The management of suspected heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in US hospitals.

Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) vary between hospitals. Recent guidelines recommend initiating alternative anticoagulant therapy in patients with suspected HIT while awaiting laboratory test results confirming the presence of heparin-PF-4 antibodies (PF-4). This retrospective chart review was designed to assess the current state of management of patients with thrombocytopenia suspected to be due to HIT at 26 US hospitals.

The impact of do-not-resuscitate order on triage decisions to a medical intensive care unit.

Purpose: To determine whether the presence of a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order impacts on triage decisions to a medical intensive care unit (MICU) of an academic medical center.

Methods: Data were collected on 179 patients in whom MICU consultation was sought and included demographic, clinical information, diagnoses, ICU admission decision, Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, and the presence of DNR order. Functional status was determined retrospectively using the Modified Rankin Score.