Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
The risk of central venous catheter (CVC)-associated bloodstream infections has decreased dramatically.1 The same may not be true for infections associated with short-term peripheral venous catheters.2 The effects of future preventive efforts should be measured using data derived from evidence-based surveillance programs. Dube et al3 describe a multicenter, retrospective cohort study that assessed...
Posted 10 months ago
Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado
Rebecca J. Eisen
Rebecca J. Eisen
Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado
The article discusses the challenges in predicting Lyme disease risk due to incomplete and inconsistent data. Although Lyme disease incidence is increasing, accurate prediction models are hindered by gaps in tick distribution, infection prevalence, and human disease surveillance. The authors emphasize the need for more accurate and standardized data, particularly regarding the presence of infected...
Posted 10 months ago
Australian Centre for Heart Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
The study focuses on the emotional challenges faced by parents dealing with a prenatal congenital heart disease (CHD) diagnosis, particularly the uncertainty surrounding the condition’s severity and long-term impacts. It suggests integrating palliative care techniques to help pediatric cardiologists support families better. Key recommendations include using more positive terminology like “hear...
Posted 10 months ago
Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
Sabitova et al have performed an important service in compiling and summarizing 2 decades of studies on job burnout and satisfaction among physicians and dentists in middle-income countries and a few low-income countries. The authors followed a standard approach to performing a systematic review and meta-analysis to analyze studies that assessed job-related morale among physicians and dentists wor...
Posted 10 months ago
Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
Debra Friedman
Debra Friedman
Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
The study by Seow et al. explores the development of a patient-oriented prognostic tool to help patients with cancer understand their mortality and disease trajectory. It aims to improve end-of-life (EOL) care by empowering patients to make informed decisions aligned with their goals. The study highlights the importance of prognosis awareness, functional decline, and symptom monitoring in improvin...
Posted 10 months ago
National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
Emily B. Einstein
Emily B. Einstein
National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
The study by Akhtar and colleagues highlights the high rate of tobacco use (over 90%) among rural individuals who inject drugs, revealing the ongoing smoking epidemic in high-risk populations. Tobacco use is linked to social stressors like Medicaid insurance and homelessness. The study suggests that smoking cessation interventions have not effectively reached this group, and advocates for integrat...
Posted 10 months ago
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland
Electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) has limitations in detecting fetal hypoxia and acidemia, and clinicians often do not act on abnormal readings. Recent studies suggest that improving clinician training, refining monitoring algorithms, and establishing standardized protocols can help prevent neonatal encephalopathy. Despite its flaws, EFM presents opportunities to enhance neonatal outcomes through ...
Posted 10 months ago
Oxford Trauma, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
The study by Chung et al. shows that radiographic parameters of distal radius fractures have little association with patient-reported and objective functional outcomes. This suggests that surgeons should focus more on low-risk, effective interventions for returning patients to function rather than stressing precise anatomical restoration. Surgical procedures may still be necessary for severely dis...
Posted 10 months ago
Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Joel G. Ray
Joel G. Ray
Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The study highlights pregnancy's role in increasing the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), especially within the first 12 weeks postpartum. Key risk factors include chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia. Treatment strategies focus on blood pressure control, the use of low-dose aspirin for high-risk women, and managing coagulation issues. Timely diagnosis and neuroim...
Posted 10 months ago
Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
One of the greatest challenges in contemporary research on quality of care is to understand unexplained regional variation in physicians’ use of new medical treatments. Keating et al1 offer valuable new insight into this problem by studying physicians’ uptake of the biological cancer therapy bevacizumab. To identify the sources of variation, Keating et al1 developed a compelling new approach. ...
Posted 10 months ago
