Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Critical Care for June 2015. 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.
Three Issues to Consider Before Selecting EHR
TUESDAY, June 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Work flow, features and functionality, and technical infrastructure should all be considered in advance of selecting an electronic heath record (EHR) system, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
AHA/ASA: Guidelines Support Endovascular Tx in Stroke
TUESDAY, June 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Endovascular treatment should be used to treat certain stroke victims, according to new guidelines issued by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. The guidelines were published online June 29 in Stroke.
AMA Discusses Pre-Retirement Evaluation for Aging Doctors
MONDAY, June 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Issues relating to physician retirement and evaluation of aging physicians before retirement are discussed in a Council on Medical Education report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
H3N2 Mutation to Blame for Low Efficacy of 2014-15 Flu Vaccine
MONDAY, June 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A mutation in the H3N2 virus led to a mismatch between it and the H3N2 strain used to create the 2014-2015 vaccine, according to research published June 25 in Cell Reports.
Statin Use Linked to Improved Post-Surgical Outcomes
MONDAY, June 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Statin use might help reduce major complications after lung surgery, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
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New Rapid Ebola Test Shows Promise in African Clinics
FRIDAY, June 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A new rapid-detection test that diagnoses Ebola within minutes could improve treatment of the virus and help health care workers contain outbreaks, according to research published online June 25 in The Lancet.
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SCOTUS Upholds Subsidies for Affordable Care Act
FRIDAY, June 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Supreme Court upheld on Thursday the legality of tax subsidies for millions of Americans who signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
Steroid Avoidance May Not Help Reduce Posttransplant Diabetes
FRIDAY, June 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For kidney transplant recipients, steroid avoidance has limited impact for reducing new-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT), according to a study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Transplantation.
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Atraumatic Needles Prevent Postdural Puncture Headache
THURSDAY, June 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Atraumatic needles appear to be effective for preventing postdural puncture headache (PDPH), according to a study published in the July 1 issue of The Spine Journal.
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Global Public Awareness of Venous Thromboembolism Is Low
THURSDAY, June 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Global public awareness about thrombosis, venous thromboembolism in particular, is low, according to a study published online June 18 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
Cellulitis Often Misdiagnosed in Inpatient Setting
WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Cellulitis is frequently misdiagnosed in the inpatient setting, according to research published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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CDC: Costly Epidemic of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in AZ
TUESDAY, June 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An epidemic of Rocky Mountain spotted fever among several American Indian tribes on two reservations in Arizona has led to more than $13.2 million in societal costs in nine years, according to research published online June 1 in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Medical Identity Theft Incidents Increasing
MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medical identity theft is on the rise, costly to consumers, and challenging to resolve, according to the fifth annual report published by the Ponemon Institute.
Extreme Exercising Without Training May Trigger Sepsis
MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Extreme exercise may trigger sepsis in people who haven’t trained properly, new research suggests. The findings were published recently in two journals. One study was in the International Journal of Sports Medicine. The other was in the Exercise Immunology Review.
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Caution in Social Media Age: Self-Promotion Can Backfire
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In a series of experiments, researchers found that people who self-promote often offend others. The study was published in the June issue of Psychological Science.
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FDA Cracks Down on Online Sale of Illegal Medical Products
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with international partners, moved this week against more than 1,050 websites that sell potentially dangerous counterfeit medicines and medical devices, the agency said Thursday.
Hundreds Arrested Nationwide for Medicare/Medicaid Fraud
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Hundreds of people have been charged after health care fraud sweeps were made across the United States, the federal government said Thursday.
Health Highlights: June 19, 2015
Readmitted Surgery Patients Fare Better at Same Hospital
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Surgery patients who suffer complications after discharge from a hospital are more likely to die if they’re readmitted to a different hospital than where they had their original operation, according to a new study published online June 17 in The Lancet.
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Virtual Credit Card Fees Amount to 3 to 5 Percent of Payments
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Payment with virtual credit cards (VCCs) is associated with considerable fees, although physicians are often unaware of these charges, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
Risk Score IDs One-Year Mortality in Elderly With NSTE-ACS
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A risk score involving five covariates can predict one-year mortality risk in patients ≥75 years presenting with non-ST-segment elevation (NSTE) acute coronary syndromes (ACS), according to a study published in the July 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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Community-Acquired Pneumonia Confers Long-Term Risk
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is associated with increased risk of long-term adverse events, according to a study published online June 11 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Fluoroquinolone Preventive Therapy Deemed Beneficial in TB
WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Fluoroquinolone therapy for contacts of individuals with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is associated with cost savings and reduced incidence of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, according to a study published online April 27 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Direct Messaging Not Yet Widely Adopted by Physicians
TUESDAY, June 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Direct secure messaging (Direct), which is a standardized protocol for exchanging clinical messages and attachments, has not been widely adopted by physicians, despite its potential for improving care coordination, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Review Examines Inappropriate Prescribing of IV Fluids
TUESDAY, June 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Inappropriate prescribing of intravenous (IV) fluids most often involves incorrect volumes and types of IV fluids prescribed, according to a review published online June 11 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
Article Weighs Paying Off Student Loans Versus Investment
MONDAY, June 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Newly-minted physicians should consider the issues relating to paying off their loans versus investing for retirement, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Use of Novel Oral Anticoagulants Increasing in A-Fib
MONDAY, June 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with atrial fibrillation hospitalized with stroke or transient ischemic attack, use of novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) has increased over time, according to a study published online June 9 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
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Macrolide Resistance Doesn’t Impact Pneumonia Outcomes
FRIDAY, June 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients hospitalized with macrolide-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia are not more severely ill and do not have worse outcomes, according to a study published in the June 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Aerobic Fitness Measures Predict Post-AAA Complications
FRIDAY, June 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Cardiopulmonary exercise testing variables can predict postoperative complications after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, according to a study published in the June issue of Anaesthesia.
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Some Graduating Seniors Not Matching to Residency Positions
THURSDAY, June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — More than 250 of this year’s graduating seniors from U.S. medical schools did not match to a residency position, according to the American Medical Association.
Proton Pump Inhibitors Linked to Increased Risk of MI
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For U.S. adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) is slightly elevated among those using proton pump inhibitors, according to a review published online June 10 in PLOS ONE.
Geographic Location Most Important for Residents
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For residents, the most important element in a future practice is geographic location, with lifestyle, adequate call hours and personal time, and a good financial package also cited as being important, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
Report Offers Guidance on Medical Ethics Education
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An analysis of the current state of medical ethics education in the United States has been published in the June issue of Academic Medicine. The article, the Romanell Report, also offers guidance to assist medial ethics educators in meeting expectations.
Extra Time During MCAT Linked to Less Success in Med School
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medical school applicants with Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores obtained with extra test administration time have lower rates of success in medical schools, according to a study published in the June 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Spinal Cord Injuries Up Among the Elderly in U.S.
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — While the overall rate of traumatic spinal cord injuries was stable from 1993 to 2012, an increasing number of older Americans have experienced this injury, according to research published in the June 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Analysis Targets U.S. Hospitals With Highest Markups
TUESDAY, June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The 50 U.S. hospitals with the highest charge-to-cost ratio have markups approximately 10 times the Medicare-allowable costs, and most of these hospitals are for profit, according to a study published in the June issue of Health Affairs.
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AMA Offers Guidance for Physician-Hospital Relationships
MONDAY, June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — New guidelines can enable successful physician hospital relationships and integrated leadership, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Scoring System Helps Predict Post-Hospital Mortality
MONDAY, June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A fairly simple scoring system appears to accurately estimate patients’ risk of dying within a year of hospitalization, according to research results reported online June 8 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Utility Score Can Help Predict Mortality in ICU Patients
FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A utility score can help predict poor outcome and survival among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), according to a study published online May 26 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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Statin + Ezetimibe May Benefit After Acute Coronary Syndrome
THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In treatment following acute coronary syndrome, ezetimibe added to statin therapy appears beneficial, according to a study published online June 3 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Formed
THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Nine states have enacted the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact law, with the seventh state’s enactment triggering formation of a commission to administer a process for physicians seeking licensure in multiple states, according to a report published by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Morbidity, Mortality Up for Patients With Delirium in ICU
THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Intensive care unit patients who develop delirium have a higher mortality risk, longer hospital stays, and are more likely to have cognitive impairment after hospital discharge, according to a review published online June 3 in The BMJ.
CMS: Hospital Charges for Common Procedures Up
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The prices hospitals charge patients for a number of common procedures rose more than 10 percent between 2011 and 2013, more than twice the rate of inflation, according to data released by the federal government Monday.
TBI Linked to Parkinson’s Risk in Patients Aged ≥55 Years
TUESDAY, June 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients aged 55 years and older presenting to an inpatient/emergency department setting with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD), according to a study published in the June issue of the Annals of Neurology.
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U.S. Organ Donation System Needs ‘Disruptive Innovation’
TUESDAY, June 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many state policies meant to increase organ donations and transplant rates have had almost no impact, according to new research published online June 1 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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