| Right Care. Right Now. |  |
| Critical Care Update |  |  |
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- N.Y. considers rules to prevent sepsis deaths
Following the death of a 12-year-old boy, New York state has proposed regulations requiring that hospitals aggressively look for sepsis in patients to enable earlier treatment. New York could become the first state to adopt such rules. Early symptoms of sepsis can be difficult to distinguish from those of other, less serious maladies, but "[f]irst and foremost, they need to suspect sepsis," the most common cause of death in ICUs, said Dr. Mitchell M. Levy. Treatment includes antibiotics and fluids. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
(12/20)     
- Early CPAP doesn't improve outcomes for extreme preemies
Early use of continuous positive airway pressure neither helped nor harmed extremely premature infants compared with those who received surfactant treatment, according to a randomized study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers noted that mortality was higher with a lower oxygen-saturation target than in a group with higher oxygen-saturation levels. MedPage Today (free registration)
(12/26)
- ICU stays linked to dementia in some elderly patients
A stay in the intensive care unit may increase the risk of dementia in elderly people, according to a study published in the journal Critical Care. Those who had certain infections, dialysis or brain damage were more likely to develop dementia, as were those who had short-term mental problems while in the ICU. "These findings suggest that certain diseases and events associated with a critical illness may increase the risk of dementia, or 'unmask' previously undiagnosed dementia," the researchers wrote. DailyRx.com
(12/23)
| Medicine in the News | | |
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- Study links transfusion to higher death risk after MI
Research revealed that blood transfusion was associated with higher mortality risk following myocardial infarction. Researchers examined 203,665 MI patients and found that 18.2% of those who received blood died, compared with only 10.2% of patients who did not have transfusion. Transfused patients also had twice the risk of suffering another MI. The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. MedPage Today (free registration)
(12/26)
- Unsafe injection practices sicken 150,000, data show
CDC data show more than 150,000 patients have been victims of unsafe injection practices since 2001, with two-thirds of cases coming in the past four years, USA TODAY reported. Data showed that at least 80% of injection-related disease outbreaks were linked to physician offices and outpatient clinics. USA Today
(12/28)
| Trends and Technology | | |
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- FDA recalls 2 ventilator models
The FDA has recalled two ventilator-related devices. The Ventlab manual resuscitator was found to have a potentially leaking valve that could result in little or no airflow to the patient. The Bunnell Life Pulse High-Frequency Ventilator Patient Circuit, used for critically ill infants, has heater wire insulation that can melt, causing sparking and smoke. MedPage Today (free registration)
(12/26)
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 | If all misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be contented to take their own and depart."
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