Use of intravenous proton-pump inhibitors in a teaching hospital practice.

Objective: To evaluate intravenous proton-pump inhibitor (IV PPI) prescribing in a single academic teaching hospital.

Methods: A retrospective pilot study of 107 patients in a single United States military teaching hospital was conducted over a 1-month period. Clinical data were collected and analyzed for demographic features, prior medication use, admission hemoglobin level, service prescribing the IV PPI, indication for IV PPI, IV PPI treatment duration, gastroenterology consultant use, endoscopic findings, and blood products given.

Improved visualization of aortic intima-media thickening with the use of perflutren lipid microspheres.

Background: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has been used to diagnose atherosclerotic disease for patients who present with systemic embolic events. The primary aim of this study was to assess the supplemental value of echocardiographic contrast to standard TEE in identifying the aortic intima-medial thickness.

Methods: An aorta phantom was used to validate the accuracy of border delineation with and without contrast during TEE imaging.