Association Between Patient and Physician Sex and Physician-Estimated Stroke and Bleeding Risks in Atrial Fibrillation

Background

Physicians treating nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) assess stroke and bleeding risks when deciding on anticoagulation. The agreement between empirical and physician-estimated risks is unclear. Furthermore, the association between patient and physician sex and anticoagulation decision-making is uncertain.

Doing it right the first time: quality improvement and the contaminant blood culture.

The aim of the project was to determine whether the rate of contaminant blood cultures could be reduced by using a team of dedicated phlebotomists. Comparisons were made between adult patients requiring blood cultures for suspected bacteremia on medical and surgical units before and after the introduction and withdrawal of a dedicated blood culture team. The results showed that a significant reduction in the contaminant blood culture rate was achieved by the blood culture team (P < 0.001; chi(2) test). Therefore, in our experience, the rate of contaminant blood cultures can be reduced in a teaching hospital by using a team of dedicated phlebotomists. Calculations made with our data and those published by others suggest that cost savings from reducing false-positive blood cultures are greater than the cost of the blood culture team.     

Chemical composition of a new variety of the Andean lupin (Lupinus mutabilis cv. Inti) with low-alkaloid content

The chemical composition of the seeds of the low-alkaloid variety “Inti” of the Andean lupin (Lupinus mutabilis) grown in the south of Chile was examined. The contents of (% of dry weight) total alkaloids, protein, lipids, and oligosaccharides were found to be 0.0075, 51.0, 16.0, and 14.7%, respectively. The low levels of the sulfur amino acids (2.38% of total protein) made them the first amino acids to limit the protein quality of these lupin seeds. The fatty acid pattern was C16:0,13.9%; C18:0, 3.0%; C18:1, 41.8%; C18:2, 38.9%; and C18:3,2.6% of total fatty acids. The α-galactoside amounted to 13.5% of dry weight (raffinose, 2.49%; stachyose, 10.1%, verbascose, 0.85%). It can be stated that “Inti” is highly interesting as a potential protein energy crop for a temperate climate.