Intensive Care News and Research

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Hospitals' efforts to reduce readmissions not recognized under current payment model

Hospitals' efforts to reduce the portion of patients who are readmitted for follow-up care are proving successful in many cases, but even though the moves often result in savings for insurers, the hospitals do not necessarily benefit financially, the New York Times reports. Because insurer payments are based on treatments provided rather than the health of patients, hospitals can "actually lose money by providing better care," the Times reports.

12 May 2009

Even mildly premature infants have increased risk of medically attended respiratory syncytial virus infection

Even mildly premature infants (gestational ages of 33 weeks through 36 weeks) have an increased risk of medically attended respiratory syncytial virus infection, which is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infection in infants and young children and can lead to pneumonia in babies, according to a Kaiser Permanente Division of Research study.

5 May 2009

Many patients in intensive care are deficient in vitamin D

Australian researchers have discovered that many critically ill patients in intensive care are deficient in vitamin D.

30 Apr 2009

Safely transporting a preterm or low birth weight infant

New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics should eliminate one of the many stresses of bringing a preterm or low birth weight infant home from the hospital.

27 Apr 2009

Children resuscitated at birth at risk for lower IQs

Children who were resuscitated at birth have increased risk of low intelligence quotient (IQ) at age eight years, even if they were apparently healthy in the 28 days (neonatal period) following birth.

22 Apr 2009

First large-scale investigation of variability in urinary tract infection management

More than 45,000 infants and children in the United States are hospitalized each year for urinary tract infections, but a new study reveals significant variability across hospitals in treatment and outcomes.

22 Apr 2009

Changing the way organ donation requests are made could prevent relatives denying consent

Timing and whether a transplant coordinator makes the request are key factors in whether relatives consent to organ donation, according to a study published on bmj.com today.

22 Apr 2009

Is it preferable for patients' families or doctors to make tragic choices?

In the medical realm, people sometimes need to make very difficult choices, such as deciding to end life-support for a terminally ill patient.

21 Apr 2009

Robot-assisted surgery appears useful for removal of some head and neck tumors

Robot-assisted surgery appears feasible for treatment of selected head and neck cancers, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

21 Apr 2009

South Australian hospital battles to contain superbug VRE

The cancer ward at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) in South Australia is currently battling to cope with an antibiotic-resistant bacteria called Vanocomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), a form of bacteria which lives in the gut.

16 Apr 2009

Wrist acupuncture prevents postoperative nausea and vomiting

Up to 80 percent of patients who have surgery complain of nausea and vomiting afterwards, but stimulating an acupoint in their wrists can help reduce these symptoms, finds a new evidence review.

14 Apr 2009

New method to estimate bleeding risk in heart attack patients

With eight basic medical facts in hand, doctors can now estimate the risk of bleeding for a patient having a heart attack.

14 Apr 2009

In the ICU, use of benzodiazepines, other factors may predict severity of post-stay depression

Psychiatrists and critical care specialists at Johns Hopkins have begun to tease out what there is about a stay in an intensive care unit (ICU) that leads so many patients to report depression after they go home.

12 Apr 2009

Haemofiltration significantly reduces ECMO duration in newborns

Haemofiltration has already been shown to improve fluid balance in children treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) but now researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care have reported that continuous haemofiltration significantly reduces ECMO duration in newborns.

1 Apr 2009

Combat injuries: A matter of life and death

Orthopaedic surgeons play a crucial role in the care of active duty military personnel according to a Forum article in the April 2009 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS).

1 Apr 2009

What patients really think of intensive care unit follow-up services

Former patients believe that intensive care unit (ICU) follow-up services are important for their physical, emotional and psychological recovery.

1 Apr 2009

Coronary angiography improves outcomes for cardiac arrest patients

People who suffer cardiac arrests and then receive coronary angiography are twice as likely to survive without significant brain damage compared with those who don't have the procedure, according to a study by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers.

1 Apr 2009

Regular handwashing more important than isolation in controlling MRSA infection

Regular handwashing by hospital staff and visitors did more to prevent the spread of the MRSA superbug than isolating infected patients.

30 Mar 2009

New Lantheus study finds significant survival benefit for critically ill patients undergoing contrast-enhanced echocardiography

Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc has announced new data regarding the use of DEFINITY Vial For (Perflutren Lipid Microsphere) Injectable Suspension.

29 Mar 2009

Trial looks at intensive insulin therapy risks

Intensive insulin therapy is used in many intensive care units around the world as a means to tightly regulate blood sugar.

24 Mar 2009

Intensive Care News and Research

Hospitals' efforts to reduce readmissions not recognized under current payment model

Even mildly premature infants have increased risk of medically attended respiratory syncytial virus infection

Many patients in intensive care are deficient in vitamin D

Safely transporting a preterm or low birth weight infant

Children resuscitated at birth at risk for lower IQs

First large-scale investigation of variability in urinary tract infection management

Changing the way organ donation requests are made could prevent relatives denying consent

Is it preferable for patients' families or doctors to make tragic choices?

Robot-assisted surgery appears useful for removal of some head and neck tumors

South Australian hospital battles to contain superbug VRE

Wrist acupuncture prevents postoperative nausea and vomiting

New method to estimate bleeding risk in heart attack patients

In the ICU, use of benzodiazepines, other factors may predict severity of post-stay depression

Haemofiltration significantly reduces ECMO duration in newborns

Combat injuries: A matter of life and death

What patients really think of intensive care unit follow-up services

Coronary angiography improves outcomes for cardiac arrest patients

Regular handwashing more important than isolation in controlling MRSA infection

New Lantheus study finds significant survival benefit for critically ill patients undergoing contrast-enhanced echocardiography

Trial looks at intensive insulin therapy risks

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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