ACP Hospitalist

Medicare Advantage driving increases in long hospital stays

Patients on Medicare Advantage being discharged to skilled nursing facilities saw a particularly large increase in their risk of an extended hospital stay, according to the comparison of length of stay under Medicare Advantage versus traditional Medicare in 2017 to 2023.

Different pulse oximeters provide different readings on same patients, study finds

Tested on patients using noninvasive ventilation or continuous positive airway pressure during sleep, a transcutaneous oxycapnograph with a probe on an earlobe, a pulse oximeter with a finger probe, and a pulse oximeter with a ring probe provided substantially different results.

VA physicians report better work-life balance than private-sector peers, survey shows

A survey of more than 600 physicians found that those working at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals reported lower odds of malpractice concerns and medical records issues than their private-sector peers, but rates of burnout between the groups were not significantly different.

By Gianna Melillo

By Jennifer Kearney-Strouse

Lower oxygenation targets for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure may worsen pulmonary outcomes

ICU patients had similar cognitive impairment but worse pulmonary diffusion capacity at one-year follow-up if they were assigned a target of 60 mm Hg versus 90 mm Hg for partial pressure of arterial oxygen, a Danish study found.

Quiz | September 17, 2025

Take a quiz about the Sept. 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.

Feature Story | September 10, 2025

Hospitalists dip into DKA

Protocols using subcutaneous insulin have brought diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) into the domain of hospitalists.

FDA Update | September 10, 2025

Opioids get new labels

The FDA also announced an official end to the nationwide shortage of sodium chloride 0.9% injection products, among other actions.

By Gianna Melillo

Extended apixaban after provoked VTE reduced recurrence rate

In patients who had venous thromboembolism (VTE) provoked by a transient factor and a risk factor for recurrence, taking apixaban for 12 months led to a symptomatic recurrence rate of 1.3%, compared to 10.0% in those randomized to placebo, an industry-funded trial found.

Ivabradine doesn't reduce risk of MINS

A Polish trial was stopped early because patients who had or were at risk for atherosclerotic disease and were given ivabradine perioperatively had similar risk of myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) as those randomized to placebo.

CNS-active medications increase readmission risk in older patients

For every central nervous system (CNS)-active medication an older patient with comorbidities was prescribed at discharge, their risk of readmission in the year after hospitalization increased by 7%, a European study found.

By Jennifer Kearney-Strouse

Cardiac problems more common than expected in Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Seventeen percent of hospitalized adults with M. pneumoniae infection had cardiac involvement, most commonly congestive heart failure and arrhythmias, a cohort study in Israel found.

Q&A | September 3, 2025

Craving continuity

Discontinuity in hospital care is harming patients, learners, and physicians, say three physicians who seek change.