July 12, 2023
A closer look at HAP
Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is both more dangerous and more complex than previously thought, says the author of a recent study.
Cefepime-induced neurotoxicity
An elderly patient presented with confusion three days after a hospitalization for osteomyelitis.
Study finds limited value to procalcitonin in identifying BSI on admission
Among patients with suspected bloodstream infections (BSIs) who had blood cultures and a procalcitonin test on admission, the sensitivity of procalcitonin at a cutoff of 0.5 ng/mL was 68%, and empiric antibiotic therapy use was not meaningfully different with positive or negative results.
Asymptomatic bacteriuria treatment averted due to fewer urine cultures, study finds
Michigan hospitals successfully reduced their use of antibiotics in asymptomatic patients with positive urine cultures, and the difference could be tied to less culturing, since use of antibiotics among asymptomatic patients who got cultures didn't change significantly.
Relaxing MRSA precautions during pandemic associated with higher infection rate
Veterans Affairs hospitals that abandoned active surveillance and contact precautions for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) had significantly higher rates of hospital-acquired MRSA than those that continued the measures.
Acute kidney injury had only small association with worsening of chronic kidney disease
After adjustment for patient characteristics, such as prehospitalization estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) slope and proteinuria, an episode of acute kidney injury in the hospital did not consistently predict subsequent decline in eGFR.