Hospital Medicine

In 10 randomized controlled studies, patients who chewed gum after elective colorectal surgery had shorter lengths of hospital stay and were less likely to experience complications.

Patients who have experienced hemorrhage and sepsis seem to gain the most benefit from damage control procedures if the surgeon uses careful patient selection.

Study concludes that patients refusing blood products should not be denied non-cardiac surgical treatment.

Patients with heart failure who received left ventricle augmentation with Algisyl-LVR hydrogel implant experienced improved quality of life and functional capacity compared to similar patients treated with optimal medical therapy.

Treating Hispanic patients with stable CAD with daily low-dose aspirin plus ticagrelor provided lower levels of on-treatment platelet reactivity with a faster onset and greater extent of platelet inhibition, compared to treatment with aspirin plus clopidogrel.

Creating a safer environment for clinicians and patients starts with better formalized reporting of aggressive and violent behavior, and should also include more rigorous screening and assessment for risk markers of violent behavior.

A recent anonymous survey among nephrologists suggests that patients' social support, ability to understand the transplant process, and age are the most important factors influencing nephrologists' decisions to exclude them from kidney transplant referral.

In his presentation, George Therapondos, MD, a hepatologist at the Ochsner Medical Center, detailed how to manage inpatients with cirrhosis that progresses to liver failure and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Patients who have chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) require 20% less warfarin and more monitoring for bleeding than patients who have normal kidney function.

Primary prevention measures for upper GI bleeding should include NSAIDs, antiplatelet therapy, and anticoagulants appropriately, while secondary preventive measures should include testing and treating H. pylori and using long-term PPIs when appropriate.

Results of a recent community-based study suggest that African-American patients are at higher risk for acute kidney injury (AKI) than Caucasians - a difference that appears to be related to disparities in income and socioeconomic status.

Will the approval of Zohydro benefit patients and physicians by providing another option for pain relief for patients with legitimate chronic pain needs, or will it spark a new wave of abuse, misuse, and diversion?

Plenary session at CHEST 2013 focused on the impact of early warning scores, medical response teams, availability of critical care attending intensivists, and other quality measures in intensive care.

With 10% of Americans contracting ulcers, pharmacists can be a valuable source of education for patients regarding the causes of peptic ulcer and the pros and cons of available treatments.

Study results show that SIRS on admission and at 72 hours after is associated with a higher incidence of pancreatic necrosis, an important risk factor contributing to death in patients with severe acute pancreatitis.

Clinicians can use the MSPT, an iPad-based neurological performance test that simulates and extends the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite, to measure motor and visual function in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Implementation of computerized customized order entry sets in a large urban hospital reduced HIV medication error rates by more than 35%.

Increased spending for treatment of HIV patients does not necessarily lead to a more positive clinical outcome, according to a new study presented at the 2013 United States Conference on AIDS.

Even when it's administered in a low-dose form that resists gastric acid and prevents tablet dissolution in the stomach, aspirin therapy causes peptic ulcer and increases the risk of 30-day mortality resulting from gastrointestinal (GI) disorder progression.

Research findings underscore the importance of testing peptic ulcer patients for H. pylori status.

Two recently published case studies examine the diagnosis and treatment of hyponatremia in patients who are also suffering from comparatively rare comorbidities.

The largest study to date on reducing rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in ICU patients found that bloodstream infections in these patients can be reduced by more than 40 percent through universal decolonization practices.

Though it's common medical knowledge that an ulcer eating a hole through a patient's stomach requires immediate surgical treatment as a result of its life-threatening nature, new findings from a team of Danish researchers urge physicians to beat the clock in performing emergency surgery on perforated peptic ulcers (PPU).

Study finds hyponatremia is an independent predictor of increased mortality, length of hospital stay, and postoperative complications in patients who undergo cardiac surgery.

Achieving safe, effective pain control for inpatients can challenge even experienced clinicians. Components of successful pain control include avoiding pain crises while still steering clear of respiratory depression, being confident with equianalgesic calculations, and transitioning to the outpatient setting.