12 research outputs found

    The international hospital medicine scene

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    Proceso de alta hospitalaria, revisión de la literatura

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    Discharge is one of the most important processes that hospitalized patients must endure. This process is complex, requires coordination among several professionals and transfers an overwhelming amount of information to patients. Often, it is limited to the writing of the discharge summary, with a primary emphasis on the drug list. Since the rise of hospitalism in 1996, a greater emphasis has been placed on understanding this process and in developing interventions to make it more effective and safe. In our country, little is known about how this process is taking place. Probably the absence of financial penalties for readmissions has influenced in the lack of study and development of this process. In the USA the knowledge of the discharge process is well advanced, and several strategies have been developed for reducing adverse events, medication errors, and 30-days readmissions. Other interventions have increased patient satisfaction and the degree of knowledge about their conditions. The aim of this paper is to do a comprehensive review of the literature, to provide healthcare teams with various tools that could improve both the discharge process as well as the discharge summary. The final objective is to optimize the safety and satisfaction of our patients and the hospital metrics of quality

    Postoperative Cardiac Complications

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    This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Myocardial Ischemia/MI Arrhythmias CHF Conclusion Reference

    Non-Traumatic Spontaneous Spinal Subdural Hematoma in a Patient with Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation During Treatment with Rivaroxaban

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    Spontaneous spinal subdural hematoma (SSDH) is a rare but disabling condition, accounting for only 4.1% of all intraspinal hematomas. Risk factors include arteriovenous malformations, coagulopathy, therapeutic anticoagulation, underlying neoplasms, or following spinal puncture. Vitamin K antagonists, antiplatelet agents, and heparinoids have been associated with SSDHs in prior reports. To the best of our knowledge, no cases have reported this association with the factor Xa inhibitor, rivaroxaban, and SSDHs. We report the case of a 69-year-old Honduran man with a 5-year history of symptomatic palpitations due to non-valvular atrial fibrillation. He was initially refractory to pharmacologic therapy. He underwent cardioversion in February 2014. After cardioversion, he remained asymptomatic on flecainide. He was anticoagulated on rivaroxaban 20 mg daily without incident since early 2013 until presentation in August 2014. He presented with sudden onset of excruciating upper and lower back pain after minimal movement. This was immediately followed by bilateral lower extremity paresis rapidly progressing to paraplegia with bowel and bladder dysfunction over 15 minutes. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an acute spinal subdural hematoma extending from T3 inferiorly to the conus medullaris. Six months after undergoing cervical and lumbar drainage procedures, he has not recovered bowel, bladder, or lower extremity neurologic function. Non-traumatic spontaneous spinal subdural hematoma is a rare neurological emergency that may occur during the use of rivaroxaban in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Physicians should suspect SSDH in patients on rivaroxaban with acute onset of severe back pain and neurologic symptoms to improve the odds of a favorable outcome

    Hospitalist Handoffs: A Systematic Review and Task Force Recommendations

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    BACKGROUND: Handoffs are ubiquitous to Hospital Medicine and considered a vulnerable time for patient safety. PURPOSE: To develop recommendations for hospitalist handoffs during shift change and service change. DATA SOURCES: PubMed (through January 2007), AHRQ Patient Safety Network, white papers, and hand search of article bibliographies. STUDY SELECTION: Controlled studies evaluating interventions to improve in-hospital handoffs (n = 10). DATA EXTRACTION: Studies were abstracted for design, setting, target, outcomes (including patient, staff, or system level outcomes), and relevance to hospitalists. DATA SYNTHESIS: Although there were no studies of hospitalist handoffs, the existing literature from related disciplines and expert opinion support the use of a verbal handoff supplemented with written documentation in a structured format or technology solution. Technology solutions were associated with a reduction in preventable adverse events, improved satisfaction with handoff quality, and improved provider identification. Nursing studies demonstrate that supplementing verbal exchange with a written medium leads to improved retention of information. White papers characterized effective verbal exchange as focusing on ill patients and actions required, with time for questions and minimal interruptions. In addition, content should be updated daily to ensure communication of the latest clinical information. Using this literature, recommendations for hospitalist handoffs are presented with corresponding levels of evidence. Recommendations were reviewed by hospitalists at the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) Annual Meeting and by an interdisciplinary team of expert consultants and were endorsed by the SHM governing Board. CONCLUSIONS: The systematic review and resulting recommendations provide hospitalists a starting point from which to improve in-hospital handoffs
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