Survey of Physicians Regarding Clinical Pharmacy Services in Academic Emergency Departments

Articles of Interest: April 2, 2010

This weekly compilation of articles appearing in recently released journals and newsletters includes:

• Articles funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) or authored by AHRQ researchers.
• Articles mentioning or discussing AHRQ staff, activities, and publications/products.
• Articles related to AHRQ-funded Evidence-based Practice Centers.
• Articles related to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force or Put Prevention into Practice program.
• Articles mentioning the National Healthcare Disparities Report and National Healthcare Quality Report.
• Other research using AHRQ data or products.

AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles

Academic Pediatrics
Berdahl T, Owens PL, Dougherty D, McCormick MC, Pylypchuk Y, Simpson LA. Annual report on health care for children and youth in the United States: racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in children's health care quality. Acad Pediatr 2010 Mar-Apr; 10(2):95-118. [First and fifth authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, second and third authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets, and Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations, respectively, and last author is former AHRQ deputy director; uses 2004-2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) Household Component data, 2004-2006 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Database (SID) data, 2004-2006 HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data, AHRQ Pediatric Quality Indicators (PDIs), Version 3.12, and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) measures; cites AHRQ publications, Applying AHRQ Quality Indicators to Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Data for the Sixth (2008) National Healthcare Disparities Report, 2010, Final Report on Calculating Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Variances, 2001, 2007, Disparities in Children's Health Care Quality: Selected Examples from the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports, 2008, 2009, The Case for the Present-on-Admission (POA) Indicator, Report No. 2006-01, 2006, National Healthcare Quality Report, 2006, and National Healthcare Disparities Report, 2006, as published on AHRQ Web site; cites several related AHRQ-authored and AHRQ-funded articles. cites AHRQ publications as published on AHRQ Web site. abstract

Advances in Skin and Wound Care
Horn SD, Sharkey SS, Hudak S, Gassaway J, James R, Spector W. Pressure ulcer prevention in long-term-care facilities: a pilot study implementing standardized nurse aide documentation and feedback reports. Adv Skin Wound Care 2010 Mar; 23(3):120-31. [Last author is a researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets; cites AHRQ-sponsored guideline, Pressure Ulcers in Adults: Prediction and Prevention, 1992, and related publication, Cost Implications of the Pressure Ulcer Treatment Guideline, 1994; cites AHRQ research report The Characteristics of Long-Term Care Users, 2001, and AHRQ press release Annual Nursing Home Expenses Increased by 150 Percent from 1987 to 1996, 2001, as published on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Medical Quality
Patterson PD, Huang DT, Fairbanks RJ, Wang HE. The emergency medical services safety attitudes questionnaire. Am J Med Qual 2010 Mar-Apr; 25(2):109-15. [Supported by Clinical Scientist Development Award grant K08 HS13628 (to fourth author).] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Medicine
Singh H, Thomas EJ, Sittig DF, et al. Notification of abnormal lab test results in an electronic medical record: do any safety concerns remain? Am J Med 2010 Mar; 123(3):238-44. [Supported by Health Services Research Demonstration and Dissemination grant R18 HS17244-02 (to second author); cites AHRQ-funded articles by Poon et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2004 and J Biomed Inform, 2003) and Gandhi et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2006), Bates et al. (Am J Med, 1999), and others.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the American College of Surgeons
Zaydfudim V, Feurer ID, Moore DR, et al. Pre-transplant overweight and obesity do not affect physical quality of life after kidney transplantation. J Am Coll Surg 2010 Mar; 210(3):336-44. [Supported in part by Institutional National Research Service Award grant T32 HS13833.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Risk and Insurance
Bundorf MK. The effects of offering health plan choice within employment-based purchasing groups. J Risk Insur 2010 Mar; 77(1):105-27. [Supported in part by grant K02 HS11668-01.]

Journal of Trauma
Osler T, Glance LG, Hosmer DW. Simplified estimates of the probability of death after burn injuries: extending and updating the Baux score. J Trauma 2010 Mar; 68(3):690-7. [Supported by grant R01 HS16737.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series A, Statistics in Society
Kreuter F, Olson K, Wagner J, Yan T, Ezzati-Rice, et al. Using proxy measures and other correlates of survey outcomes to adjust for non response: examples from multiple surveys. J R Stat Soc Ser A Stat Soc 2010 173(Part 2):389-407. [Fourth author is a researcher in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends; uses MEPS data, citing AHRQ publications, Design and Methods of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, 1997, and Sample Design of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 1998-2007, 2008; cites AHRQ-authored article by Wun and Ezzati-Rice (researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (Proc Surv Res Meth Sect Am Statist Ass, 2007), using MEPS data.]

Pediatrics
Basco WT Jr, Cull WL, O'Connor KG, et al. Assessing trends in practice demographics of underrepresented minority pediatricians, 1993-2007. Pediatrics 2010 Mar; 125(3):460-7. [Supported in part by grant K08 HS15679 (to first author).] Select to access the abstract.

Rehabilitation Nursing
Newman SD, SCI Photovoice Participants. Evidence-based advocacy: using Photovoice to identify barriers and facilitators to community participation after spinal cord injury. Rehabil Nurs 2010 Mar-Apr; 35(2):47-59. [Supported in part by grant 1 R36 HS16941; cites 2006 HCUP data, as published on HCUP Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

AHRQ-Related Articles

Academic Pediatrics
Pachter LM. Child health care disparities: findings from the annual report on children's health care. Acad Pediatr 2010 Mar-Apr; 10(2):87-8. [Comments on AHRQ-authored article by Berdahl et al. (Acad Pediatr, 2010) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles above.]

Gusic ME. Celebrating education and building the community of pediatric educators. Acad Pediatr. 2010 Mar-Apr;10(2):89-90. [Cites AHRQ-authored article by Leape, Berwick, Clancy (AHRQ director), et al. (Qual Saf Health Care, 2009).]

Lerner CF, Chung PJ. Continuity of care in fixed-day versus variable-day resident continuity clinics. Acad Pediatr 2010 Mar-Apr; 10(2):119-23. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Fletcher, Saint, and Mangrulkar (Acad Med, 2005).] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Medical Quality
Cerese J. Together we stand, collaborating we excel: partnering to target common goals. A report on the UHC 2009 quality and safety fall forum. Am J Med Qual 2010 Mar-Apr; 25(Suppl 2):20S-36S. [Notes that "UHC [University HealthSystem Consortium] was one of the first 10 patient safety organizations named by [AHRQ] in 2008," and that UHC and RAND are developing "a tool kit for improving the performance of the AHRQ Inpatient Quality Indicators and Patient Safety Indicators and then evaluating the tool kit's utility" under an 18-month AHRQ grant.]

Dubord J, Dodek PM, Chan K, et al. In-hospital death of critically ill patients who have congestive heart failure: does size of hospital matter? Am J Med Qual 2010 Mar-Apr; 25(2):95-101. [Cites AHRQ publication, Hospitalization in the United States, 2002, HCUP Factbook No. 6, 2005; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Deyo, Cherkin, and Ciol (J Clin Epidemiol, 1992), Rosenberg et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2003), and Needham et al. (Crit Care Med, 2006).] Select to access the abstract.

Paxton JH, Rubinfeld IS. Medical errors education: a prospective study of a new educational tool. Am J Med Qual 2010 Mar-Apr; 25(2):135-42. [Cites AHRQ-funded articles by Gandhi et al. (N Engl J Med, 2003) and White et al. (Acad Med, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Public Health
Suurmond J, Uiters E, de Bruijne MC, et al. Explaining ethnic disparities in patient safety: a qualitative analysis. Am J Public Health 2010 Apr 1; 100 Suppl 1:S113-S117. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Thomas, Studdert, Burstin (former AHRQ researcher), et al. (Med Care, 2000), Brach and Fraser [Incorrectly spelled as "Fraserirector"] (researcher and director in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Outcomes, and Markets, respectively) (Med Care Res Rev, 2000), Romano, Geppert, Davies, Miller (former AHRQ researcher), Elixhauser (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets), et al. (Health Aff, 2003), and Miller, Elixhauser, and Zhan (Pediatrics, 2003), Coffey, Andrews, and Moy (second and third authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets and Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, respectively) (Med Care, 2005), using AHRQ's Patient Safety Indicators.] Select to access the abstract.

Burns EK, Levinson AH. Reaching Spanish-speaking smokers: state-level evidence of untapped potential for QuitLine utilization. Am J Public Health 2010 Apr 1; 100 Suppl 1:S165-S170. [Cites AHRQ-sponsored guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

Li Y, Mukamel DB. Racial disparities in receipt of influenza and pneumococcus vaccinations among US nursing-home residents. Am J Public Health. 2010 Apr 1;100 Suppl 1:S256-S262. [Cites AHRQ-funded article by Fennell, Miller, and Mor (Am J Med Qual, 2000), Mor et al. (Milbank Q, 2004), and Hebert et al. (Health Serv Res, 2005).] Select to access the abstract.

Pediatrics
Isong IA, Zuckerman KE, Rao SR, et al. Association between parents' and children's use of oral health services. Pediatrics 2010 Mar; 125(3):502-8. [Cites AHRQ publication, Dental Coverage of Children and Young Adults under Age 21, United States, 1996 and 2006, MEPS Statistical Brief No. 221, 2008, as published on AHRQ Web site; cites AHRQ-authored/funded article by Manski, Edelstein, and Moeller (first and third authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (J Am Dent Assoc, 2001), using MEPS data.] Select to access the abstract.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)/Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP)-Related Articles

American Family Physician
Patel P, Macerollo A. Diabetes mellitus: diagnosis and screening. Am Fam Physician 2010 Apr 1; 81(7):863-70. [Cites USPSTF recommendation statement Screening for Type 2 Diabetes in Adults, 2008, and Screening for Gestational Diabetes, 2008, as published on AHRQ Web site; cites USPSTF recommendation statement on screening for type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults (Ann Intern Med, 2008).] Select to access the abstract.

Brill JR. Diagnosis and treatment of urethritis in men. Am Fam Physician 2010 Apr 1; 81(7):873-8. [Cites USPSTF recommendation statement on screening for gonorrhea (Ann Fam Med, 2005); cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence update on screening for chlamydial infection (Ann Intern Med, 2007).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Medical Screening
Duffy SW, Tabar L, Olsen AH, et al. Absolute numbers of lives saved and overdiagnosis in breast cancer screening, from a randomized trial and from the Breast Screening Programme in England. J Med Screen 2010; 17(1):25-30. [Cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence summary on breast cancer screening (Ann Intern Med, 2002).] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Women's Health
Somanchi M, Juon HS, Rimal R. Predictors of screening mammography among Asian Indian American women: a cross-sectional study in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. J Womens Health 2010 Mar; 19(3):433-41. [Cites USPSTF publication, What's New—From the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: Screening for Breast Cancer, 2002, and USPSTF recommendation statement, Screening for Breast Cancer, 2002, as published on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Neal L, Tortorelli CL, Nassar A. Clinician's guide to imaging and pathologic findings in benign breast disease. Mayo Clin Proc 2010 Mar; 85(3):274-9. [Cites USPSTF recommendation statement on screening for breast cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2009); cites commentary by Woolf (JAMA, 2010) on USPSTF recommendation statement on screening for breast cancer (Ann Intern Med, 2009).] Select to access the abstract.

Pain Physician
Gerges FJ, Lipsitz SR, Nedeljkovic SS. A systematic review on the effectiveness of the Nucleoplasty procedure for discogenic pain. Pain Physician 2010 Mar; 13(2):117-32. [Uses USPSTF evidence grading guidelines for therapeutic interventions, citing article by Guyatt et al. (Chest, 2006); cites USPSTF-sponsored article by Berg et al. (Am J Prev Med, 2001) on introducing the third USPSTF; cites AHRQ-funded articles by Deyo and Weinstein (N Engl J Med, 2001); cites systematic reviews by Manchikanti et al. (Pain Physician, 2008 and 2009), using USPSTF evidence grading guidelines and AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Systems to Rate the Strength of Scientific Evidence, 2002,.] Select to access the abstract.

Thyroid
Haymart MR. The role of clinical guidelines in patient care: thyroid hormone replacement in women of reproductive age. Thyroid 2010 Mar; 20(3):301-7. [Uses USPSTF evidence grading guidelines, citing article by Abalovich et al. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2007), using USPSTF evidence grading guidelines. See also articles by Koh et al. (Am J Public Health, 2010) cited in Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles and Schauer et al. (Arch Surg, 2010) cited in Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products.] Select to access the abstract.

Evidence-based Practice Centers-Related Articles

American Journal of Medical Quality
Liu D, Castle NG, Diesel J. Does use of advanced information technology in commercial minimum data set systems improve quality of nursing home care? Am J Med Qual 2010 Mar-Apr; 25(2):116-27. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, 2001, and Costs and Benefits of Health Information Technology, 2006, as published on AHRQ Web site; cites AHRQ-funded systematic review by Chaudhry, Fletcher, and Soumerai (Ann Intern Med, 2006) on the impact of health information technology on quality, efficiency, and costs of medical care (from the Southern California Evidence-based Practice Center); cites AHRQ-funded articles by McDonald (J Am Med Inform Assoc, 1997), McDonald et al. (Clin Chem, 2003), and Gurwitz et al. (Am J Med, 2005).] Select to access the abstract.

American Journal of Public Health
Minkler M. Linking science and policy through community-based participatory research to study and address health disparities. Am J Public Health 2010 Apr 1; 100 Suppl 1:S81-S87. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Community-Based Participating Research: Assessing the Evidence, 2004 (from Research Triangle Institute – University of North Carolina Evidence-Based Practice Center).] Select to access the abstract.

Pediatrics
Hough JP, Boyd RN, Keating JL. Systematic review of interventions for low bone mineral density in children with cerebral palsy. Pediatrics 2010 Mar; 125(3):e670-e678. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Effectiveness and Safety of Vitamin D in Relation to Bone Health, 2007, as published on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Rehabilitation Nursing
Batchelor NH. Palliative or hospice care? Understanding the similarities and differences. Rehabil Nurs 2010 Mar-Apr; 35(2):60-4. [Cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, End-of-Life Care and Outcomes, 2004. See also articles by Gerges, Lipsitz, and Nedeljkovic (Pain Physician, 2010) cited in U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)/Put Prevention Into Practice (PPIP)-Related Articles and Koh et al. (Am J Public Health, 2010) cited in National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR)/National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR)-Related Articles.] Select to access the abstract.

National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR)/National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR)-Related Articles

American Journal of Public Health
Koh HK, Nowinski JM. Health equity and public health leadership. Am J Public Health 2010 Apr 1; 100 Suppl 1:S9-S11. [Mentions that AHRQ's 2003 NHDR "not only summarizes the differences in health care access and quality between various racial and ethnic groups, income groups, and populations but also serves as a call to action".] Select to access the

Wallerstein N, Duran B. Community-based participatory research contributions to intervention research: the intersection of science and practice to improve health equity. Am J Public Health 2010 Apr 1; 100 Suppl 1:S40-S46. [Cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2005; cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Community-Based Participating Research: Assessing the Evidence, 2004.] Select to access the abstract.

Koh HK, Oppenheimer SC, Massin-Short SB, et al. Translating research evidence into practice to reduce health disparities: a social determinants approach. Am J Public Health 2010 Apr 1; 100 Suppl 1:S72-S80. [Cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2007; cites USPSTF recommendations in Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 3rd edition, 2002; cites AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, Community-Based Participating Research: Assessing the Evidence, 2004; cites AHRQ-authored article by Fiore, Croyle, Curry, Cutler, Davis, Gordon, Healton, Koh, Orleans, Richling, Satcher, Seffrin, Williams (researcher in AHRQ's Office of the Director), et al. (Am J Public Health, 2004).] Select to access the abstract.

Braveman PA, Cubbin C, Egerter S, et al. Socioeconomic disparities in health in the United States: what the patterns tell us. Am J Public Health 2010 Apr 1; 100 Suppl 1:S186-S196. [Cites AHRQ's NHDR, Appendix D, Data Tables.] Select to access the abstract.

Parikh P, Simon EP, Fei K, et al. Results of a pilot diabetes prevention intervention in East Harlem, New York City: Project HEED. Am J Public Health 2010 Apr 1; 100 Suppl 1:S232-S239. [Cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2004.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Women's Health
Boykins AD, Alvanzo AA, Carson S, et al. Minority women victims of recent sexual violence: disparities in incident history. J Womens Health 2010 Mar; 19(3):453-61. [Cites AHRQ's NHQR/NHDR, 2007. See also AHRQ-authored articles by Berdahl et al. (Acad Pediatr, 2010) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles and Mukherjee et al. (Childs Nerv Syst, 2010) cited in Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products.] Select to access the abstract.

Research by Others Using AHRQ Data or Products

American Journal of Public Health
Williams BA, Baillargeon JG, Lindquist K, et al. Medication prescribing practices for older prisoners in the Texas prison system. Am J Public Health 2010 Apr; 100(4):756-61. [Uses "a classification scheme from [AHRQ's HCUP] to cluster ICD-9 codes" by modifying the cognitive disorders category to include additional conditions; uses "Zhan criteria" to define "avoidance of potentially inappropriate medications" (Zhan et al., JAMA, 2001, using MEPS data); cites article by Higashi et al. (Ann Intern Med, 2005), as published in AHRQ-funded Improving Patient Care section of journal; cites AHRQ-funded article by Simon et al. (J Am Geriatr Soc, 2005) and article by Barnett et al. (J Manag Care Pharm, 2006), using the "Zhan Criteria".] Select to access the the "Zhan Criteria" (Zhan et al., JAMA, 2001, using MEPS data);

Annals of Thoracic Surgery
Welke KF, Karamlou T, Ungerleider RM, et al. Mortality rate is not a valid indicator of quality differences between pediatric cardiac surgical programs. Ann Thorac Surg 2010 Jan; 89(1):139-44; discussion 145-6. [Uses 2000-2005 HCUP NIS data, as published on AHRQ's HCUP Overview of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Web site page.] Select to access the abstract.

Archives of Internal Medicine
Eber MR, Laxminarayan R, Perencevich EN, et al. Clinical and economic outcomes attributable to health care-associated sepsis and pneumonia. Arch Intern Med 2010 Feb 22; 170(4):347-53. Uses 1998-2006 HCUP NIS data, citing AHRQ-authored article by Zhan (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Evidence) and Miller (JAMA, 2003), using 2000 HCUP NIS data and AHRQ's Patient Safety Indicators, HCUP Overview of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Web site, and AHRQ publication, HCUP Cost-to-Charge Ratio Files (CCR): Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, 2001-2003, 2010, as published on HCUP Cost-to-Charge Ratio Files Web site; cites article by Noskin et al. (Arch Intern Med, 2005), using 2000 and 2001 HCUP NIS data; cites AHRQ publication, AHRQ Quality Indicators—Patient Safety Indicators: Technical Specifications, 2009.] Select to access the abstract.

Archives of Surgery
Schauer DP, Arterburn DE, Livingston EH, et al. Decision modeling to estimate the impact of gastric bypass surgery on life expectancy for the treatment of morbid obesity. Arch Surg 2010 Jan; 145(1):57-62. [Uses 2005 HCUP NIS data; cites USPSTF-sponsored evidence summary on screening and interventions for obesity in adults.] Select to access the abstract.

Mukherjee D, Zaidi HA, Kosztowski T, et al. Disparities in access to neuro-oncologic care in the United States. Arch Surg 2010 Mar; 145(3):247-53. [Uses 1988-2005 HCUP NIS data, citing HCUP Overview of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Web site page; cites AHRQ-funded article by Romano, Roos, and Jollis (J Clin Epidemiol, 1993).] Select to access the abstract.

Stelfox HT, Bobranska-Artiuch B, Nathens A, et al. Quality indicators for evaluating trauma care: a scoping review. Arch Surg 2010 Mar; 145(3):286-95. [Uses AHRQ's definition of quality indicators, citing AHRQ's Quality Indicators Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Child's Nervous System
Mukherjee D, Zaidi HA, Kosztowski TA, et al. Variations in referral patterns for hypophysectomies among pediatric patients with sellar and parasellar tumors. Childs Nerv Syst 2010 Mar; 26(3):305-11. [Uses 1988-2005 HCUP NIS data, citing AHRQ-authored article by Steiner, Elixhauser, Schnaier (authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) (Eff Clin Pract, 2002), using various HCUP NIS, SID, Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), State Ambulatory Surgery Data (SASD), and State Emergency Department Data (SEDD) data; cites AHRQ's NHDR, 2005.]

Clinical Infectious Diseases
Grijalva CG, Nuorti JP, Zhu Y, et al. Increasing incidence of empyema complicating childhood community-acquired pneumonia in the United States. Clin Infect Dis 2010 Mar 15; 50(6):805-13. [Uses 1996-1999 and 2001-2007 HCUP NIS data "to calculate annual all-cause and pneumoccal pneumonia hospitalization rates", citing HCUP Overview of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Web site page and AHRQ publication, Hospital Inpatient Statistics, HCUP-3 Research Note, 1996, as published on AHRQ Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Diseases of the Colon and Rectum
Paquette IM, Kemp JA, Finlayson SR. Patient and hospital factors associated with use of sphincter-sparing surgery for rectal cancer. Dis Colon Rectum 2010 Feb; 3(2):115-10. [Uses 1988-2006 HCUP NIS data, citing HCUP Overview of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Web site page; cites AHRQ-funded article by Romano, Roos, and Jollis (J Clin Epidemiol, 1993).] Select to access the abstract.

Intensive Care Medicine
Gorman SK, Chung MH, Slavik RS, et al. A critical appraisal of the quality of critical care pharmacotherapy clinical practice guidelines and their strength of recommendations. Intensive Care Med 2010 Mar 9; Epub ahead of print. [Uses AHRQ's National Guideline Clearinghouse™ (NGC) to identify relevant guidelines; cites article by Gundersen (Ann Intern Med, 2000), which mentions the NGC as a "well-organized guideline" source for physicians.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery
Ananthakrishnan AN, McGinley EL, Saeian K, et al. Laparoscopic resection for inflammatory bowel disease: outcomes from a nationwide sample. J Gastrointest Surg 2010 Jan; 14(1):58-65. [Uses 2004 HCUP NIS data, as published on HCUP Overview of the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) Web site page; cites AHRQ publication, 2004 HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Comparison Report, HCUP Methods Series Report No. 2007-03, 2007, as published on HCUP Methods Series Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Hospital Medicine
Lorch SA, Millman AM, Shah SS. Impact of congenital anomalies and treatment location on the outcomes of infants hospitalized with herpes simplex virus (HSV). J Hosp Med 2010 Mar; 5(3):154-9. [Uses 2003 HCUP KID data, citing AHRQ publications, Design of the HCUP KIDS' Inpatient Database (KID), 2003, 2006, and Calculating KIDS' Inpatient Database (KID) Variances, HCUP Methods Series Report no. 2005-4, 2005, as published on HCUP Web site.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Invasive Cardiology
Movahed MR, Hashemzadeh M, Jamal MM, et al. Decreasing in-hospital mortality of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with persistent higher mortality rates in women and minorities in the United States. J Invasive Cardiol 2010 Feb; 22(2):58-60. [Uses 1988-2004 HCUP NIS data; cites articles by Movahed et al. (J Interv Cardiol, 2009, J Invasive Cardiol, 2009, and Am J Cardiol, 2009), using 1988-2004 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology
Faivre E, Surroca MM, Deffieux X, et al. Vaginal myomectomy: literature review. J Minim Invasive Gynecol 2010 Mar-Apr; 17(2):154-60. [Uses AHRQ's NGC to identify relevant guidelines.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Karamlou T, Diggs BS, Ungerleider RM, et al. Evolution of treatment options and outcomes for hypoplastic left heart syndrome over an 18-year period. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2010 Jan; 139(1):119-26; discussion 126-7. [Uses 1988-2005 HCUP NIS data, citing 1988-2005 data as published on the HCUP Overview of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Web site page.] Select to access the abstract.

Journal of Vascular Surgery
Harthun NL, Stukenborg GJ. Atrial fibrillation is associated with increased risk of perioperative stroke and death from carotid endarterectomy. J Vasc Surg 2010 Feb; 51(2):330-6. [Uses 2005 HCUP NIS data, citing AHRQ publication, 2004 HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Comparison Report, HCUP Methods Series Report No. 2007-03, 2007, as published on the HCUP Methods Series Web site; uses and cites AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998; cites article by Southern, Quan, and Ghali (Med Care, 2004), using AHRQ's Elixhauser's comorbidity measures.] Select to access the abstract.

Egorova NN, Guillerme S, Gelijns A, et al. An analysis of the outcomes of a decade of experience with lower extremity revascularization including limb salvage, lengths of stay, and safety. J Vasc Surg 2010 Apr; 51(4):878-85, 885.e1. [Uses 1998-2007 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Knee
Browne JA, Cook C, Hofmann AA, et al. Postoperative morbidity and mortality following total knee arthroplasty with computer navigation. Knee 2010 Mar; 17(2):152-6. [Uses 2005 HCUP NIS data, citing AHRQ publications, HCUP Quality Control Procedures, 2003 and Final 2000 NIS Comparison Report, HCUP Method Series Report No. 2003-1, 2003, as published on the HCUP Web site; cites AHRQ-funded article by Deyo, Cherkin, and Ciol (J Clin Epidemiol, 1992).] Select to access the abstract.

Neurosurgery
Curry WT Jr, Carter BS, Barker FG 2nd. Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in patient outcomes after craniotomy for tumor in adult patients in the United States, 1988-2004. Neurosurgery 2010 Mar; 66(3):427-37; discussion 437-8. [Uses 1988-2004 HCUP NIS data, citing HCUP Overview of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Web site page and AHRQ-authored article by Steiner, Elixhauser, Schnaier (authors are researchers in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) (Eff Clin Pract, 2002); uses AHRQ's comorbidity software, version 3.5, 2009, to calculate three "comorbidity variables likely to represent postoperative conditions", cites AHRQ-authored article by Ball and Elixhauser (researcher in AHRQ's Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets) (Med Care, 1996); cites AHRQ-funded article by Trivedi, Sequist, and Ayanian (J Am Coll Cardiol, 2006).] Select to access the abstract.

Pediatrics
Mohamed MA, Aly H. Male gender is associated with intraventricular hemorrhage. Pediatrics 2010 Feb; 125(2):e333-e339. [Uses 1998-1999, 2001-2002, and 2004 HCUP NIS data and 1997, 2000, and 2003 HCUP KID data.] Select to access the abstract.

Ben-Isaac E, Schrager SM, Keefer M, et al. National profile of nonemergent pediatric emergency department visits. Pediatrics 2010 Mar; 125(3):454-9. [Uses 2002-2005 MEPS data, citing MEPS HC-070 2002-2005 full year consolidated data file as published on MEPS Web site; cites AHRQ-authored article by Cohen, Monheit, Beauregard, Cohen, Lefkowitz, Potter, Sommers, Taylor, et al. (staff members in AHRQ's Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends) (Inquiry, 1996-1997), using MEPS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Guthrie BD, Adler MD, Powell EC. Incidence and trends of pediatric ovarian torsion hospitalizations in the United States, 2000-2006. Pediatrics 2010 Mar; 125(3):532-8. [Uses 2000, 2003, and 2006 HCUP KID data, citing 2000 KID CD-ROM, 2003, 2003 KID CD-ROM, 2005, and 2006 HCUP KID CD-ROM, 2008.] Select to access the abstract.

Stroke
Hoh BL, Chi YY, Lawson MF, et al. Length of stay and total hospital charges of clipping versus coiling for ruptured and unruptured adult cerebral aneurysms in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database 2002 to 2006. Stroke 2010 Feb; 41(2):337-42. [Uses 2002-2006 HCUP NIS data, citing HCUP Overview of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Web site page; cites article by Hoh et al. (AJNR Am J Neuroradiol, 2003), using 1996-2000 HCUP NIS data.] Select to access the abstract.

Surgical Endoscopy
Singla A, Simons JP, Carroll JE, et al. Hospital volume as a surrogate for laparoscopically assisted colectomy. Surg Endosc 2010 Mar; 24(3):662-9. [Uses 1998-2006 HCUP NIS data, citing articles by Dimick et al. (J Surg Res, 2003), using 1997 HCUP NIS data, Eppsteiner et al. (J Gastrointest Surg, 2008), using 1998-2005 HCUP NIS data, Kaplan et al. (Gastroenterology, 2008), using 1995-2005 HCUP NIS data, and Csikesz et al. (J Gastrointest Surg, 2008), using 1998-2005 HCUP NIS data; uses and cites AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998).] Select to access the abstract.

Urology
Strope SA, Wolf JS Jr, Hollenbeck BK. Changes in gender distribution of urinary stone disease. Urology 2010 Mar; 75(3):543-6, 546.e1. [Uses 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004 HCUP SID and SASD data for Florida, citing AHRQ publication, Introduction to the HCUP State Ambulatory Surgery Database (SASD), 2007.] Select to access the abstract.

Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Vogel TR, Dombrovskiy VY, Graham AM. Carotid artery stenting in the nation: the influence of hospital and physician volume on outcomes. Vasc Endovascular Surg 2010 Feb; 44(2):89-94. [Uses 2005-2006 HCUP NIS data, citing AHRQ publication, The National Hospital Bill: The Most Expensive Conditions, by Payer, 2004, HCUP Statistical Brief No. 13, 2006, as published on the HCUP Web site, and HCUP Overview of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Web site page; uses and cites AHRQ's Elixhauser comorbidity measures (Elixhauser et al., Med Care, 1998); cites AHRQ publication, Overview of Disease Severity Measures Disseminated with the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) and Kids' Inpatient Database (KID): Executive Summary, 2005, as published on the HCUP Web site; cites HCUP Comorbidity Software, as published on HCUP Web site. See also AHRQ-authored article by Berdahl et al. (Acad Pediatr, 2010) cited in AHRQ-Funded/Authored Articles.] Select to access the abstract.