Disorganized care: the findings of an iterative, in-depth analysis of surgical morbidity and mortality.

Introduction: Performance improvement driven by the review of surgical morbidity and mortality is often limited to critiques of individual cases with a focus on individual errors. Little attention has been given to an analysis of why a decision seemed right at the time or to lower-level root causes. The application of scientific performance improvement has the potential to bring to light deeper levels of understanding of surgical decision-making, care processes, and physician psychology.

A disciplined approach to implementation of evidence-based practices decreases ICU and hospital length of stay in traumatically injured patients.

Background: Evidence-based medicine has gained wide acceptance in practice of medicine since the 1990s. The objective of our study was to demonstrate the effect of evidence-based critical care practices on ICU and hospital length of stay in mechanically ventilated trauma patients.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective cohort using historic controls.

Frequency and severity of systemic disease in patients with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus.

Objective: To compare the frequency and severity of systemic disease in patients with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) followed up in a dermatology practice vs patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) followed up in a rheumatology practice.

Design: Case-control comparison of patients matched for age, sex, and ethnicity.

Setting: University-affiliated dermatology and rheumatology practices.