In the News

Elevations in troponin T levels, but not changes, associated with mortality in sepsis patients

The results call into question the value of serial troponin T testing in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock, the study authors said.

No association seen between red blood cell transfusion, mortality in sepsis

Receiving a transfusion was associated with higher risk of ICU-acquired infection and severe hypoxemia among the study cohort of French ICU patients with sepsis.

Corticosteroids may shorten hospital stay in community-acquired pneumonia

Patients who were randomized to corticosteroids had a shorter duration of IV antibiotics than those on placebo, but they also had more hyperglycemia and readmissions, according to a meta-analysis.

Readmission risk differs when same Medicare patients admitted to different hospitals

The results may reassure the public, policymakers, and clinicians that the signal of quality from the hospital-wide readmission measure is valid and can be used as a means to benchmark performance, the authors said.

ACP reaffirms opposition to physician-assisted suicide

The College noted that there are arguments on both sides of the issue but concluded that the ethical arguments against legalization of physician-assisted suicide “remain the most compelling.”

September ACP Hospitalist now online and in the mail

The latest issue includes articles on launching mentorship programs, diagnosing Legionnaire's disease, and predicting severity of acute pancreatitis.

Put words in our mouth

ACP Hospitalist Weekly wants readers to create captions for our new cartoon and help choose the winner. Pen the winning caption and win a $50 gift certificate good toward any ACP product, program, or service.