Overtreatment of Entercoccal Bacteriuria

19 Jan

Posted by SCCM as Concise Critical Appraisal

Enterococci are an increasingly common cause of urinary tract infections (UTI) and asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) in hospitalized patients. Despite the publication of guidelines for appropriate antibiotic use, many patients are inappropriately prescribed antimicrobials for ABU. In this month’s issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, Lin et al conducted a retrospective medical record review from two [...]

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The Hospital Quality Alliance: A Milestone Achievement for Healthcare Transformation

04 Jan

Posted by SCCM as Advocacy

With as little fanfare in its dissolution as it evoked during its ten-year existence, the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) in December wrapped up its efforts to advance public reporting for hospital care. By informing patient and family decisions regarding the quality of their hospital care, the HQA was the nation’s first and foremost organization for [...]

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Liberal vs. Restrictive Transfusion for High-Risk Patients

04 Jan

Posted by SCCM as Concise Critical Appraisal

The threshold at which postoperative red blood cell transfusion is warranted for patients with cardiac disease remains controversial. While the hazards associated with transfusions are well known to the modern-day intensivist, some have proposed that transfusions improve functional recovery for elderly surgical patients, and prevent cardiovascular events. Jeffrey Carson, MD, and the Functional Outcomes in [...]