Hospital Medicine Alert – September 1, 2009

September 1, 2009

• Extubation to Non-invasive Ventilation for Weaning Reduces Mortality, Morbidity, and Length of Stay

  This meta-analysis of 12 clinical trials in adult patients with acute respiratory failure showed that extubation directly to non-invasive ventilation before weaning would normally have been attempted decreases mortality, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and length of stay especially for patients with COPD.

  Read more

• Bleeding or Breathing? Rethinking Hospital Admission Orders

  Patients who receive proton-pump inhibitors in the hospital are at increased risk for hospital-acquired pneumonia.

  Read more

• The Success of In-Hospital CPR in the Elderly

  This paper describes the results of an epidemiologic survey of the results of in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in U.S. hospitals.

  Read more

• Use of Magnesium Sulfate as a Neuroprotector

  Although still controversial, pooling of data from randomized trials suggests the neuroprotective benefit of magnesium sulfate in patients in preterm labor prior to 34 weeks of gestation.

  Read more