A Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Duplicate Inflammatory Marker Use.

Introduction: Inflammatory markers (IMs) are often ordered in multiples, even though evidence suggests that this does not add any clinical benefit. The project aimed to reduce the number of duplicate IMs for patients by 10% in 12 months.

Methods: We implemented a quality improvement (QI) project at our hospital, focusing on patients admitted to the pediatric hospital medicine service.

Promoting Choosing Wisely Thyroid Function Test Guidelines in a Large Pediatric Hospital System.

Background: Free thyroxine (fT4) is often ordered when not indicated. The goal of the current study was to use quality improvement tools to identify and implement an optimal approach to reduce inappropriate fT4 testing throughout a large pediatric hospital system.

Methods: After reviewing evidence-based guidelines and best practices, a thyroid-stimulating hormone with reflex to fT4 test and an outpatient thyroid order panel with clinical decision support at order entry, along with several rounds of provider education and feedback, were implemented.

Lessons of the month 1: Shoshin beriberi: A case report of fulminant cardiovascular collapse, intractable hyperlactatemia and deteriorating consciousness.

Shoshin beriberi is a fulminant variant of thiamine deficiency, often presenting with severe lactic acidosis and cardiogenic shock. Due to the sparsity of this condition, delays in diagnosis can lead to fatality. However, rapid reversal of symptoms can be easily achieved through intravenous thiamine replacement.

Diagnosis and outpatient management of Gitelman syndrome from the first trimester of pregnancy.

A 32-year-old woman presented with an incidental finding of hypokalaemia on routine bloods at 9 weeks of a second pregnancy, on a background of lifelong salt craving. Her previous pregnancy was uncomplicated. She had no previous significant medical or family history.

Lessons of the month 2: McKittrick-Wheelock syndrome: Case report of a patient declining resection of a large villous adenoma.

McKittrick-Wheelock syndrome (MWS) is a rare cause of acute kidney injury and electrolyte depletion. It is driven by a secretory tumour or polyp of the distal large colon. Although rare, it is a diagnosis that must be considered in patients presenting with the above conditions.

Osteoradionecrosis of the skull base.

Radiation therapy (RT) is often necessary for the treatment of head and neck cancers. Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a rare, but potentially serious complication of RT. RT leads to the destruction of vasculature in radiated tissue causing hypoxia and tissue necrosis.

L-carnitine supplementation as a potential therapy for suspected hyperammonaemic encephalopathy.

A 44-year-old female, with a background of cerebral palsy, epilepsy and learning disabilities, presented with multiple seizures and a persistently reduced consciousness level secondary to valproate-induced hyperammonaemic encephalopathy (plasma levels >50 µg/dl). Withdrawal of valproate and subsequent infusion of L-carnitine led to full recovery. Nonhepatic hyperammonaemia has been shown to be effectively treated by intravenous L-carnitine therapy by a series of case reports.

Stress cardiomyopathy (Takotsubo) following radioactive iodine therapy.

Summary: A 55-year-old female patient presented to the endocrine clinic with Grave's disease. She was initially treated with carbimazole. After an early relapse, a decision was made to proceed with radioactive iodine therapy.

Principles and application of LIMS in mouse clinics.

Large-scale systemic mouse phenotyping, as performed by mouse clinics for more than a decade, requires thousands of mice from a multitude of different mutant lines to be bred, individually tracked and subjected to phenotyping procedures according to a standardised schedule. All these efforts are typically organised in overlapping projects, running in parallel. In terms of logistics, data capture, data analysis, result visualisation and reporting, new challenges have emerged from such projects.

Effectiveness and safety of the awakening and breathing coordination, delirium monitoring/management, and early exercise/mobility bundle.

Objective: The debilitating and persistent effects of ICU-acquired delirium and weakness warrant testing of prevention strategies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of implementing the Awakening and Breathing Coordination, Delirium monitoring/management, and Early exercise/mobility bundle into everyday practice.

Design: Eighteen-month, prospective, cohort, before-after study conducted between November 2010 and May 2012.

Implementing the awakening and breathing coordination, delirium monitoring/management, and early exercise/mobility bundle into everyday care: opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned for implementing the ICU Pain, Agitation, and Delirium Guidelines.

Objective: The awakening and breathing coordination, delirium monitoring/management, and early exercise/mobility bundle is an evidence-based interprofessional multicomponent strategy for minimizing sedative exposure, reducing duration of mechanical ventilation, and managing ICU-acquired delirium and weakness. The purpose of this study was to identify facilitators and barriers to awakening and breathing coordination, delirium monitoring/management, and early exercise/mobility bundle adoption and to evaluate the extent to which bundle implementation was effective, sustainable, and conducive to dissemination.

Design: Prospective, before-after, mixed-methods study.

Reducing the incidence of post-dural puncture headache.

First reported in 1898, post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) remains a significant clinical issue. Here, we present a brief case history and a summary of the current evidence for methods to reduce PDPH rates, along with the experience in our department of implementing these methods in clinical practice. The key points to note are that needle design, gauge and orientation, as well as stylet reinsertion, are factors known to affect the incidence of PDPH, and that there is no evidence to support the use of hydration and bed rest to reduce headache following dural puncture.