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Hospital-Based Medicine

News, opinions and meeting coverage in hospital-based medicine.

Most ICD Patients Die of Heart Failure

Patients with implantable defibrillators or resynchronization devices with defibrillator were most likely to die of heart failure or non-cardiac causes, not sudden death, a single-center study found.

'Visual Snow' Called Real, Not Drug Related

NEW ORLEANS -- A mysterious and troubling phenomenon called "visual snow" is a distinct syndrome that does not appear to stem from illicit drug use, nor is it a migraine aura, a researcher said here.

Brain Bleed Size Affects Therapy in Afib Patients

NEW ORLEANS -- The size of a brain bleed appears to determine which medications, if any, are given to atrial fibrillation patients after an intracerebral hemorrhage, a retrospective study showed.

Smoking Cuts Risk of Benign Brain Tumor

The risk of developing an acoustic neuroma was greatly reduced among male smokers, but not among those who take snuff, researchers reported.

OTC Bug Bite Remedies of Little Help

Treating simple bug bites isn't usually necessary and there's little evidence to support doing so, a review warned.

Persistent Pus in Ear May Signal Unusual TB

SAN DIEGO -- Ear involvement is a rare, but potentially devastating, manifestation of tuberculosis, as was shown in a case report presented here.

Abuse of OTC Drug Mimics Kidney Stones

SAN DIEGO -- Stone deposits caused by abuse of an over-the-counter drug used to treat excess mucus may mimic kidney disorders, a researcher said here.

Doctors Say 45 Common Tests 'Overused'

Nine specialty groups have listed tests and treatments that are frequently overused, such as antibiotics for sinus attacks and CT scans for low back pain, in the first phase of a long-term project.

Renal Function Key in C. Diff Therapy Choice

SAN DIEGO -- Patients with Clostridium difficile infection and underlying impaired renal function fared better with fidaxomicin treatment than with vancomycin, a researcher said here.

Extreme Obesity Adds More Risk in Hysterectomy

AUSTIN, Texas -- Increasingly severe obesity drives up complication rates after hysterectomy, and outcomes continually worsen with rising body mass index, according to results from a study reported here.

Cheney's Heart Makes Him a Million Dollar Man

Keeping former Vice President Dick Cheney's heart beating probably will cost the healthcare system at least a million dollars, cardiac transplantation experts told 番茄社区.

Antibiotic Clears Stubborn E. Coli

Patients in last spring's outbreak of severe Escherichia coli who were treated with azithromycin had a lower frequency of long-term infection, German investigators reported.

Hormones Out of Whack With Long Opioid Therapy

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- Intractable pain patients on long-term, high doses of opioids should be screened for hormonal abnormalities, researchers said here.

Feds Finalize Next Stage of 'Meaningful Use' Guidelines

LAS VEGAS -- Doctors now have an extra nine months to prove to the federal government that they've accomplished the early stages of "meaningful use" of health information technology, National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari announced Thursday.

Possible ICD-10 Delay Rankles IT Industry

茂禄驴LAS VEGAS -- The possible delay in implementing the new ICD-10 coding system may make physicians happy, but the health information technology industry is not so thrilled.

Meaningful Use Tops IT Issues for Hospitals

茂禄驴LAS VEGAS -- Meeting federally mandated health information technology benchmarks will be a top priority for hospital IT departments over the next two years, according to survey results presented here.

Follow the Money: Pain, Policy, and Profit

When the Federation of State Medical Boards decided it needed to put a model guideline for opioid use into a book, it reached out and touched the makers of opioid drugs to make it happen.

ABMS Sets Time Limit for Board Certification

Physicians have between three and seven years after finishing residency to become board certified, according to a new policy from the American Board of Medical 番茄社区.

In Cocaine Users Think About Levamisole

HOUSTON -- Half of a group of cocaine users tested positive for levamisole, a potentially hazardous veterinary drug that cocaine dealers often use to prepare street product, investigators reported here.

Early VTE Therapy OK After Brain Bleed

HOUSTON --The risk of re-bleeding after intracranial hemorrhage did not increase when patients received early prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE), a retrospective review showed.

Epidural Plus Fever During Labor Put Baby at Risk

A temperature spike during labor with epidural analgesia may indicate serious risks for the baby in an otherwise low-risk delivery, researchers found.

Big BP Variation Between Arms Raises Red Flag

A substantial difference in blood pressure from one arm to the other could be a warning sign for overall cardiovascular and mortality risk, a meta-analysis determined.

Readers: Cheating Is Wrong, But Is This Cheating?

Nearly two-thirds of 番茄社区 readers expressed concern about allegations of radiology residents cheating on their boards, but asked if reviewing old exam questions is really cheating.茂禄驴

ER Presentation Not the End for Colon Cancer Patients

SAN FRANCISCO -- Curative therapy is still a possibility, even if a colon cancer patient is seen for the first time in the emergency department with acute symptoms, researchers said here.

Ski Helmets Not Best for Sledding

To protect kids' noggins before setting them on toboggans parents should ditch ski helmets for hockey or cycling ones, results of a study suggest.

Higher LDL Level Linked to Lower Incidence of Afib

Although physicians usually aim to lower patients' total and, in particular, LDL cholesterol, lower LDL levels are associated with developing atrial fibrillation, a study has found.

India Emerges as Source for Execution Drugs

Unable to get Pentothal through regular channels, Nebraska prison officials turned to a broker in India so they could execute two convicted murderers.

Parkinson's Called Hidden Killer

Life expectancy for patients with Parkinson's disease is poorer than some previous studies have suggested, with barely one-third of patients surviving six years with the condition, researchers said.

Two-Drug Combo Appears Best for Refractory Epilepsy

For patients with refractory epilepsy, a combination of lamotrigine and valproate may be the best option for preventing seizures, a retrospective analysis showed.

'Brain-Eating' Amoeba Kills Second Neti Pot User

Louisiana state health officials are warning patients about potential dangers of using tap water for sinus irrigation after two patients died of Naegleria fowleri infection.

FDA Panel Split Over Inhaled Antipsychotic

WASHINGTON -- An FDA advisory panel punted on the question of approval for an inhaled version of the antipsychotic drug loxapine (Adasuve) to treat agitation in bipolar and schizophrenic patients, despite the risk for respiratory side effects.

ADHD Drug Helpful in Adult Depression

Phase II trial results suggested that a stimulant drug approved to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder may improve cognitive function in adults with major depression, its manufacturer said.

'Upset Stomach' Feels Better After Killing H. pylori

Eradicating Helicobacter pylori with antibiotics provided significant benefits to primary care patients with functional dyspepsia, according to results of a randomized trial.

Low-Dose Zolpidem Gets FDA Okay for Wee-Hours Awakening

A new formulation of the insomnia drug zolpidem tartrate (Ambien) has been approved to treat middle-of-the-night awakenings followed by difficulty returning to sleep, the FDA said.

Breast Reduction Riskier After 50

Outcomes of breast reduction surgery worsen with age, with more infections and a tendency toward wound-healing problems in women older than 50, researchers found.

Acetaminophen OD More Deadly if Taken in Stages

Acetaminophen overdoses were more likely to be fatal if patients consumed a series of high doses spread over the course of a day rather than downing, say, a bottle of pills at one time, outcomes among patients admitted to a specialized liver center showed.

FDA Revokes Avastin Approval for Breast Cancer

WASHINGTON -- The FDA has announced that bevacizumab (Avastin) is no longer approved for the treatment of breast cancer; the Genentech drug retains its other indications and will remain on the market.

Use of Psych Drugs Up, Women Biggest Users

One American in five takes psychiatric medication for conditions such as depression and anxiety, and use of the drugs is more common among women, researchers found.

ACR: Enbrel May Be Enough for Some RA Patients

CHICAGO -- Monotherapy with etanercept (Enbrel) can keep some rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in long-term remission, researchers said here.

ACR: Savella Brings Relief Long-Term in Fibromyalgia

CHICAGO -- Milnacipran (Savella), a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, brought long-term relief to fibromyalgia patients who remained on therapy, researchers said here.

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