Hospital Medicine
- Low-dose steroids for acute exacerbations of COPD in a non-ICU setting: Worth consideration
Despite the guidelines, most patients still receive high intravenous doses for acute exacerbations.
- Severe hypercalcemia in a 54-year-old woman
Her calcium level was 18.4 mg/dL; 6 months earlier it had been 9.6. What was the cause?
- A complication of enoxaparin injection
Computed tomography revealed a hematoma measuring 15 by 15 cm compressing the bladder and causing hydronephrosis.
- What are the risks to inpatients during hospital construction or renovation?
Risks include mold infection, Legionnaires disease, sleep deprivation, exacerbation of lung disease, and physical injury.
- Does my patient need maintenance fluids?
The question seems like it should have an easy answer. However, there is no consensus.
- A 66-year-old man with abnormal thyroid function tests
A 66-year-old man presents with an acute exacerbation of COPD requiring hospitalization.
- 2019 Update in perioperative cardiovascular medicine
Studies of preoperative cardiac risk assessment, perioperative medication management, and postoperative complications.
- Pseudo-Ludwig angina
A woman on heparin developed a hematoma on the floor of her mouth that threatened to block her airway.
- Are daily chest radiographs and arterial blood gas tests required in ICU patients on mechanical ventilation?
Although routine testing is common, it has low diagnostic yield and is unlikely to alter patient management.
- Deciding when a picture is worth a thousand words and several thousand dollars
Physical examination is cheap but not highly reproducible. Imaging is expensive but may be more sensitive and specific.