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Alternating Morphology Every-other-beat

Interpretation: The underlying rhythm in this simultaneously recorded 3-lead tracing is a narrow-complex tachycardia.

Peramivir: A Newly Approved Antiviral for Treatment of Influenza

Peramivir (Rapivab™) was recently approved by the FDA in December 2014 for treatment of acute uncomplicated influenza within two days of symptom onset. This newly approved antiviral is a neuraminidase inhibitor (NI) similar to oseltamivir and zanamivir but the first to be approved in an injectable formulation.1 Peramivir has been licensed in Japan (as Rapiacta) and South Korea (as PeramiFlu) since 2010. In addition, it has been used in the United States on an emergency basis during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic.

Multicenter Quality Improvement Project Resulted in a 23% Reduction in Medical Errors

SYNOPSIS: Implementation of a quality improvement project focused on handoffs reduced medical errors by 23% and preventable adverse events by 30%.

Benefits of NIV in COPD Supported in Routine Clinical Practice

SYNOPSIS: In a large cohort study, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease managed with noninvasive ventilation had lower inpatient mortality, shorter length of stay, and lower costs compared to those managed with invasive ventilation.

Transient Ischemic Attacks: A Missed Opportunity

SYNOPSIS: Patients with transient ischemic attacks were not given evidence-based secondary prevention for stroke at discharge from the hospital as often compared to patients with stroke, thus creating a missed opportunity to decrease the incidence of future stroke and cardiovascular disease.

Does Your Patient Have a Central Venous Catheter?

Central venous catheters (CVCs) are essential to providing optimal care to many hospitalized patients.

Drug Interactions and the Medical Home

MONOGRAPH: Drug-to-drug interactions are a concern of increasing significance at all levels of health care.

Medicaid is making an impressive impact

The year 2015 is shaping up to be another big one for the joint federal-state Medicaid program. It is the second year of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) broad expansion of Medicaid to individuals below 138% of the federal poverty level. Medicaid enrollment surged in 2014, which helped to drive down uninsurance nationwide. By October 2014, 68.5 million individuals were enrolled in Medicaid, an increase of 9.7 million, or 17%, from the average monthly enrollment in July to that of September 2013.¹That enrollment is in addition to the 950,000-person increase in enrollment among six states and the District of Columbia that had chosen to expand Medicaid prior to 2014.

Research eyes noninvasive test for endometriosis

Endometriosis is a common health problem for women. An estimated 11% of U.S. women have the gynecologic disorder, which happens when the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus.¹ In women with endometriosis, when the endometrial tissue enters the abdominal cavity, it attaches to organs in the abdominal and pelvic cavities, such as the ovaries, the intestines, or other organs or tissues. This tissue continues to follow the monthly menstrual cycle, and the resulting bleeding can cause inflammation, scarring, and pain. It is prevalent in 38% of infertile women and in 71-87% of women with chronic pelvic pain.²

Boost HPV vaccine uptake in university settings

While public health officials advocate for vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) in girls and boys ages 11-12, they also call for vaccination of young women ages 13-26 and males ages 13-21 who have not been previously vaccinated or did not complete the three-dose series.