Proficiency in identifying, managing and communicating medical errors: feasibility and validity study assessing two core competencies.

Background: Communication skills and professionalism are two competencies in graduate medical education that are challenging to evaluate. We aimed to develop, test and validate a de novo instrument to evaluate these two competencies.

Methods: Using an Objective Standardized Clinical Examination (OSCE) based on a medication error scenario, we developed an assessment instrument that focuses on distinctive domains [context of discussion, communication and detection of error, management of error, empathy, use of electronic medical record (EMR) and electronic medical information resources (EMIR), and global rating].

Applying quality improvement methods in a hyperbaric oxygen program: reducing unnecessary glucose testing.

Objective: To describe the implementation of a quality improvement (QI) project that aimed at improving and standardizing glucose checks on patients with diabetes undergoing hyperbaric oxygen (HBO₂) therapy.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study. Following the Model for Improvement, nurses and physicians ran several Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles over a four-month period, with multiple iteration and testing changes.

The incidence of hypoglycemia during HBO2 therapy: A retrospective review.

Background: Hypoglycemia is concerning in patients with diabetes undergoing hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy. We aimed to estimate the incidence, risk factors and a pretreatment glucose threshold of HBO2-associated hypoglycemia.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated a patient cohort undergoing HBO2 therapy.

Preemployment screening for tuberculosis in a large health care setting: comparison of the tuberculin skin test and a whole-blood interferon-γ release assay.

Objective: Determine the performance of an interferon-γ release assay in a health care occupational surveillance program.

Methods: From January 11, 2005, through January 31, 2006, all new employees (n = 652) undergoing standard, preemployment evaluation at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota were evaluated for tuberculosis using a standard process of symptom screening combined with tuberculin skin test (TST) and QuantiFERON-TB Gold test (QFT-G).

Results: Comparing the results of QFT-G directly to TST, QFT-G showed an overall agreement of 92.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for chronic refractory osteomyelitis of the sternum.

This report describes a 32-year-old woman with chronic refractory osteomyelitis of the sternum after multiple surgical procedures including a sternotomy with underlying colonic interposition that was successfully managed with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The clinical course is reviewed, and the complexities of this diagnosis are then discussed, including a brief review of the mechanisms of management with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

The prevention and treatment of pertussis.

Since 2004, more than 25,000 cases of pertussis have been reported in the United States each year. Symptoms in adults range from mild cough to severe persistent cough with posttussive emesis. The characteristic paroxysmal cough (whoop) may be absent, and the diagnosis is often missed, especially when the cough is mild.