Focused transthoracic echocardiography during critical care medicine training: curriculum implementation and evaluation of proficiency*.

Objectives: We designed and implemented a focused transthoracic echocardiography curriculum for critical care medicine fellows participating in 1- and 2-year training programs. We quantitatively evaluated their proficiency in focused transthoracic echocardiography.

Design: Prospective study evaluating curriculum implementation and objective assessment of focused transthoracic echocardiography proficiency.

The association between sepsis and potential medical injury among hospitalized patients.

Background: Patient safety remains a national priority, but the role of disease-specific characteristics in safety is not well characterized.

Methods: We identified potentially preventable medical injuries using patient safety indicators (PSIs) and annual data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between 2003 and 2007. We compared the rate of selected PSIs among patients hospitalized with and without sepsis.

Adverse outcomes associated with delayed intensive care unit transfers in an integrated healthcare system.

Background: Patients with intensive care unit (ICU) transfers from hospital wards have higher mortality than those directly admitted from the emergency department.

Objective: To describe the association between the timing of unplanned ICU transfers and hospital outcomes.

Design, Setting, Patients: Evaluation of 6369 early (within 24 hours of hospital admission) unplanned ICU transfer cases and matched directly admitted ICU controls from an integrated healthcare system.