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Wait until infection is confirmed before starting antimicrobials in ICU

Delaying antimicrobial treatment of patients in the surgical intensive care unit who have a suspected hospital-acquired infection does not increase the risk for mortality, and may even be associated with better outcomes than starting antimicrobials before culturing blood, say researchers.

8 Oct 2012

Standard red blood cell transfusion as good as fresh RBCs for premature infants

Among premature, very low-birth-weight infants requiring a transfusion, use of fresh red blood cells (RBCs) compared with standard RBC transfusion practice did not improve clinical outcomes that included rates of complications or death, according to a study in the October 10 issue of JAMA.

8 Oct 2012

Improved battlefield transport and triage improves survival of severely wounded soldiers

Wounded soldiers who sustained chest injuries in Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) had higher mortality rates than soldiers in Korea and Vietnam, according to a military trauma study presented at the 2012 American College of Surgeons Annual Clinical Congress.

6 Oct 2012

Progress toward preventing initial and recurrent episodes of C. diff infection

Surgeons are making progress toward preventing initial and recurrent episodes of clostridium difficile colitis (C. difficile or C. diff), a vicious bacterial infection that is estimated to affect about 336,000 people each year, typically patients on antibiotics.

6 Oct 2012

Article explores safety and efficacy of aerosol delivery of drugs in ICU patients

Essential medications can be delivered as inhaled drugs to critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) who require mechanical ventilation to breathe. Aerosol drug delivery is highly complex, however, and if not done properly the medication will not reach the lungs and therapy will be ineffective.

5 Oct 2012

New mathematical formulas can evaluate kidney function with age

Within the framework of a Berlin cohort study, scientists from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have succeeded in developing new mathematical formulas that dependently assess kidney function with age.

4 Oct 2012

Structured deliberation improves neonatal decision-making process

The implementation of a structured multiprofessional medical ethical decision-making process could improve decision-making in neonatal intensive care units, show study results from the Netherlands.

3 Oct 2012

Anemia now confirmed as risk factor for illness and even death following cardiac surgery

Anemia is now confirmed as a risk factor for illness and even death following cardiac surgery, according to a study published in the October 2012 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

2 Oct 2012

Multicomponent strategies needed to prevent in-hospital delirium

Delirium in hospitalized adult patients indicates poor long-term outcomes and should be identified promptly and dealt with using evidence-based multicomponent strategies, suggest the authors of a systematic review.

1 Oct 2012

Death rates after surgery: an interview with Dr Rupert Pearse

There are very few published estimates describing the number of deaths following surgery at a national level and none at an international level.

1 Oct 2012

Screening practices for multidrug-resistant organisms in ICUs vary widely between hospitals

Screening practices for multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in intensive care units (ICUs) vary widely from hospital to hospital, according to a new study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

29 Sep 2012

Methodist Health System celebrates latest expansion in North Texas

Today Methodist Health System celebrated its latest expansion in North Texas during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Methodist Richardson Medical Center – Bush/Renner hospital.

28 Sep 2012

Postsurgery mortality rates vary across Europe

Europe-wide data suggest that mortality rates after noncardiac surgery are higher than expected, and vary substantially by country, reports an international research team in The Lancet.

27 Sep 2012

Sleep apnea linked to poor perinatal outcomes in obese mothers

The newborns of obese pregnant women with obstructive sleep apnea have an increased chance of being born by cesarean and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, study findings indicate.

27 Sep 2012

Roundup: Calif. deciding on exchange name; Further scrutiny for Calif. adult day care eligibility; N.C. nurses embracing evidence-based practices

As states work to comply with the federal health care law, many are designing their insurance exchanges, where people will be able to shop for coverage. But just the word 'exchange' sounds to many like off-putting government-speak, and some states are eager to come up with a more appealing name for these new marketplaces. Peter Lee, who directs California's Health Benefit Exchange, says it's up for a new name, and he says they want it to sound fresh, dynamic and innovative.

27 Sep 2012

Low blood sugar danger for critically ill

Further analysis of the NICE-SUGAR trial shows a dose‑response relationship between the degree of hypoglycemia and the risk for death in critically ill patients.

25 Sep 2012

Concentrated high-protein liquid fortifier boosts ICU babies’ growth

Breast milk fortified with an ultraconcentrated high-protein liquid increases growth and is well-tolerated by preterm babies in comparison with a lower-protein enriched powder alternative, research shows.

24 Sep 2012

Researchers discover reliable predictors of pain

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have identified reliable predictors of pain by surveying patients throughout their hospital stays about the severity of their pain and their levels of satisfaction with how their pain was managed by hospital staff.

24 Sep 2012

Death rates after surgery found to be too optimistic

National estimates of death following general surgery have been too optimistic, suggests the first large-scale study to explore surgical outcomes across Europe published in the first Article in a special Lancet theme issue on surgery.

21 Sep 2012

Tight glycemic control does not reduce infection rate after pediatric cardiac surgery

Implementing tight glycemic control after surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass does not reduce the rate of healthcare-associated infections among pediatric patients, compared with standard care in the intensive care unit, show US study results.

20 Sep 2012