Journal of hospital medicine : an official publication of the Society of Hospital Medicine
-
Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training of family members before hospital discharge using video self-instruction: a feasibility trial.
Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a crucial therapy for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), yet rates of bystander CPR are low. This is especially the case for SCA occurring in the home setting, as family members of at-risk patients are often not CPR trained. ⋯ The hospital setting offers a unique "point of capture" to provide CPR instruction to an important, undertrained population in contact with at-risk individuals.
-
Hypertension (HTN) is a major cardiovascular risk factor yet control rates remain suboptimal. Thus, improving recognition, treatment, and control of HTN by focusing on novel populations such as hospitalized patients is warranted. Current consensus guidelines do not address inpatient HTN, and little is known about HTN prevalence or patterns of care in this setting. ⋯ Inpatient HTN is prevalent and a large percentage of those with this condition remain hypertensive at the time of discharge and at follow-up. The potential exists for improved recognition and treatment of newly diagnosed and known, but uncontrolled, HTN observed in the inpatient setting.
-
Comparative Study
Resistance to empiric antimicrobial treatment predicts outcome in severe sepsis associated with Gram-negative bacteremia.
Gram-negative bacteria are an important cause of severe sepsis. Recent studies have demonstrated reduced susceptibility of Gram-negative bacteria to currently available antimicrobial agents. ⋯ In severe sepsis attributed to Gram-negative bacteremia, initial treatment with an antibiotic regimen to which the causative pathogen is resistant was associated with increased hospital mortality. This finding suggests that rapid determination of bacterial susceptibility could influence treatment choices in patients with severe sepsis potentially improving their clinical outcomes.