An Analysis of Exposure Keratopathy Cases to Promote Changes in Eye Care Practice in Intensive Care Units.

Exposure keratopathy (EK) is corneal damage from prolonged environmental exposure. If untreated, EK can lead to corneal scarring and/or blindness. Critically ill patients are at high risk.

Weekend Admission Does Not Confer an Increased Risk of Mortality in Septic Shock.

To investigate the impact of weekend admission on mortality for patients with septic shock. Retrospective cohort study of adults in the 2017 to 2018 National Inpatient Sample coded as R65.21 (severe sepsis with septic shock) within the first 3 diagnosis codes according to the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases.

A Comparison of Usage and Outcomes Between Nurse Practitioner and Resident-Staffed Medical ICUs.

Objective: To compare usage patterns and outcomes of a nurse practitioner-staffed medical ICU and a resident-staffed physician medical ICU.

Design: Retrospective chart review of 1,157 medical ICU admissions from March 2012 to February 2013.

Setting: Large urban academic university hospital.

Improving Antibiotic De-Escalation in Suspected Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: An Observational Study With a Pharmacist-Driven Intervention.

Background: Recommendations for treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) emphasize early empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics. However, appropriate antibiotic de-escalation is also critical for optimal patient care.

Materials And Methods: We examined how often intensivists in our institution appropriately de-escalated antibiotics in cases of suspected VAP, and whether decision support by intensive care unit pharmacists could improve rates of antibiotic targeting and early antibiotic discontinuation in low-risk patients.

In-hospital fellow coverage reduces communication errors in the surgical intensive care unit.

Background: Staff coverage strategies of intensive care units (ICUs) impact clinical outcomes. High-intensity staff coverage strategies are associated with lower morbidity and mortality. Accessible clinical expertise, team work, and effective communication have all been attributed to the success of this coverage strategy.

Postoperative antibacterial prophylaxis for the prevention of infectious complications associated with tube thoracostomy in patients undergoing elective general thoracic surgery: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial.

Objective: To determine whether extended postoperative antibacterial prophylaxis for patients undergoing elective thoracic surgery with tube thoracostomy reduces the risk of infectious complications compared with preoperative prophylaxis only.

Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Setting: Brigham and Women's Hospital, an 800-bed tertiary care teaching hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

Candidaemia associated with decreased in vitro fluconazole susceptibility: is Candida speciation predictive of the susceptibility pattern?

Background: Candidaemia is often treated with fluconazole in the absence of susceptibility testing. We examined factors associated with candidaemia caused by Candida isolates with reduced susceptibility to fluconazole.

Methods: We identified consecutive episodes of candidaemia at two hospitals from 2001 to 2007.

Measuring communication in the surgical ICU: better communication equals better care.

Background: The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations reports that communication breakdowns are responsible for 85% of sentinel events in hospitals. Patients in surgical ICUs are the most vulnerable to communication errors. Fellows and residents are an integral part of the surgical ICU team, but little is known about resident-fellow communication and its impact on surgical ICU patient outcomes.