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Accurate microbiologic diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is problematic. Infecting organisms reside in a biofilm, and standard culture techniques appear to have sub-optimal sensitivity.
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In a study designed to evaluate potential methods for improving survival by prevention of infection in ICU patients, de Smet et al used cluster randomization involving 13 centers in the Netherlands, with assignment to one of three treatment arms: selective decontamination of the gastrointestinal tract (SDD), selective oropharyngeal decontamination (SOD), or standard of care (SOC).
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Concerns have been raised that immigrants, especially those who are undocumented, afraid of deportation or who have limited financial resources, may be reluctant to present for care, thus compounding the risk for contagious diseases.
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Imagine a new disease strikes your community that significantly increases mortality rates, particularly in critically ill patients. This same disease causes patients to suffer more pain, greater heart damage from a myocardial infarction, and, if they are elderly, increases the chance they will be discharged to a nursing home. Such a disease clearly would grab the public's attention, and even in these difficult times, money would be diverted to find a cure. This problem exists today in many of our communities: crowding.
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Do you assume your patient data are secure? You might want to take a second look. SecureWorks, an Atlanta-based security services provider, is blocking an average of 15,543 attempted hacker attacks a day per health care client, compared to an average of 1,581 attacks per day per bank client.
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Want to save money? Put up a cost savings suggestion box with rewards for employees and, potentially, physicians, advises Roger Pence, president of FWI Healthcare, an Edgarton, OH-based consulting firm primarily for ambulatory health care providers.
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The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) began in 1994 in response to concern over the quality of care, specifically operative mortality rates, in VA hospitals. Since then it has expanded to all hospital settings and come under the auspices of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
