Exploring timely and safe discharge from ICU: a comparative study of machine learning predictions and clinical practices.

Background: The discharge practices from the intensive care unit exhibit heterogeneity and the recognition of eligible patients for discharge is often delayed. Recognizing the importance of safe discharge, which aims to minimize readmission and mortality, we developed a dynamic machine-learning model. The model aims to accurately identify patients ready for discharge, offering a comparison of its effectiveness with physician decisions in terms of safety and discrepancies in discharge readiness assessment.

Factors that Influence Applicant Choice of In-Person versus Virtual Interview Format.

Background: Governing bodies of graduate medical education recommend conducting interviews virtually. Although most programs remain compliant with this guidance, it is unclear if this is broadly supported by interviewees. Virtual interview (VI), in-person interview (IPI), and virtual interview with an optional in-person visit (VI+) formats have unique strengths and weaknesses.

Vaccination for COVID-19: Is it important and what should you know about it?

An effective vaccine is considered the best method to achieve herd immunity. As of February 2021, 12 vaccines were in late-stage clinical trials worldwide, with many more in development. Of those, 8 have received emergency use authorization from at least one country's governing body.

Novel Machine Learning Can Predict Acute Asthma Exacerbation.

Background: Asthma exacerbations result in significant health and economic burden, but are difficult to predict.

Research Question: Can machine learning (ML) models with large-scale outpatient data predict asthma exacerbations?

Study Design And Methods: We analyzed data extracted from electronic health records (EHRs) of asthma patients treated at the Cleveland Clinic from 2010 through 2018. Demographic information, comorbidities, laboratory values, and asthma medications were included as covariates.

Steroids in COVID-19: An overview.

Most antiviral or immunomodulatory therapies investigated for use in patients with COVID-19 have failed to show any mortality benefit. Similar to the previous pandemics caused by respiratory viruses, the role and benefit of corticosteroids has been under debate in COVID-19-related pulmonary disease. In this consult, we discuss the evidence regarding the efficacy of corticosteroid use in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, including data from the first randomized controlled trial on this subject.

Management of patients with COVID-19 in the MICU.

COVID-19 management practices devised for the medical intensive care unit are centered on 2 main goals: ensuring caregiver safety and providing the highest quality patient care through adherence to evidence-based best practices. Rapid, sweeping changes for successful management are based on creating an educational platform to introduce and then further cement these concepts through a unified approach to clinical care. Creating a culture change in a short period of time requires overcoming a host of challenges; however, the result is a more unified and focused approach.

Recognition and management of respiratory co-infection and secondary bacterial pneumonia in patients with COVID-19.

In COVID-19, respiratory infection with SARS-CoV-2 plus another virus (viral co-infection) or with SARS-CoV-2 plus a bacterial pathogen (combined viral and bacterial pneumonia) has been described. Secondary bacterial pneumonia can follow the initial phase of viral respiratory infection or occur during the recovery phase. No obvious pattern or guidelines exist for viral co-infection, combined viral and bacterial pneumonia, or secondary bacterial pneumonia in COVID-19.

National Trends in Admission for Aspiration Pneumonia in the United States, 2002-2012.

Rationale: Aspiration pneumonia is a subset of pneumonias prevalent in elderly patients and patients with neurologic disorders. Researchers in previous studies mostly reported incidence and/or mortality rates based on regional data or in specific subgroups of patients. There is a paucity of nationwide data in the contemporary U.