July 23, 2025
The long tail of infection
Patients recently hospitalized with an infection appear to have higher heart failure risk. A researcher discusses what to do about it.
Ventilators, other devices recalled
The FDA also gave lenacapavir approval for twice-yearly HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, among other recent actions.
Transfusions provide mortality benefit early in hospitalization, but not later
A packed red blood cell transfusion on day 1 of hospitalization was associated with lower risk of mortality or discharge to hospice. By day 6 and 7, transfusions were associated with increased risk, a retrospective study found.
Adjunctive fosfomycin increases treatment success but also toxicity in staph bacteremia
Patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia who got fosfomycin in addition to daptomycin or cloxacillin were more likely to have treatment success at eight weeks, at the cost of increased rates of gastrointestinal disturbances, acute heart failure, hypokalemia, and acute liver injury, an analysis of two Spanish studies found.
Solid pills may be safer than crushed in poststroke dysphagia
A small study in Austria compared the safety and efficiency of swallowing one crushed and three types of whole tablets, all administered with an applesauce bolus, in patients with dysphagia after acute stroke.
New score predicts mortality risk during stay for COPD exacerbation
Chinese researchers identified 11 significant predictors of inpatient mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations, including lesser-known factors such as interstitial lung disease, anemia, and diastolic hypotension.
Take a quiz about the July 16 issue!
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