Hospitalist News RSS feed: Current Issue. http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/?rss=yesElsevier Inc.en © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Hospitalist News1875-912232February 2010 © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. healthpermissions@elsevier.comhttp://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700286/abstract?rss=yesWhen Dr. Lisa V. Luly-Rivera admitted the 14-year-old girl to the University of Miami's tent hospital at the airport in Port-au-Prince, the girl's leg was edematous and she had some hyperpigmentation. But between one day and the next, her leg became warm, and the warmth started moving up toward her thigh. The leg was clearly infected.Haitian Patients Receive Help From U.S. HospitalistsROBERT FINN10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70028-6Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XNews11http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700298/abstract?rss=yesORLANDO — Infection following acute hospitalization for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction was linked with prolonged hospitalization and significantly increased risk of death, in a review of more than 11,000 patients in Florida hospitals in 2006.Infections Tied to STEMI Mortality And Length of StayMITCHEL L. ZOLER10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70029-8Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XNews11http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700304/abstract?rss=yesHospitals that do well on publicly reported measures on discharge planning do not necessarily have fewer readmissions, according to analysis of Medicare data. Dr. Ashish K. Jha and his associates at the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, studied the association between hospital performance on discharge planning measures and readmission rates for heart failure and pneumonia, the two most common reasons Medicare patients are readmitted.Discharge Measures Don't Predict Readmission RatesALICIA AULT10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70030-4Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XNews22http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700316/abstract?rss=yesThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will use about $40 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to help states develop programs for preventing hospital-acquired infections.Funds Will Support Infection ControlHeidi Splete10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70031-6Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XNews22http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700328/abstract?rss=yesVital Signs: Hospital Care Spending Growth Continues to Decelerate10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70032-8Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XNews22http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS187591221070033X/abstract?rss=yesORLANDO — Five-meter gait speed is a simple and effective test to identify a subset of elderly patients at threefold increased risk of in-hospital mortality and major morbidity after cardiac surgery, according to a multicenter prospective study.Slow Gait Flags Elderly With High Cardiac Surgery RiskBRUCE JANCIN10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70033-XHospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XNews33http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700341/abstract?rss=yes DR. LEVIN is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and the Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, where he conducts communication skill training and research that focuses on the ICU.ICU: The New HospiceTOMER T. LEVIN10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70034-1Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XEditorial44http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700353/abstract?rss=yes DR. LINDENAUER, director of the Center for Quality of Care Research at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Mass., is an associate professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston. He reported no conflicts of interest.Reexamining ReadmissionsPETER LINDENAUER10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70035-3Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XAdviser's Viewpoint55http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700365/abstract?rss=yesPatient age and presenting status—not dexamethasone or glycerol treatment—have the greatest impact on whether a child with bacterial meningitis will develop hearing loss, even in cases due to Haemophilus influenzae type b, according to the largest clinical trial yet to tackle the question.Hearing Loss Seen in Meningitis Despite TherapyDENISE NAPOLI10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70036-5Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XPediatrics66http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700377/abstract?rss=yes Major Finding: Transfusion of red blood cells stored 14 days or longer increases risk of multiple organ failure in critically ill children nearly twofold, compared with fresher RBCs.Older Red Blood Cells Pose Risks for ChildrenDAMIAN McNAMARA10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70037-7Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XPediatrics77http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700389/abstract?rss=yesNATIONAL HARBOR, MD. — Hospitalized children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease had more than twice the risk for thrombotic events, compared with other hospitalized youth, in a retrospective cohort study that utilized a nationwide inpatient database.Hospitalized Children With IBD Face Thrombosis RiskMIRIAM E. TUCKER10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70038-9Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XPediatrics77http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700390/abstract?rss=yesAn expert panel convened by the American Heart Association issued a call to action for the creation of U.S. regional systems of care for patients resuscitated from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.Panel: Care After Cardiac Arrest Needs UpgradeMITCHEL L. ZOLER10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70039-0Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XCardiovascular Medicine89http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700407/abstract?rss=yesSAN FRANCISCO — A year-long pilot study found Pneumocystis carinii DNA in initial oropharyngeal wash results of 10 of 104 health care workers, and 7 more converted from negative to positive tests on subsequent gargle tests.Pneumocystis Detected in 16% of CliniciansSHERRY BOSCHERT10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70040-7Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XInfectious Diseases1010http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700419/abstract?rss=yesSAN DIEGO — Inappropriate antifungal therapy for candidemia in the ICU is the rule rather than the exception—and it leads to prolonged hospital length of stay and higher costs.Inappropriate Rx For Candidemia Can Be CostlyBruce Jancin10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70041-9Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XInfectious Diseases1010http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700420/abstract?rss=yesTwo unrelated preoperative treatments sharply reduced the number of surgical site infections in patients at facilities in the United States and the Netherlands, according to the results of two randomized trials.Two Treatments Curbed Surgical Site InfectionsMARY ANN MOON10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70042-0Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XInfectious Diseases1111http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700432/abstract?rss=yesMore than half of the adults hospitalized in the early days of the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in New York City were obese, and 92% of the obese patients had underlying medical conditions, according a recent review.Comorbidity, Obesity Linked to H1N1 Influenza HospitalizationsHeidi Splete10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70043-2Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XInfectious Diseases1111http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700444/abstract?rss=yesSAN DIEGO — The cost-effectiveness of obtaining initial blood cultures in the emergency department in all pneumonia patients before giving the first dose of antibiotics has been called into question.ED Blood Cultures May Not Help in PneumoniaBRUCE JANCIN10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70044-4Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XPulmonary Medicine1414http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700456/abstract?rss=yesSAN DIEGO — The use of doripenem as initial therapy in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia shortened the duration of mechanical ventilation and hospital length of stay, according to a pooled analysis of the two randomized trials that compared the drug with imipenem or piperacillin/tazobactam.Doripenem Eases Ventilator-Related PneumoniaBRUCE JANCIN10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70045-6Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XPulmonary Medicine1515http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700468/abstract?rss=yesSAN DIEGO — Much has been made of late of rheumatoid arthritis patients' substantially reduced life expectancy because of cardiovascular disease. Far less widely known is that they also have increased in-hospital mortality following acute respiratory failure.In Respiratory Failure, RA May Boost MortalityBruce Jancin10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70046-8Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XPulmonary Medicine1515http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS187591221070047X/abstract?rss=yesSAN DIEGO — Two-thirds of patients placed on thromboprophylaxis after total hip or knee replacement surgery receive it for 2 weeks or less—and their venous thromboembolic event rate is markedly higher than in patients on prophylaxis for longer, according to a retrospective study of more than 3,000 patients.Extended VTE Prophylaxis Helpful After SurgeryBRUCE JANCIN10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70047-XHospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XPerioperative Medicine1616http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700481/abstract?rss=yesA training program modeled on airline industry initiatives can change behavior and cultivate a culture of safety in the operating room, based on data from a survey and follow-up study.Surgical Safety Training Program Can Foster Increased VigilanceRoxanna Guilford-Blake10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70048-1Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XPerioperative Medicine1616http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700493/abstract?rss=yesSAN DIEGO — Partial venous thromboembolic event prophylaxis in at-risk medical and surgical inpatients is associated with a mean 2-day greater hospital length of stay and $22,000 more per patient in total hospital charges than for recipients of best-practice appropriate prophylaxis, according to a large national study.Inadequate VTE Prophylaxis Makes Costs SoarBRUCE JANCIN10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70049-3Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XPerioperative Medicine1717http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS187591221070050X/abstract?rss=yesMedical evacuations of patients critically injured in Haiti's devastating earthquake to hospitals in the United States resumed on Feb. 1, following a 5-day interruption. The exact cause of the interruption appears to be under dispute. According to published reports, some sources said the issue involved how hospitals would be reimbursed for caring for these patients. Other sources cited a lack of capacity at hospitals in Florida, where most of the patients had been sent.U.S. Hospitals Resume Care for Injured HaitiansROBERT FINN10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70050-XHospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XPractice Trends1818http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700511/abstract?rss=yesU.S. hospitals have improved the care they provide for patients with myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia, according to a report issued last month by the Joint Commission.Joint Commission Reports More Gains on Quality MeasuresMARY ELLEN SCHNEIDER10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70051-1Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XPractice Trends1919http://www.ehospitalistnews.com/article/PIIS1875912210700523/abstract?rss=yesFor Dr. Karen Wilson, research holds the key to improving the care of hospitalized children. As an assistant professor of pediatric hospital medicine at the University of Rochester (N.Y.), Dr. Wilson has spent the last few years studying how secondhand smoke affects children, especially the high-risk children who end up hospitalized for respiratory illnesses.Exploring the Effects of Secondhand SmokeMARY ELLEN SCHNEIDER10.1016/S1875-9122(10)70052-3Hospitalist News 3, 2 (2010)2010-02-01Hospitalist News2010-02-0132S1875-9122(10)X7002-XLeaders: Karen Wilson, M.D.2121