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The perks of POCUS

Routine use of cardiopulmonary point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) led to a 30.3% reduction in expected length of stay in patients with undifferentiated dyspnea.

Precision immunotherapy improved sepsis outcomes, international trial finds

Sepsis patients with macrophage activation-like syndrome or sepsis-induced immunoparalysis who were randomized to immunotherapy had greater reductions in their Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores than those receiving standard care, according to a placebo-controlled trial.

Ketamine, etomidate carry similar mortality risk when used for intubation, trial finds

Critically ill patients randomized to ketamine for anesthesia during tracheal intubation had similar inpatient mortality and higher risk of cardiovascular collapse during intubation than those who received etomidate, according to a new multicenter trial.

Antibiotics not tied to outcomes in inpatients with CAP and virus

A retrospective study of inpatients with possible community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and a positive respiratory virus test found no difference in length of stay or mortality risk between those who got zero to two days of antibiotics versus those who got five to seven days.

Algorithm reduced antipsychotic medication use for delirium in older patients

An algorithm developed by researchers in Switzerland shifted practice toward greater use of nonpharmacological interventions for delirium but did not reduce prevalence or duration of delirium on medical wards, a single-center study found.

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Take a quiz about the Dec. 10 issue!

Every week, ACP Hospitalist posts a question about the previous week's issue. See how well you remember what you've read compared to other readers.

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A piece of good news

Hospitalists should take a pat on the back, according to the authors of a study finding that inpatient mortality has resumed its prepandemic downward trend.

Illustration by David Rosenman
Newman's Notions | December 10, 2025 | FREE
Most ACP Hospitalist content is available exclusively to ACP Members. This article is free to the public.

Thin to win

A little knowledge of history inspires caution and reflection about anticoagulation.

IDSA statement explains society's position on community-acquired pneumonia guidelines

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has explained that differences in opinion on empiric antibiotic use led the organization to not endorse the latest guidelines on community-acquired pneumonia from the American Thoracic Society.

Patients perceived as difficult across settings

A survey of clinicians caring for hospitalized veterans found that 67% of patients considered difficult as inpatients were also rated as difficult by their primary care clinicians.

Preadmission GLP-1 receptor agonist use not linked with adverse ICU outcomes

There were no significant differences in mortality or length of stay between ICU patients with and without prior glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist use, according to a retrospective single-center study.

Steroids reduce short-term mortality in non-COVID-19 severe pneumonia, review finds

Low-dose, short-term systemic corticosteroids probably reduce short-term mortality in patients with severe pneumonia or severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and have little to no effect on hospital-acquired infection risk, a review of trials in patients who did not have COVID-19 found.

Five patients who shaped my medical career

One of ACP Hospitalist's physician editorial advisors shares some life lessons he picked up from patients.

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