Annals of the American Thoracic Society
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The focused ultrasound examination has become increasingly recognized as a safe and valuable diagnostic tool for the bedside assessment of the critically ill patient. We implemented a dedicated on-site critical care ultrasonography curriculum with the goal of developing a model for teaching ultrasound skills to pulmonary and critical care medicine fellows. ⋯ At one academic medical center, the knowledge of eight adult pulmonary and critical care fellowship trainees regarding critical care ultrasound was high at baseline; however, bedside image acquisition skills were poor. A dedicated 6-week educational intervention resulted in highly significant improvements in subject knowledge and image acquisition skills. These preliminary results warrant validation studies at other medical centers.
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Multicenter Study
Predictors of early readmission among patients 40 to 64 years of age hospitalized for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Various causes can contribute to the high rates of readmission among patients hospitalized with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ⋯ One of 11 patients hospitalized with COPD is readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Provider and system factors are important modifiable risk factors of early readmission.
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Multicenter Study
Associations between physical activity and 30-day readmission risk in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Efforts to reduce 30-day readmission have mostly concentrated on addressing deficiencies in care transitions and outpatient management after discharge. There is growing evidence to suggest that physical inactivity is associated with increased hospitalizations. ⋯ Our findings further support the importance of physical activity in the management of COPD across the care continuum. Although it is possible that lower physical activity is a reflection of worse disease, promoting and supporting physical activity is a promising strategy to reduce the risk of readmission.