Newly diagnosed AIDS with neurosyphilis, Kaposi sarcoma, pancytopenia, oropharyngeal candidiasis, and pseudomonal pneumonia: We shouldn't be seeing this anymore.

The incidence of new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections is declining and is half of what it was in the mid 1990s. We present a case of newly diagnosed HIV with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), Neurosyphilis, Kaposi Sarcoma, and multiple opportunistic infections. Although this type of patient was not uncommon in the pre-antiretroviral era, we do not often see such a constellation of conditions in a single individual. The significance of this case lies not in the diagnosis, but rather in the number of the diagnoses and the thought process used to attain them.

Results of a Quality Improvement Project Aimed at Eliminating Healthcare Waste by Changing Medical Resident Test Ordering Behavior.

BACKGROUND: In light of rising healthcare costs and evidence of inefficient use of medical resources, there is growing interest in reducing healthcare waste by clinicians. Unwarranted lab tests may lead to further tests, prolonged hospital stays, unnecessary referrals and procedures, patient discomfort, and iatrogenic anemia, resulting in significant economic and clinical effects. Blood tests are essential in guiding medical decisions, but they are also associated with significant financial and clinical costs. We designed a quality improvement study that attempted to decrease inappropriate ordering of laboratory tests while maintaining quality of care in a large residency program. METHODS: An algorithm outlining indications for complete blood count (CBC), coagulation profile (PT/INR) and basic metabolic profile (BMP) was created by the study team. Data from 1,312 patients over a 3-month period in the pre-intervention phase and 1,255 patients during the selected intervention phase were analyzed. The primary endpoint was mortality rate and secondary endpoints were length of stay and laboratory costs. RESULTS: There were significant decreases in the number of PT/INR orders (20.6%), followed by BMP orders (12.4%), and CBC orders (9.3%). The mortality rate was 5.3% for the pre-intervention phase and 5.8% for the selected intervention phase, with a difference of 0.5% (P = 0.44). CONCLUSION: Our approach leads to a decrease in costs, preventing unnecessary downstream testing, and improving patient experience. It also brought a mental discipline while ordering blood tests amongst residents.