Articles Tagged With:
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Experts: Market case management to younger HC professionals
Case management is facing a major brain drain in the next decade as the bulk of its membership heads toward retirement. -
Ticagrelor Cost Effective as Well as Efficacious, According to New Analysis
The PLATO trial randomized more than 18,000 acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients to dual anti-platelet therapy with aspirin plus either clopidogrel or the newer P2Y12 inhibitor ticagrelor. Compared with clopidogrel-treated patients, those on ticagrelor had lower rates of death and myocardial infarction at 1 year. Despite superior ischemic outcomes, both ticagrelor and the thienopyridine prasugrel have been relatively slow to be adopted in the United States. This is at least in part due to the cost differential, as the older clopidogrel is available as a generic, while the newer agents enjoy continued brand exclusivity. The National Average Drug Acquisition Cost data collected by CMS currently reports a 70-fold difference in price between clopidogrel and ticagrelor.
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Implantable Coronary Sinus Narrowing Device Shows Promise in Refractory Angina
Despite advances in medical therapy and in coronary revascularization techniques, the population of patients with chronic, stable, but debilitating angina continues to grow. The mortality of such patients is surprisingly low, such that patients with this disorder often suffer limiting symptoms for many years. Clearly more options for treatment are needed, but what?
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Surgical Management of Infective Endocarditis
SOURCES: Chu VH, et al. Association between surgical indications, operative risk, and clinical outcome in infective endocarditis: A prospective study from the international collaboration on endocarditis. Circulation 2015;131:131-140; Erbel R. The new strategy in infective endocarditis: Early surgery based on early diagnosis: Are we too late when early surgery is best? Circulation 2015;131:121-123. -
HAI report: Hard-won gains fall short of ‘ambitious’ targets
Nobody said this was going to be easy. While much progress has been made, the unvarnished truth is that not one of the national health care associated infection (HAI) five-year reduction goals from 2009 to 2013 were met, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.1
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ED Push - March 2015 First Issue
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Non-pharmaceutical Techniques Can Decrease Delirium
Here are some non-pharmaceutical remedies a new study recommends.
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Physician Divorce Rates Lower Than Most Other Healthcare Professionals
A recent analysis on divorce rates among healthcare professionals in the U.S. paints a fairly rosy picture of home life for physicians.
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Electronic Health Records Use Nearly Doubles in EDs
Keeping track of everything in emergency medicine sure was a lot different in 2006.
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A New Oral Treatment for Hyperkalemia: Patiromer
Patiromer (PAT) is an oral non-absorbable polymer that works by binding potassium (K+) in exchange for calcium in the distal colon. Currently available oral treatments for hyperkalemia are burdened by GI adverse effects as well as limited efficacy. Hyperkalemia is particularly problematic in chronic kidney disease (CKD), which may be compounded by the need to administer ACE inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB).