Patient Safety & Quality
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”
Fluoroquinolone restriction to control fluoroquinolone-resistant Clostridium difficile
24 Jul, 2017 | 01:01h | UTCInvited Commentary: Fluoroquinolone restriction to control fluoroquinolone-resistant Clostridium difficile (free)
“Very important finding! Restricting fluoroquinolones more important than infection control measures to prevent CDI” (RT @sanjaysaint see Tweet)
Cardiovascular implantable electronic devices: a review of the dangers and difficulties in MR scanning and attempts to improve safety
23 Jul, 2017 | 16:22h | UTCSee article’s Algorithms and Protocols (free)
Commentary: Radiologists develop algorithm, contingency plan for MRI in pacemakers patients – Cardiovascular Business (free)
The Evolving Story of Overlapping Surgery
23 Jul, 2017 | 14:09h | UTCViewpoint: The Evolving Story of Overlapping Surgery – JAMA (free) (RT @pash22 see Tweet)
Commentary: 3 steps to restore patient trust in overlapping surgeries – FierceHealthcare (free)
This interesting viewpoint discusses the practice of scheduling overlapping surgeries, in which a qualified practitioner finishes noncritical parts of the first operation while the primary surgeon moves to the next surgery.
Effectiveness of Pharmacist Intervention to Reduce Medication Errors and Health-Care Resources Utilization After Transitions of Care
22 Jul, 2017 | 20:16h | UTCEffectiveness of Pharmacist Intervention to Reduce Medication Errors and Health-Care Resources Utilization After Transitions of Care: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials – Journal of Patient Safety (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Source: Hospital Medicine Virtual Journal Club (free resource to find articles of interest)
Pharmacist transition of care intervention seems to be an effective strategy to reduce medication errors after hospital discharge and to reduce subsequent emergency room visits.
Poor-Quality Medicine: A Global Pandemic
22 Jul, 2017 | 17:24h | UTCPoor-Quality Medicine: A Global Pandemic – Devex (free)
“Each year, the proliferation of substandard and falsified medicines puts the lives of millions of people – particularly those living in developing countries – at risk”
Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Major Orthopedic Surgery: Systematic Review Update
22 Jul, 2017 | 14:08h | UTCVenous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Major Orthopedic Surgery: Systematic Review Update. Comparative Effectiveness Review – Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (free report and summary)
See also: Executive summary (free PDF)
Source: ACP Journal Wise ($ resource to find articles of interest)
Comprehensive review on the evidence regarding thromboembolism prophylaxis in major orthopedic surgery.
Laminar airflow in surgery might not reduce surgical site infections
21 Jul, 2017 | 18:18h | UTCLaminar airflow in surgery might not reduce surgical site infections – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Effect of laminar airflow ventilation on surgical site infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis – The Lancet Infectious Diseases (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
The Aging Physician and the Medical Profession: A Review
21 Jul, 2017 | 00:25h | UTCThe Aging Physician and the Medical Profession: A Review – JAMA Sugery (free) (RT @EricTopol see Tweet)
Use of antibiotics during pregnancy and the risk of major congenital malformations
21 Jul, 2017 | 00:22h | UTCUse of antibiotics during pregnancy and the risk of major congenital malformations: A population based cohort study – British Journal of Pharmacology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: New study finds link between certain antibiotics during pregnancy and risk for birth defects – News Medical (free)
Related article: Use of antibiotics during pregnancy and risk of spontaneous abortion – Canadian Medical Association Journal (free)
In this large cohort clindamycin, doxycycline, quinolones, macrolides, and phenoxymethylpenicillin were associated with congenital malformations. Amoxicillin, cephalosporins, and nitrofurantoin were not associated with birth defects.
Comprehensive geriatric assessment and optimization in vascular surgery
20 Jul, 2017 | 00:02h | UTCRandomized clinical trial of comprehensive geriatric assessment and optimization in vascular surgery – British Journal of Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Source: ACP Journal Club ($ resource to find articles of interest)
In this RCT, a comprehensive preoperative geriatric assessment and optimization before vascular surgery was associated with shorter length of hospital stay, lower incidence of complications, and patients were less likely to be discharged to a higher level of dependency.
Predicting all-cause risk of 30-day hospital readmission using artificial neural networks
18 Jul, 2017 | 23:01h | UTCPredicting all-cause risk of 30-day hospital readmission using artificial neural networks – PLOS One (free)
Source: Hospital Medicine Virtual Journal Club (free resource to find articles of interest)
Physicians need to openly discuss medical mistakes and near misses
16 Jul, 2017 | 23:48h | UTCOpinion: Physicians need to openly discuss medical mistakes and near misses – STAT News (free)
Threats to Information Security: Public Health Implications
16 Jul, 2017 | 13:58h | UTCPerspectives: Threats to Information Security: Public Health Implications – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
See related articles on Cybersecurity and Health in our June 8th issue (see #5)
Clinical Practice Guidelines for Enhanced Recovery After Colon and Rectal Surgery
16 Jul, 2017 | 12:41h | UTCSee other Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Guidelines and Reviews in our collection and in the ERAS Society Website.