July 31, 2024


Photo courtesy of Dr Huang graphic by Getty Images

A countywide cleanup

Reducing drug-resistant infections among high-risk patients took some lessons in bathing.

Point-of-care HCV test, Alzheimer's drug approved

The newly approved test detects hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and delivers results in about an hour using a blood sample from the fingertip.

Hospitalists send or read an average of 130 secure electronic messages a day, study finds

The mean number of messages handled per hour was 13, and the median lag time between when messages were sent and when they were opened was 39 seconds, according to an analysis of secure chat communications at one academic center.

Top hospital rating systems offer discordant rankings for same facilities

Ratings of U.S. hospitals by Hospital Compare, Healthgrades, The Leapfrog Group, and U.S. News and World Report often differed substantially, which could potentially cause confusion if patients try to use them, a new analysis found.

Postop afib that lasts 48 hours or longer associated with later recurrence

Cardiac surgery patients who had atrial fibrillation within four weeks of surgery had a 23% risk of recurrence at 12 months or later, which rose to 38% if the initial episode lasted at least 48 hours, a retrospective study found.

Hospital addiction consultation services increased uptake, use of OUD medication

Hospitalized patients who received care from an addiction consultation service program were nearly eight times more likely to initiate medication for opioid use disorder (OUD) than those who received usual care.

Take a quiz about the July 24 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.