The American Urological Association (AUA) has released new guidelines for the treatment of organic erectile dysfunction (impotence). The guidelines are the result of the efforts of the Erectile Dysfunction Clinical Guidelines Panel, convened by the A
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a set of guidelines to help physicians in the management of patients with sickle cell disease. Presented in outline form, the guidelines are divided into the following categories: the preconception
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has released a report on emergency oral contraception. The guideline was developed to help physicians identify patients who are candidates for emergency oral contraception and administer
The Committee on Atherosclerosis and Hypertension in the Young of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young and the Nutrition Committee, American Heart Association (AHA), have issued a statement for health care professionals concerning obesi
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a policy statement that offers a two-pronged approach to reduce injuries and death in teenage drivers. The report recommends both family involvement and legislative involvement as a means of reducin
Diet is the primary therapy approach for persons who are at increased risk of premature heart disease as a result of elevated cholesterol levels (more than 200 mg per dL). The American Heart Association (AHA) conducted a conference to reassess the ef
Home Care: Facts and Research in Gerontology 1996 is a compilation of essays, written by a group of international authors, that encompasses an international research approach to geriatric home care. The book contains 21 chapters and an edito
This well-written and informative book serves as an excellent introduction to the Internet for physicians and other health care professionals. Written largely by a senior marketing specialist at Mosby, the book is edited by a medical librarian and a
An elderly patient in the late stage of decline from multiple chronic conditions recently inquired, "If I become so incapacitated that I no longer see any reason to go on, would you help me if I choose to end my life?" A recently retired mainte
Since the passage of Oregon's Death With Dignity Act by voter initiative in November 1994, the campaign to legalize euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide has gained considerable momentum. Indeed, recent events give the impression of a headlong rush
Author: Carrie Morantz, Brian Torrey
Date: April 1, 2004
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has created a clinical decision-support tool for personal digital assistants (PDAs) designed to help physicians quickly determine whether patients with community-acquired pneumonia should be treated at home or in a hospital. The "Pneumonia Severity Index Calculator" can be downloaded from the AHRQ Web site at http://pda.ahrq.gov. The calculator is available in Palm OS, Pocket PC, and HTML formats.
Community-acquired pneumonia contracted outside a hospital or nursing home affects approximately 4 million Americans and costs approximately $10 billion annually to treat. Most of those costs (92 percent) are spent treating patients who have been hospitalized for care.
The calculator is based on a clinical algorithm produced in 1997 by the AHRQ-funded Pneumonia Patient Outcomes Research Team (PORT). The Pneumonia PORT developed and tested the algorithm to help physicians make treatment decisions. The algorithm has been validated in a broad, randomized controlled trial and was shown to be safe, cost-effective, and to improve satisfaction by enabling patients to be treated at home rather than in the hospital when appropriate. A sizable number of low-risk patients can be treated safely on an outpatient basis, but these patients must be accurately identified before such treatment is recommended.
COPYRIGHT 2004 American Academy of Family PhysiciansCOPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group