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Hospital Medicine
Concise perspectives and commentary on the latest literature and guidelines relevant to hospital medicine from generalists, specialists, and practicing hospitalists.
Featured Article

SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Fibrinolysis Before Angioplasty for ST-Segment-Elevation MI
- June 24, 2009
- Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM
- Cardiology
In a large trial, patients routinely transferred for prompt catheterization after fibrinolysis fared better than those transferred only for rescue or delayed PCI.
- Reviewing:
- Cantor WJ et al. for the TRANSFER-AMI Trial Investigators. N Engl J Med 2009 Jun 25; 360:2705
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Recent Hospital Medicine Articles
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Get the Toxin Out?
- June 24, 2009
- Richard T. Ellison III, MD
- Infectious Diseases
Hemoperfusion with a polymyxin B filtration device decreased mortality in patients with severe sepsis of intra-abdominal origin.
- Reviewing:
- Cruz DN et al. JAMA 2009 Jun 17; 301:2445
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Does Adding a Nurse Practitioner to the ED Improve Throughput?
- June 26, 2009
- Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP
- Emergency Medicine
Yes, but surprisingly little, and without improvement in overall wait time, ED length of stay, or percentage of patients who left without being seen.
- Reviewing:
- Steiner IP et al. CJEM 2009 May; 11:207
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
MRSA Colonization and Infection in HIV-Infected Patients
- June 22, 2009
- Rajesh T. Gandhi, MD
- HIV/AIDS
The increased rate of MRSA colonization in HIV-infected patients probably explains their elevated rate of MRSA skin and soft-tissue infections.
- Reviewing:
- Shet A et al. J Infect Dis 2009 Jul 1; 200:88
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Should HIV Patients with Opportunistic Infections Receive Immediate ART?Free
- June 22, 2009
- Sonia Nagy Chimienti, MD
- HIV/AIDS
In a randomized trial, the incidence of AIDS progression or death by 48 weeks was significantly lower among patients who received antiretroviral therapy soon after their OI treatment had started than among those for whom ART was delayed.
- Reviewing:
- Zolopa AR et al. PLoS One 2009 May 18; 4:e5575
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Cardiovascular Outcomes Among Women with Nonobstructive CAD
- June 23, 2009
- Jamaluddin Moloo, MD, MPH
- General Medicine
Women with symptoms and angiography findings of nonobstructed (or even normal) coronary arteries had worse outcomes than asymptomatic women.
- Reviewing:
- Gulati M et al. Arch Intern Med 2009 May 11; 169:843
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Possible Alternative for Refractory C. difficile Colitis
- June 23, 2009
- Abigail Zuger, MD
- General Medicine
Four patients with severe disease were cured after receiving the new broad-spectrum antibiotic tigecycline.
- Reviewing:
- Herpers BL et al. Clin Infect Dis 2009 Jun 15; 48:1732
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Corticosteroids for Patients with Septic Shock
- June 25, 2009
- Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
- General Medicine
Meta-analysis suggests that longer-term lower-dose steroids are associated with lower mortality, but questions remain.
- Reviewing:
- Annane D et al. JAMA 2009 Jun 10; 301:2362
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Dosing of Influenza Vaccine in Older Adults: More Is Better
- June 24, 2009
- Larry M. Baddour, MD
- Infectious Diseases
Phase III trial data further support the use of high-dose influenza vaccine in older adults.
- Reviewing:
- Falsey AR et al. J Infect Dis 2009 Jul 15; 200:172
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Cefepime Is Not Associated with Increased Mortality
- June 24, 2009
- Lynn L. Estes, PharmD
- Infectious Diseases
FDA analyses showed no significant difference between cefepime and other β-lactam antibiotics in risk for death.
- Reviewing:
- Rockville, MD: Food and Drug Administration 2009 Jun 17
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
MRI and Prognosis after Cardiac ArrestFree
- June 23, 2009
- David M. Greer, MD, MA
- Neurology
Can diffusion-weighted imaging accurately predict neurological prognosis after cardiac arrest?
- Reviewing:
- Wijman CAC et al. Ann Neurol 2009 Apr; 65:394
Journal Watch Hospital Medicine discusses authoritative journal articles about wide-reaching topics within Hospital Medicine, including hospital administration, managed care, healthcare cost and quality, and other topics of critical importance to hospitalists.
