Discharge Instructions for Concussion: Are We Meeting the Patient Needs?

Education to improve symptom management is an agreed-upon strategy to reduce the impact of symptoms on the quality of life for persons with mild traumatic brain injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether current discharge education practices are deemed adequate by persons treated and released from the emergency department with concussion. A review of current literature identified a need for patient education improvements in emergency departments.

Widespread dissemination of CTX-M-15 genotype extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing enterobacteriaceae among patients presenting to community hospitals in the southeastern United States.

Extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing organisms are increasingly prevalent. We determined the characteristics of 66 consecutive ESBL-producing isolates from six community hospitals in North Carolina and Virginia from 2010 to 2012. Fifty-three (80%) ESBL-producing isolates contained CTX-M enzymes; CTX-M-15 was found in 68% of Escherichia coli and 73% of Klebsiella isolates.

The capillary index score: rethinking the acute ischemic stroke treatment algorithm. Results from the Borgess Medical Center Acute Ischemic Stroke Registry.

Background: Despite increased recanalization rates in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, the percentage of patients with a good clinical outcome of all those treated has not risen above 50%. This 50% barrier may be broken by improving the criteria for treatment selection. This study investigated the addition of the capillary index score (CIS), a new index for assessing remaining viable tissue in the ischemic area, to the existing criteria.

Vertebral artery ostium atherosclerotic plaque as a potential source of posterior circulation ischemic stroke: result from borgess medical center vertebral artery ostium stenting registry.

Background And Purpose: Although atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid and coronary arteries is accepted as a cause of ischemia, vertebral artery ostium (VAO) atherosclerotic plaque is not widely recognized as a source of ischemic stroke. We seek to demonstrate its implication in some posterior circulation ischemia.

Methods: This is a nonrandomized, prospective, single-center registry on consecutive patients presenting with posterior circulation ischemia who underwent VAO stenting for significant atherosclerotic stenosis.

The network approach for prevention of healthcare-associated infections: long-term effect of participation in the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network.

Objective: To describe the rates of several key outcomes and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) among hospitals that participated in the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network (DICON).

Design And Setting: Prospective, observational cohort study of patients admitted to 24 community hospitals from 2003 through 2009.

Methods: The following data were collected and analyzed: incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), and HAIs caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); employee exposures to bloodborne pathogens (EBBPs); physician EBBPs; patient-days; central line-days; ventilator-days; and urinary catheter-days.