Comparison of emergency department to hospital antibiograms: Influence of patient risk factors on susceptibility.

Objectives: Traditional antibiograms use local resistance patterns and susceptibility data to guide empiric antimicrobial therapy selection. However, antibiograms are rarely unit-specific and do not account for patient-specific risk factors.

Methods: This retrospective, single-center descriptive study used culture and susceptibility data from January 1 to December 31, 2016 to develop an Emergency Department (ED)-specific antibiogram and compare the antimicrobial susceptibilities of the most commonly identified organisms to the hospital antibiogram.

Similar health economic outcomes in low-risk and high-risk malnourished inpatients as screened by the Malnutrition Screening Tool after delivery of oral nutritional supplements.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether modified low- and high-risk Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) scores (2 versus >2, respectively) were independently predictive of health economic outcomes.

Methods: We analyzed data from a recent nutrition-based quality improvement program (QIP) that prescribed daily oral nutritional supplements for all hospitalized adults at risk for malnutrition. In the original study, an electronic medical records-based MST was administered at the time of admission, and patients were classified as "low risk" or "high risk" for malnutrition based on MST scores (2 versus ≥2).

Factors Associated with Inpatient Thoracentesis Procedure Quality at University Hospitals.

Background: Physicians increasingly refer thoracentesis procedures to interventional radiology (IR) rather than performing them at the bedside. Factors associated with thoracentesis procedures at university hospitals were studied to determine clinical outcomes by provider specialty.

Methods: An administrative database review was performed of patients who underwent an inpatient thoracentesis procedure in hospitals participating in the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) Database from January 2010 through September 2013.

Defining a mismatch: differences in usage of social networking sites between medical students and the faculty who teach them.

Background: Use of social networking sites (SNS) by medical students is increasing, and some students lack awareness of pitfalls arising from the intersection of social networking and medicine. Many institutions have developed guidelines on using SNS, but they are insufficient for students. Educators need new methods to train students on the appropriate use of this technology, but more information is needed before implementing change.

Cost savings of performing paracentesis procedures at the bedside after simulation-based education.

Introduction: Paracentesis procedures are increasingly performed in interventional radiology (IR) rather than at the bedside, and there are few comparative effectiveness data on safety or cost. There is also no consensus about the need for blood product transfusions before the procedure. In a previous study, we reported that the selection of procedure location was largely discretionary and that bedside procedures had equal or better outcomes than IR procedures.

Specialties performing paracentesis procedures at university hospitals: implications for training and certification.

Background: Paracentesis procedure competency is not required for internal medicine or family medicine board certification, and national data show these procedures are increasingly referred to interventional radiology (IR). However, practice patterns at university hospitals are less clear.

Objective: To evaluate which specialties perform paracentesis procedures at university hospitals, compare characteristics of patients within each specialty, and evaluate length of stay (LOS) and hospital costs.