Author Archives: John

Are there studies on the safety of midline catheters?

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Sharp, Rebecca, et al. “The safety and efficacy of midlines compared to peripherally inserted central catheters for adult cystic fibrosis patients: A retrospective, observational study.” International journal of nursing studies 51.5 (2014):694-702.

Alexandrou, Evan, et al. “Central venous catheter placement by advanced practice nurses demonstrates low procedural complication and infection rates–a report from 13 years of service.” Critical care medicine 42.3 (2014):536-543.

Kanokkantapong, C, N Leeaphorn, and T Kanjanabuch. “The effects of peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion using paramedian versus midline approach on CAPD patients.” Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thanphaet 94 suppl. 4 (2011):S52-S57.

Amerasekera, S S H, et al. “Imaging of the complications of peripherally inserted central venous catheters.” Clinical radiology 64.8 (2009):832-840.

Griffiths, Vivien. “Midline catheters: indications, complications and maintenance.” Nursing standard 22.11 (2007):48-57.

Anderson, N R. “Midline catheters: the middle ground of intravenous therapy administration.” Journal of infusion nursing 27.5 (2004):313-321.

“Applying current research to influence clinical practice: utilization of midline catheters.” Journal of intravenous nursing 21.5 (1998):271.

“Complications related to intravenous midline catheter usage: a 2-year study.” Journal of intravenous nursing 21.2 (1998):76.

The risk of midline catheterization in hospitalized patients: a prospective study… republished with permission from Dr. Leonard Mermel. The risk of midline catheterization in hospitalized patients. Ann Intern Med. 1995; 123:841-844. 1996; 12.1:6

“Initiating a pediatric peripherally inserted central catheter and midline catheter program.” Journal of intravenous nursing 17.4 (1994):201.

Reviewed and updated 4/8/2014 ldt

What medications are associated with high fall rates?

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Among the medications discussed as contributing to higher rates of falls include psychotropics, analgesics, diuretics, and antihypertensives.

See <a href="” target=”_blank”>Falls > Possible Risk Factors > Medication effects.  In:  DynaMed.  References studies documenting medications associated with falls.

Click here to access collection of articles discussing medications and fall rates.

Characteristics of kidney stones in women

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Wilcox: Therapy in Nephrology & Hypertension, 3rd ed.
Copyright © 2008 Saunders, An Imprint of Elsevier
PART V – Nephrolithiasis
Chapter 35 – Evaluation and Management of Kidney Stone Disease
Eric N. Taylor, Gary C. Curhan
Symptomatic nephrolithiasis classically presents with sudden unilateral flank pain. The pain is caused by the passage of a kidney stone from the renal pelvis to the ureter and is due to ureteral spasm. The pain is often severe and can cause nausea and vomiting. The location of the pain depends on the location of the stone; a stone in the upper ureter may cause pain to radiate anteriorly to the abdomen, and a stone in the lower ureter can cause pain to radiate to the ipsilateral testicle in men or to the ipsilateral labium in women.

Cunningham et al.: Williams Obstetrics, 24th ed.
Copyright © 2014  The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Chapter 53. Renal and Urinary Tract Disorders
“There is some evidence that pregnant women may have fewer symptoms with stone passage because of urinary tract dilatation (Hendricks, 1991; Tan, 2013). That said, more than 90 percent of pregnant women with nephrolithiasis present with pain. Gross hematuria is less common than in nonpregnant women and was reported to be a presenting symptom in 23 percent of women described by Butler and associates (2000). In another study, however, Lewis and coworkers (2003) found that only 2 percent had hematuria.”

Reviewed and updated 4/24/2014 ldt

Reactions during blood transfusions

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Sapatnekar, Suneeti 1; Sharma, Girish 2; Downes, Katharine A. 2; Wiersma, Susan 3; McGrath, Claire 1; Yomtovian, Roslyn 2, Acute Hemolytic Transfusion Reaction in a Pediatric Patient Following Transfusion of Apheresis Platelets. Journal of Clinical Apheresis. 20(4):225-229, December 2005.

Barnes, H M Febrile transfusion reaction following initial transfusion in a man with immunoblastic lymphadenopathy and granulocyte autoantibodies. American journal of hematology 1983 vol:14 iss:1 pg:97 -100

Thompson CL; Edwards C; Stout LBlood transfusions 1: how to monitor for adverse reactions.
Transfusion Liaison Nurse, National Blood Service, Leeds and Newcastle
Nursing Times, 2008 Jan 15-21; 104 (2): 32-3.

Sacks DA; Nelson JM Transfusion reactions. Physician Assistant (PHYSICIAN ASSIST), 1992 May; 16 (5): 35-6, 38, 40 passim.

What is the rationale for consenting to blood transfusions?

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Bielby, L J; Stevenson, L; Perillo, J; Glazebrook, B; Beard, P; Hennessy, C; Borosak, M. CONSENT FOR BLOOD TRANSFUSION – ARE WE INFORMING PATIENTS?: P-050. Vox Sanguinis. 105 Supplement 1:82, p. 82. June 2013.

Mahapatra, P; Neffendorf, J E; Wilson, S. <a href="” target=”_blank”>CONSENT FOR BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS – ARE WE MAKING PROGRESS?: 4A-S35-06. Vox Sanguinis. 105 Supplement 1:62-63, p. 62. June 2013.

Davis, R.; Vincent, C.; Sud, A.; Noel, S.; Moss, R.; Asgheddi, M.; Abdur-Rahman, I.; Murphy, M. Consent to transfusion: patients’ and healthcare professionals’ attitudes towards the provision of blood transfusion information. Transfusion Medicine. 2012 Jun;22(3):167-72. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3148.2012.01148.x. Epub 2012 Apr 23.

Howell, C. A. 1; Forsythe, J. L. R. 2* Patient consent for blood transfusion – recommendations from SaBTO+. Transfusion Medicine. 21(6):359-362, December 2011.

Ohto H; Yonemura Y; Takeda J; Inada E; Hanada R; Hayakawa S; Miyano T; Kai K; Iwashi W; Muto K; Asai FGuidelines for managing conscientious objection to blood transfusion. Japanese Joint Committee on Refusal of Blood Transfusion on Religious Grounds, Waseda Law School, Waseda University, Japan. hit-ohto@fmu.ac.jp Transfusion Medicine Reviews (TRANSFUS MED REV), 2009 Jul; 23 (3): 221-8.

Desborough, Michael J.; Murphy, Michael F.Legal and ethical issues in blood transfusion. British Journal of Hospital Medicine (17508460) (BR J HOSP MED (LOND)), 2013 Jan; 74 (1): C2-4.

Wehrli G; Sazama KUniversal donor education and consent: what we know and where we should go. Department of Pathology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908-0286, USA. GWMD@virginia.edu Transfusion, 2010 Nov; 50 (11): 2499-502.

Does immediate reading of mammograms have a different call back rate than batch read screenings?

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Stewart, Kate A, et al. “The effect of immediate reading of screening mammograms on medical care utilization and costs after false-positive mammograms.” Health services research 42.4 (2007):1464-1482.
Case-control study of women with false-positives v. normal mammograms. Included an analysis of rates of each for type of reading.

Ghate SV, et al. Comparison of recall and cancer detection rates for immediate versus batch interpretation of screening mammograms. Radiology. 2005 Apr;235(1):31-5.
Retrospective analysis of false positives and false negatives for mammograms. Does not identify how patients were assigned to immediate or batch reading group.

Burnside, Elizabeth S, et al. “The use of batch reading to improve the performance of screening mammography.” AJR, American journal of roentgenology 185.3 (2005):790-796.
This before-and-after study examined the effect on quality by uninterrupted time for batch reading versus the previous method which was nonbatch but not conducted while the patient waited.

Searched PubMed and AHRQ. Keywords: batch, mammograms, false positives, recall, call back

Updated 4/18/2014 AA