March 6, 2024
Take a bite out of HAP
Brushing teeth reduces hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) risk, and changes are needed to make this simple practice happen more regularly in the hospital.
First medication for severe frostbite approved
The FDA also warned about smartwatches claiming to measure blood sugar without piercing the skin, among other recent actions.
Early treatment with spironolactone not effective for new-onset acute HF
Patients with acute heart failure (HF) who received spironolactone at discharge did not have a lower risk for HF readmission or mortality over the next year but were at higher risk for hyperkalemia, a retrospective cohort study in U.S. hospitals found.
Designated trauma center hospitals charge more for nontrauma care
Trauma center hospitals charged around 4% more for nontrauma-related inpatient admissions and between 3% and 5% more for nontrauma ED visits compared with hospitals not designated as trauma centers.
Study finds ECMO patient selection inconsistent, offers lessons for decision makers
Reviewing records of 81 patients considered for venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at a single center, researchers identified a total of 15 contraindications. All but four contraindications that were invoked to decline one patient were present in a patient determined to be a candidate for ECMO.
American Heart Association issues scientific statement on cardiogenic shock in older adults
The statement provides suggestions for clinical practice, highlighting the crucial role of individualized risk assessment, an interdisciplinary approach, and patient-centered decision making in the management of cardiogenic shock among older adults.