February 19, 2025
On the threshold
Although restricting blood transfusions to patients with lower hemoglobin thresholds has become the rule, there are some important exceptions.
Hammer and nails
Will AI be for hospitalists what the steam drill was for John Henry?
SEP-1 bundle hasn't been proven to reduce mortality, review finds
A review found that all relevant studies examining CMS's Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock Management Bundle (SEP-1) were observational with some risk of bias and that the majority did not show a positive effect on mortality.
Rise in white blood cell count can be expected 48 hours after steroid dose, study finds
Inpatients who were treated with steroids and did not have an infection had a mean increase in their white blood cell count of 2.4×109 cells/L, peaking at 48 hours. With high-dose steroids, the mean increase was 4.84×109 cells/L, according to the single-center retrospective study.
Early stroke complications associated with poor outcomes after discharge
Patients who had recurrent stroke, fever, pneumonia, depression, urinary tract infection, or delirium after a first mild to moderate ischemic stroke were more likely to die or have functional impairment at three months, a German study found.
Pleural effusion may be indicator of mortality risk in certain conditions
U.S. veterans hospitalized with cancer, congestive heart failure, or pneumonia were more likely to die if they had a clinically significant pleural effusion, a retrospective study found.
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