Journal of hospital medicine : an official publication of the Society of Hospital Medicine
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Review Case Reports
Antibiotic considerations in the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens: a case-based review.
The recent rise in antimicrobial resistance among health-care associated pathogens is a growing public health concern. According to the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System, rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in intensive care units have nearly doubled over the last decade. ⋯ As a consequence, hospitalists may find themselves utilizing new antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial infections. This case-based review will highlight 8 antibiotics that have emerging clinical indications in treating these multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens.
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Comparative Study
Diagnostic accuracy of hospitalist-performed hand-carried ultrasound echocardiography after a brief training program.
The duration of training needed for hospitalists to accurately perform hand-carried ultrasound echocardiography (HCUE) is uncertain. ⋯ The diagnostic accuracy of HCUE performed by hospitalists after a brief training program was moderate to excellent for 6 important cardiac abnormalities.
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The approach to clinical conundrums by an expert clinician is revealed through presentation of an actual patient's case in an approach typical of morning report. Similar to patient care, sequential pieces of information are provided to the clinician who is unfamiliar with the case. The focus is on the thought processes of both the clinical team caring for the patient and the discussant.
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The American College of Physicians, Society of Hospital Medicine, and Society of General Internal Medicine convened a multi-stakeholder consensus conference in July 2007 to address the quality gaps in the transitions between inpatient and outpatient settings and to develop consensus standards for these transitions. Over 30 organizations sent representatives to the Transitions of Care Consensus Conference. ⋯ The Transitions of Care Consensus Conference made recommendations for standards concerning the transitions between inpatient and outpatient settings for future implementation. The American College of Physicians, Society of Hospital Medicine, Society of General Internal Medicine, American Geriatric Society, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine all endorsed this document.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Diagnostic accuracy of a simple ultrasound measurement to estimate central venous pressure in spontaneously breathing, critically ill patients.
Early goal-directed therapy for severe sepsis or septic shock improves outcomes but requires placement of a central venous catheter to measure central venous pressure (CVP), which may delay timely resuscitation and cause catheter-related complications. In addition, nonintensivists may not start early aggressive fluid resuscitation because of difficulty estimating CVP and concerns for inadvertent volume overload. ⋯ In this exploratory study, noninvasive ultrasound imaging of internal jugular vein aspect ratio accurately estimated a CVP of 8 mm Hg in spontaneously breathing, critically ill patients.