Hospital Medicine
Physician discussions on inpatient care, transitions of care, diagnostic reasoning, and hospital-based protocols.
Recent Discussions
Does hepatitis B vaccination reduce the risk of HBV reactivation associated with immunosuppressive therapy?
Hepatitis B reactivation is a critical concern when patients are undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, often described as 'deadly but preventable.' Screening for HBV is strongly advised before initiating biologic therapies, targeted synthetic therapies, or high-dose immunosuppression, including HBsA...
What is your approach to managing patients with labile blood pressures secondary to baroreflex failure?
Managing BP in the setting of baroreflex failure or dysautonomia is challenging. It is sometimes helpful to educate patients on realistic expectations. Medications will not be able to replace the baroreflex function. Conservative measures like compression socks during the day, bathroom modifications...
What immunosuppressive agents would be available to patients with a history of melanoma?
Generally, we try to use conventional synthetic DMARDs when possible. However, studies in RA have not shown an increase in de novo melanoma or recurrence of cancers more generally with TNF-inhibitors. So this is an option for patients with RA and melanoma history who are not responding to csDMARDs. ...
Do you generally prefer to continue hydroxychloroquine in lupus patients who develop ESRD despite the low likelihood of clinically active disease in this patient population?
Yes, I do. In my experience, nephrologists tend to forget or neglect the use of HCQ. HCQ can prevent lupus flare-ups and progression of disease not to mention CV benefits as well as being helpful in addressing APS if present.
What is your preferred agent and duration to treat an epidural abscess due to azole-resistant candida species?
I would treat it like osteo, e.g., 9-12 months.
Would bag-mask ventilation with a PEEP valve be a reasonable alternative to NIV for pre-oxygenation prior to intubation in settings where NIV is not easily accessible?
The PREOXI trial does not inform the use of a bag-mask device with a PEEP valve. Many invasive mechanical ventilators are capable of delivering noninvasive ventilation using the same mask that the bag-mask device uses.
How do you identify which patients are at highest risk for decompensation and most likely to benefit from NIV for pre-oxygenation prior to intubation?
Prior to this study, I would periodically use NIV pre-oxygenation for patients not already on NIV for respiratory failure if they were requiring high levels of FiO2 (>50% FiO2 on HFNC, or >6-8L nasal cannula/face mask), were very obese, or had other predictors of a difficult airway.In the PREOXI stu...
Is there a subset of patients in whom pre-oxygenation with NRB or BVM could be safely pursued?
Preoxygenation using an oxygen mask that does not provide positive pressure may be appropriate in patients who have a contraindication to noninvasive ventilation such as patients with active emesis. However, one of the key findings of the PREOXI trial was that preoxygenation with noninvasive ventila...
Does the experience level of the intubation operator affect outcomes related to pre-oxygenation with NIV versus an oxygen mask?
Operator experience is certainly associated with first-pass success rate and time from induction of anesthesia to intubation, but this is not an interaction we specifically looked for in PREOXI. I will speculate along with you that since NIV improves pre-oxygenation and prolongs the time until desat...
What are the logistical challenges and time constraints of implementing NIV for pre-oxygenation in emergency settings compared to oxygen masks?
Logistical and training challenges do exist to routine implementation of noninvasive preoxygenation. Perhaps the most challenging one is the availiability of the mechanical ventilator in the emergency setting at the time of intubation. In settings where mechanical ventilators are not routinely prese...