuts Drug Problems
FRIDAY, Aug. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medication review by a clinical pharmacist and immediate communication of drug therapy recommendations can reduce the number of drug-related problems (DRPs) at the transfer point from intensive care unit (ICU) to ward, according to a study published online Aug. 12 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
Patient Navigators Tied to Shorter Hospital Stays
THURSDAY, Aug. 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Use of patient navigators (PNs) as inpatient care facilitators shortens hospital length of stay, according to a study published online Aug. 10 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Report Highlights Ways to Improve Physician Resilience
THURSDAY, Aug. 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Strategies can be adopted for improving physician resilience and the ability to handle the challenges presented by patient care, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters Up VTE Risk
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For hospitalized patients, peripherally inserted central catheter presence is associated with increased risk of upper- and lower-extremity deep vein thrombosis, according to a study published recently in The American Journal of Medicine.
Advance Care Planning Cuts Burden of Decision Making
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Prior advance care planning cuts surrogates’ decision-making burden, according to a study published online Aug. 4 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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Sparse Data Available on Value of Bedside Physical Exams in ICU
MONDAY, Aug. 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Data relating to the value of bedside physical examinations in the intensive care unit (ICU) are sparse, according to a review published online Aug. 4 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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EMR Care Pathway Aids Treatment of Cellulitis
MONDAY, Aug. 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An electronic medical record (EMR)-based care pathway improves treatment of cellulitis, according to a study published online July 28 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Hospital-Acquired Conditions Lengthen Stays, Add Costs in Kids
THURSDAY, Aug. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (VTE) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) are associated with increased length of stay (LOS) and costs in pediatric inpatient populations, according to a study published online Aug. 10 in Pediatrics.
Prophylactic Azithromycin Benefit Lasts After Lung Transplant
THURSDAY, Aug. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing lung transplantation (LTx), prophylactic azithromycin is associated with reduced risk of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD), according to a study published online Aug. 4 in the American Journal of Transplantation.
Exposure to Rude Behavior Harms NICU Team Performance
THURSDAY, Aug. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Exposure to rudeness has adverse consequences on the diagnostic and procedural performance of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) team members, according to a study published online Aug. 10 in Pediatrics.
More Physicians Reporting Dissatisfaction With EHR Systems
THURSDAY, Aug. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — More physicians report being dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their electronic health record (EHR) system, compared with five years ago, according to a report published by the AmericanEHR Partners and the American Medical Association.
Guideline-Based Protocol Ups Adherence to VTE Prophylaxis
TUESDAY, Aug. 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Introduction of a guideline-based protocol significantly increases compliance with guidelines for prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE), according to a brief report published online Aug. 9 in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.
Systemic Corticosteroid Therapy Can Improve Outcomes in CAP
TUESDAY, Aug. 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For hospitalized adults with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), systemic corticosteroid therapy is associated with improved outcomes, according to a review published online Aug. 11 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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HAC Reduction Program Penalty Kicks in for FY2015
TUESDAY, Aug. 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The latest Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) effort to reduce hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) is the HAC Reduction Program, according to an Aug. 6 health policy brief published in Health Affairs.
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In-Person Staff Meetings Are Valuable for Health Care Teams
MONDAY, Aug. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In-person staff meetings, which are not too short or too long and are held frequently, are valuable for health care team operation, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Acute CNS Complications After Breath-Hold Diving in Teens
MONDAY, Aug. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Acute central nervous system complications can occur in children after breath-hold diving, according to a case report published online Aug. 10 in Pediatrics.
Increase in Chest CT Scans Leads to More Incidental Findings
MONDAY, Aug. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The percentage of incidental pulmonary nodules identified increased from 2006 to 2012, according to a study published online July 27 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Many Hospitals Being Penalized for 30-Day Readmissions
FRIDAY, Aug. 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — About half of the nation’s hospitals are being penalized by Medicare for having patients return within a month of discharge, losing a combined $420 million, according to a report published by Kaiser Health.
CDC: Action Needed to Better Control Drug-Resistant Infections
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Almost $8 billion in hospital bills could be avoided over five years by halting the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to the Vital Signs report published Aug. 4 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Progress in Reducing U.S. Rates of Violence
TUESDAY, Aug. 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Violent crime rates have decreased dramatically over the past three decades, largely due to crime prevention efforts that focus on the root causes of violence, researchers say. Findings from the study are published in the Aug. 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on violence and human rights.
Women, Blacks Fare Worse After Acute Myocardial Infarction
TUESDAY, Aug. 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) takes more years from the expected life spans of women and blacks than from white males, according to a study published in the Aug. 11 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Chloride Levels Linked to Mortality in Heart Failure
TUESDAY, Aug. 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Serum chloride levels at admission are associated with mortality among patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), according to a study published in the Aug. 11 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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WHO: ‘Ring’ Vaccination for Ebola Very Promising
MONDAY, Aug. 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An experimental Ebola vaccine appears highly effective, according to an interim analysis of findings from a clinical trial being conducted in the West African nation of Guinea. An independent body of international experts conducted the review and recommended that the trial of the VSV-EBOV vaccine continue. The findings were published online July 31 in The Lancet.
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