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A Maryland hospital and one of its subcontractors are being sued for malpractice by the family of a man who say a technician mistakenly released a clamp that allowed the patient to bleed to death before anyone noticed the error.
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A 59-year-old woman was admitted to the observation area of a local hospital. The woman was thought to have had an allergic reaction to cholesterol medication she was taking, and the staff recommended she remain under observation for 23 hours. The next morning, the woman experienced chest pains and the nurse administered meperidine and nitroglycerine. The nurse did not inform the attending physician of the administration. The woman was discharged and died the same day.
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In order to reduce the rate of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) in intensive care units, Northwestern Memorial Hospital implemented patient-care bundles in all ICUs in August 2005.
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This study showed that cleaning a stethoscope with an ethanol-based foam hand cleaner is as effective as wiping it with an isopropyl alcohol pad.
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In this paper, Krahn et al, from a Canadian consortium, report on the results of systematic evaluations in patients with unexplained cardiac arrest due to ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation.
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The concept of abandoning the use of whole blood in favor of packed cells for the treatment of hypovolemia in obstetric hemorrhage should be questioned in view of this study's suggestion of a lower rate of acute tubular necrosis in patients treated with whole blood.
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In January 2009, the publication of an updated vancomycin monitoring guideline gave clinicians a set of recommendations on: 1) timing of monitoring, 2) optimal trough concentration, 3) dosing to achieve optimal trough concentrations, 4) loading doses for complicated infections, 5) criteria for monitoring, and 6) frequency of monitoring.
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Initiation of a respiratory therapist-driven protocol for assessment and management of risk for respiratory complications in the study hospital's neurosurgery step-down, trauma/surgery step-down, and trauma/surgery general units was followed by an increase in the number of patients receiving respiratory treatments, but decreases in ICU and hospital stays and overall hospital costs.
