News
Stroke Centers More Common Where Laws Encourage Them
June 26, 2015
State laws have played a big part in boosting the number of hospitals where specialized stroke care is available, a new study shows. During the study, the increase in the number of hospitals certified as primary stroke centers was more than twice as high in states with stroke legislation as in st
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Lowering Systolic Blood Pressure Tied to Reduced Atrial Fibrillation Risk
June 25, 2015
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Lower systolic blood pressure in patients being treated for hypertension is associated with a reduced risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), according to data from the LIFE study. "Among hypertensive patients at high risk of atrial fibrillation who can tolerate
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Anticoagulation Therapy Probably Not Needed While A-fib Patients Undergo Surgery
June 23, 2015
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When patients with atrialfibrillation need surgery or other invasive therapy, doctors can safely interrupt their warfarin therapy without offering a bridging anticoagulation regimen, according to a new U.S.-Canadian study. The test of 1,884 patients treated
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Medicare Payments to Physicians Rise in 2013
June 19, 2015
Medicare, the government-run health insurance program for elderly and disabled Americans, paid physicians $90 billion in 2013, up 17% from $77 billion in 2012, U.S.
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Increased VTE Prophylaxis Shows Little Benefit following Colorectal Surgery
June 18, 2015
NEW YORK—Although venous thromboembolism (VTE) rates are low in hospitalized patients following colorectal surgery, the increasing use of prophylaxis seems to have little impact, according to Washington state-based researchers. Dr. Scott R.
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New Tool Improves Harm Detection for Pediatric Inpatients
June 18, 2015
The newly developed Pediatric All-Cause Harm Measurement Tool (PACHMT) improved detection of harms in pediatric inpatients in a recent pilot study. Using the tool, researchers found a rate of 40 harms per 100 patients admitted, and at least one harm in nearly a quarter of the children in the stud
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Risk Stratification Insufficient for Predicting DVT in Hospitalized Patients: JAMA Internal Medicine Study
June 17, 2015
The Wells score is only slightly better than a coin toss for predicting deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in hospitalized patients, researchers have found. "The Wells score risk stratification is not sufficient to rule out DVT or influence management decisions in the inpatient setting," Dr. Patricia C.
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Identifying Frequent Flyers Could Reduce Preventable Readmissions
June 16, 2015
The lead author of a new Journal of Hospital Medicine report says one step hospitalists can take toward reducing preventable rehospitalizations is identifying the common traits of frequently admitted patients. Marilyn Szekendi, PhD, RN, director of quality research at University Health System Con
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Continued Statin Therapy Has No Survival Benefit in Advanced Life-Limiting Illness
June 16, 2015
Clinical question: What is the impact of statin discontinuation in palliative care setting? Background: There is compelling evidence for prescribing statins for primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease for patients with long life expectancy, but there is no evidence to guide deci
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Audio
Listen Now: Hospital Medicine Intersects with Global Patient Safety
June 15, 2015
Dr. Phuoc Le of the University of California at San Francisco and Dr.
