Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Critical Care for August 2012. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
National Test Identifies Barriers to Organ Donation
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29 (HealthDay News) -- A national test of the Rapid Assessment of Hospital Procurement Barriers in Donation (RAPiD) has identified specific barriers to organ donation and patient referral, according to a study published online Aug. 17 in the American Journal of Transplantation.
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No 30-Day Mortality Reduction With Intraaortic Balloon Pump
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction, for whom early revascularization strategy is planned, intraaortic balloon counterpulsation does not significantly lower 30-day mortality, according to a study published online Aug. 27 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with presentation at the annual European Society of Cardiology Congress, held from Aug. 25 to 29 in Munich.
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New Diagnostic Definition of Myocardial Infarction Issued
TUESDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- An updated universal definition of myocardial infarction (MI) includes detection of a rise and/or fall in cardiac biomarker values, preferably cardiac troponin (cTn), according to a statement published online Aug. 26 in Circulation to coincide with presentation at the annual European Society of Cardiology Congress, held from Aug. 25 to 29 in Munich.
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In Acute Ischemic Stroke, New Devices Top Merci Retriever
MONDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- New devices may be superior to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved Merci Retriever for flow restoration in acute ischemic stroke, according to two studies published online Aug. 26 in The Lancet to coincide with presentation at the annual European Society of Cardiology Congress, held from Aug. 25 to 29 in Munich.
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Sequencing Identifies Spread of Deadly Bacterial Outbreak
THURSDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDay News) -- A drug-resistant bacterial strain that caused a serious outbreak resulting in deaths has been traced back to the original patient, and transmission patterns have been identified based on sequencing the genomes of the bacterial isolates, according to research published in the Aug. 22 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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Neti Pots Linked to Deaths From Amebic Infection
THURSDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Two patients who died of an amebic infection had no history of freshwater exposure but had ameba in their household plumbing and used a nasal irrigation device for sinus problems, according to a study published online Aug. 22 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
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Mortality Rates Down for Adult Trauma Patients in Last Decade
THURSDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDay News) -- The mortality rate for adult patients admitted to trauma centers in Pennsylvania has declined over the past decade, according to research published in the August issue of the Archives of Surgery.
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Drug-Eluting Stents Lead to Fewer Adverse Cardiac Events
TUESDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Among ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients, the use of biolimus-eluting stents with biodegradable polymer results in a lower rate of major adverse cardiac events, compared with patients with bare-metal stents, at one year following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), according to a study published in the Aug. 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Better Parent-Physician Communication Needed in NICU
FRIDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Although most mothers of infants treated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) report that their discussions with NICU physicians have gone well, nearly half disagree with the doctor's assessment of the severity of their infant's illness, according to research published online Aug. 16 in the Journal of Perinatology.
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Poor Follow-Up of Hospital Tests Often Due to Late Orders
TUESDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Poor follow-up of test results at or after discharge from the hospital is often due to tests requested on the day of discharge, according to a letter to the editor published online Aug. 13 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Unsuspected PE Does Not Up Mortality Risk in Cancer Patients
MONDAY, Aug. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Cancer patients with an unsuspected pulmonary embolism (UPE) do not have an increased mortality risk and have a similar risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) to those with clinically suspected pulmonary embolism (PE), according to research published online July 27 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
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Clinicians Can Unintentionally Prompt Nocebo Effect
THURSDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The nocebo effect, or induction of a symptom perceived as negative by sham treatment and/or the suggestion of negative expectation, may arise from suggestions by doctors and nurses, according to a study published in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International.
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Multiple Factors Motivate No Reperfusion in STEMI
THURSDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- For patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the decision for no reperfusion is usually multifactorial, with the most common factor being advanced age, according to a study published in the Aug. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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Environmental Factors Affect Risk of Hypothermia in Trauma
THURSDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Aside from injury severity, environmental conditions are significant factors impacting the risk of onset of hypothermia in trauma patients being transported to the hospital by emergency medical services (EMS), according to a study published online July 31 in Critical Care.
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