News

Metformin Continues to Be First-Line Therapy for Type 2 Diabetes
- Author:
- Aparna S. Kamath, MD, MS
- Faye Farber, MD
- Adam Wachter, MD
- Jon Lovins, MD
- Suchita Shah Sata, MD
- Neil Stafford, MD
- Snehal Patel, MD
- Megan Brooks, MD, MPH
- Lalit Verma, MD
- Poonam Sharma, MD
- Duke University
- Duke Regional
Clinical question: Which medications are most safe and effective at managing type 2 diabetes? Background: Patients and practitioners need an...
News

Reevaluating Cardiovascular Risk after TIA
- Author:
- Parna S. Kamath, MD, MS
- Faye Farber, MD
- Adam Wachter, MD
- Jon Lovins, MD
- Suchita Shah Sata, MD
- Neil Stafford, MD
- Snehal Patel, MD
- Megan Brooks, MD, MPH
- Lalit Verma, MD
- Poonam Sharma, MD
- Duke University
- Duke Regional
Clinical question: What is the prognosis of patients who have a TIA or minor stroke? Background: Prior studies had estimated the risk in the...
News

Single Dose of Dexamethasone Not an Alternative to ‘Steroid Burst’ for Acute Asthma Treatment
- Author:
- Aparna S. Kamath, MD, MS
- Faye Farber, MD
- Adam Wachter, MD
- Jon Lovins, MD
- Suchita Shah Sata, MD
- Neil Stafford, MD
- Snehal Patel, MD
- Megan Brooks, MD, MPH
- Lalit Verma, MD
- Poonam Sharma, MD
- Duke University
- Duke Regional
Clinical question: Is one dose of dexamethasone comparable to five days of prednisone for treating mild-to-moderate asthma exacerbations?...
News

Interhospital Transfer Handoff Practice Variance at U.S. Tertiary Care Centers
- Author:
- Aparna S. Kamath, MD, MS
- Faye Farber, MD
- Adam Wachter, MD
- Jon Lovins, MD
- Suchita Shah Sata, MD
- Neil Stafford, MD
- Snehal Patel, MD
- Megan Brooks, MD, MPH
- Lalit Verma, MD
- Poonam Sharma, MD
- Duke University
- Duke Regional
Clinical question: How do interhospital handoff practices differ among U.S. tertiary care centers, and what challenges and innovations have...
News

Oral Steroids as Good as NSAIDs for Acute Gout
- Author:
- Aparna S. Kamath, MD, MS
- Faye Farber, MD
- Adam Wachter, MD
- Jon Lovins, MD
- Suchita Shah Sata, MD
- Neil Stafford, MD
- Snehal Patel, MD
- Megan Brooks, MD, MPH
- Lalit Verma, MD
- Poonam Sharma, MD
- Duke University
- Duke Regional
Clinical question: Are oral steroids as effective as NSAIDs in treating acute gout? Background: Two small trials have suggested that oral...
News

Better Reporting Needed to Accurately Estimate Medical Error as Cause of Death in U.S.
- Author:
- Aparna S. Kamath, MD, MS
- Faye Farber, MD
- Adam Wachter, MD
- Jon Lovins, MD
- Suchita Shah Sata, MD
- Neil Stafford, MD
- Snehal Patel, MD
- Megan Brooks, MD, MPH
- Lalit Verma, MD
- Poonam Sharma, MD
- Duke University
- Duke Regional
Clinical question: What is the contribution of hospital-based medical errors to national mortality in the U.S. compared to other causes listed by...
News

Hospital Admission, Stroke Clinic Follow-up Improve Outcomes for Patients with Transient Ischemic Attack, Minor Ischemic Stroke
- Author:
- Aparna S. Kamath, MD, MS
- Faye Farber, MD
- Adam Wachter, MD
- Jon Lovins, MD
- Suchita Shah Sata, MD
- Neil Stafford, MD
- Snehal Patel, MD
- Megan Brooks, MD, MPH
- Lalit Verma, MD
- Poonam Sharma, MD
- Duke University
- Duke Regional
Clinical question: How do guideline-based care and outcomes of patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) and minor ischemic stroke differ...
News
Left Atrial Appendage Closure Noninferior to Warfain for Cardioembolic Event Prophylaxis in Nonvalvular Afibrillation
- Author:
- Poonam Sharma, MD
- Adam Wachter, MD
- David Ming, MD
- Lisa Cohen, MD
- Noppon Setji, MD
Clinical question: Is mechanical, left atrial appendage (LAA) closure as effective as warfarin therapy in preventing cardioembolic events in...
News
Tramadol Associated with Increased Rate of Hypoglycemia
- Author:
- Poonam Sharma, MD
- Adam Wachter, MD
- David Ming, MD
- Lisa Cohen, MD
- Noppon Setji, MD
Clinical question: Does tramadol increase rates of hospitalization from hypoglycemia compared to other opioids? Background: As tramadol use has...
News
Longer Surgeries Associated with Increased VTE Risk
- Author:
- Poonam Sharma, MD
- Adam Wachter, MD
- David Ming, MD
- Lisa Cohen, MD
- Noppon Setji, MD
Clinical question: Does duration of surgical procedure influence venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk? Background: The relationship between surgical...
News
Mortality, Readmission Rates Unchanged by Duty Hour Reforms
- Author:
- Poonam Sharma, MD
- Adam Wachter, MD
- David Ming, MD
- Lisa Cohen, MD
- Noppon Setji, MD
Clinical question: Did the 2011 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) duty hour reforms change mortality rates or...
News
Emergency Department Utilization May Be Lower for Attending-Only Physician Visits versus Supervised Visits
- Author:
- Poonam Sharma, MD
- Adam Wachter, MD
- David Ming, MD
- Lisa Cohen, MD
- Noppon Setji, MD
Clinical question: Does supervised learning in the ED lead to higher rates of resource utilization? Background: Care at academic medical centers...
News
Physician Spending Habits During Residency Training Can Persist for Years
- Author:
- Poonam Sharma, MD
- Adam Wachter, MD
- David Ming, MD
- Lisa Cohen, MD
- Noppon Setji, MD
Clinical question: For primary care physicians (PCPs), does residency training area affect the pattern of physician spending after training is...
News
Malpractice Reform Does Not Change Physician Practice Patterns
- Author:
- Poonam Sharma, MD
- Adam Wachter, MD
- David Ming, MD
- Lisa Cohen, MD
- Noppon Setji, MD
Clinical question: Do malpractice reform policies shift physician practice patterns toward lower utilization of healthcare resources? Background...
News
Updated Guidelines for Management of Non-ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome
- Author:
- Poonam Sharma, MD
- Adam Wachter, MD
- David Ming, MD
- Lisa Cohen, MD
- Noppon Setji, MD
Clinical question: What is the recommended approach for management of non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS)? Background: This is...