Researchers are exploring how indoor home microbial environments change after whole-house weatherization projects, aiming to understand the impact on human health. The study will analyze ventilation-system design and its influence on exposure to airborne microorganisms.
Two studies show ACS NSQIP provides more accurate data than administrative data to drive surgical quality improvement in hospitals. The program identified 60% of hospital readmissions as potentially preventable, and demonstrated higher c-statistic values for complications and mortality models.
A research team from NUS Medicine has demonstrated that applying an external source of hydrogen sulphide can protect testicular germ cells against heat-induced injury, a major cause of male infertility. The findings provide a potential therapeutic value for H2S in treating male infertility.
A new study at Northwestern Memorial Hospital reduces UTI rates by decreasing catheter utilization and implementing process improvement guidelines. The initiative targets catheter-related UTIs in the operating room, aiming to change clinical culture among surgeons and healthcare teams.
A new scoring system developed by Thomas Jefferson University Hospital has been found to accurately predict the risk of ventilator dependence after major operations. The tool uses ACS NSQIP data to identify patients at risk, with those scoring above 3 comprising 20% of patients who experienced 70% of adverse events.
A study published in Cortex found that sleep significantly improves memory accessibility, allowing subjects to recall facts they couldn't remember while awake. After a night's sleep, participants were able to recover unrecalled memories, suggesting that sleep sharpens and makes memories more vivid and accessible.
A quality improvement initiative at Texas Children's Hospital has led to a significant reduction in median waitlist times for pediatric heart transplant patients. The hospital revised its protocols to expand donor heart size parameters and improve patient severity status, resulting in faster organ allocation.