Patient Safety & Quality
Meta-analysis: Acute Kidney Injury After Computed Tomography
21 Aug, 2017 | 01:41h | UTCAcute Kidney Injury After Computed Tomography: A Meta-analysis – Annals of Emergency Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: When kidneys are injured, CT contrast isn’t the culprit – Health Imaging (free)
Related article: Risk of Acute Kidney Injury After Intravenous Contrast Media Administration – Annals of Emergency Medicine (free)
Source: Hospital Medicine Virtual Journal Club
Compared with noncontrast CT, contrast-enhanced CT was not significantly associated with either acute kidney injury, need for renal replacement therapy, or all-cause mortality.
Too much medicine: Mapping the drivers of overdiagnosis to potential solutions
17 Aug, 2017 | 21:37h | UTCAnalysis – Too much medicine: Mapping the drivers of overdiagnosis to potential solutions – The BMJ (free)
Related: Overdiagnosis, ethics, and trolley problems: why factors other than outcomes matter – The BMJ (free) AND The overdiagnosis community targets solutions – The BMJ (free) AND Are expanding disease definitions unnecessarily labelling women with polycystic ovary syndrome? – The BMJ (free) AND When technology creates uncertainty: pulse oximetry and Overdiagnosis of hypoxaemia in bronchiolitis – The BMJ (free)
A National Implementation Project to Prevent Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection in Nursing Home Residents
17 Aug, 2017 | 15:57h | UTCA National Implementation Project to Prevent Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection in Nursing Home Residents – JAMA Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Study Shows 54 Percent Drop in CAUTIs Among Nursing Home Residents – Infection Control Today (free) AND AHRQ safety program helps cut catheter infections by more than 50% among nursing home patients, JAMA study shows – Healthcare Finance (free) AND Implementing technical and socioadaptive bundles may decrease catheter-associated urinary tract infections in nursing homes – 2 Minute Medicine (free) AND Nursing homes cut urinary tract infections in half through focused effort on catheter care – Michigan University, via EurekAlert (free)
Related: Toolkit for Reducing Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI) – Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (free resources)
An Automated, Pharmacist-Driven Initiative Improves Quality of Care for Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia
16 Aug, 2017 | 15:11h | UTCAn Automated, Pharmacist-Driven Initiative Improves Quality of Care for Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia – Clinical Infectious Diseases (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Automating antimicrobial stewardship – ACP Hospitalist (free) AND Automated intervention aids treatment of Staph aureus bacteremia – CIDRAP (free)
New, Revised Guidance Documents Cover 35 Radiology Topics
16 Aug, 2017 | 14:28h | UTCUpdated: Practice Parameters and Technical Standards – American College of Radiology (free)
News release: New, Revised Guidance Documents Cover 35 Radiology Topics – American College of Radiology, via NewsWise (free)
The American College of Radiology developed 3 new guidance documents and revised 32 others to advance the science of radiology and improve the quality of service to patients
FDA Safety Alert: Liquid-filled Intragastric Balloon Systems
16 Aug, 2017 | 13:46h | UTCFDA Safety Alert: Liquid-filled Intragastric Balloon Systems: Letter to Healthcare Providers – Potential Risks (free)
Commentaries: Five People Die After Using Weight Loss Balloons for Obesity – Time (free) AND FDA Warns of Gastric Balloon Deaths – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Five Deaths Tied to Intragastric Balloons, FDA Says – Medscape (free registration required)
Association of Previous Cesarean Delivery With Surgical Complications After a Hysterectomy Later in Life
15 Aug, 2017 | 20:31h | UTCCommentaries: C-Section Delivery Associated with Increased Risk of Complications from Hysterectomy – The JAMA Network (free) AND C-Section Now, Hysterectomy Complications Later? – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Delayed breastfeeding initiation and infant survival
14 Aug, 2017 | 15:23h | UTCThis systematic review and meta-analysis mostly of observational studies suggests early breastfeeding initiation is associated with increased survival. The authors acknowledge that there are many reasons for delayed breastfeeding initiation that may confound the relationship between breastfeeding initiation and mortality, but remember that randomized trials would not be considered ethical, so we must rely on high quality observational data. Based on their analysis, the authors suggest the implementation of programs that emphasize the importance of early initiation of breastfeeding, in addition to promoting exclusive breastfeeding.
Free Online Course: Leading Healthcare Quality and Safety
14 Aug, 2017 | 00:14h | UTCStarts Today! Free Online Course: Leading Healthcare Quality and Safety – The George Washington University and Coursera
Use of Alternative Medicine for Cancer and Its Impact on Survival
13 Aug, 2017 | 21:58h | UTCUse of Alternative Medicine for Cancer and Its Impact on Survival – Journal of the National Cancer Institute (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Use of alternative medicine hastens death of cancer patients – Edzard Ernst (free) AND Cancer Survival Takes a Hit with Alternative Medicine – MedPage Today (free) AND Using Alternative Medicine Only for Cancer Linked to Lower Survival Rate – Yale Cancer Center, via NewsWise (free) AND ‘Alternative Medicine’ for Cancer Ups Death Risk – Medscape (free registration required)
What do hypnotics cost hospitals and healthcare?
10 Aug, 2017 | 17:16h | UTCWhat do hypnotics cost hospitals and healthcare? – F1000 Research (free)
Source: Hospital Medicine Virtual Journal Club
“A best estimate is that U.S. costs of hypnotic harms to healthcare systems are on the order of $55 billion, but conceivably might be as low as $10 billion or as high as $100 billion”.
Alternatives to hospital admission for people aged over 65 years
9 Aug, 2017 | 17:58h | UTCA systematic review to identify and assess the effectiveness of alternatives for people over the age of 65 who are at risk of potentially avoidable hospital admission – BMJ Open (free) (RT @NIHR_DC)
Alternatives to hospital admission for people aged over 65 years can be safe and reduce costs across a range of acute and chronic conditions.
Too Many Meds?
5 Aug, 2017 | 20:02h | UTCToo Many Meds? America’s Love Affair With Prescription Medication – Consumer Reports (free)
See more on “Deprescribing” in our May 8th issue (see #7), May 9th issue (see #4) and May 15th issue (see #2), and also a related article on Current and future perspectives on the management of polypharmacy
“Yes. Way Too Many Meds. Think De-prescribe”. (RT @EricTopol see Tweet)
Design Thinking for Doctors and Nurses
5 Aug, 2017 | 14:52h | UTCDesign Thinking for Doctors and Nurses – New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Discover and defeat your diagnostic errors
3 Aug, 2017 | 20:33h | UTCDiscover and defeat your diagnostic errors – ACP Internist (free) (RT @acpinternist see Tweet)
“Experts explain the causes and solutions for common mistakes in diagnosis”.
Oral fluoroquinolones and risk of secondary pseudotumor cerebri syndrome
3 Aug, 2017 | 20:21h | UTCOral fluoroquinolones and risk of secondary pseudotumor cerebri syndrome – Neurology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Fluoroquinolones May Up Risk of PTCS, a Rare But Serious Condition – MPR (free) (RT @AmeshAA see Tweet)
New Issue: Iatrogenesis in Pediatrics – AMA Journal of Ethics
3 Aug, 2017 | 19:17h | UTCIatrogenesis in Pediatrics – AMA Journal of Ethics (free) (RT @JournalofEthics)
New issue with series of articles exploring strategies clinicians need to know to respond to adverse outcomes.
Medication errors in anesthesia: unacceptable or unavoidable?
3 Aug, 2017 | 13:25h | UTCReview: Medication errors in anesthesia: unacceptable or unavoidable? – Brazilian Journal of Anesthesiology (free)
Surgical Informed Consent Process in Neurosurgery
28 Jul, 2017 | 15:37h | UTCReview: Surgical Informed Consent Process in Neurosurgery – Journal of Korean Neurosurgical society (free)
Sharing Knowledge for Health Care
25 Jul, 2017 | 00:49h | UTCViewpoint: Sharing Knowledge for Health Care – JAMA Internal Medicine (free)
Related: Editorial: Sharing Medicine – A JAMA Internal Medicine Series (free) AND
Other “Sharing Medicine” articles: Sharing as the Future of Medicine – JAMA Internal Medicine (free) AND Shared Decision Making: The Importance of Diagnosing Preferences – JAMA Internal Medicine (free)
Witch Metrics in Hospital Quality Should Patients Pay Attention To?
25 Jul, 2017 | 00:45h | UTCWitch Metrics in Hospital Quality Should Patients Pay Attention To? – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Risk Factors for Emergency Department Visits After Hysterectomy for Benign Disease
25 Jul, 2017 | 00:29h | UTCCommentaries: Emergency Visits Common After Hysterectomy, Study Finds – Medscape (free registration required) AND ~10 Percent Present to ER After Hysterectomy for Benign Disease – Physician’s Briefing (free)
“Risk factors include younger age, higher parity, Medicare or self-pay insurance, postoperative pain” (from Physician’s Briefing)
Prescription Smoking Cessation Medications After Myocardial Infarction Underused
25 Jul, 2017 | 00:26h | UTCUse of Prescription Smoking Cessation Medications After Myocardial Infarction Among Older Patients in Community Practice – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Stop-Smoking Meds Underused in Post-MI Setting – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Heart attack patients don’t adhere to smoking cessation prescriptions – Cardiovascular Business (free) AND Heart attack patients missing out on smoking cessation drugs – Reuters Health (free)
Reducing Smoking Rates for Patients Facing Surgery
25 Jul, 2017 | 00:35h | UTC2017 ACS Quality and Safety Conference: “Strong for Surgery” Shows Promise in Reducing Smoking Rates for Patients Facing Surgery – American College of Surgeons, via NewsWise (free)
“Study suggests big drop in smoking rates when surgeons help patients quit before their operations”.
Enhanced recovery pathway for colorectal surgical patients improves outcomes, reduces cost
25 Jul, 2017 | 00:10h | UTCAmerican College of Surgeons (ACS) 2017 Quality and Patient Safety Conference: Enhanced recovery pathway for colorectal surgical patients improves outcomes, reduces cost – ACS, via EurekAlert (free)
Related guideline: Clinical Practice Guidelines for Enhanced Recovery After Colon and Rectal Surgery From the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (free)
See other Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Guidelines and Reviews in our collection and in the ERAS Society Website.
“Successful protocol shortens hospital stays, reduces patients’ risk of complications, and cuts costs up to $11,000 per procedure”