February 28, 2024
Lots to learn about long-term care
A new curriculum helped hospitalists moving into postacute care fill gaps in their knowledge base.
Cases from the Medical College of Wisconsin
A mycotic aneurysm, retroperitoneal hematoma, and more.
Modified rapid response system could help patients with limited English proficiency
An initiative at one U.S. academic medical center that used automated early warning scores and integrated interpreters into the rapid response system was associated with a decrease in average monthly mortality rates.
Deterioration alert system did not reduce escalations from medical and surgical units
The single-center study of a machine learning-based alert system did find that mortality was lower among patients on a medical unit where staff were notified when the computer predicted high risk of deterioration.
Antibiotics with extended anaerobic coverage didn't improve outcomes in aspiration pneumonia
Patients with aspiration pneumonia who received extended anaerobic coverage had no reduction in mortality risk and a significantly higher risk of Clostridioides difficile than those prescribed limited anaerobic coverage.
Biomarkers may predict which medications are effective for patients hospitalized for COVID-19
Two studies looked at biomarkers that could be used to identify high-risk hospital patients who would likely benefit from medications for COVID-19, while another recent analysis provided reassuring data on the aftereffects of acute kidney injury during COVID-19 hospitalization.