BACKGROUND Local epidemiological data are always helpful when choosing the best antibiotic regimen, but it is more complex than it seems as it may require the analysis of multiple combinations. The aim of this study was to demonstrate a simplified mathematical calculation to determine the most appropriate antibiotic combination in a scenario where monotherapy is doomed to failure. METHODS The...

Technical advances in critical care medicine have seen the rapid development and expansion of the specialty. Inevitably, this has created a dichotomy between the standards of care in the intensive care unit and those on general wards. To redress this balance, teams of staff trained in critical care have been established in some institutions to deliver critical care throughout the hospital regar...

OBJECTIVE—The study objectives were 1) to assess the effectiveness and safety of a standardized protocol for the transition to subcutaneous insulin and oral feeding in diabetic or hyperglycemic patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who were receiving intravenous insulin and glucose at the time of the transfer from the intensive cardiac care unit to a general ward and 2) to identify predic...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate a central line care maintenance bundle to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) in non-intensive care unit settings. DESIGN Before-after trial with 12-month follow-up period. SETTING A 1,250-bed teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS Patients with central lines on 8 general medicine wards. Four wards received the intervention and 4 served as controls. INTE...

Figure 1 Right heart catheterization showing prominent v wave and abrupt y descent in right atrial pressure (left, red arrows) and a rapid increase in right ventricular pressure during early diastole (right, red arrows). RA: right atrium; RV: right ventricle. was performed without postoperative complications. The patient was discharged from the intensive care unit to the general ward with sever...

abstract background: a newborn is highly fragile whose death can be caused by embryonic, intra partum, and postpartum factors. identifying the causes of death is the first step to be taken in order to decrease the death rate. the present study was aimed at finding out how neonatal factors and therapeutic actions affect death of newborn babies. materials and methods: this is a case-control study...

OBJECTIVE To describe patterns of transfer, resource utilization, and clinical outcomes associated with interhospital transfer of critically ill and injured children. DESIGN Secondary analysis of administrative claims data. PARTICIPANTS Children 0 to 18 years in the Michigan Medicaid program who underwent interhospital transfer for intensive care from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2004. T...