Delaying kidney dialysis in septic shock patients for 48 hours, to see if they recover on their own, did not increase the risk of death from kidney failure, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study showed 29% of patients who waited recovered without needing dialysis.

ICU-related delirium can lead to long-term dementia and confusion but experts say use of the ABCDEF bundle, which is a checklist of actions, can help prevent delirium and its effects. Dr. E. Wesley Ely at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, who created the checklist, said following it can reduce a patient's chance of developing post-ICU mental impairment by 25% to 30%.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is investigating 9 recent cases of acute flaccid myelitis in patients under the age of 18. Washington state and Colorado also are investigating cases of the polio-like illness, and at the end of September the CDC reported 38 cases of AFM had been confirmed in 16 states.

The rate of major complications during childbirth from 2012 to 2015 was 70% higher among black women, according to an analysis in Obstetrics & Gynecology of data for 2.5 million hospitalizations related to delivery. "Women of color who have multiple health conditions before they have their baby appear to experience a 'double-whammy' effect," lead researcher Dr. Lindsay Admon said.

Without continued cybersecurity improvements, hackers could trigger "catastrophic" cyberterrorism events, especially at less protected regional health facilities, says Erik Decker, chief security and privacy officer at University of Chicago Medicine. Decker is part of an HHS task force made up of 150 experts who are drafting a guide to address ways to protect facilities against the top cyberthreats.

Hospitals are facing pressure to innovate as costs rise and reimbursements fall, and up to $8 billion in venture funding portends big changes for health care. Participants at the NEXT Hospital Innovation conference said health care has to balance the need for change with the need to move carefully; commit to making digital health care easy and valuable for patients; be open to local, simple solutions; and be relentless in demanding value.