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

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Mobile Apps

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.

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

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/ 

Open Access Journals & Other Resources

 

Top Medical Journals

Citation Matcher

Titles From Our Print Collection

Catalog: Search for Print Resources 

ABOG Recertification

Reading List for January 2025 is 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

 

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

Articles of Interest - From our Subscriptions

Is the Compassion of Anesthesiologists Associated With Postoperative Pain and Patient Experience? A Prospective Cohort Study

 Mitrev, L. , Chin, G. , Roberts, B. , van Helmond, N. , Trivedi, K. , Libraro, N. , Rana, D. , Dibato, J. , Trzeciak, S. , Solina, A. & Greeson, J. (2025). Is the Compassion of Anesthesiologists Associated With Postoperative Pain and Patient Experience? A Prospective Cohort Study. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 140 (5), 1040-1047. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000007026.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Patient perception of physician compassion may be associated with improved health outcomes, yet it is unclear whether it is associated with postoperative pain reduction or improved patient experience metrics in same-day surgery patients. We hypothesized that higher anesthesiologist compassion during the preanesthesia interview, rated by patients, is associated with lower postoperative pain via the anxiety pathway in same-day surgery patients. We also performed exploratory correlation analysis to assess whether compassion was associated with less opioid consumption and improved patient experience in same-day surgery patients.

METHODS:

We conducted a single-center, prospective, observational cohort study in American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I to III patients scheduled to undergo same-day surgery with anesthesia. Compassion was scored using a validated 5-item tool. State anxiety (SA) and trait anxiety (TA) were measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Pain scores were obtained using a 0 to 10 Likert scale. Daily opioid use was recorded. Patient experience was assessed using the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Survey (OAS CAHPS) and the Surgical Care CAHPS. Mediation analysis was used to assess the association between compassion and pain scores via the anxiety pathway. Spearman correlation was performed to test for association between the compassion score and the secondary outcomes.

RESULTS:

A total of 147 subjects completed the study with a median age of 50 years and 81% female. Fifty percent underwent breast surgery, 35% abdominal surgery, and the rest underwent gynecological and urological surgeries. The median (Q1–Q3) postoperative pain scores on postoperative days 0 and 3 days later were 4 (1.5–6) and 3 (1–5), respectively.
Mediation analysis results showed a same-day anxiety-mediated effect (95% confidence interval [CI]) of compassion on pain of −0.08 (−0.13 to −0.02), attributing to 9% of the total effect. On postoperative day 0, an increase in compassion was associated with a significant average drop in pain of between 0.02 and 0.13. In addition, higher compassion was correlated with better patient experience metrics (ρ= −0.53 [95% CI, −0.64 to −0.39]).

CONCLUSIONS:

The study results suggest that an anxiety-mediated pathway exists through which compassionate care may help improve the patient’s perception of postoperative pain on the day of surgery (before discharge from the hospital). Higher compassion was also associated with better patient experience metrics.

Pharmacologic Treatments of Acute Episodic Migraine Headache in Outpatient Settings: A Clinical Guideline From the American College of Physicians

 
Qaseem, A. , Tice, J. A. , Etxeandia-Ikobaltzeta, I. , Wilt, T. J. , Harrod, C. S. , Cooney, T. G. & Crandall, C. J. (2025). Annals of Internal Medicine, 178 (4), 571-578. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-24-03095.

Abstract

Description:

The American College of Physicians (ACP) developed this guideline based on the best available evidence on the comparative benefits and harms of pharmacologic treatments of acute episodic migraine headache, patients’ values and preferences, and economic evidence about these pharmacologic treatments.

Methods:

This guideline is based on a systematic review and network meta-analysis of the comparative benefits and harms of pharmacologic treatments of acute episodic migraine headaches, as well as systematic reviews of patients’ values and preferences and comparative cost-effectiveness analyses. The Clinical Guidelines Committee evaluated the following clinical outcomes using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach: pain freedom and pain relief at 2 hours; sustained pain freedom and sustained pain relief up to 48 hours; need for rescue medication within 24 hours; nausea, vomiting, and restored physical function at 2 hours; and overall and serious adverse events (AEs). Additional data on AEs were captured through U.S. Food and Drug Administration medication labels.

Audience and Population:

The audience for this clinical guideline is physicians and other clinicians. The population is adults with acute episodic migraine headache (defined as 1 to 14 headache days per month) managed in outpatient settings.

Recommendation 1:

ACP recommends that clinicians add a triptan to a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug to treat moderate to severe acute episodic migraine headache in outpatient settings for nonpregnant adults who do not respond adequately to a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (strong recommendation; moderate-certainty evidence).

Recommendation 2:

ACP suggests that clinicians add a triptan to acetaminophen to treat moderate to severe acute episodic migraine headache in outpatient settings for nonpregnant adults who do not respond adequately to acetaminophen (conditional recommendation; low-certainty evidence).

 

Acute moderate to severe migraines can interfere with daily living. The American College of Physicians developed this clinical practice guideline on the pharmacologic treatment of acute episodic migraine for adults managed in the outpatient setting. It is based on 3 systematic reviews on the comparative benefits and harms, comparative cost-effectiveness analyses, and patient values and preferences.

Dosing and clinical outcomes of ruxolitinib in patients with myelofibrosis in a real-world setting: Interim results of the Italian observational study (ROMEI)

 
Cancer , volume 131 issue 7 April 2025 (First published: 3/20/2025)
DOI: 10.1002/cncr.35801
ISSN: 0008-543X EISSN: 1097-0142

Abstract

Background

Myelofibrosis (MF) significantly impacts patients’ overall survival (OS) and quality of life (QOL). This prospective study analyzed ruxolitinib dosing patterns and associated clinical outcomes in patients with MF over 12 months.

Methods

ROMEI, a multicenter, observational, ongoing study, enrolled 508 adult patients with MF treated with ruxolitinib. For the current interim analysis, eligible patients with baseline platelet values were categorized into two groups based on ruxolitinib starting dosage: as expected (AsEx, n = 174) and lower than expected (LtEx, n = 132); ruxolitinib dose changes, interruptions and time to permanent discontinuation were analyzed, along with symptoms response, health-related QOL scores, spleen response, OS, and safety.

Results

Forty-three percent of patients started at a lower-than-expected dose. Both groups showed reduction in average daily ruxolitinib doses over 12 months. Symptoms response rate was similar in both groups at week 48 (40.8% AsEx vs 40.9% LtEx). The AsEx group demonstrated higher spleen response rates at both 24 weeks (50.0% vs 30.2%) and 48 weeks (57.7% vs 45.8%) with a shorter median time to first response (3.3 vs 11.1 months, p = .019) when compared to the LtEx group. Both groups showed upward trends in health-related QOL values. Estimated median OS was not reached for the AsEx group versus 4.7 years in the LtEx group (p = .014). Adverse events were reported in 87.4% and 84.9% of patients in the AsEx and LtEx groups, respectively.

Conclusions

The ROMEI study demonstrated the importance of optimal ruxolitinib dosage in patients with MF for maximum effectiveness and improved OS, with manageable safety.

 

 
Kjær, M. , Bruun, C. , Granholm, A. , Møller, M. , Rasmussen, B. , Mortensen, C. , Poulsen, L. , Strøm, T. , Laerkner, E. , Brøchner, A. , Haberlandt, T. , Bunzel, A. , Herløv, L. , Holm, A. , Sivapalan, P. , Estrup, S. , Cronhjort, M. , Schandl, A. , Laake, J. , Hofsø, K. , Blokzijl, F. , Keus, F. , Pfortmueller, C. , Ostermann, M. , Cole, J. , Wise, M. , Szczeklik, W. , Wludarczyk, A. , Jovaiša, T. , Cecconi, M. , Sigurdsson, M. , Nalos, M. , Hästbacka, J. , Mäkinen, M. , Hammond, N. , Litton, E. , Haines, K. , Myatra, S. , Vijayaraghavan, B. , Yadav, K. , Jha, V. , Venkatesh, B. , Egerod, I. , Perner, A. & Collet, M. (2025). A Core Outcome Set for Adult General ICU Patients. Critical Care Medicine, 53 (3), e575-e589. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000006556.
 

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Randomized clinical trials informing clinical practice (e.g., like large, pragmatic, and late-phase trials) should ideally mostly use harmonized outcomes that are important to patients, family members, clinicians, and researchers. Core outcome sets for specific subsets of ICU patients exist, for example, respiratory failure, delirium, and COVID-19, but not for ICU patients in general. Accordingly, we aimed to develop a core outcome set for adult general ICU patients.

DESIGN:

We developed a core outcome set in Denmark following the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials Handbook. We used a modified Delphi consensus process with multiple methods design, including literature review, survey, semi-structured interviews, and discussions with initially five Danish research panels. The core outcome set was internationally validated and revised based on feedback from research panels in all countries.

SETTING:

There were five Danish research panels and 17 panels in 13 other countries. Interviews and the three-round Delphi survey was conducted in Denmark, followed by validation of the core outcome set across 14 countries in Europe, Australasia, and India.

SUBJECTS:

Adult ICU survivors, family members, clinicians, and researchers.

INTERVENTIONS:

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

We identified 329 published outcomes, of which 50 were included in the 264 participant Delphi survey. In semi-structured interviews of 82, no additional outcomes were added. The first Delphi survey round was completed by 249 (94%) participants, and 202 (82%) contributed to the third and final round. The initial core outcome set comprised six outcomes. International validation involved 217 research panel members and resulted in the final core outcome set comprising survival, free of life support, free of delirium, out of hospital, health-related quality of life, and cognitive function.

CONCLUSIONS:

We developed and internationally validated a core outcome set with six core outcomes to be used in research, specifically clinical trials involving adult general ICU patients.
 
 
Carrillo-Kappus, K. , Albright, B. , Unnithan, S. , Erkanli, A. & Moss, H. (2025). Medicaid Expansion, Uninsurance Rates, and Catastrophic Costs at the Time of Emergency Gynecologic Surgery. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 145 (4), 377-385. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005852.
 

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE:

To estimate the effect of Medicaid expansion on uninsurance rates and catastrophic charges from emergency surgical management of ectopic pregnancy and ovarian torsion using difference-in-difference analysis and to evaluate for racial and ethnic disparities.

METHODS:

We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis using 2012–2018 State Inpatient Data and State Ambulatory Surgery and Services Databases in four states: Kentucky and Maryland (expansion) and Florida and North Carolina (nonexpansion). Patients undergoing surgical management of ovarian torsion or ectopic pregnancy were included. Logistic regression models were used controlling for year and expansion type; a difference-in-difference treatment indicator was used to evaluate changes in uninsurance rates and catastrophic spending (hospital charges more than 10% of estimated annual median income) among those uninsured. We then examined race and ethnicity for those uninsured before and after expansion by state.

RESULTS:

A total of 594,116 patients were included. Before expansion, the percent of patients uninsured was higher in nonexpansion states (6.5%) compared with expansion states (5.1%). After expansion, the percent uninsured decreased from 5.1% to 2.4% in expansion states compared with 6.5% to 5.3% in nonexpansion states. The interaction between expansion year and Medicaid expansion status was significant ( P <.001). Pre-expansion percent catastrophic charges among uninsured patients were higher in nonexpansion states compared with expansion states (96.7% vs 85.7%). After expansion, the percent catastrophic financial burden remained higher at 96.9% in nonexpansion states compared with 82.5% in expansion states. The interaction between expansion year and Medicaid expansion status was significant ( P <.001). The uninsured gap between Black or African American and White patients in expansion states after expansion was 0.5%—relatively unchanged—compared with 11.6% for Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients, an increase from 8.3% before expansion.

CONCLUSION:

Medicaid expansion was associated with reductions in uninsured hospitalizations and catastrophic charges after gynecologic surgical emergencies and was associated with differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients.

 

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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:

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]

MKSAP

Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program 19: Parts A & B now available for check-out!

Print copies of the latest Parts A & B are available for check-out in the Library Office - not in the stacks! MKSAP 18 IS in the stacks.

The borrowing time for each volume is 2 weeks. There is only a single copy of each volume so please be mindful of your due dates.

If you have a personal subscription to the online content of MKSAP, using the print resource as a supplement is an excellent way to diversify your study game.

Blogs & Podcasts

  • 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."

Guideline Resources

Academy Websites & Publisher's Open Access  

Official Government Guidelines

The US government's National Guideline Clearinghouse is a repository of US clinical practice guidelines as well as some international guidelines with the goal of improving patient safety standards and healthcare measures.  Click on the NGC links below to take you to the URLs, to the link for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and to the link to the US government site for the Preventive Taskforce guidelines.

Governments & Free Agency Websites

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