News
Clinical Variables Predict Debridement Failure in Septic Arthritis
July 29, 2015
Clinical question: What risk factors predict septic arthritis surgical debridement failure? Background: Standard treatment of septic arthritis is debridement and antibiotics. Unfortunately, 23%-48% of patients fail single debridement.
News
Prednisolone or Pentoxifylline Show No Mortality Benefit in Alcoholic Hepatitis
July 29, 2015
Clinical question: Does administration of prednisolone or pentoxifylline reduce mortality in patients hospitalized with severe alcoholic hepatitis? Background: Alcoholic hepatitis is associated with high mortality.
News
Corticosteroids Show Benefit in Community-Acquired Pneumonia
July 29, 2015
Joshua LaBrin, MD, SFHM, Kencee Graves, MD, Karli Edholm, MD, Devin Horton, MD, and Katie Lappe, MD; Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City
![1]()
News
Standard Discharge Communication Process Improves Verbal Handoffs between Hospitalists, PCPs
July 29, 2015
Clinical question: Can a standardized discharge communication process, coupled with an electronic health record (EHR) system, improve the proportion of completed verbal handoffs from in-hospital physicians to PCPs within 24 hours of patient discharge? Background: Discharge from the hospital setti
News
Nomogram Predicts Post-Operative Readmission
July 29, 2015
Clinical question: Can a nomogram accurately predict a patient’s risk of post-operative 30-day readmission? Background: Medicare and Medicaid have implemented penalties for hospitals with high readmission rates.
![1]()
News
Antibiotic Stewardship and Hospitalists: How to Educate Patients on Antibiotics
July 29, 2015
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on SHM’s official blog, “The Hospital Leader,” in June 2015. “Tell me what you know about antibiotics.” That’s the discussion I start with hospitalized patients all the time, right after they ask me to prescribe antibiotics for their simple cough
News
Antiepileptic Drugs Reduce Risk of Recurrent Unprovoked Seizures
July 29, 2015
Clinical question: What are the updated recommendations for treating first unprovoked seizure in adults? Background: Approximately 150,000 adults present with an unprovoked first seizure in the U.S. annually, and these events are associated with physical and psychological trauma.
News
PPI Usage with SBP Prophylaxis Predicts Recurrent Infections in Cirrhosis
July 29, 2015
Clinical question: What are the risk factors for development of a recurrent infection in cirrhotic patients hospitalized with an initial infection? Background: Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cirrhosis.
News
Nontoxigenic C. diff Spores May Decrease Rates of Recurrent CDI
July 29, 2015
Clinical question: Is treatment with nontoxigenic C. diff strain M-3 (NTCD-M3) safe and effective in preventing recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI)? Background: C. diff is the most commonly identified healthcare pathogen, and CDI has a 25%-30% recurrence rate. Not all C.
News
Retrievable IVC Plus Anticoagulation Does Not Reduce Risk of Recurrent Pulmonary Embolism
July 29, 2015
Clinical question: Does a retrievable inferior vena cava (IVC) filter in addition to anticoagulation in patients with an acute pulmonary embolism (PE) decrease the risk of recurrent PE? Background: Inferior vena cava placement has increased dramatically over the last three decades.
