Background: Several randomized and observational trials in the past decade and the more recent ACC/AHA guidelines support the use of preoperative beta‐ers (PBB) in selected patients undergoing noncardiac surgery (NCS). National patient quality and safety groups continue to advocate this practice and measure its use as a marker of quality. The Internal Medicine Preoperative Assessment […]

Background: After coronary artery bypass grafting, hip surgery is the most commonly performed procedure in patients older than 65. In the current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) preoperative evaluation guideline, orthopedic surgical procedures are categorized as intermediate risk (combined myocardial infarction [MI] and death rate of < 5%). This categorization is based on […]

Background: The current consensus guidelines of the American College of Cardiology state that troponins (TnT or TnI) are the preferred biomarkers of myocardial necrosis to evaluate patients with chest pain syndrome to make the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Many facilities and clinicians elect to continue to include CK and CK‐MB with troponins because […]

Background: Upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (UGIH) is a common reason for emergency department (ED) evaluation and hospital admission. Despite validated risk‐assessment methods, it is not known how risk stratification is used to influence early endoscopy (EGD) and subsequent triage. We evaluated risk‐stratified clinical outcomes, resource utilization, and time of presentation for UGIH patients over 2 years. […]

Background: Most patients who undergo hip surgery are elderly with significant comorbidities. Postoperative infection and mortality are potentially preventable complications. As with cardiac risk stratification, infection and mortality risk stratification may be possible. This study sought to identify factors associated with postoperative infection and 30‐day mortality. Methods: The study was a retrospective chart review of […]

Background: Attending‐only hospitalist services have been developed at academic centers in response in part to resident duty‐hour restrictions. The efficacy of these clinical services as teaching venues for medical students has not been assessed. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate student satisfaction with physical examination skills instruction during a medicine clerkship on […]

Background: Falls remain a source of preventable morbidity and mortality of hospitalized patients with acute medical illnesses. Because of the high cost associated with falls in dollars, length of stay, and patient outcomes, much research has focused on patient falls. However, much of this work has focused only on patients: identifying factors associated with a […]

Background: The hospitalist model has been rapidly adopted across the United States; however, supporting evidence is derived from a small number of studies examining the practice of few physicians. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 76,296 patients aged 18 and older who were hospitalized at 1 of 45 U.S. hospitals that used an […]

Background: Most inpatient physicians learn how to be attending physicians through experience, not formal training. Yet little has been written about how the performance of attending physicians changes over time. Methods: We evaluated attending physicians from our hospitalist group through anonymous validated questionnaires that were completed by residents at the end of each rotation since […]

Background: Candida species are the fourth most common cause of nosocomial bloodstream infection in the United States. Of the various Candida species, Candida albicans caused the majority of infections during the 1980s. However, during the 1990s, the proportion of infections caused by C. albicans decreased, accounting for only 45% of bloodstream infections. The rise in […]