Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · May 2013
Anemia in general medical inpatients prolongs length of stay and increases 30-day unplanned readmission rate.
Anemia, either chronic or newly developed in the hospital as a result of underlying disease and/or phlebotomy, is seen commonly among general medical inpatients, and its impact on the quality and efficiency of care is unknown. ⋯ Anemia is common among general medical inpatients and adversely affects their length of stay and 30-day unplanned readmission rate.
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Southern medical journal · Apr 2013
Four-year trends of inappropriate proton pump inhibitor use after hospital discharge.
Several hospital-based studies have determined that physicians often inappropriately prescribe acid-suppressive medications for stress ulcer prevention in hospitalized patients and continue these drugs after discharge. We sought to determine the frequency of inappropriate proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use continued at discharge within our geographic region. ⋯ We report a significant decrease of 39% in the number of inappropriate discharge prescriptions for PPIs during the study period; however, the percentage of inappropriate use of PPIs remains high. There is room for improvement in cost-effective use of PPIs.
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Southern medical journal · Mar 2013
Community-acquired pneumonia with risk for drug-resistant pathogens.
Pneumonia is a leading infectious cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. The Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) and American Thoracic Society (ATS) have published treatment guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) based upon the site of acquisition and specific pathogen risk. The literature demonstrates improved outcomes with guideline-concordant empiric therapy. A subset of patients with CAP has risk factors for drug-resistant pathogens (DRPs). IDSA/ATS treatment guidelines do not provide clear recommendations for empiric treatment, and clinical studies have not provided descriptive data for this group. ⋯ Risk factors for DRP occurred commonly in our CAP population. Patients with CAP with risk for DRP may be a distinct group who are without clear guidance on treatment. Future studies are needed to define the risk of DRP and the impact upon empiric therapy for patients with CAP.
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Southern medical journal · Mar 2013
Does ambulance response time influence patient condition among patients with specific medical and trauma emergencies?
The relation between patient outcome and ambulance response times is unknown. We sought to measure the influence of shorter response times on patient outcomes. The objective of the study was to determine whether ambulance response time makes a difference in the outcomes of emergency medical services (EMS) patients with specific traumatic and medical emergencies. ⋯ This study showed that in cases seen at a major trauma center, longer response times were not associated with worse outcomes for the diagnostic groups tested.