Circ Cardiovasc Qual
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Circ Cardiovasc Qual · Feb 2017
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyAssociation of Implementation of Practice Standards for Electrocardiographic Monitoring With Nurses' Knowledge, Quality of Care, and Patient Outcomes: Findings From the Practical Use of the Latest Standards of Electrocardiography (PULSE) Trial.
Although continuous electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring is ubiquitous in hospitals, monitoring practices are inconsistent. We evaluated implementation of American Heart Association practice standards for ECG monitoring on nurses' knowledge, quality of care, and patient outcomes. ⋯ URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01269736.
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Circ Cardiovasc Qual · Feb 2017
Comparative StudyHealthcare Utilization and Expenditures Associated With Appropriate and Inappropriate Implantable Defibrillator Shocks.
In patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, healthcare utilization (HCU) and expenditures related to shocks have not been quantified. ⋯ After implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shock, related HCU was common, with 1 in 3 shock events followed by outpatient HCU and 1 in 7 followed by hospitalization. Use of invasive cardiovascular procedures was substantial, even after inappropriate shocks, which comprised 38% of all shocks. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks seem to trigger a cascade of health care. Strategies to reduce shocks could result in cost savings.