January 2011


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Making nice

Most hospitalists have both good and bad stories about their interactions with outpatient physicians.

On the alert for a quiet killer

Patients developing sepsis may go undiagnosed because the early symptoms can be subtle or suggest other disorders.

M&M conferences get swept up in QI trend

M##amp;M conferences now increasingly focus on the underlying causes of errors and what can be learned from them.

When hospitalists stay longer, patients leave sooner

A study indicates that fragmentation of care negatively affects length of stay. The lead author talks about his findings.

Spreading the word about glucose control

SSM St. Mary's Health Center, a 525-bed teaching hospital in St. Louis, Mo., implements a comprehensive program to improve glucose control.

When you look, but don't see the diagnosis

Gradual yet significant change in a woman's appearance, first noticed by a daughter she hadn't seen for a year, leads to the diagnosis of a common yet frequently missed ailment.

Letter from the Editor

This issue includes stories on PCP-hospitalist relationships, morbidity and mortality conferences, sepsis, and more.

Clarification

A profile in our November 2010 Top Docs feature needs clarification.

The fantasy hospitalist league

What if there were a fantasy league for hospitalists?

Rejection

It was another lonely Saturday night, with only a pint of Rocky Road to keep me company.

Sepsis: SIRS due to an infection

The current definition of sepsis is not well known by most physicians. Many think a diagnosis requires positive blood cultures and is associated with an extremely grim prognosis, but this is no longer so.

Test yourself: Sepsis

These cases and commentary, which address sepsis, are excerpted from ACP's Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program (MKSAP15).

New injectable antibiotic approved, infusers recalled

Details on the approval of ceftaroline fosamil, and more.

Journal watch: Recent studies of note

Oral low-dose steroids for COPD exacerbations, and more.

In the News

Communicating cancer diagnoses, guidance on prescribing clopidogrel, and more.