Background: One of the widely reported benefits of electronic health records (EHRs) is the ability to alert clinicians, especially regarding medication-related safety issues. However, soon after the installation of EHRs, the phenomenon of “alert fatigue” was realized. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has shown clinicians override the vast majority of computerized physician order […]

Background: One of the widely reported benefits of electronic health records (EHRs) is the ability to alert clinicians, especially regarding medication-related safety issues. However, soon after the installation of EHRs, the phenomenon of “alert fatigue” was realized. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has shown clinicians override the vast majority of computerized physician order […]

Background: Delirium is a problem that can be dangerous for patients and costly for hospitals. Despite its high prevalence, the identification and treatment can often be delayed because of its ability to mimic other illnesses. According to a 2006 Cochrane Systemic Review, delirium may affect 60% of frail elderly people in the hospital, and among […]

Background: In medical care for older patients, the presence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) is associated with increased adverse outcomes [1, 2]. A wide range of medications with anticholinergic properties affects cognitive states of older patients have been regarded as PIMs [1, 3]. We purposed to assess clinical impact of anticholinergic cognitive burden on clinical […]

Case Presentation: A 62‐year‐old man was admitted to the hospital for shortness of breath, weaknessb and chills. In addition, he complained of loss of appetite resulting in weight loss. The patient had a history of chronic, recurrent sinus infections treated with multiple antibiotics over the past 3 years. Two months prior to this hospitalization he […]

Background: Despite the consistently proven benefits of cardioprotective medications, medication adherence (MA) remains a challenge in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Studies suggest that up to 50% of patients with CAD are nonadherent to medications, with patient knowledge, beliefs, and expectations playing a vital role. We aimed to assess patient-related medication non-adherence (MNA) factors in […]

Background: Up to 12% of hospitalized patients require high dose parenteral thiamine treatment to prevent Wernicke’s Encephalopathy, a devastating and easily preventable neurologic disorder that can lead to death. Despite the fact that it is as simple and relatively inexpensive therapy with no known side effects, high dose thiamine continues to be underutilized. Attempts to […]

Case Presentation: An 82‐year‐old woman came to the emergency department with pleuritic chest pain, cough, and fever. On arrival, she was found to have aphasia and right‐sided hemiparesis. Her family noted that she was normal just hours before. CT scan and MRI of her brain demonstrated only chronic ischemic changes consistent with her previous lacunar […]

Case Presentation: A 65‐year‐old white man with a history of coronary artery disease was admitted with acute coronary syndrome. He underwent a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with placement of an everolimus drug‐eluting stent and was discharged on dual antiplatelet therapy with both aspirin and clopidogrel. He returned 6 days later with a skin rash. He […]

Background: Hospital readmissions are an important marker of healthcare quality, reflecting worse patient outcomes and resulting in millions of dollars of penalties annually. Medication nonadherence is an important driver of hospital readmissions, with one significant factor being difficulty obtaining medications after discharge. The difficulty could be due to copays, availability, or transportation to a local […]