Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Critical Care for December 2016. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Critical Illness Events Linked to Worse Outcomes on Same Ward
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A critical illness event is associated with an increased risk of cardiac arrest or intensive care unit (ICU) transfer for patients on the same ward, according to a research letter published in the Dec. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Personal Health Care Spending Continues to Soar in the U.S.
TUESDAY, Dec. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — From 1996 to 2013 there were considerable increases in personal health care spending in the United States, with the highest amounts for diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and low back and neck pain, according to a study published in the Dec. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Induced Hypothermia Futile in Convulsive Status Epilepticus
FRIDAY, Dec. 23, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For critically ill patients with convulsive status epilepticus, hypothermia added to standard care is not associated with a significant improvement in good functional outcome at 90 days, according to a study published in the Dec. 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Structured Rounding Tools Aid Multidisciplinary Rounds
FRIDAY, Dec. 23, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The use of structured rounding tools improves time allocation per patient and communication breakdowns during hand-offs in multidisciplinary rounds, according to a study published recently in JMIR Human Factors.
24/7 Intensivist in Pediatric ICU Improves Patient Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Having a 24/7 intensivist in pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) is associated with improved patient outcomes, according to a study published in the Dec. 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Therapeutic Hypothermia Benefits Adults With TBI
TUESDAY, Dec. 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For adults, but not children, with traumatic brain injuries, therapeutic hypothermia is beneficial, according to a meta-analysis published online Dec. 9 in Critical Care Medicine.
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Health Care Provider Burnout Negatively Affects Quality, Safety
TUESDAY, Dec. 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Health care provider burnout is negatively associated with quality and safety of health care, according to a meta-analysis published recently in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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No Link for Transfused Red Blood Cell Storage, Mortality
MONDAY, Dec. 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients who received transfusions in Sweden and Denmark from 2003 to 2012, there was no correlation between the length of red blood cell (RBC) storage and mortality, according to a study published online Dec. 20 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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DEA Announces Critical Changes in Registration Renewal Process
MONDAY, Dec. 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced critical changes in its registration renewal process, according to a report published by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Opioid-Related Hospitalizations Up Sharply in the United States
FRIDAY, Dec. 16, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Hospital admissions related to overdoses from heroin and other opioids rose 64 percent in the United States between 2005 and 2014, according to a report from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Screening, Treatment of ROP Varies Across NICUs
THURSDAY, Dec. 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Variation exists across neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) regarding implementation of screening and treatment of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), according to research published online Dec. 14 in Pediatrics.
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Communication Facilitator in ICU Economically Feasible
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Staffing the intensive care unit (ICU) with a communication facilitator is economically feasible, according to research published in the December issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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Anesthesiologist Reaction Time Increased After Night Call
MONDAY, Dec. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For anesthesiologists, reaction time increases after a night call, with greater increases seen in correlation with reliance on avoidance as a coping mechanism, according to a study published online Nov. 30 in Pediatric Anesthesia.
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Fecal Microbiota Transplant Cost-Effective for Preventing CDI
MONDAY, Dec. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Use of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is cost-effective for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Drones Deemed Safe for Blood Transportation
MONDAY, Dec. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Blood products don’t seem to suffer damage when transported by drones, according to a study published online Nov. 11 in Transfusion.
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Suicide Risk Up for Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome
THURSDAY, Dec. 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) may face a higher-than-normal risk of suicide, according to a study published online Dec. 7 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Timely Epinephrine Increases Cardiac Arrest Survival
THURSDAY, Dec. 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Cardiac arrest patients who receive epinephrine within five minutes are more likely to survive than those who don’t receive the drug within that time frame, according to findings published online Dec. 1 in Circulation.
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Sleep Duration, Efficiency Linked to Inpatient Hyperglycemia
THURSDAY, Dec. 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For hospitalized patients, additional sleep and increased sleep efficiency correlate with lower odds of hyperglycemia and impaired fasting glucose, according to research published online Nov. 30 in Diabetes Care.
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Prevalence of Disability 2.7 Percent at U.S. Medical Schools
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of disability is 2.7 percent among medical students at U.S. allopathic medical schools, according to a research letter published in the Dec. 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue of medical education.
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Learning Interventions Can Improve Med Student Well-Being
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Specific learning interventions may improve emotional well-being among medical students, according to a review published in the Dec. 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on medical education.
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Patient Mortality Up With End-of-Rotation Team Transition
TUESDAY, Dec. 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Hospitalized patients who are handed off by their original medical team to a new set of caregivers may ultimately face a higher risk of early mortality, according to research published in the Dec. 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on medical education.
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Depression, Suicide Ideation Prevalent in Medical Students
TUESDAY, Dec. 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The prevalences of depression or depressive symptoms and suicide ideation are 27.2 and 11.1 percent, respectively, among medical students, according to a review published in the Dec. 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on medical education.
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Post-Op Readmission Linked to Delays in Functional Recovery
TUESDAY, Dec. 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For older adults, readmission after elective surgery is associated with delays in functional recovery, according to a study published online Nov. 29 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Many With Postconcussion Syndrome Don’t Recover
MONDAY, Dec. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A minority of patients with postconcussion syndrome (PCS) recover, with two-thirds of those who recover doing so within one year, according to a study published online Nov. 29 in the Journal of Neurotrauma.
Strategies ID’d for Integration of Nurse Practitioners Into ICUs
MONDAY, Dec. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Key strategies for successful integration of nurse practitioners into intensive care units (ICUs) include defining their role and providing orientation options, as well as support and training, according to an article published in the December issue of Critical Care Nurse.
Dabigatran May Be Better Than Warfarin After Bleeding Episode
FRIDAY, Dec. 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Dabigatran is less likely than warfarin to cause recurrent bleeding in atrial fibrillation patients who have experienced a major bleeding event, according to a study published online Dec. 1 in Stroke.
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Acute, Noncardiac Mortality Risk Up for CA Patients With STEMI
FRIDAY, Dec. 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Cancer survivors with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have increased acute in-hospital and long-term noncardiac mortality risk but no increased acute or long-term cardiac mortality risk with guideline-recommended cardiac care, according to a study published in the December issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
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CDC: Fewer U.S. Families Struggling to Pay Medical Bills
THURSDAY, Dec. 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The number of people in families having problems paying medical bills fell by nearly 13 million from 2011 through the first six months of 2016, according to a report published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
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