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Hospital-Based Medicine

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

On-Call Pay Varies Widely by Specialty

Surgeons commanded more than $1,000 a day for being on-call at the hospital, while primary care physicians reported compensation rates of around $150 a day, according to annually compiled data.

How Much Exercise to Burn Off a Burger?

Menus displaying the amount of exercise required to burn off calories in a meal had some impact on food choice, researchers found.

Cinnamon Game Harms Players

The "cinnamon challenge鈥� -- a party trick among youths who accept a dare to swallow a spoonful of ground cinnamon -- has led to a surge in calls to poison control centers with reports of spice-induced choking and aspiration, according to a new report.

Full Thyroid Removal May be Best in Graves' Disease

Removing the whole thyroid lessens the chance of hyperthyroidism recurrence in Graves' disease compared with partial thyroidectomy, but it also leads to increased temporary hypoparathyroidism, researchers found.

Ricin Deadly, but Not an Effective WMD

It may have been a preferred tool of Soviet hit men, but ricin generally flops as a weapon of mass destruction, several bioterrorism experts told 番茄社区.

Acute Pain Yields to Lower-Dose Diclofenac

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Lower-dose submicron particle diclofenac offered good pain control compared with placebo, researchers reported here.

Preop Ketamine May Lower Pain in Fibromyalgia

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- In fibromyalgia patients undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery, low-dose, intraoperative ketamine appeared to reduce the need for post-surgical opioid therapy, researchers said here.

C. Diff Dangerous in ESRD

ORLANDO -- Kidney dialysis patients who are infected with Clostridium difficile have a greater risk of infection relapse and also have a higher all-cause mortality that patients who do not have kidney disease, researchers said here.

'Latex-Free' Claims Not Valid, FDA Says

The claim "latex-free鈥� is impossible to guarantee and should not be used on labeling of medical products, according to a new FDA guidance.

PML Not Fatal if Caught Early

SAN DIEGO - All multiple sclerosis patients taking natalizumab (Tysabri) who were diagnosed with a serious condition called PML before symptoms appeared were still alive a year later, researchers said.

ACC: Is Chelation Plus Vitamins a Winning Combo?

SAN FRANCISCO -- Vitamins alone won't improve outcomes for patients who've had a heart attack, but they do appear to have additive benefits when given in conjunction with controversial chelation therapy, researchers reported here.

Lichen Planus in Ear Not Uncommon

MIAMI BEACH -- The autoimmune disease lichen planus may affect the ear more commonly than previously thought, researchers reported here.

Skin, Vessel Damage Seen with Tainted Cocaine

MIAMI BEACH -- People who use cocaine contaminated with the veterinary drug levamisole may experience more than just dermatological effects, including end-organ damage and stroke, researchers reported here.

Small Brain Bleeds Not So Bad for Preemies

Low-grade hemorrhage in very premature infants doesn't appear to hurt their early neurodevelopment, a longitudinal study suggested.

ECG for Eyes Sorts Strokes from Vertigo

A device described as an ECG for the eye accurately distinguishes stroke from other causes of dizziness in the emergency department, a small proof-of-concept study showed.

UVB Exposure May Boost Low Vitamin D

MIAMI BEACH -- Narrowband UVB therapy may be a better treatment for vitamin D deficiency than supplementation, Swedish researchers reported here.

Fatal Reactions Prompt Omontys Recall

All lots of the new anemia drug peginesatide (Omontys) have been recalled because of severe hypersensitivity reactions -- some fatal -- observed after the drug was approved last March.

FDA Warns About Codeine Following Tonsillectomy

Products that contain codeine should not be used for pain relief in children following tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy because of a possible risk of serious adverse events or death, the FDA said Wednesday.

Is Pot Smoking a Stroke Trigger?

HONOLULU -- Middle age stroke patients were twice as likely to be pot smokers than healthy middle age controls, researchers found.

ACE Inhibitors Linked to Hallucinations in Elderly

Elderly patients with memory problems who suddenly have visual hallucinations may need to stop taking ACE inhibitors, researchers suggested.

No Need for Skin Preps to Be Sterile, FDA Told

WASHINGTON -- Requiring that antiseptic skin preparation products be sterile is unnecessary and wouldn't lead to a dramatic drop in infections, speakers told the FDA Wednesday.

Cardio Notes: Stress Test Finds Heart Disease in Seniors

Researchers are taking a second look at the accuracy of treadmill exercise testing for women over 65. Also this week, the birth of a subspecialty for adults with congenital heart disease and leg artery stenting.

C. Difficile Inpatient Stays Long, Costly

LAS VEGAS -- Among the many factors that contribute to the burgeoning costs associated with Clostridium difficile infections are long hospital stays, particularly in intensive care units, and the need for multiple specialist consultations, a chart review determined.

ALS Drug Gets Review for VA Coverage

LAS VEGAS -- Riluzole (Rilutek) should remain on the Veterans Administration formulary as a treatment for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, despite having only modest benefits and considerable cost, a researcher said here.

FDA to Look at Tainted Skin Preps

Antiseptic skin preparation products can be contaminated by microbes, a problem the FDA will address at an upcoming public hearing.

Eating Before Lipid Test OK

It may not be necessary to fast before a routine cholesterol check, a large community-based population study suggested.

Drug Relieves Opioid-Induced Constipation

LAS VEGAS -- An investigational opioid antagonist provided effective and durable relief from opioid-induced constipation in patients with chronic pain without interfering with analgesia, a randomized trial showed.

Cardio Notes: Sex Improves with Stenting

Opening the arteries of those with stable coronary disease also opens the door to an improved sex life. Also this week, bariatric surgery helps remodel the heart.

Working with Weights May Help Stroke Rehab

Resistance training -- which is often overlooked in stroke rehab -- may help improve thinking and memory in stroke survivors, researchers found.

Low Preop Sodium Raises Mortality Risk

Preoperative hyponatremia significantly increased the risk of 30-day postsurgical mortality, a risk that extended across all subgroups of surgical patients, investigators reported.

Anatomy of an Epidemic: The Opioid Movie

The national clamor over abuse of prescription opioids is now at a fever pitch, but little has been said about what drove the boon in opioid prescriptions. This latest report from 番茄社区/ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel analyzes a pivotal Oxycontin marketing video, it's impact and its aftermath.

Anemia a Risk with Low-Dose IVIG, Too

Even small doses of intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) can cause acute, severe anemia, researchers warned.

Lying Prone for Radiation Best for Breast Tx

Lying face down for radiation therapy lessens the amount of collateral damage to breast cancer patients' heart and lungs, researchers found.

Brain-Eating Amoeba Came From Faucet

The recent cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis represent the first reported instances of U.S. tap water harboring the amoeba that causes the fatal disease, according to CDC researchers.

Adult Lungs Can Sprout New Growth

The lungs may have greater capacity for regeneration in adults than thought, according to a case report of new growth after lung cancer resection.

Tattoos Replace Bracelets for Medical Alerts

PHILADELPHIA -- As more people with diabetes replace their medical alert bracelets with tattooed warnings, there might be a need for a standard design and body location, a researcher here said.

Facebook Status: Need Kidney

WASHINGTON -- Promoting living kidney donation on social networks could increase the organ donor pool, researchers said here.

Second Kidney Transplant Lasts as Long as First

WASHINGTON -- Patients who have a second kidney transplant may not be as bound for failure as once thought, researchers said here.

SocialMed: Drafting a Social Media Policy

As more hospitals and medical centers join Facebook and Twitter, developing a social media policy may be topping more agendas.

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.

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