Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Critical Care for March 2016. 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.
Antipsychotics Not Effective for Delirium in Hospitalized Patients
TUESDAY, March 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Antipsychotic medications do not appear to be effective for preventing or treating delirium in adult medical or surgical inpatients, according to a review published online March 23 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
How Can We Fix the Wage Gap Among Female Physicians?
MONDAY, March 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Women doctors can address the gender wage disparity by understanding the reasons why they earn less, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Patient Position, Timely Help Improve Inpatient Meal Intake
FRIDAY, March 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Timely mealtime assistance and patient positioning during the meal are tied to meal intake among hospital patients, according to a study published online March 21 in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
CDC: Tuberculosis Decline in the United States Has Hit a Plateau
THURSDAY, March 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Two decades of progress toward eliminating tuberculosis (TB) in the United States has stalled, with incidence of the disease holding steady from 2013 to 2015, according to a report published in the March 25 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report in conjunction with World TB Day.
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Protocolized Handover Process Sustainable for Reducing Errors
THURSDAY, March 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A protocolized handover process correlates with a sustained reduction in the number of errors for children being transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) after cardiac surgery, according to a study published online March 21 in Pediatric Anesthesia.
Age, ICU LOS Can Stratify Patients Into Disability Groups
WEDNESDAY, March 23, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) who survive one week or more of mechanical ventilation can be stratified into disability groups based on age and ICU length of stay, according to a study published online March 14 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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FDA: Most Powdered Medical Gloves Should Be Banned in U.S.
MONDAY, March 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants to ban most powdered medical gloves, saying they pose serious health risks to patients and health care providers alike.
Worse Prognosis for Heart Failure Patients With Low Osmolality
MONDAY, March 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, low osmolality at discharge is associated with worse all-cause mortality and readmission, according to research published in the April 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Case Before Supreme Court May Expose Doctors to Large Fines
FRIDAY, March 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A case before a state supreme court could potentially expose physicians to large fines based on a legal technicality relating to what they should have known, rather than what they knew, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
SCD Accounts for >30 Percent of CV Deaths After NSTE ACS
THURSDAY, March 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for more than 30 percent of cardiovascular deaths after non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE ACS), according to research published online March 16 in JAMA Cardiology.
Many Cases of MERS-CoV Are Health Care-Associated
THURSDAY, March 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS CoV) infections are frequently associated with health care settings, according to a report published in the April issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases.
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Spending on Prescription Meds Up About 5 Percent in 2015
THURSDAY, March 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Spending on prescription medications for insured Americans increased about 5 percent in 2015, with the increase half of that seen in 2014, the Associated Press reported.
Disruptive Patients Distract Docs, May Receive Compromised Care
WEDNESDAY, March 16, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Disruptive patients may get worse care from physicians, according to a study published online March 7 in BMJ Quality & Safety. The findings aren’t definitive because the researchers tested how physicians responded in fictional vignettes, instead of real-life encounters. Still, the results suggest that such patients distract physicians from doing their jobs.
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Inhaled Xenon May Cut White Matter Damage in Cardiac Arrest
TUESDAY, March 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For comatose survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, inhaled xenon combined with hypothermia is associated with less white matter damage, as measured by fractional anisotropy on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), according to a study published in the March 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Influenza Vaccine Safe for Patients in Hospital for Surgery
TUESDAY, March 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Surgery patients don’t have an increased risk for complications if they receive an influenza vaccine while in the hospital, according to a study published online March 15 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Mayo Clinic Has Established Model to Help Battle Burnout
TUESDAY, March 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — In an effort to reduce burnout among physicians, the Mayo Clinic is initiating a model to raise camaraderie and increase collaboration, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Diabetes Patients More Susceptible to Staph Bacteremia
FRIDAY, March 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients with diabetes may be significantly more likely to develop community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (CA-SAB) than those without diabetes, according to a study published online March 10 in the European Journal of Endocrinology.
Ironman Competitors Susceptible to Hyponatremia
THURSDAY, March 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Long-distance triathletes who drink too much water during competition may end up with hyponatremia, according to a letter to the editor published in the March 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Parents Often Report Medical Errors in Peds Inpatient Care
WEDNESDAY, March 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Parents frequently report medical errors in pediatric inpatient care, according to a study published online Feb. 29 in JAMA Pediatrics.
Physicians’ Contracts Can Affect Patients, Professionalism
WEDNESDAY, March 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Problematic clauses in physicians’ contracts can impact patient care and professionalism, according to an Ideas and Opinions piece published online March 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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CDC: Hospitals Making Progress Against Antibiotic Resistance
FRIDAY, March 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Although U.S. hospitals are making gains in the fight against some antibiotic-resistant bacteria, too many patients are still affected in health care facilities, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
SCOTUS: States Can’t Force Health Care Data Release
WEDNESDAY, March 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The Supreme Court has ruled against state efforts to collect health care data from insurance plans.
Spouse Education Level May Impact Choice for Rural Practice
WEDNESDAY, March 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Physicians who are married to a highly-educated spouse are less likely to work in rural underserved areas, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Severe Anemia Ups Necrotizing Enterocolitis Risk in VLBW
TUESDAY, March 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Severe anemia, but not red blood cell (RBC) transfusion, is associated with increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants, according to research published in the March 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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