• News

    Arterial Catheter Use in ICU Doesn’t Improve Hospital Mortality

    February 2, 2015

    Clinical question: Does the use of arterial catheters (AC) improve hospital mortality in ICU patients requiring mechanical ventilation? Background: AC are used in 40% of ICU patients, mostly to facilitate diagnostic phlebotomy (including arterial blood gases) and improve hemodynamic monitoring.

  • News

    Bedside Attention Tests May Be Useful in Detecting Delirium

    February 2, 2015

    Clinical question: Are simple bedside attention tests a reliable way to routinely screen for delirium? Background: Early diagnosis of delirium decreases adverse outcomes, but it often goes unrecognized, in part because clinicians do not routinely screen for it.

  • News

    What Should Hospitalists Know about Transarterial Liver Tumor Therapies?

    February 2, 2015

    Case A 51-year-old male with known hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recently underwent successful transarterial chemoembolization of a segment VII liver lesion. The patient was admitted to the hospitalist service for overnight observation.

  • 1
    News

    Who Should Be Screened for HIV Infection?

    January 7, 2015

    Case A 31-year-old male with a history of asthma is admitted with an asthma exacerbation. He has no regular outpatient provider. He denies tobacco use and reports that he is in a monogamous relationship with his girlfriend.

  • News

    Ebola Treatment Centers Needed in North America

    January 7, 2015

    As the hysteria about Ebola spreads, hospitalists who have been running most of the country’s ICUs will find themselves at the forefront of treating these patients when more of them present at our different hospitals.

  • 1
    News

    Academic Hospitalist Groups Use Observation Status More Frequently

    January 7, 2015

    Insurers’ use of certain criteria to separate hospital stays into inpatient or observation status remains widespread. Observation status ensures provider reimbursement for hospitalizations deemed necessary by clinical judgment but not qualifying as inpatient care.

  • News

    Medical Consultants Provide Benefits for Hospitalized Surgical Patients

    January 7, 2015

    Clinical question: How are medical consultants used for hospitalized surgical patients, and how does this vary among regions and hospitals in the U.S.? Background: Reimbursement for surgical procedures is moving toward bundled payments, making it increasingly important to understand the use of re

  • News

    Fluid Resuscitation in Sepsis: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

    January 7, 2015

    Clinical question: Is there any difference between different resuscitative fluids (crystalloids or colloids) on mortality in critically ill sepsis patients? Background: Fluid resuscitation, in addition to antibiotics and source control, is a cornerstone of initial management of sepsis.

  • News

    Hip Fracture Adverse Outcomes Among Nursing Home Residents

    January 7, 2015

    Clinical question: What are the risk factors for mortality and functional decline following hip fracture among nursing home residents? Background: Little is known about the survival and functional outcomes of nursing home residents who sustain hip fracture.

  • News

    Post-Operative Pneumonia Reduced by Standardization in Noncritical Surgical Patients

    January 7, 2015

    Clinical question: What is the long-term effectiveness of a standardized pneumonia prevention program among surgical noncritical inpatients? Background: Few studies have focused on the prevention of post-operative pneumonia in non-mechanically ventilated patients.