September 2010
A lot to remember
Checklists can be an effective and efficient way to improve care, if the process is handled correctly.
Don't forget the lungs
Hospitalists familiar with preop cardiovascular evaluation may be less comfortable with pulmonary evaluations, which can also be crucial to reducing risk for surgical patients.
Assisted suicide
The prescribing of lethal medication remains highly controversial as clinicians struggle to balance the autonomy of terminally ill patients and the commitment to do no harm.
Six letters that can help with difficult decisions
Two physicians describe their mnemonic for determine patients' decision-making capacity.
Reducing readmissions by empowering patients
St. Joseph Hospital in Whatcom County, Wash., reduced unnecessary readmissions by improving patient self-management after hospital discharge.
A case of attribution error
Our columnists discuss the case of a 71-year-old obese woman whose mental status deteriorated rapidly while in the hospital.
Letter from the Editor
This issue offers expert advice on using checklists, clinical pearls on preop pulmonary evaluation, and guidance for ethically challenging situations.
Hospital medicine in Chile
The international hospitalist movement continues to grow, especially in South America.
Cuba is just across the water, but medically, a different world
A physician discusses his experiences in Cuba.
Diagnosing a freak of nature
Our patient's presenting symptoms made us sure he was experiencing an aortic dissection. But our diagnostic CT scan showed that we were in for a much bigger surprise.
Bringing health to low-income patients in the clinic and media
Columnist Erin N. Marcus, FACP, has a passion for health communication.
The laziest, shadiest colleague
Taking call as the AMO, or admitting medical officer, was one of the most heinous call experiences for upper-level residents.
Encephalopathy
Most patients who are admitted to the hospital with the symptom of mental status alteration actually have encephalopathy as the cause.
Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation
Both NPPV and CPAP are useful under a number of conditions.
Conditions with the most rapidly increasing hospital inpatient costs, 2001-2007
From 2001 to 2007, inflation-adjusted hospital costs rose by 24.6% to $343 billion.
Test yourself: Pulmonary medicine
These cases and commentary, which address pulmonary medicine, are excerpted from ACP's Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program (MKSAP15).
MRSA test and warfarin recalled, new tests for HIV and hepatitis C
Drug recalls, warnings, approvals.