Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Critical Care for May 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.
AHRQ Communication Toolkit Can Help After Patient Harm Occurs
TUESDAY, May 31, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A new communication toolkit created by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) can help health care organizations and providers communicate with patients and families when harm occurs to patients.
Possible Benefit Found for Betrixaban in Acutely Ill
TUESDAY, May 31, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Betrixaban may be beneficial versus enoxaparin in acutely ill medical patients, according to a study published online May 27 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The research was published to coincide with the annual meeting of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Scientific and Standardization Committee, held from May 25 to 28 in Montpellier, France.
Next-Generation Sequencing Can ID Rare Diseases in Newborns
TUESDAY, May 31, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Next-generation sequencing may greatly improve a physician’s ability to quickly diagnose rare genetic diseases in newborns, according to research published online May 30 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
HMI Impulses From Ultrasound Transducer Beneficial in STEMI
FRIDAY, May 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — High mechanical index (HMI) impulses from a diagnostic ultrasound (DUS) transducer during intravenous microbubble infusion can prevent microvascular obstruction in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), according to a study published in the May 31 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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PPI Use Ups NSAID-Induced Small Bowel Injury
FRIDAY, May 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) increase the risk of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced small bowel injury, according to a study published in the June issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Remaining Uninsured May Be Difficult to Reach Via ACA
FRIDAY, May 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Uninsurance rates have decreased since the introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but reaching the remaining uninsured may prove challenging, according to a health policy brief published online May 23 in Health Affairs.
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Many Advanced Cancer Patients Lack Info About Their Disease
TUESDAY, May 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Many patients with advanced cancer lack basic information about their prognosis or treatment, according to a study published online May 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Hyperglycemia Tied to Outcomes in Pediatric Stroke
TUESDAY, May 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For children with arterial ischemic stroke, infarct volume and hyperglycemia, but not hypertension and fever, correlate with poor neurological outcome, according to research published online May 23 in JAMA Neurology.
Two New Drugs Added to Heart Failure Clinical Practice Guideline
MONDAY, May 23, 2016 (HealthDay News) — An updated clinical guideline adds two new types of drugs to the list of treatment options for heart failure. The updated guideline was published online May 20 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Circulation, and the Journal of Cardiac Failure.
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Major Stroke May Be Prevented by Taking Aspirin After TIA
FRIDAY, May 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Taking aspirin immediately after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) significantly reduces the risk of a major stroke, according to research published online May 18 in The Lancet.
Last Year Saw 10 Percent Rise in Motorcycle Deaths in U.S
FRIDAY, May 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Motorcyclist deaths in the United States topped 5,000 last year — a 10 percent increase from 2014, according to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Strategies Can Help Streamline Revenue-Related Processes
THURSDAY, May 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Strategies can be employed to maximize the amount of time available for patient care by streamlining revenue-related processes, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
Physicians, Patient Families Often Disagree on Prognosis
WEDNESDAY, May 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — In more than half of recently studied cases, doctors and family members acting on behalf of critically ill patients disagreed about whether the patient would die or not, according to a study published in the May 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Burnout, Lack of Job Satisfaction Driving Doctors to Cut Hours
WEDNESDAY, May 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Full-time physicians reporting worsening burnout or decreased job satisfaction are more likely to reduce their work hours, according to a study published in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Age-Adjusted D-Dimer Testing Improves Ability to Rule Out PE
WEDNESDAY, May 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Compared with fixed D-dimer testing, age-adjusted D-dimer testing is associated with an increase in the proportion of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) in whom imaging can be withheld, according to a review published online May 17 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Prophylactic High-Dose rhEPO No Benefit for Preemies
WEDNESDAY, May 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Prophylactic early high-dose recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) given intravenously to very preterm infants does not improve neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years corrected age, according to a study published in the May 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Sexual Harassment Experienced by One-Third of Female Doctors
WEDNESDAY, May 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Thirty percent of female physicians face sexual harassment on the job, while close to three-quarters perceive gender bias at work and two-thirds say they have actually experienced it, according to survey findings published in the May 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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U.S. Stroke Hospitalizations Down Overall, but Rising for Some
THURSDAY, May 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — While Americans suffered fewer acute ischemic strokes overall from 2000 to 2010, stroke rates climbed substantially among younger adults and blacks, according to study findings published online May 11 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Infection Control Measures Established for Ebola Care
THURSDAY, May 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Infection control measures have been developed to strengthen hospitals’ capacity for safely diagnosing and treating patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD), according to a review published online May 10 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Depressive Symptoms for Many Caregivers of Critically Ill
WEDNESDAY, May 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Many caregivers of critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit (ICU) report high levels of depressive symptoms, according to a study published in the May 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Misoprostol Should Be Considered in Postpartum Hyperthermia
WEDNESDAY, May 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The synthetic prostaglandin E1 analogue misoprostol has known severe side effects and should be considered in cases of postpartum hyperthermia, rigors, and tachycardia, according to a case report published in the June issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Cutting Brand-Name Drug Use Could Save U.S. $73 Billion
TUESDAY, May 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Americans could save tens of billions of dollars with more efficient drug use, replacing brand-name drugs with their generic equivalents whenever possible, according to a study published online May 9 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
CDC Establishes New ‘Clean Hands Count’ Campaign
MONDAY, May 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has introduced a new campaign, “Clean Hands Count,” to encourage health care professionals, patients, and patients’ families to keep their hands clean in order to prevent health care-associated infections.
Preadmission SSRI Use Ups Stroke Mortality in Diabetes
MONDAY, May 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with diabetes, preadmission selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use is associated with increased risk of stroke mortality, according to a study published online May 3 in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
United States Still Has Shortages of Acute, Non-Acute Drugs
FRIDAY, May 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Drug shortages remain a problem in the United States despite government legislation meant to increase availability, according to a study published in the May issue of Health Affairs.
Review Finds CABG Bests PCI in End-Stage Renal Disease
THURSDAY, May 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) referred for coronary revascularization, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is associated with a small decrease in long-term mortality compared with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), according to a review published in the May 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Physician Leadership Training May Help Counteract Burnout
WEDNESDAY, May 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Physician leaders with good leadership qualities are more likely to have employees who are satisfied and do not show signs of burnout, according to a study published in the April issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings and a report published by the American Medical Association.
Price Transparency Tool Doesn’t Cut Health Care Spending
WEDNESDAY, May 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Employee use of a price transparency tool does not cut health care spending, according to a study published in the May 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Report: Why Health Care Costs Are Lower in Europe Than U.S.
TUESDAY, May 3, 2016 (HealthDay News) — European residents have access to the same health care services as U.S. residents but pay much less, and this is related to several specific factors, according to a report published by INDIGOMED on April 25.
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2017 May Offer Fewer Choices for Affordable Care Act Enrollees
MONDAY, May 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — With the nation’s largest health insurer exiting all but a few Affordable Care Act exchanges next year, some Americans may be left with fewer choices and some might see higher monthly premiums.
Distraction Methods During Blood Draws Have Similar Effectiveness
MONDAY, May 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Three different distraction methods are not significantly different in terms of pain and anxiety reduction in children having their blood drawn, according to a study published online April 26 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
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