Background: Nearly half of hospitalized patients with bacteriuria or treated for pneumonia receive unnecessary antibiotics (non-infectious/non-bacterial syndrome, e.g., asymptomatic bacteriuria), excess duration (antibiotics prescribed for longer than necessary), or avoidable fluoroquinolones (safer alternative available) at hospital discharge.1-3 However, it is unknown whether antibiotic overuse at discharge varies between hospitals or is associated with patient outcomes. […]

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem. The Global Burden of Disease Study has projected that COPD will become the third‐leading cause of death worldwide by 2020. In developed countries, COPD exacerbations account for the greatest burden in the health care system, costing the United States billions of dollars annually. […]

Case Presentation: A 14 year-old male with Shone Complex and a history of a pulmonary valve replacement presented with 3 months of nausea and vomiting, a 45-pound weight loss, and fatigue. He endorsed night sweats, but no fevers. He denied recent travel or known TB contacts. On arrival to the ED, he was febrile to […]

Case Presentation: A 56-year-old male with uncontrolled Type II diabetes presented to urgent care with back pain in the absence of urinary tract symptoms. Urine cultures were positive for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and he was diagnosed with pyelonephritis and treated with Bactrim. His back pain persisted and he re-presented to the outside hospital. Finally, […]