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Investigating cases of neurological loss from spinal epidural abscesses in patients who were previously discharged from care centers without diagnostic testing. Neurological deficits are considered the last presenting factor of a typical spinal epidural abscess triad: The first being back pain and the second fever … Only 0.8% of patients do not have spinal [...]
Study reveals alarming trends in hospital-acquired sepsis and advocates safer medical solutions. Although comprising only 11.3% of severe sepsis hospitalizations, HA-SS (Hospital Acquired Severe Sepsis) posed significant healthcare burdens, accounting for 20% of severe sepsis deaths and over 34.9% of all severe sepsis-related hospital costs in the consortium” … David Page, MD, MD. Greg [...]
Study calls into question the practice of repeat angioplasties for recurrent stenosis of arteries below the knee Among patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia and infrapopliteal artery disease (below the knee), angioplasty has been associated with frequent reintervention and adverse limb outcomes from restenosis” … Brian DeRubertis, MD, New England Journal of Medicine, January 4, [...]
Increased utilization of midline catheters not associated with a decreased risk of deep vein thrombosis or sepsis when compared with PICC lines. “Though many institutions have started to adopt and utilize midline catheters in an attempt to decrease the complications associated with central lines, there have not been many studies, which compared the two [...]
The risk of experiencing a bloodstream infection was significantly higher in patients with PICCs. The risk of experiencing a bloodstream infection was significantly higher in patients with PICCs. To reduce PICC-related blood stream infections and their related mortality, it is important to limit the overuse of PICCs and to implement a ‘no PICC’ policy [...]
Study reveals that NP's in the ER use more resources and achieve less favorable outcomes compared to physicians, emphasizing the importance of experience “We find that, compared to physicians, NPs (nurse practitioners) use more medical resources: They require longer lengths of stay and incur higher costs. Yet, they achieve less favorable patient outcomes as [...]
Obsolete technology poses risks for infant sepsis, safer technology exists that reduces the risk of blood clots and infection. “This large cohort study suggests that neonatal infections among extremely low-birth-weight infants are associated with poor neurodevelopmental and growth outcomes in early childhood” … Dr. Barbara J. Stoll, MD, JAMA, November 17, 2004, Vol. 292, [...]
Newer PICC lines substantially decrease the risk of occlusion of the catheter, swelling of the arm, blood clots, and blood infections. “This incidence of PICC thrombosis is relatively high, and nearly half are asymptomatic”… Dr. Yuxiu Liu, MD. Oncology Department, the Hospital of Qingdao University. What did Dr. Liu’s study “Peripherally inserted central catheter [...]
Providing antibiotics via a PICC line in both the inpatient and outpatient settings may not be as benign as once accepted. “Providing antibiotics via a PICC line in both the inpatient and outpatient settings may not be as benign as once accepted … Mounting evidence has called into question whether longer parenteral therapy is [...]
Study finds similar infection rates between PICC lines and central venous catheters in hospitalized patients “When placed in hospitalized patients, PICCs are associated with a risk of central line-associated bloodstream infections that mirror that of central venous catheters” … Vineet Chopra, MD. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. September 2013, Vol. 34, No. 9. "We [...]