Table of Contents

August 17, 2010; 153 (4)

Articles

  • Liability Claims and Costs Before and After Implementation of a Medical Error Disclosure Program

    • Allen Kachalia,
    • Samuel R. Kaufman,
    • Richard Boothman,
    • Susan Anderson,
    • Kathleen Welch,
    • Sanjay Saint,
    • and Mary A.M. Rogers
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:213-221; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00002

    The University of Michigan Health System has fully disclosed medical errors and offered compensation to patients since 2001. Other health systems have been hesitant to adopt similar programs for fear that disclosure could make things worse. This study found a decrease in new legal claims, number of lawsuits per month, time to claim resolution, and costs after implementation of the program compared with before implementation. This experience demonstrates that disclosure with an offer of compensation can be conducted without exacerbating liability claims and costs.

  • Steroid Pretreatment of Organ Donors to Prevent Postischemic Renal Allograft Failure: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

    • Alexander Kainz,
    • Julia Wilflingseder,
    • Christa Mitterbauer,
    • Maria Haller,
    • Christopher Burghuber,
    • Paul Perco,
    • Robert M. Langer,
    • Georg Heinze,
    • and Rainer Oberbauer
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:222-230; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00003

    Acute renal failure (ARF) requiring dialysis is common among recipients of renal allografts from deceased donors. This multicenter trial randomly assigned deceased donors to intravenous infusion of saline or methylprednisolone at least 3 hours before organ harvesting to determine whether methylprednisolone reduces the incidence and duration of ARF in kidney recipients. Although kidney biopsies from methylprednisolone-treated donors showed suppression of immune response and inflammation, ARF occurred similarly in recipients of methylprednisolone-treated and saline-treated donor organs.

  • Quality of Care in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection: A Cohort Study

    • Fasiha Kanwal,
    • Mark S. Schnitzler,
    • Bruce R. Bacon,
    • Tuyen Hoang,
    • Paula M. Buchanan,
    • and Steven M. Asch
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:231-239; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00005

    Medicare recently proposed quality-of-care measures for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. In this analysis of national data, only about 20% of patients with HCV received all recommended care. Performance was lowest for vaccination and highest for pretreatment HCV genotype testing. Of note, patients who received care from both generalists and specialists were more likely to receive recommended care than patients who saw only one type of physician, suggesting that collaboration between generalists and specialists may lead to higher-quality care for patients with HCV.

Academia and Clinic

  • Redefining the “Planning” in Advance Care Planning: Preparing for End-of-Life Decision Making

    • Rebecca L. Sudore and
    • Terri R. Fried
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:256-261; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00008

    Although traditional end-of-life planning has aimed to have people make treatment decisions in advance of becoming terminally ill, many people find it difficult to predict what medical interventions they would want under such circumstances. These authors advocate for an alternative approach to end-of-life planning that focuses on preparing patients and those close to them to make the best possible in-the-moment medical decisions rather than making decisions about specific interventions ahead of time. They outline practical steps that clinicians can take when providing outpatient care to implement this new approach.

Reviews

  • Narrative Review: Ventilator-Induced Respiratory Muscle Weakness

    • Martin J. Tobin,
    • Franco Laghi,
    • and Amal Jubran
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:240-245; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00006

    Mechanical ventilation can result in substantial lung injury related to forces exerted on pulmonary parenchyma and respiratory muscles. This review discusses the evidence of ventilator-induced respiratory muscle injury in animal models and humans, as well as implications for clinical management. The authors suggest that clinicians pay close attention to the contour of the airway pressure waveform when titrating ventilator settings.

  • Systematic Review: Nonoperative and Operative Treatments for Rotator Cuff Tears

    • Jennifer C. Seida,
    • Claire LeBlanc,
    • Janine R. Schouten,
    • Shima S. Mousavi,
    • Lisa Hartling,
    • Ben Vandermeer,
    • Lisa Tjosvold,
    • and David M. Sheps
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:246-255; published ahead of print July 5, 2010, doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00263

    This systematic review, conducted under the auspices of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's comparative effectiveness initiative, identified 137 studies providing evidence about operative and nonoperative therapies for rotator cuff injury. Evidence suggests that patients with rotator cuff tears experience improvements in function after undergoing any of several operative procedures or nonoperative therapy, but the amount and strength of available evidence was low for many therapies. Furthermore, sparse comparative data preclude identification of a superior treatment approach.

Perspectives

  • An Academic Center's Delivery of Care After the Haitian Earthquake

    • Amir K. Jaffer,
    • Rafael E. Campo,
    • Greg Gaski,
    • Mario Reyes,
    • Ralf Gebhard,
    • Enrique Ginzburg,
    • Michael A. Kolber,
    • John Macdonald,
    • Steven Falcone,
    • Barth A. Green,
    • Lazara Barreras-Pagan,
    • and William W. O'Neill
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:262-265; published ahead of print July 19, 2010, doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00266

    The Miller School of Medicine of the University of Miami and Project Medishare provided a large-scale relief effort in Haiti after the earthquake of 12 January 2010. Academic medical centers in proximity to natural disasters can help deliver effective medical care through a coordinated process involving mobilization of their own resources, establishment of focused management teams at home and on the ground with formal organizational oversight, and partnership with governmental and nongovernmental relief agencies.

Editorials

  • Patient Compensation Without Litigation: A Promising Development

    • A. Russell Localio
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:266-267; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00010

    Recent legislation seeks to promote patient safety through confidential error reporting, but the dysfunction in U.S. fault and no-fault injury compensation systems persists. In this issue, Kachalia and colleagues describe the University of Michigan Health System model for disclosure of medical errors and providing compensation to injured patients. This editorial discusses the findings and implications of the article but concludes that more and better data are needed to confirm these findings and convince others to adopt similar programs.

  • Toward More Uniform Conflict Disclosures: The Updated ICMJE Conflict of Interest Reporting Form

    • Jeffrey M. Drazen,
    • Peter W. de Leeuw,
    • Christine Laine,
    • Cynthia D. Mulrow,
    • Catherine D. DeAngelis,
    • Frank A. Frizelle,
    • Fiona Godlee,
    • Charlotte Haug,
    • Paul C. Hébert,
    • Astrid James,
    • Sheldon Kotzin,
    • Ana Marusic,
    • Humberto Reyes,
    • Jacob Rosenberg,
    • Peush Sahni,
    • Martin B. Van Der Weyden,
    • and Getu Zhaori
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:268-269; published ahead of print July 1, 2010, doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00261

    The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) introduced the uniform conflict of interest disclosure form in October 2009. The ICMJE member journals piloted the form, encouraged other journals to use it, and invited feedback. At its most recent meeting, the Committee considered the valuable comments received and revised the form. This editorial discusses the updated form, which is available at www.icmje.org.

On Being a Doctor

  • My Moment

    • Riley Marie Bove
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:270-271; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00012

    My moment came around 3:00 a.m. during the winter of intern year while I was placing my first central line in the intensive care unit. The senior resident had unintentionally jabbed a large contaminated needle into the hand that I was using to stabilize the ultrasound probe.

  • Fresh Eyes

    • Susan A. Glod
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:272; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00013

    Practitioners are blinded by time constraints, compassion fatigue, and diverging obligations. Sometimes, just the act of laying fresh eyes on a patient and seeing the case from a different perspective can result in a very different outcome.

Letters

  • Further Perspectives on Concierge Medicine

    • Robert A. Swerlick
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:274; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00015

  • Further Perspectives on Concierge Medicine

    • Robert P. Fields
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:274; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00016

  • Further Perspectives on Concierge Medicine

    • Christine Harter
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:274-275; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00017

  • Further Perspectives on Concierge Medicine

    • James Bowers
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:275; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00018

  • Further Perspectives on Concierge Medicine

    • Harry M. Walen
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:275; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00019

  • Further Perspectives on Concierge Medicine

    • Marcy Zwelling-Aamot
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:275-276; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00020

  • Population Strategies to Decrease Sodium Intake

    • Mihaly Tapolyai
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:276; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00021

  • Population Strategies to Decrease Sodium Intake

    • Puneet Narayan and
    • Anubhav Kumar
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:276; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00022

  • Population Strategies to Decrease Sodium Intake

    • Crystal M. Smith-Spangler,
    • Douglas K. Owens,
    • and Alan M. Garber
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:277; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00023

  • Errors in Meta-analysis Regarding the 3CPO Trial

    • Steve W. Goodacre,
    • Alasdair Gray,
    • and David Newby
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:277-278; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00024

  • Errors in Meta-analysis Regarding 3CPO Trial

    • Yun-Tao Zhao
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:278; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00025

  • Delayed Complications From Exposure to Improvised Explosive Devices

    • Peter J. Cawley and
    • Nahush A. Mokadam
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:278-279; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00026

  • The Ice Diet

    • Brian C. Weiner and
    • Alex C. Weiner
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:279; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00027

  • Correction: Noninvasive Ventilation in Acute Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:280; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00028

Ad Libitum

  • Daddy Is On Call

    • Douglas Arenberg
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:230; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00004

  • Night Call

    • James Ballard
    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:273; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00014

Medical Notices

  • Medical Notices

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:0; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00029

Summaries for Patients

  • Does Admitting Mistakes to Patients Lead to More Lawsuits?

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:I-28; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-00001

ACP Journal Club

  • Review: Joint lavage does not reduce pain or improve function in knee osteoarthritis

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:JC2-2; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-02002

  • Review: Therapy guided by B-type natriuretic peptide levels reduces mortality in chronic heart failure

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:JC2-3; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-02003

  • Lenient rate control is as effective as strict rate control for preventing cardiovascular events in AF

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:JC2-4; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-02004

  • Low-dose computed tomography was associated with higher risk for false-positive lung cancer screening than chest radiography

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:JC2-5; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-02005

  • Amylmetacresol and 2, 4-dichlorobenzyl alcohol lozenges were better than placebo lozenges for relief of acute sore throat

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:JC2-6; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-02006

  • Telaprevir combination therapy induced a sustained virologic response in nonresponsive chronic HCV infection

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:JC2-7; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-02007

  • Rifaximin maintained remission from hepatic encephalopathy longer than placebo in patients with cirrhosis

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:JC2-8; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-02008

  • Early tracheotomy did not reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia in adults ventilated for acute respiratory failure

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:JC2-9; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-02009

  • Dexamethasone did not reduce mortality or neurologic sequelae in bacterial meningitis

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:JC2-10; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-02010

  • HbA1c levels ≤ 5.5% ruled out, and levels ≥ 7.0% ruled in, type 2 diabetes in clinical and community populations

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:JC2-11; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-02011

  • Review: Clinical pathways reduce in-hospital complications but not in-hospital mortality or readmissions

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:JC2-12; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-02012

  • Review: Some instruments predict development of persistent, disabling low back pain

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:JC2-13; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-02013

  • Glossary

    Ann Intern Med August 17, 2010 153:JC2-14; doi:10.1059/0003-4819-153-4-201008170-02014
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This Issue

August 17, 2010; 153 (4)
  1. Articles
  2. Academia and Clinic
  3. Reviews
  4. Perspectives
  5. Editorials
  6. On Being a Doctor
  7. Letters
  8. Ad Libitum
  9. Medical Notices
  10. Summaries for Patients
  11. ACP Journal Club

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