Background: Mortality data estimates show that there are about 400,000‐460,000 sudden cardiac deaths (SCDs) in the United States annually. Managing cardiac arrest patients with coma postresuscitation has been largely supportive. Following restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), secondary inflammatory responses lead to further brain injury, resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Induced mild hypothermia (32°C‐34°C) has […]

Background: This study evaluated whether clinicians are providing appropriate thromboprophylaxis to at‐risk medical and surgical patients in accordance with ACCP guidelines. Methods: Premier's Perspective™ inpatient administrative database was used to assess VTE prophylaxis rates in acute medical (acute myocardial infarction [AMI], lung disease, stroke, heart failure, cancer, spinal cord injury, trauma) and surgical (orthopedic, urologic, […]

Background: In a large tertiary‐care hospital, a quality improvement program was initiated to evaluate the current practices and trends in preoperative cardiac risk assessment and prescription of perioperative beta‐ers for patients undergoing elective, noncardiac surgery with a planned hospitalization ≥1 day. Methods: Data for this study originated exclusively from institutional databases, primarily the electronic medical […]

Background: Admission hyperglycemia has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes of patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction, stroke, or trauma. The effect of admission or discharge glucose level on clinical outcomes, particularly readmissions in ADHF, is less clear. Methods: We performed a careful chart review of 332 patients consecutively admitted for ADHF between 2004 and […]

Background: Despite increased focus on handoffs, the accuracy of information transferred using resident sign‐outs has not been well characterized. This study aimed to describe the frequency, types, and harm potential of medication discrepancies between patient charts and resident sign‐outs. Methods: All interns and their patients at a single hospital in January 2006 were eligible for […]

Background: Patients admitted to academic teaching hospitals are often cared for by multiple physicians of different training levels. This study aimed to ascertain the ability of patients to identify their inpatient physicians and patient and system factors that predict patient ability to identify inpatient physicians. Methods: All general medicine inpatients at a single academic medical […]

Background: Percutaneous intravenous central catheters (PICCs) are increasingly the devices of choice for providing long‐term central venous access among medicine inpatients. However, hospitalists are not typically trained in PICC insertion and often rely on other services, such as interventional radiology (IR). This outsourcing may lead to delays in PICC insertion and lengthen hospital stays. Methods: […]

Background: In patients with 3‐vessel coronary artery disease (3VD), perfusion defects in multiple vascular territories may not always be evident because of globally reduced perfusion. The diagnostic value of an exercise stress test (EST) versus a pharmacological stress test (PST) to detect 3VD is not well established in the literature. Methods: We reviewed all coronary […]

Background: Although internal medicine residents commonly perform bedside procedures, technical proficiency and knowledge regarding procedures such as thoracentesis may be lacking. The risk of complications from thoracentesis may also be increased when performed by physicians‐in‐training. Our aim was to use a thoracentesis simulation to assess graduating residents' proficiency and evaluate the impact of an educational […]

Background: The use of specialized orthopedic nursing units (SONUs) for patients undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a well‐established practice. Whether such units improve outcomes or are cost effective has not been evaluated. Our study's aim was to determine the impact of SONUs on inpatient outcomes and resource utilization of patients undergoing elective THA. […]