Background: CA‐MRSA is a growing epidemic infection that has resulted in a transformation of the approach to skin and soft‐tissue infections. Although, CA‐MRSA differs from other MRSA infections in many ways, one difference that affects care is its sensitivity to older, less expensive antibiotics. We conducted this study to determine the prevalence of CA‐MRSA infections […]

Background: Recognition of chronic kidney disease (CKD) may be improved by electronic glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) reporting. The National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) provides recommendations on quantitative evaluation for proteinuria, prescription of angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEIs/ARBs) in selected patients and consultation with a nephrologist in later‐stage disease. Hospitalists frequently […]

Background: Coronary care units (CCUs) are uniquely designed and staffed to care for critically ill patients with cardiovascular disease, whereas medical intensive care units (MICUs) are specially organized and staffed for the care of patients with noncardiovascular critical illness. The demand for intensivist‐staffed MICU beds often exceeds the availability. As a result, during times of […]

Background: Poor communication on hospital discharge between hospitalists and primary care physicians (PCPs) may result in worse patient outcomes, adverse medication events, decreased patient and physician satisfaction, and increased costs. Conversely, excellent communication may improve quality of care. Purpose: The purposes of the study were (1) to evaluate the desired method of communication and the […]

Background: The assessment of patients with acute chest pain (CP) remains a continuing clinical problem, with major logistic and financial implications for health care providers. Although appropriateness criteria for stress echocardiography (SE) were unavailable at the time of this study, we applied published stress nuclear appropriateness criteria for CP assessment to SE and studied the […]

Background: Readmissions cause significant distress to patients and caregivers in addition to considerable financial costs. A key component of reducing readmissions is identification of at‐risk patients prior to discharge. This determination currently is commonplace, as providers make informal predictions of readmission during routine care. However, the accuracy of these informal predictions, or more formal algorithm‐based […]

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is responsible for up to 600,000 hospitalizations per year in the United States. The appropriate use of evidence‐based VTE prophylaxis regimens, such as unfractionated heparin (UFH) or low‐molecular‐weight heparins (LMWHs), can reduce the clinical burden of VTE. We compared the clinical outcomes following appropriate prophylaxis with enoxaparin, the most frequently used […]

Background: Hypertension (HTN) is a highly prevalent cardiovascular risk factor affecting more than 65 million Americans. Studies suggest that HTN is particularly prevalent among inpatient populations. Little is known about provider knowledge and practices regarding the management of elevated BP among inpatients, and current guidelines do not specifically address inpatient BP treatment. We conducted a […]

Background: Hospitalization rates in Chicago are double the national average for asthma and triple that among African Americans compared with whites in Chicago. In 2009, to protect the ozone layer, the familiar easy‐to‐use metered dose inhalers (MDIs) that contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) will be replaced by environmentally friendlier hydroflouroalkane (HFA) inhalers. This change may be particularly […]

Background: Approximately 300,000 hip fractures occur in the United States each year with 1‐year refracture and mortality rates as high as 12% and 25%, respectively. Bisphosphonate use after hip fracture reduces morbidity and mortality. Expert opinion suggests that a hip fracture indicates osteoporosis and warrants treatment. We endeavored to determine the rate of osteoporosis diagnosis […]