Factors Influencing Provider Efficiency—or Inefficiency—in the ED Key point: Emergency department study on provider efficiency has relevance to urgent care. Citation: Bobb MR, Ahmed A, Van Heukelom P, et al. Which practices make for efficient emergency department providers? Acad Emerg Med. December 18, 2017. [Epub ahead of print] This mixed-methods study published in Academic Emergency Medicine identified five practices/behaviors that increased provider efficiency in the emergency room and two practices that did not. What makes some …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care – April 2018
ACP Eases Up on A1c Ceiling for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Key point: The American College of Physicians suggests slightly higher hemoglobin A1c target levels for patients with type 2 diabetes. Citation: Qaseem A, Wilt TJ, Kansagara D, et al. Hemoglobin A1CÂ targets for glycemic control with pharmacologic therapy for nonpregnant adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a guidance statement update from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. March 6, 2018. [Epub ahead …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care – March 2018
Confirmed Flu Ups Short-Term Risk for MI Key point: Â Patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza are almost six times more likely to be admitted for acute myocardial infarction (MI) in the following 7 days. Citation: Kwong JC, Schwartz KL, Campitelli MA, et al. Acute myocardial infarction after laboratory-confirmed influenza infection. N Engl J Med. 2018;378(4):345-353. Results of a cohort study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza were almost six …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care – February 2018
Revisiting Parameters for Treating Hypertension Key point: New guidelines have lower thresholds for diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. Citation: Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al. 2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/ NMA/PCNA Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Hypertension. [Epub ahead of print November 13, 2017] The 2017 American College of Cardiology/American …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care – December 2017
GLENN HARNETT, MD Innovative Rapid Tests Show Promise in Influenza Key point: Novel DIAs and rapid NAATs had markedly higher sensitivities for influenza A and B in both children and adults than did traditional RIDTs, with equally high specificities. Citation: Merckx J, Wali R, Schiller I et al. Diagnostic accuracy of novel and traditional rapid tests for influenza infection compared with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2017;167(6):394-409. …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care – November 2017
Brain Study Suggests a Link Between CTE and Football—Even Among Youths Key point: A high proportion of deceased players of American football showed pathological evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, suggesting that CTE may be related to prior participation in football. Citation: Mez J, Daneshvar DH, Kiernan PT, et al. Clinicopathological evaluation of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in players of American football. JAMA. 2017;318(4):360–370. This widely referenced JAMA study presents a convenience sample of 202 deceased players of …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care October 2017
Validating a Quantitative EEG-Based Brain Function Index Key point: A novel EEG-based point of care, handheld, and noninvasive head injury assessment device, utilizing an index based on EEG measures reflective of concussion, was demonstrated to provide a quantitative index of brain function impairment in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Citation: Hanley D, Prichep LS, Badjatia N, et al. A brain electrical activity (EEG) based biomarker of functional impairment in traumatic head injury: a multisite validation …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care- September 2017
Finding New Pathways that Protect Head Injury Patients Key point: Using an EEG-based biomarker in adult patients has potential benefit. Citation: Hanley D, Prichep LS, Bazarian J, et al. Emergency department triage of traumatic head injury using a brain electrical activity biomarker: a multisite prospective observational validation trial. Acad Emerg Med. 2017;24(5):617-627. Prior studies estimate that traumatic head injury (TBI) accounts for over 2.5 million ED visits annually in the U.S., also revealing that ED …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care – July 2017
Tracking Antibiotic Prescriptions for Nonbacterial Acute URI Key point: Patients were more likely to receive prescriptions from mid- or late-career physicians and from those with higher daily patient volumes. Citation: Silverman M, et al. Antibiotic prescribing for nonbacterial acute respiratory infections in elderly persons. Ann Intern Med. [Epub ahead of print May 9, 2017] This retrospective analysis of linked administrative health care data was drawn from 8,990 primary care physicians and 185,014 patients who presented …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care – June 2017
New Data Measure Risks with Oral Corticosteroids Key point: Remember—all medications have risks! Citation: Waljee AK, Rogers MA, Lin P, et al. Short term use of oral corticosteroids and related harms among adults in the United States: population based cohort study. BMJ. 2017;357:j1415. This cohort study looks at patients with short-term steroid use (<30 days) and potential complications at 30 and 90 days out. Endpoints included fracture, sepsis, and blood clot. This study included 1.5 …
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