The effects of volume of blood, number of consecutive cultures, and incubation time on pathogen recovery were evaluated for 37,568 blood cultures tested with the automated BACTEC 9240 instrument (Becton Dickinson Diagnostic Instrument Systems) at a tertiary care center over the period of 12 June 1996 through 12 October 1997. When the results for this study were compared with previous data publi...

BACKGROUND Many patients with acute stroke do not receive recommended care in tertiary hospital settings. Allied health professionals have important roles within multidisciplinary stroke teams and influence the quality of care patients receive. Studies examining the role of allied health professionals in acute stroke management are scarce, and very little is known about the clinical decision ma...

Childbirth is a complex clinical service requiring the coordinated support of highly trained healthcare professionals as well as management of a finite set of critical resources (such as staff and beds) to provide safe care. The mode of delivery (vaginal delivery or cesarean section) has a significant effect on labor and delivery resource needs. Further, resource management decisions may impact...

PURPOSE Three-fourths of patients with advanced cancer are reported to suffer from pain. A primary barrier to provision of adequate symptom treatment is failure to appreciate the intensity of the symptoms patients are experiencing. Because data on Bangladeshi and Nepalese patients' perceptions of their symptomatic status are limited, we sought such information using a cell phone questionnaire. ...

BACKGROUND To study institutionalization of the World Health Organization's Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC) in a tertiary care center in Sri Lanka. METHOD A hospital-based, prospective observational study was conducted in the De Soysa Hospital for Women, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Healthcare workers were educated regarding the SCC, which was to be used for each woman admitted to the labor room durin...

INTRODUCTION Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is rapidly emerging as a life-threatening nosocomial infection. In this study, we aim to identify risk factors, especially antibiotic use, for CRKP infection among intensive care unit (ICU) patients. METHODOLOGY This was a matched case-control study of a 67-bed ICU in a tertiary care teaching hospital from 1 January 2011 through 3...

AIM This study aimed to determine the frequency and determinant factors of do not resuscitate (DNR) orders in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) at a university hospital in China. METHODS Data collected from June 2010 to December 2012 for patients with ICH were retrospectively reviewed. The characteristics and care of patients with and without DNR orders and those with early (≤24 h)...

Background: Worldwide pneumonia and diarrhoeal diseases are two major killers of children younger than five years. India tops the list across the world with high burden of pneumonia in under five children. To reduce the deaths due to pneumonia the most essential step is that caregivers must recognize the signs and symptoms and then seek appropriate treatment. It is important to know what caregi...

BACKGROUND Injuries and deaths among riders of off-road motorized all-terrain vehicles are increasing in the US. We hypothesized that serious injuries in Oregon have increased among riders of both four-wheel and two-wheel vehicles. STUDY DESIGN We analyzed the Oregon Trauma Registry. Seriously injured patients treated in the state's designated urban and rural trauma centers were identified us...

We read the Falces et al. paper with great interest. It describes a program that integrates cardiology and primary care, comparing it with conventional care. Through their research, the authors went from intuitive management to evidence-based management. This implies integrating specialized healthcare in hospitals and developing outpatient cardiology within them or in specialized health centers...