April 2014


One consideration with contact precautions is that they increase health care waste Photo by Thinkstock

Contesting contact precautions

The debate over best practice may leave hospitalists wondering in which camp they and their hospitals belong.

Stroke units: Not just for big hospitals anymore

Evidence is mounting that they result in better care and little if any additional cost.

Patients with pumps

Potentially difficult negotiations are just one of the issues that can arise.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever: What should a hospitalist know?

The absolute number of diagnosed cases per year may be underreported due to the difficulty in diagnostic confirmation and misdiagnosis.

Getting with the C. difficile guidelines

Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Ohio improved C. diff treatment by instituting a formal stewardship initiative.

An unusual state of hospital finances

An independent commission sets hospital charges, with the same prices for all payers.

Diagnostic documentation for oncology patients

Two common and serious conditions are associated with malignancy and cancer treatment: pancytopenia and sepsis/systemic inflammatory response syndrome.

Vital signs are vital: Sphygmology

There is much more to checking a pulse than noting its presence or absence.

ICD-10: Risk or opportunity?

An expert offers steps to better prepare for the switch to ICD-10.

Letter from the Editor

This month's issue includes a cover story on contact precautions, features on stroke units and insulin pumps, and an Expert Analysis on Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

MKSAP quiz on insulin

These cases and commentary, which focus on insulin, are excerpted from ACP's Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program (MKSAP16).

Cardiac risks of testosterone, saxagliptin under investigation

Details on the latest recalls, warnings, and label changes, as well as drug and device approvals.

Recent Research

Blood pressure after stroke, mortality risk prediction, and more.

In the News

Multivitamins after first heart attack, acetylcysteine for acetaminophen poisoning, and more.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever: What should a hospitalist know?

The debate over best practice may leave hospitalists wondering in which camp they and their hospitals belong.