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 2026 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. 

 

 

  • May 2025 Reading List - Coming Soon! 

 

  • August 2025 Reading List - Coming Soon! 

 

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

  1. article
    Randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effects of perioperative supplemental oxygen administration on the colorectal anastomosis.
  2. article
    Reducing Golden Hour Admission Times for Extremely Preterm Infants: An Improvement Science Initiative
  3. article
    Randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effects of perioperative supplemental oxygen administration on the colorectal anastomosis.
  4. article
    Empowering Perioperative Nurses: A Structured Mentorship Program to Enhance Retention and Satisfaction.
  5. article
    Table of Contents
  6. article
    ERRATUM: Transcervical Foley Balloon Plus Vaginal Misoprostol versus Vaginal Misoprostol Alone for Cervical Ripening in Nulliparous Obese Women: A Multicenter, Randomized, Comparative-Effectiveness Trial.
  7. article
    Family presence during resuscitation: a critical review of the literature.
  8. article
    Reducing Golden Hour Admission Times for Extremely Preterm Infants: An Improvement Science Initiative
  9. article
    Family-centered care and pediatric death in the emergency department: A qualitative study using framework analysis.
  10. article
    Advances and controversies in frontotemporal dementia: diagnosis, biomarkers, and therapeutic considerations

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

Spectral Differences of Anesthetic Agents: Addressing Fundamental Problems With New Methods

Dragovic, S. , Ostertag, J. , Baumann, N. , García, P. , Kratzer, S. , Schneider, G. , Schwerin, S. , Sleigh, J. & Kreuzer, M. (2026). Spectral Differences of Anesthetic Agents: Addressing Fundamental Problems With New Methods. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 142 (2), 249-260. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000007530.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Processed electroencephalography parameters are used to guide anesthesia to adequate levels for surgical procedures. Despite known spectral differences between anesthetics, studies often assume similar anesthetic states when titrating to the same target values, presupposing a reductive one-size-fits-all approach for all anesthetic agents. We hypothesize this may introduce bias and aim to characterize the differences using conventional and new approaches.

METHODS:

For this retrospective study, we included 108 patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia with either fluranes or propofol. We analyzed steady-state frontal electroencephalography during surgery. Conventional approaches were compared with “fitting oscillations & one-over-f” and “variational mode decomposition” at clinically guided hypnotic and analgesic levels. After comparing the hypnotic drugs at the group level, we used 2 distinct ranges of spectral edge frequency (SEF) for further analyses (8–15 Hz vs 15–21 Hz).

RESULTS:

Sevoflurane and desflurane (“flurane”) demonstrated similar spectral patterns using both conventional methods and “fitting oscillations & one-over-f” and “variational mode decomposition.” “Variational mode decomposition” presented a 1.5 Hz higher central frequency (area under the receiver operating characteristic [AUC]: 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81–0.94, P < .001) in the propofol group (10.8 Hz [10.4–11.6]), compared to the flurane group (9.26 Hz [8.51–9.41]). “Fitting oscillations & one-over-f” produced a 2.04 Hz higher center frequency (AUC: 0.82, 95% CI, 0.72–0.91, P < .001) in the propofol group (10.6 [9.8–11.3]) compared to the flurane group (8.56 [8.02–9.69]). The exponent was 0.26 Hz − 1 lower (AUC: 0.76, 95% CI, 0.67–0.85, P < .001) in the propofol group (2.45 Hz − 1 [2.45–2.71]) compared to the flurane group (2.71 Hz − 1 [2.50–2.93]). At the lower SEF range, “variational mode decomposition” presented a 1.5 Hz higher central frequency (AUC: 0.83, 95% CI, 0.70–0.94, P < .001) in the propofol group (10.4 Hz [9.7–10.9]), compared to the flurane group (8.92 Hz [8.03–9.45]). “Fitting oscillations & one-over-f” produced a 1.5 Hz higher center frequency (AUC: 0.83, 95% CI, 0.68–0.95, P = .002) in the propofol group (10.3 [10.0–10.8]) compared to the flurane group (8.78 [7.63–9.66]). The exponent was 0.31 Hz − 1 lower (AUC: 0.79, 95% CI, 0.65–0.91, P = .002) in the propofol group (2.57 Hz − 1 [2.44–2.70]) compared to the flurane group (2.88 Hz − 1 [2.66–3.05]). Similar differences were found in the higher SEF group. However, no significant difference was found in the exponent between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS:

Differences between the electroencephalographic (EEG) spectral patterns under propofol anesthesia compared to anesthesia using fluranes were sensitively captured by 2 recent approaches to EEG analysis. This could potentially lead to establishing agent-specific anesthetic indices.

Effect of Nonmedical Cannabis Legalization and Exposure to Retail Stores on Cannabis Harms : A Quasi-experimental Study

 
Friesen, E. L. , Pugliese, M. , MacDonald-Spracklin, R. , Manuel, D. , Wilson, K. , Hobin, E. , Pinto, A. D. & Myran, D. T. (2026). Annals of Internal Medicine, 179 (1), 12-22. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-25-01960.

 

Abstract

Background:

In 2018, Canada became the second country to legalize nonmedical cannabis and the first to allow a commercial retail market. Limiting the density of stores selling other legal substances is associated with reductions in use and harms; however, similar associations for cannabis are not well established.

Objective:

To examine the association between exposure to cannabis retail stores and cannabis-related harms.

Design:

Population-based natural experiment examining cannabis-attributable emergency department (ED) visits between 2017 and 2022.

Setting:

Ontario, Canada.

Participants:

10 574 neighborhoods containing 6 140 595 persons aged 15 to 105 years.

Measurements:

The opening of all cannabis stores in Ontario was tracked to identify neighborhoods that became exposed (cannabis store within 1000 m) over time. Absolute and relative changes in rates of cannabis-attributable ED visits were compared in neighborhoods after they became exposed with matched neighborhoods that remained unexposed.

Results:

Cannabis-attributable ED visits were increasing over time before retail store openings. In neighborhoods that became exposed to a cannabis store, the rate of cannabis-attributable ED visits remained constant after stores opened. In contrast, in matched unexposed neighborhoods, the rate of ED visits decreased. Collectively, neighborhoods that were exposed to retail stores had a monthly increase of 1.30 cannabis-attributable ED visits per 100 000 persons (95% CI, 0.51 to 2.09; P < 0.001) compared with unexposed neighborhoods, which was equivalent to a 12% (CI, 6% to 19%) relative increase in the monthly rate of visits.

Limitation:

Findings may be influenced by unmeasured confounding between exposed and unexposed neighborhoods.

Conclusion:

Findings suggest that prohibiting stores in certain areas, limiting store density, or placing restrictions on the overall number of stores may offer public health benefits in countries pursuing legalization.

 

 

Integration of food and nutrition into oncology care : Proceedings of the Food is Medicine in Oncology Care Symposium

Raza, S. , Garfield, K. M. , Sullivan, K. R. , Jury, N. J. , Makaroff, L. , Trujillo, E. , Cohen, M. K. , Gately, K. , Mozaffarian, D. , Economos, C. D. , Spees, C. & Zhang, F. F. (2026). Integration of food and nutrition into oncology care. Cancer, 132 (2), e70228. doi: 10.1002/cncr.70228.

INTRODUCTION

A brief summary of the symposium

Poor nutrition is a leading driver of morbidity, mortality, and health care spending in the United States. Each year, suboptimal nutrition is estimated to cause more than 80,000 newly diagnosed cancer cases: a staggering health burden for individuals and communities alike. The economic toll is equally profound—poor nutrition incurs an estimated $1.1 trillion annually in health care costs and lost productivity, with $254 billion in economic costs among U.S. adults aged 20 years or older over a lifetime. Addressing these trends requires a united effort to improve dietary patterns, promote access to nutritious foods, and prioritize preventive measures to alleviate this costly and preventable epidemic.
The integration of nutrition and health through the provision of nutrition supports, also known as Food is Medicine (FIM), has gained remarkable momentum in recent years among health care systems, payers, patients, and policymakers. ,  ,  Although these strategies are promising, few studies have evaluated FIM programs for patients with cancer despite a compelling need. Data show that depending on the disease state, 30% to 85% of patients with cancer are malnourished at some point during the care continuum, ,  ,  resulting in significant implications for treatment efficacy, quality of life, and survival rates. Malnourished patients with cancer are significantly more likely to develop treatment‐related toxicities and have reduced rates of survival and impaired quality of life. ,  Those who are economically disadvantaged, uninsured, racial and ethnic minorities, older adults, and rural residents face even higher rates of malnutrition. For some patients, such as those with lung cancer, the consequences of malnutrition are compounded because of health‐related disparities and inadequate access to nutritious foods. , 
 
 
 Hynes, A. , Carver, T. , Owodunni, O. , Murali, S. , Gmora, F. , Tisherman, S. & Martin, N. (2026). Attracting Emergency Medicine-Trained Residents to Surgical Critical Care: The Implications From a Nationwide Survey of Emergency Medicine Trainees Interested in Critical Care. Critical Care Medicine, 54 (1), 66-75. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000006935.
 

Abstract

Objectives:

Emergency medicine (EM) surgical critical care (SCC) trained physicians offer many advantages to SCC. However, several fields of critical care (CC) compete with SCC for EM intensivists. We hypothesized that there are definable and potentially modifiable factors related to the pathway selection.

Design:

Cross-sectional survey.

Setting:

Four national EM societies.

Subjects:

EM trainees (residents and fellows).

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

The primary outcome included the top factors leading to pathway selection. Secondary outcomes included influential factors for entering CC and individual components of a CC fellowship that interest the EM trainee. One hundred eleven EM trainees responded—42 fellows and 69 residents. Median age was 32 (interquartile range, 30–35). Sixty-seven were matched (fellows + matched residents). Intended fields of practice: 49 anesthesiology CC (26 matched), 58 medicine CC (29 matched), two neurology CC (1 matched), six resuscitation (one matched), 15 SCC (eight matched), and five non-CC (two matched). Top factors for pathway selection included exposure to specialty units, geography and specialty multidisciplinary teams ( p < 0.05). Ease of board certification was not influential. Only 28% of trainees had exposure to EM-SCC fellowships at their residency institution and only 42% had exposure to surgical intensivists during training. However, 41% envisioned practicing in a surgical ICU. Before application season, 8.2% did not have exposure to a surgical ICU/trauma ICU/trauma service that managed their ICU patients in contrast to the 3.2% of applicants not having medical ICU exposure. The highest-ranking factor for entering CC was intellectual appeal over job opportunities and lifestyle ( p < 0.05). When assessing components of individual fellowship programs, CC knowledge, the institutional value of EM/critical care medicine, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation exposure ranked highly.

Conclusions:

Given the complexity of the modifiable barriers for EM-SCC matriculation, a multifaceted approach is necessary to increase matriculants. Interventions specific to the specialty are required at professional societal, institutional, and training program levels.

 

Kawakita, T. , Hayasaka, M. , Harper, A. , Brush, J. & Saade, G. (2026). Association Between Neighborhood Social Determinants of Health and Stillbirth. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 147 (2), 139-147. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000006115.
 

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE:

To examine the association between neighborhood-level social determinants of health and stillbirth.

METHODS:

We performed a retrospective cohort study of deliveries that occurred at a gestational age of at least 20 weeks within a five-hospital system (2012–2022). Electronic health record data mapped to the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model were geocoded using addresses at the time of delivery and linked to neighborhood health indices, which included the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), Maternal Vulnerability Index (MVI), and Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) at the Census tract level. Stillbirths were adjudicated by medical record review. Modified Poisson regression generated relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs, controlling for maternal age, body mass index (BMI), parity, marital status, chronic hypertension, and pregestational diabetes.

RESULTS:

Among 61,008 pregnancies, 288 (0.5%, 95% CI, 0.4–0.5%) resulted in stillbirths. The ADI quartiles (relative to Census tracts within the United States as a whole) 2, 3, and 4 were associated with an increased risk of stillbirth (RR [95% CI] 2.32 [1.34–4.03], 3.08 [1.74–5.44], and 2.07 [1.03–4.14], respectively) compared with quartile 1. The ADI relative to Census tracts within the states showed comparable gradients. MVI quartiles 2 and 3 were associated with an increased risk of stillbirth (RR [95% CI] 1.44 [1.01–2.05] and 1.49 [1.02–2.19], respectively) compared with quartile 1. Similarly, SVI quartiles 2 and 3 were associated with an increased risk of stillbirth (RR [95% CI] 1.46 [1.03–2.07] and 1.86 [1.32–2.63], respectively) compared with quartile 1. Neither MVI nor SVI quartile 4 showed a statistically significant association with stillbirth. Among MVI subthemes, the mental health domain demonstrated a strong association with stillbirth (quartiles 2–4 RR range 1.64–2.07).

CONCLUSION:

Neighborhood deprivation, quantified by ADI score, was a robust independent predictor of stillbirth, whereas the associations between the MVI or SVI and stillbirth were modest. Integrating the ADI into obstetric risk assessment and directing resources, especially perinatal mental health services, to highly deprived areas may help reduce persistent stillbirth disparities.
Loading...

Confirm

Alert

Place a hold

Log in