April 23, 2025
When AI plays doctor
Physicians discussed the peril and potential of artificial intelligence taking on medical tasks during Internal Medicine Meeting 2025.
The spark of contrast in the kidney
Expert thinking about contrast and kidney injury has shifted again, focusing on a few specific patient factors.
Therapeutic anticoagulation improves outcomes in sickle cell ACS vs. prophylactic dose
In patients with sickle cell disease and acute chest syndrome (ACS), receiving therapeutic doses of anticoagulation led to lower opioid use and shorter mean time to resolution compared to prophylactic doses, with no increase in bleeding, a French trial found.
Stroke risk may be lower than expected in patients diagnosed with AF while admitted
Patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) during hospitalization for a noncardiac medical diagnosis or noncardiac surgery had a one-year stroke risk of 1% to 1.2% without anticoagulation, a retrospective study of older Canadians found.
Elevated troponin level at sepsis diagnosis did not predict in-hospital mortality
Patients with an elevated troponin level at sepsis diagnosis had similar hospital and ICU mortality and length of stay as those with normal levels, but they were more likely to have kidney dysfunction and worse long-term mortality, a prospective cohort study from South Korea found.
Bacterial infection unlikely in almost a third who got extended-spectrum antibiotics in ED
Among the nearly 60% of patients who got extended-spectrum antibiotics in the ED for suspected sepsis and were later judged to have definitely or probably had a bacterial infection, 79.1% received antibiotics that appeared to have been overly broad in retrospect, a study of seven U.S. hospitals found.
Take a quiz about the April 16 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.
Correction to ‘Choices in C. diff Care’
An article in the April 16 issue required correction.