By: James Pitt  Aug. 13, 2018

Hospitalized patients are at greater risk of venous thromboembolism than the general population, in part because immobility increases VTE risk. According to the CDC report on healthcare-associated VTE, up to 70% of HA-VTE cases are preventable.

By: James Pitt  Aug. 10, 2018

Baroreflex activation therapy is an experimental treatment for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. A device called the BAROSTIM NEO, developed by CVRx, is currently recruiting for clinical trial (NCT02627196), with final results on heart failure morbidity and mortality expected in 2021. Preliminary results as of August 2017 include reduced heart failure hospitalization and reduced blood pressure.

By: James Pitt  Aug. 09, 2018

Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is a major risk of coronary bypass surgery (CABG). Incidence estimates vary greatly depending on study methodology, from 5 to 40% of patients. Among 49,264 patients who underwent CABG from 2001-2012 in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons database, 19% had new-onset atrial fibrillation.

By: James Pitt  Aug. 06, 2018

Severe sepsis kills 15 to 30% of the million Americans affected per year, according to NIH estimates. Septic shock accounts for a large share of those deaths.

By: James Pitt  Aug. 02, 2018

Sepsis is a condition in which an infection triggers a bodywide response. Diagnostic criteria include elevated body temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate, according to the Mayo Clinic. Terminology around sepsis can be blurry, and has shifted over time. The latest edition of the Merck Manual defines septic shock as sepsis that causes dangerously low blood pressure.

By: James Pitt  Jul. 30, 2018

Osteoporosis is a common disease of aging, associated with weakened bones. Bone fractures are associated with higher subsequent mortality. According to University of Washington Medicine, “The one-year mortality following a hip fracture is 12 to 24%. It is estimated that 14% of deaths following a hip or pelvic fracture in previously ambulatory women were caused or hastened by the fracture.”

By: James Pitt  Jul. 27, 2018

Heart failure causes patients to retain fluids: the heart can no longer pump with enough strength to move large volumes efficiently. This is why patients with heart failure should avoid too much fluid or salt intake.

By: James Pitt  Jul. 26, 2018

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common and often preventable condition in which a blood clot forms, breaks loose, and lodges elsewhere. A June 26, 2018 study in Journal of the American Heart Association by Secemsky et. al analyzed CMS data on all-cause readmissions after VTE discharges from 2010-2014. From 2010-2014, 17.5% of patients discharged alive after acute VTE were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. Secemsky et. al attribute a total $10 billion in annual US healthcare costs to VTE, and report that these 30-day readmissions account for “a nationally weighted annual cost totaling $1.44 billion.”

By: James Pitt  Jul. 25, 2018

Mortality rates are the most important outcome in sepsis patients. However, outcomes short of mortality matter both for patient well-being and for hospital costs.

By: James Pitt  Jul. 23, 2018

Fluid balance is a measure of whether a patient has excess, or insufficient, fluid relative to electrolytes. Fluid balance affects mortality in sepsis; early fluid administration saves lives, but later positive fluid balance is associated with higher mortality. According to the nonprofit Sepsis Alliance, sepsis is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals. However, it is challenging to assess how solutions to fluid imbalance will improve patient outcomes.