Critical Care News

Investigators found most patients who underwent surgery had prescription opioids that were unused, undisposed and unsafely stored, which could lead to opioid-linked injuries and death.

Antiplatelet therapy is often improperly dispensed to acutely hospitalized elderly patients, according to research recently published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.

Favorable neurologic outcomes at 6 months did not significantly differ in adults with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest treated with targeted temperature management for 48 hours vs. 24 hours, according to a study published in JAMA.

The decrease in 30-day readmissions in Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with acute MI, HF and pneumonia was associated with a decrease in 30-day mortality rates after discharge, according to a study published in JAMA.

Adults with diabetes hospitalized for severe hyperglycemia are nearly nine times more likely to be readmitted within 30 days for the same condition, whereas those hospitalized with severe hypoglycemia are five times more likely to be readmitted in the same period, according to findings published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Cocaine abuse causes significant harm to the CV system through various pathways, according to a summary published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Researchers have developed a risk score that predicts which patients are at most risk of needing nutrition support after cardiac surgery.

Receiving training and support in implementing a quality improvement program to reduce hospital admissions and ED visits from nursing homes demonstrated no effect, according to findings published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Despite declining rates of pediatric lawn mower-related injuries across the United States, prevalence is still high, with 11.9 annual injuries for every 100,000 children, according to a study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

Life expectancy is up and tobacco use is down, but there are still several concerning health indicators in the CDC’s 40th annual report on long-term trends in health and health care delivery of the nation between 1975 and 2015 which was delivered from the Secretary of HHS to President Donald Trump and Congress.