Ascension - MD

Medical Resources

Lewis P. Gundry Health Sciences Library

900 S Caton Ave, Baltimore MD 21229
Phone: 667-234-3134
Email: stagneslibrary@ascension.org

1st Floor (main building)

Library Open Hours: 7:30AM - 4:00PM (Monday - Friday)

After Hours Access limited (door unlocks at 6:30AM weekdays) 

Librarian: Lucinda Bennett

Medical Databases & Platforms

Access Medicine

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

PubMed

Open Access Journals & Other Resources

 

PICO Search

Options:

Top Medical Journals

Citation Matcher

Titles From Our Print Collection

Catalog: Search for Print Resources 

ABOG Recertification

Reading Lists for 2025 are now available!

Access the electronic readings lists below. Note, there will be no August reading list. The Library will no longer be providing print copies of the articles, but we will announce the full reading lists here with live links to each citation. 

 

 

 

  • August 2025 Reading List - There will be no Aug 2025 list as confirmed with ACOG

 

The ACOG Practice Advisory linked below has been added to the 2023 MOC from ABOG in the Emerging Topics section:

Maternal Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccination

American Academy of Pediatrics Resources

As of November 2021, all publications via the AAP have been on a single platform All journals subscribed to by the Library will be housed on the following pages, which will be made available on the Library site:

The Medical Letter

"We want to make sure you are aware of the valuable features of The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics so you can immediately maximize the benefits and find what you need.

We have prepared this brief Getting Started Guide to provide your users with tips on how best to use your new subscription to The Medical Letter."

Getting Started Guide. [Power Point Download]

Medal - The Medical Algorithms Company

Check out the Medical Algorithms Project, now called Medal The Medical Algorithms Company. 

It has been around for over a decade, and has 1,000s of medical care algorithms for over 45 different specialties in medicine and nursing.  

It was developed by Dr. Sriram Iyengar, Ph.D., of the School of Health information Systems, University of Texas, Houston, and the Institute for Algorithmic Medicine.  For individuals, it is still freely accessible at the URL below. 

You will need to register to gain access; it has iOS and Android apps available. This is an evidence-based clinical decision support tool, with over 22,000 plus calculators and risk scores.  

Here is the URL below:

https://www.medicalalgorithms.com/ 

Library Request FormUse this form to request
* Literature Searches
* Journal Article(s)
* Book Chapter
* or Borrow a Book

Ascension Resources

Ascension Patient Health Library

"Ascension has partnered with WebMD Ignite on a new Patient Health Library, which has recently launched on Ascension.org. This library increases our community's access to trusted education content in video, digital, and print formats, in both English and Spanish. By keeping patients, their family and friends informed throughout their journey, we can improve health outcomes, build trust and reinforce out Vision of health, healing and hope for all."

Ascension Care Management Library

This tool is a Health Encyclopedia that lists medical terms in A - Z fashion. Select "Search Clinical Content" for provider educational entries, or select "Search Patient Health Library" for quick references for the patient side of health questions. 

What's Trending

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    Bereavement services in acute care settings.
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    Steroid-responsive encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis (SREAT): Characteristics, treatment and outcome in 251 cases from the literature.
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    A Case of Hashimoto's Encephalopathy Manifesting as Psychosis
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    High-oxygen pretreatment of whole fruit delays softening of fresh-cut apples: A metabolic perspective associated with cell wall homeostasis
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    Role of Perianesthesia Nurses in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocols: A Narrative Review and Comparative Outcomes Analysis
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    Steroid-responsive encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis presenting as cortisone sensible psychosis with reversible leukoencephalopathy.
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    Steroid responsive encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis following ipilimumab therapy: a case report

Briggs

These helpful guides on how to access Briggs Drugs in Pregnancy have been shared by a fellow Ascension Librarian in Wisconsin.

How to get to Briggs Drugs in Pregnancy & Lactation through Lexicomp

Briggs Drugs in Pregnancy & Lactation – via LexiComp [Direct Link]

Inclusive Language & Mental Health Environments

Healthcare is an ever-changing and dynamic environment. It is important that providers in all fields learn the language and skills to compassionately care for patients of vast backgrounds and mental health status. The following PDFs are crafted by the American Hospital Association to help healthcare workers practice such language. Take a look and feel free to print, share and spread the word in your department.

Compassionate SUD Language

Culturally Aware Language

Mental Health Conditions

People First Language

PTSD Supportive Language

Suicide Destigmatizing Language

    • Elsevier Clinical Insights
       
       
    • Not Otherwise Specified 
      • "In “Not Otherwise Specified,” Dr. Lisa Rosenbaum, cardiologist and national correspondent for the New England Journal of Medicine, defies our sound-bite culture to go deep with some of medicine’s most innovative thinkers. Her guests’ stories and ideas about health care’s toughest challenges and greatest promise may change the way you think about medicine, health, and society."

  • http://www.imedicalapps.com/

    "iMedicalApps is the leading online publication for medical professionals, patients, and analysts interested in mobile medical technology and health care apps. Our physician editors lead a team of physicians, allied health professionals, medical trainees, and mHealth analysts in providing reviews, research, and commentary of mobile medical technology. Our publication is heavily based on our own experiences in the hospital and clinic setting."

    http://www.medscape.com/public/iphone?src=emed-call

    8,500+ prescription and OTC drugs, herbals, and supplements
    6,200+ Reference articles for decision-making support
    Clinical tools: drug interaction checker, calculators, and pill identifier
    And more!

    sanfordguide.com/coronavirus

    "In the interest of providing the medical community with concise information about the rapidly changing SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 situation, Sanford Guide has made its resources related to the pandemic available without a digital subscription."
    Access is available on the Web, on IPhone or IPad, and Android devices.

    Access App

    "Learn when you want, where you want, and how you want. Access is your personal medical resource library that makes studying easier and more efficient. Currently available in its preview phase, as early adopters, you have the opportunity to shape the future of optimized and personal medical education. Access personalizes and tailors your medical education experience, giving you the healthcare content you need, on the go, even when you’re offline."

    Be sure to create an account on Access Medicine first (on a desktop) and then use those credentials to log into the app.

    Merck Manuals

    First published in 1899 as a small reference book for physicians and pharmacists, The Manual grew in size and scope to become one of the most widely used comprehensive medical resources for professionals and consumers. As the Manual evolved, it continually expanded the reach and depth of its offerings to reflect the mission of providing the best medical information of the day to a wide cross-section of users, including medical professionals and students, veterinarians and veterinary students, and consumers.

    Clinical Key

    This app allows our nurses and allied health professionals to access our new point of care tools directly from their mobile devices, empowering them to make informed clinical decisions and enhance patient care by finding the most relevant answers wherever they are.

Articles of Interest - From our Subscriptions

Examining Critical Task Performance in Blue and Green Ambient Lighting Environments in Modern Interventional Suites: An Anesthetic Care Perspective

Van Zundert, A. , Queen, J. , Chiu, J. & Keir, B. (2026). Examining Critical Task Performance in Blue and Green Ambient Lighting Environments in Modern Interventional Suites: An Anesthetic Care Perspective. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 142 (1), 45-55. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000007696.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

An optimal visual environment in operating rooms (ORs) is critical for ensuring safe effective patient care. This study’s primary objective assessed—in a simulated environment—OR staff task performance under spectrally shifted (blue and green) ambient lighting conditions, commonly used in minimally invasive surgical procedures, by comparing success rates, error rates and completion times to that under white light. Secondary objectives included identifying drug label features most relied on for accurate decision-making under these lighting conditions.

METHODS:

This randomized-single-center-crossover trial involved 300 OR staff and volunteers at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. Participants were screened for color vision deficiencies using the Ishihara and Farnsworth D-15 Tests (FT), then randomized to 1 of 2 lighting sequences (blue–green or green–blue). Each participant completed the FT and Drug Label Matching Test (DLMT) under each lighting condition, with performances compared to white light. A questionnaire assessed which drug label characteristics participants used for identification under each lighting condition.

RESULTS:

Of the 266 eligible participants, all successfully completed the FT under white light (100% success; 95% confidence interval [CI], 99.01%–100%), but none succeeded under blue/green light (0% success; 95% CI, 0.00%–0.99%). Median FT completion times were 50 (interquartile range [IQR], 39–63) seconds (white), 64 (IQR, 49–84) seconds (blue), and 64 (IQR, 44–93) seconds (green). Median DLMT completion times were 76 (IQR, 65–89) seconds (white), 103 (IQR, 88–126) seconds (blue), and 96 (IQR, 78–120) seconds (green), with significantly faster performance under white light compared to blue or green ( P < .001 for both). DLMT failure rates were significantly higher ( P = .033) under blue/green light compared to white, with the odds of an error occurring under blue/green light estimated to be 3.67 times higher (95% CI, 1.05–12.87). Under blue and green light, reliance on color for drug identification dropped sharply (from 96.6% to ~41%–42.5%), while use of drug names differed slightly (76.3% to ~80%–83%), grouping (8.3% to ~50%–56.8%) and memory (0.4% to ~42%–45%) both increased substantially.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study demonstrated that ambient blue and green lighting significantly impairs the ability of OR staff to distinguish color hues, compromising color-dependent decision-making. The Farnsworth D-15 Test confirmed that color hues become virtually indistinguishable under spectrally shifted lighting. Drug Label Matching Test performance declined to a lesser extent due to the presence of multiple identifiers on drug labels with increased reliance on noncolor cues. These findings underscore potential challenges in accurately assessing tissue perfusion and identifying medications, thereby elevating risks of medication errors. To address these concerns, strategies such as improved environmental lighting control, use of machine-readable drug labeling, or integration of augmented reality tools should be considered. Further research is warranted to explore clinical implications of spectrally shifted lighting and to evaluate solutions in real-world perioperative settings.

Identifying Core Clinical Topics and Recommending Core Performance Measures for Internal Medicine Physicians: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians

 
Qaseem, A. , Fitterman, N. , Tierney, S. , Powell, R. E. , Campos, K. , Choi, E. I. , Crandall, C. J. , Cross, J. T. , Humphrey, L. L. , Obley, A. J. , Wilt, T. J. & Andrews, R. A. (2025). Annals of Internal Medicine, 178 (11), 1616-1623. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-25-00874.

 

Abstract

Internal medicine physicians are specialists who promote health, emphasize disease prevention, manage complex acute and chronic conditions in adults, and receive extensive training in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting all systems of the human body. As a result, internal medicine performance measures (PMs) target several topics. Many PMs are not based on high-certainty evidence of at least moderate net benefit and are burdensome, with low or no value to patient care. The American College of Physicians (ACP) wants to provide a national focus to improve the quality of health care in the United States. The ACP is a leader in the evidence-based world, being the only physician organization designated as a GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) Center, an Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) Center, and a member of the Cochrane U.S. Network. Using a structured, stepwise, evidence-based approach, ACP identified the most important clinical topics evaluated and treated by internal medicine physicians. The ACP is also actively working toward recommending essential PMs for each core clinical topic that can be used to evaluate and improve patient care. This position paper describes ACP’s method and results of identifying core clinical topics. It also offers a blueprint for defining core PMs and illustrating the principals through application to 2 core clinical topics. The ACP plans to apply this method on PMs for other core clinical topics.

 

Establishing core clinical topics in internal medicine and defining high-quality performance measures (PMs) is intended to improve care in the United States. Many PMs relevant to internal medicine are burdensome, are not based on high-certainty evidence, and offer low or no value to patient care. The American College of Physicians used a structured approach to identify the most important clinical topics managed by internal medicine physicians and is working toward recommending essential PMs for each core topic. This position paper describes the American College of Physicians’ methods for identifying core clinical topics and offers a blueprint for defining core PMs.

 

 

Effects of physical activity on performance measures in older adult cancer survivors

Brown JC, Tice AL, Goodpaster BH, Yi F, Yang S, Tejani MA. Effects of physical activity on performance measures in older adult cancer survivors. Cancer. 2025 Dec 15;131(24):e70197. doi: 10.1002/cncr.70197. PMID: 41370194; PMCID: PMC12694757.

ABSTRACT

Background

Older adults who are long‐term survivors of cancer are vulnerable to developing mobility disability than noncancer controls; it is unknown if physical activity improves objective measures of lower‐extremity physical performance, such as the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and 400‐m walk, that are predictors of mobility disability in this population.

Methods

The Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) study was a multicenter randomized trial that enrolled 1635 adults aged 70−89 years, of whom 371 (22.7%) reported a history of cancer and were included in this secondary analysis. Participants were randomized to health education or physical activity. End points included the SPPB and 400‐m walk.

Results

Randomization to physical activity, compared with health education, improved the SPPB score at 6 months (0.45 points [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.05–0.86]; p = .027), 12 months (0.43 points [95% CI, 0.02–0.83]; p = .039), and 24 months (0.45 points [95% CI, 0.04–0.87]; p = .031). Randomization to physical activity, compared with health education, improved the 400‐m walk speed at 6 months (0.042 m/s [95% CI, 0.017–0.066]; p < .001) and 12 months (0.036 m/s [95% CI, 0.011–0.060]; p = .004) but not 24 months (0.013 m/s [95% CI, −0.012 to 0.038]; p = .30). Moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity physical activity volume at 6 months mediated 25.3% (95% CI, 4.1–46.6 [p = .019]) and 30.3% [95% CI, 10.3–50.4 [p = .003]) of the effect of randomization on the SPPB score and 400‐m walk speed at 12 months, respectively.

Conclusion

Physical activity may improve lower‐extremity physical performance compared to health education in older adults who are long‐term survivors of cancer.

 
 
 Aoki, Y. , Shimizu, M. , Nakajima, M. , Ota, K. , Kaszynski, R. , Naruse, S. , Sato, T. , Kato, H. , Mimuro, S. & Nakajima, Y. (2025). Association Between Activation of a Rapid Response Team and Outcomes of Sepsis in General Wards: A Nationwide Observational Study Using the Japanese Intensive Care Patient Database. Critical Care Medicine, 53 (12), e2458-e2467. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000006857.
 

Abstract

Objectives:

Sepsis and septic shock require prompt intervention to improve outcomes. A rapid response team (RRT) system facilitates early recognition and management, including transfer to the ICU, but its impact on clinical outcomes remains unclear. This study assessed the association between RRT activation and clinical outcomes in septic patients initially managed in general wards, in a cohort of predominantly tertiary care hospitals in Japan.

Design:

Secondary analysis of prospectively collected data from the Japanese Intensive Care PAtient Database (JIPAD) for the fiscal years 2017–2022.

Setting:

A multicenter study using the JIPAD, which includes 324,037 patients across 95 ICUs in Japan.

Patients:

We identified 3883 adult patients admitted to the ICU with sepsis or septic shock after initial management in a general ward.

Interventions:

The patients were divided into those in whom the RRT was activated before ICU admission (the RRT group) and those in whom it was not (the control group).

Measurements and Main Results:

The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included rate of discharge to home, ICU mortality, length of hospital stay, and length of ICU stay. All outcome analyses were performed after stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting using generalized estimating equations to account for clustering at the hospital level. There was no statistically significant difference in-hospital mortality between the RRT group ( n = 850) and the control group ( n = 3033; 38.6% vs. 37.1%; risk difference, 1.4%; 95% CI, –2.8% to 5.6%; p = 0.51). No significant differences were observed in secondary outcomes.

Conclusions:

In this nationwide study of septic patients requiring ICU admission, RRT activation was not associated with improvement of in-hospital mortality or other clinical outcomes. Despite the widespread implementation of RRTs, their impact on outcomes of sepsis in well-resourced healthcare systems such as Japan remains uncertain.

 

 Saldarriaga, E. , Pollock, E. , Jackson, D. , Gift, T. , Barbee, L. , Bachmann, L. & Spicknall, I. (2025). Cost Effectiveness of the Reverse Sequence Algorithm Compared With the Traditional Algorithm for Syphilis Screening Among Pregnant Women. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 146 (6), 795-805. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000006019.
 

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE:

The traditional syphilis screening algorithm, which involves a nontreponemal assay followed by confirmatory treponemal testing, has been challenged by an alternative approach known as the reverse sequence algorithm. The latter reverses the order of the tests and incorporates a second treponemal test for discordant results. Although the reverse sequence may offer operational advantages, there is a need for formal cost-effectiveness analyses to compare these two syphilis screening alternatives.

METHODS:

We conducted cost-effectiveness analyses from the health care sector perspective to compare the reverse sequence with the traditional algorithm. We employed a decision tree for pregnant women in prenatal care that included the possibility of congenital syphilis outcomes. A simulated a cohort of 10,000 people was screened over 1 year to estimate total costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) under each algorithm. We estimated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). Sensitivity analyses were performed to identify influential parameters affecting the ICERs and to conduct scenario analyses.

RESULTS:

During prenatal care, the reverse sequence detected four more cases, overtreated 185 more individuals, and prevented 0.42 more congenital syphilis cases (ICER $463,735/QALY gained), when compared with the traditional algorithm. Sensitivity analyses revealed that syphilis prevalence had the greatest effect on the ICER. To achieve ICERs below $50,000/QALY gained, syphilis prevalence would need to exceed 6% during prenatal care.

CONCLUSION:

Our analysis indicates that, under likely parameter values, the reverse sequence algorithm is equally effective but more costly than the traditional algorithm and therefore not cost effective. Although treponemal test automation may offer potential savings in laboratory costs, these are outweighed by overtreatment costs.
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