Improved survival with hospitalists in a pediatric intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE: To compare the survival of patients in a teaching hospital pediatric intensive care unit in which residents provided after-hours in-house coverage with survival in the same unit with hospitalists providing this coverage. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Pediatric intensive care units in two teaching hospitals that are managed by the same group of academic pediatric intensivists, one of which transitioned from the traditional resident-staffed model to a hospitalist-staffed model for after-hours in-house coverage. PATIENTS: All pediatric patients admitted to the study pediatric intensive care unit and to the control pediatric intensive care unit from April 1997 through March 1998, the resident era, and from October 1998 through September 1999, the hospitalist era. INTERVENTIONS: Multivariate analysis, with survival as the dependent variable and era (hospitalist vs. resident) as an independent variable, was used to compare odds of survival during the hospitalist era with that of the resident era, adjusted for severity of illness. Multivariate linear regression was used to compare length of stay during the hospitalist era with that of the resident era, adjusted for severity of illness. Pediatric Risk of Mortality scores and those diagnostic categories typically associated with higher mortality rates also were included as independent variables in both analyses to adjust for severity of illness. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Multivariate analysis yielded an estimated odds ratio of survival of 2.8 for the hospitalist era compared with the resident era (p = .013), and our analysis supported an independent association between survival and hospitalist era. Multivariate linear regression showed that length of stay, also adjusted for severity of illness, during the hospitalist era was 21.1 hrs shorter than during the resident era (p = .013). Neither survival nor length of stay was significantly associated with era at the control hospital. CONCLUSION: Improved survival with hospitalists, rather than residents, providing after-hours care when an intensivist is not in house suggests that the quality of care of critically ill patients is improved when more experienced physicians are providing bedside care. Shorter length of stay with the hospitalist model also may reflect improved quality of care.     

Trauma and the obstetric patient: collaboration in care

Management of the obstetric patient who suffers a traumatic injury is critically dependent o well-coordinated, integrated care. The injured pregnant woman's first presentation usually is to the emergency room. Although the first priority is the stabilization of pregnancy and active involvement of the obstetric team within the trauma and critical care settings enhances patient care and potentiates optimal outcome for the mother and fetus.     

Perioperative nursing care of the bariatric surgical patient

APPROXIMATELY TWO-THIRDS of the US population is overweight or obese. The effects of the comorbidities that accompany obesity often are severe and can be life threatening over time. Currently, the most effective and sustainable method of substantial weight loss is bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery also has been successful in reversing comorbidities.THE BENEFITS, RISKS, AND COMPLICATIONS of common weight-loss surgical procedures (eg, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, vertical-banded gastroplasty, biliopancreatic diversion and duodenal switch) are discussed.THE HEALTH CARE FIELD OF BARIATRICS is growing rapidly. More information is needed to support and guide changes in current standards of practice to better meet the needs of this patient population. AORN J 88 (July 2008) 30-54. © AORN, Inc, 2008.     

Chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease: a case presentation.

This is the third in a series of three articles examining cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the patient with chronic kidney disease (CKD). CVD is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with CKD, including those in the early stages. Early diagnosis of CKD and recognition of both traditional and nontraditional renal-related CVD risk factors are vital in improving outcomes for this population. Care of the patient with CKD should center on reduction of both types of risk factors for CVD. The ANNA Nephrology Nursing Standards of Practice and Guidelines for Care provide the basis for planning and providing care for patients with CKD and for reducing the risk of CVD in this patient population.     

Electrical Impedance Myography in the Assessment of Disuse Atrophy

Tarulli AW, Duggal N, Esper GJ, Garmirian LP, Fogerson PM, Lin CH, Rutkove SB. Electrical impedance myography in the assessment of disuse atrophy.

Objective

To quantify disuse atrophy using electrical impedance myography (EIM), a noninvasive technique that we have used successfully to study neurogenic and myopathic atrophy.

Design

We performed EIM of the tibialis anterior of subjects with disuse atrophy secondary to cast immobilization and in their contralateral normal leg. Subjects were studied shortly after cast removal and again several weeks to months after the cast was removed and normal mobility was restored.

Setting

Outpatient neurology and orthopedic practices at a tertiary care medical center.

Participants

Otherwise healthy subjects (N=10) with unilateral leg fracture.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

Resistance, reactance, and phase measured at 50kHz.

Results

The main EIM outcome parameter, phase at 50kHz, was lower in the immobilized leg in 9 of 10 cases. Additionally, when normal mobility was restored, the phase of the casted leg increased relative to its initial measurement in all 10 cases, while it increased inconsistently in the contralateral leg.

Conclusions

EIM may be a powerful tool for the assessment of disuse atrophy.     

Application to vascular adventitia of a nonviral vector for TIMP-1 gene therapy to prevent intimal hyperplasia

Somatic gene transfer continues to have potential for the study and therapy of cardiovascular disease. We have developed a modular, self-assembling, nonviral system consisting of Lipofectin, integrin-targeting peptides, and plasmid DNA (LID) and we have applied this to a model of vascular injury, rat carotid angioplasty. Marker gene studies identified transfection of adventitial cells after vector delivery to that layer. Human tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (hTIMP-1) was tested as a therapeutic gene product after direct application to the exposed adventitial layer. Vascular LID.hTIMP-1 transfection was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and gene expression by immunohistochemistry at 7 days. Neointimal areas were 0.160 +/- 0.078 and 0.225 +/- 0.052 mm(2) for LID.hTIMP-1-transfected (n = 14) and LID.pCI-transfected (n = 12) vessels, respectively, at 14 days, and 0.116 +/- 0.068 mm(2) (n = 14) and 0.194 +/- 0.095 mm(2) (n = 14), respectively, at 28 days, representing a 29 and 40% reduction in neointimal hyperplasia at 14 and 28 days, respectively, after balloon dilatation. Neointima-to-media ratios were similarly reduced. In addition, expansile remodeling after balloon injury was inhibited at 14 days, the area within the external elastic lamina being 0.50 +/- 0.02 and 0.61 +/- 0.02 mm(2) in LID.hTIMP-1- and LID.pCI-transfected arteries, respectively (p < 0.0005). We have demonstrated an effective system of therapeutic gene transfer, particularly targeting the arterial adventitia, where transfer of genes involved in matrix remodeling and cell migration may be useful.     

Influência da dose de propofol e dos componentes sanguíneos na duração das convulsões elétricas em eletroconvulsoterapia

Background and objectives

Propofol is commonly employed as a hypnotic agent to perform electroconvulsive therapy, but it exhibits also anticonvulsant properties. The main objective was to study the effect of the weight‐adjusted dose of propofol on duration of the electrical seizure. Secondary objectives were to study the effect of absolute dose of propofol on duration of electrical seizure, the effect of both absolute and weight‐adjusted doses on values of bispectral index, and the influence of blood chemistry on anticonvulsant effect.