Due to ease of use and widespread applicability, Twitter and Facebook are excellent applications of "push technology" as a means to deliver educational content. This pilot project demonstrates the potential of social media to both supplement and enhance traditional educational methods.

No abstract

Bacteria have diverse mechanisms for establishing residence within the human host. Adhesion proteins, degradative enzymes, toxins, and other proteins ensure that the bacterial colony has food and a place to grow. The detrimental actions of these bacterial products on the human body make them virulence factors. Virulence factors are not essential to the viability of the microbe but are important for their parasitism of humans. The expression of the virulence proteins is regulated by an intricate web of turn-ons and turn-offs initiated by the signals from bacterial sensor proteins which monitor the environment of the bacteria. Osmolarity, pH, oxygen tension, and the concentrations of specific ions denote the location of the bacteria, whether inside or outside and where in the human body, and activate appropriate bacterial systems. Quorum sensors activate processes that are important for larger colonies of bacteria. The importance of these control networks for bacterial growth and disease production in the human body suggests that they may be good targets for antimicrobial drug development.(Infect Dis Clin Pract 2008;16:240Y244) Immunology/Microbiology for ID

Introduction: Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a nationally recognized problem and multiple strategies have been proposed and implemented with varying levels of success. It has caused patients to present to the ED but leave without being seen (LWBS). These patients suffer delayed diagnosis, delayed treatment, and ultimately increased morbidity and mortality. In efforts to decrease the number of patients who leave without being seen, one proposed solution is to place a provider in triage to evaluate these patients at the initial point of contact. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on patient's presenting to the Emergency Department from October through January for the years 2013 through 2017. A list of all patient dispositions for each study month was analyzed and compared for the 4 consecutive years with the implementation of an Advanced Practice Provider (APP) in triage. Results: A total of 2162 patients dispositioned as LWBS during the entire study period of October 2013 through January 2017 were enrolled in the analysis. After implementation of a provider in triage, there was a 39% overall decrease (95% CI 0.005) in patients who left the ED before completion of treatment. There was a 69% reduction (95% CI 0.005) in patients who left before seeing the provider in triage. After seeing the provider, we saw an 83% reduction (95% CI<0.001) in LWBS. Overall, our initial LWBS rate was found to be 5%, and after implementation of a provider in triage that rate decreased to 1%. Discussion: The addition of a provider in triage decreased our LWBS rate from 5% to 1%. The addition of a provider in triage also helped identify sick patients in the waiting room and helped facilitate more rapid assessment of ED patients on arrival.