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    News

    Not All EDs Adopt Interventions to Improve Flow, Decrease Crowding

    May 6, 2016

    Clinical question: What is the relationship between crowding in the ED and the number of interventions adopted by the ED to address this? Background: ED crowding results in long waits, prolonged lengths of stay, and delays in providing treatments, which can result in adverse events.

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    News

    Close INR Monitoring Might Prevent Adverse Events

    May 6, 2016

    Clinical question: What is the appropriate frequency of INR monitoring in the hospital and its relationship to the risk of over-anticoagulation and warfarin-related adverse events? Background: Warfarin use is a common cause of adverse drug events in hospitalized patients due to narrow therapeutic

  • News

    Establishing a Role for Polysomnography in Hospitalized Children

    May 2, 2016

    Clinical question: What is the role for inpatient polysomnograms for children with medical complexity? [caption id="attachment_13645" align="alignright" width="150"] Dr. Stubblefield[/caption] Background: Sleep-disordered breathing is more common in certain pediatric populations.

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    News

    Physicians, Residents, Students Can Learn High-Value, Cost-Conscious Care

    April 29, 2016

    Clinical question: What are the factors that promote education in delivering high-value, cost-conscious care? Background: Healthcare costs are increasing, with most recent numbers showing U.S. expenditures on healthcare of more than $3 trillion, almost 18% of the gross domestic product.

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    News

    Data Show Patients Are More Likely to Die at Night, on Weekends

    April 29, 2016

    Clinical question: Is there a clinical difference in rates of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and survival to discharge in patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) depending on time of day and day of the week? Background: Current U.S.

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    News

    Long-Term Βeta-Blocker Use May Cause More Harm in Patients Undergoing Surgery

    April 25, 2016

    Clinical question: What is the harm associated with long-term beta-blocker therapy in patients with uncomplicated hypertension undergoing non-cardiac surgery? Background: Given the recent concerns over the validity of prior studies, there is uncertainty about which patients benefit most from peri

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    News

    Depression Common among Physicians in Training

    April 25, 2016

    Clinical question: What is the prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms in resident physicians? Background: Depression in resident physicians can lead to poor-quality medical care, increased errors, and long-term morbidity.

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    News

    Improper Removal of Personal Protective Equipment Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

    April 22, 2016

    Clinical question: How frequent is contamination of skin and clothing during personal protective equipment (PPE) removal, and can it be prevented? Background: PPE reduces transmission of pathogens to healthcare personnel and patients.

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    News

    Procalcitonin Testing Can Lead to Cost Savings

    April 22, 2016

    Clinical question: Can procalcitonin testing be used to determine whether antibiotics should be started and stopped? Background: Procalcitonin naturally occurs in the body but increases with bacterial infection, with normal levels Study design: Systematic review. Setting: ICUs and EDs in Eu

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    News

    New Model May Predict Risk of Acute Kidney Injury in Orthopedic Patients

    April 18, 2016

    Clinical question: What is the risk of acute kidney injury after orthopedic surgery, and does it impact mortality? Background: Current studies show that acute kidney injury is associated with increased long-term mortality, future development of chronic kidney disease, and increased healthcare cos