October 18, 2023
User-friendly EHRs also more safety-friendly
Why might easy-to-use electronic health records (EHRs) provide better medication safety? The coauthor of a recent study explains.
Nudging physicians not to test
A high-value care project reduced unnecessary testing without adding a single click.
Updated AABB guidelines offer hemoglobin thresholds for transfusion
For hemodynamically stable hospitalized adult patients, the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB) recommends a restrictive strategy, considering transfusion for those with hemoglobin concentrations below 7 g/dL.
Adverse effects of antibiotics compared for patients hospitalized with infection
A randomized clinical trial at one academic medical center in the U.S. found that piperacillin-tazobactam and cefepime carried similar risk of acute kidney injury but cefepime was associated with more neurological dysfunction.
Costs for pneumonia hospitalization vary by comorbidity, care practices
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and/or heart failure on top of pneumonia have higher hospitalization costs, one study found, while another found that higher-cost hospitals didn't have better mortality rates among their pneumonia patients.
Readmission rates held steady during pandemic, AHRQ brief finds
Statistics from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) showed that in 2020, admissions for blood diseases carried the highest readmission rate, and Medicare was the payer associated with the highest readmission rate.