December 11, 2024
The evolution of the HM team
Hospital medicine (HM) programs increasingly employ nurse practitioners and physician assistants, but optimizing their role is still a work in progress for many.
Improving palliative care in cirrhosis
Educating patients and acknowledging their existential distress are just two ways hospitalists can better meet the needs of patients with decompensated cirrhosis.
As-needed blood pressure medication associated with acute kidney injury
Hypertensive patients who received as-needed blood pressure drugs, particularly IV ones, during a medical hospitalization had higher rates of acute kidney injury than those who didn't get as-needed meds, a retrospective Veterans Affairs study found.
AHA statement addresses management of systemic stroke complications
Fever, pneumonia, oral health problems, urinary tract infection, venous thromboembolism, breathing disorders, and gastrointestinal and renal issues were among the complications covered by new advice from the American Heart Association (AHA).
Oseltamivir on day of admission associated with improved flu outcomes
A prospective, observational analysis of 840 influenza-positive patients in U.S. hospitals in the 2022 to 2023 season found that only about half got oseltamivir on the day of admission, and they had significantly lower risk of death or ICU admission than those who got the drug later or not at all.
AGS advises on making treatment decisions for unrepresented older adults
A position statement from the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) includes policy recommendations and clinical advice for older patients who lack decisional capacity to provide informed consent for a specific medical treatment, who have no advance directive and lack capacity to create one, and who have no surrogate decision-maker.
Take a quiz about the Nov. 27 issue!
Every week, ACP Hospitalist posts a question about a previous week's issue. See how well you remember what you've read compared to other readers.