Assessing Cancer With a Blood Draw

To draw or not to draw: drawing blood cultures from a potentially infected port site.

Assessing Self-efficacy for Coping with Cancer: Psychometric Analysis of the Cancer Behavior Inventory (CBI)

Introduction: Self-efficacy refers to an individual’s belief in their capacity to execute a specific behavior. Believing that individuals themselves are responsible for their health can lead to the adoption of health behaviors. This study aimed to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis of a Cancer Behavior Inventory (CBI) for Iranian female breast cancer patients. Methods: This was a descriptiv...

Neonatal Bilirubin Triage With Transcutaneous Meters: When is a Blood Draw Necessary?

ABBREVIATIONS HR: high risk NPV: negative predictive value TcB: transcutaneous bilirubin TSB: total serum bilirubin www.hospitalpediatrics.org doi:10.1542/hpeds.2012-0012 Address correspondence to Gary A. Emmett, MD, Department of Pediatrics, 833 Chestnut St, Suite 300, Philadelphia, PA 19107. E-mail: [email protected] HOSPITAL PEDIATRICS (ISSN Numbers: Print, 2154 1663; Online, 2154 1671). C...

Neonatal bilirubin triage with transcutaneous meters: when is a blood draw necessary?

OBJECTIVE To find the optimal transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) screening level in term neonates that minimizes the discomfort of phlebotomy, while protecting the child from harm and controlling costs. METHODS All available TcB and total serum bilirubin (TSB) measurements taken between 27 and 51 hours of life from a cohort of term newborns were analyzed in a retrospective chart review. TcB cutof...

Blood glucose measurements in the critically ill: more than just a blood draw

A crucial determinant for the success of intensive insulin therapy in critically ill patients is the frequent and accurate measurement of blood glucose values with immediate feedback of results. In general, therefore, this is achieved by point-of-care testing, raising the question of the best way of monitoring blood glucose. Corstjens and coworkers, in the previous issue of Critical Care, demon...