Urine Tests Before Surgery Blasted as Mostly Unnecessary
“The vast majority” of urine tests conducted prior to scheduled surgeries to check for infections “were not plausibly indicated,” said researchers who examined claims data from private insurers and Medicare. And while the individual tests didn’t cost much — about $17 — they added up to almost $50 million over the study’s 11-year duration, plus […]
Can Education Tackle Poor Antibiotic Prescribing in Nursing Homes?
An educational intervention to cut inappropriate antibiotic use for suspected urinary tract infections (UTIs) and lower respiratory tract infections among nursing home residents with advanced dementia had a limited impact in a cluster randomized trial. The multicomponent TRAIN-AD intervention reduced such prescribing by 33% per person-year compared with usual care (adjusted marginal rate difference −0.27, […]