Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Critical Care for June 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.
End-of-Life Decision-Making Video Aids Heart Failure Patients
THURSDAY, June 30, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Watching a video about end-of-life care options may help patients with advanced heart failure choose the approach best for them, according to a study published online June 29 in Circulation.
Electronic Record Demands Are Overwhelming Many Physicians
WEDNESDAY, June 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Physicians using electronic practice tools report higher rates of burnout and increased frustration with the amount of computerized paperwork, according to research published online June 27 in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
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Too Many Elderly, Terminal Patients Getting Unnecessary Tx
TUESDAY, June 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients dying in old age often receive unnecessary end-of-life medical treatments in hospitals, according to research published online June 27 in the International Journal for Quality in Health Care.
End-of-Life Care Received Varies Based on Type of Disease
TUESDAY, June 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Family-reported quality of end-of-life care is significantly better for patients with cancer or dementia than for patients with other chronic conditions, according to research published online June 26 in JAMA Internal Medicine to coincide with presentation at AcademyHealth’s Annual Research Meeting, held from June 26 to 28 in Boston.
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Guidance Updated for Sedation of Pediatric Patients
TUESDAY, June 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Guidelines have been updated for monitoring and management of pediatric patients before, during, and after sedation, according to a clinical report published online June 27 in Pediatrics.
Patients Face High Hospital Bills Despite Having Insurance
MONDAY, June 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Costs of hospitalization for privately insured adults rose more than 37 percent over five years, with patients paying more than $1,000 on average by 2013, according to research published online June 27 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Catheter Reduction Programs Do Reduce Use of Catheters
MONDAY, June 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Catheter reduction programs are associated with a reduction in the number of catheter days per 100 patient-days, according to a research letter published online June 17 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
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Diabetes Increases Mortality Risk After Acute Myocardial Infarction
FRIDAY, June 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients with diabetes are much more likely to die after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) than patients without diabetes, according to a study published online June 15 in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
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2017 Will Bring Premium Rate Increases Under ACA
FRIDAY, June 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act will rise in 2017, analysts and insurance brokers say.
Digital Technology Holds Potential in Emergency CVD Care
THURSDAY, June 23, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Smartphones, apps, and other digital technology could speed emergency care to patients experiencing an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, or cardiac arrest, according to a new report issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) and published online June 22 in Circulation.
CDC: FluMist Nasal Flu Vaccine Should Not Be Used 2016-2017
THURSDAY, June 23, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The nasal spray form of the influenza vaccine should not be used next flu season, according to an announcement late Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Panel on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
Risk of Cardiovascular Events Up in Black Patients With A-Fib
WEDNESDAY, June 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Black Americans with atrial fibrillation are at higher risk than whites for serious cardiovascular complications and death, according to a study published online June 22 in JAMA Cardiology.
Statins Could Reduce Risk of Infection in Stroke Patients
WEDNESDAY, June 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Statins could significantly reduce the risk of infection in stroke patients, according to a study published online June 9 in the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases.
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Persistent High Spending Common in Year Before Death
TUESDAY, June 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Almost half of older Medicare beneficiaries have high persistent spending throughout the full year before death, according to a study published in the June issue of Health Affairs.
TAVI Can Be Performed Without ICU Admission
MONDAY, June 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) can be performed in low-risk patients without admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), according to a study published in the July 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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Reset Room Can Help Address Physician Burnout
MONDAY, June 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The creation of a reset room is one of several solutions that can help physicians and medical providers address burnout, according to a report published by the American Medical Association.
Strategy Needed to Address Impending Physician Shortage
FRIDAY, June 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Steps should be taken to combat the impending physician shortage of between 61,700 and 94,700 doctors that the United States is expected to face over the next decade, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
CDC: New Test May Help Screen Blood Donations for Zika
FRIDAY, June 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The Zika virus is spreading through Puerto Rico, placing hundreds of pregnant women at risk for delivering babies with microcephaly, and blood centers in Puerto Rico have begun testing donations for Zika, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
Intervention Combination Can Cut Pediatric Hypoglycemic Events
FRIDAY, June 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A multi-interventional approach can reduce preventable hypoglycemic events in hospitalized pediatric patients receiving insulin, according to a study published online June 17 in Pediatrics.
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Recombinant tPA Safe for Patients With Wake-Up Stroke
FRIDAY, June 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with wake-up stroke (WUS), treatment with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) seems safe, according to a study published online June 6 in the Annals of Neurology.
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Potential Impact of Single-Payer Health Care Discussed
THURSDAY, June 16, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is promoting his version of single-payer health care, although the actual impact of such a system is unclear, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Unplanned Readmission for ~8 Percent of Surgical Discharges
THURSDAY, June 16, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Unplanned readmissions occur in about 8 percent of patients discharged from the general surgical service, according to a study published online June 15 in JAMA Surgery.
Prices for Care Rise Significantly As Multi-Hospital Systems Emerge
THURSDAY, June 16, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Hospital prices in California increased substantially from 2004 to 2013, with a larger increase in hospitals that are members of multi-hospital systems, according to a study published online June 9 in Inquiry.
ERs Seeing More Severe Wounds From Gun Violence
WEDNESDAY, June 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Injuries from gun violence may be increasing in severity in emergency departments across the United States, according to a research letter published in the June 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Risk of S. aureus Bacteremia Up in Patients on Glucocorticoids
FRIDAY, June 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients taking systemic glucocorticoids are at higher risk for community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (CA-SAB), according to research published online June 8 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
California’s Right-to-Die Law Now in Effect
THURSDAY, June 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — California on Thursday becomes the fifth and largest state in the country to allow terminally ill patients to end their own lives.
Change in Physician Call System May Up Readmission Rates
THURSDAY, June 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Change in physician call systems may increase hospital readmission rates, according to a study published recently in The American Journal of Medicine.
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Women With A-Fib Less Likely to Receive Oral Anticoagulants
THURSDAY, June 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Among patients with atrial fibrillation, women are less likely than men to receive oral anticoagulant therapy, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Clonidine Has Antipyretic Effect in ICU Patients
WEDNESDAY, June 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For mechanically ventilated intensive care unit (ICU) patients, clonidine in addition to commonly used sedative agents has an antipyretic effect, according to a study published online June 6 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
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Ventricular Ectopic QRS Interval May Be Useful Post-MI Marker
MONDAY, June 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The ventricular ectopic QRS interval (VEQSI) can identify post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients with prior serious ventricular arrhythmia, according to a study published online June 1 in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.
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Contraindication to Antiplatelet Rx for ~18 Percent With PCI
FRIDAY, June 3, 2016 (HealthDay News) — About 18 percent of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have a contraindication to commonly used antiplatelet medications, according to a study published online May 31 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
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Post-CABG Infection Risk Up Significantly for Severely Obese
FRIDAY, June 3, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Severely obese patients may have a higher risk of certain complications after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery than normal-weight patients, according to a study published online June 1 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
New Program May Help Cut UTIs Associated With Catheter Use
THURSDAY, June 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A new program may help reduce both urinary catheter use and its associated infections, according to research findings published in the June 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Patients Like to See Physicians Wearing White Coats
THURSDAY, June 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Most patients prefer that physicians wear white coats, according to research published online June 1 in JAMA Dermatology.
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Public Reporting Doesn’t Improve Mortality Rates
WEDNESDAY, June 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Among Medicare patients, public reporting of mortality rates was associated with a slowing in the ongoing decrease in mortality rates, according to a study published online May 31 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Vigilance Urged for Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia
WEDNESDAY, June 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Diagnosis and management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) are discussed in a review published in the May 31 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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