December 2012 Archives

Many looking after family members are actually their adult children, grandchildren

A survey of cancer doctors finds that some believe they get paid more when they administer their patients' chemotherapy and other drugs, raising concerns about conflict of interest and the potential for overtreatment.

  A wide-ranging study of the nation's hospitals has found that, while surgical  "never events" are rare, they still pose a threat to patient safety and a  considerable financial burden to hospitals. Foreign objects such as towels and sponges are left inside patients' bodies  about 39 times a week, wrong procedures are performed on patients 20 times a  week, and wrong body site operations are performed about 20 times a week, estimates  a study from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In all, the study counted 80,000  "never event" episodes that resulted in hospital  payouts of about $1.3 billion between 1990 and 2010.

"The outbreak of meningitis connected to a prescription steroid medication highlights Michigan's lack of consumer protection when it comes to pharmaceuticals. I introduced House Bill 4440, legislation that holds drug companies liable when they sell dangerous or defective medications that harm or kill patients, but House leaders haven't allowed the bill to move out of committee. How many more Michigan residents must be harmed by dangerous medications before they are able to hold drug companies accountable, as patients can in every other state?"

Five patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center were unwittingly infected during valve replacement surgeries earlier this year because of tiny tears in a heart surgeon's latex gloves, hospital officials said.

Most critically ill medical patients who arrive at the emergency department (ED) are directly admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).  However, some of these patients are admitted to a medical floor, only to be transferred to the ICU later on.  These unplanned ICU transfers have a high in-hospital case-fatality rate, exceeding 55 percent. A new study found that even when the transfer was made within the first 24 hours of admission, there was a high risk of mortality.

An FDA advisory committee voted 11-2 on Friday against recommending approval of a single-entity hydrocodone product, raising questions about its abuse potential as a member of a drug class with a history of problems.

CDC HEALTH UPDATE

Three-fourths of patients with Alzheimer's disease or frontal-lobe degeneration had MRI-detected biomarker levels that correlated with the diagnoses, suggesting MRI has potential as a screening tool for the conditions, investigators reported.

Researchers wonder if risky behaviors influence death rates

Minimize your child's stress

Hospital readmissions can be costly. In one year alone, 20 percent of Medicare patients readmitted within 30 days of hospital discharge cost an estimated $17.4 billion. Patients infected with one of three strains of bacteria are more likely to be readmitted to the hospital after discharge, according to a new study.  Researchers looked back over an 8-year period to identify patients admitted to the hospital, who had a positive bacterial culture result 48 hours or longer after their arrival at the hospital. The focus was on three common hospital-acquired infections: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and Clostridium difficile. The researchers analyzed the time to hospital readmission after discharge for all adults admitted to the hospital.

Experts say you should seek medical attention right away

Better staff training and family reminders to better monitor patients at risk of falling is a better method, study authors say

Are you really hungry?

Researchers find biggest increase in patients with special needs, such as cerebral palsy

New estimates show that binge drinking* is a bigger problem than previously thought. More than 38 million US adults binge drink, about 4 times a month, and the largest number of drinks per binge is on average 8. This behavior greatly increases the chances of getting hurt or hurting others due to car crashes, violence, and suicide. Drinking too much, including binge drinking, causes 80,000 deaths in the US each year and, in 2006 cost the economy $223.5 billion. Binge drinking is a problem in all states, even in states with fewer binge drinkers, because they are binging more often and in larger amounts.

Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen Tablets 10 mg/500 mg: Recall - Potential for Oversized Tablets

Both squamous cell and basal cell cause itch, but pain more common with squamous, study finds

Older cribs may not meet new standards

Less-invasive endovascular method now an acceptable alternative to open surgery, Hopkins researcher says

The raw eggs it contains can make you sick

Dryness and allergies are common triggers

Are you really hungry?

Though cure rates are good, many Baby Boomers don’t even suspect they have the liver disease.

While beetle larvae may not seem appetizing, study finds they’re more environmentally friendly than livestock.

 Your pillow may be to blame

An investigation into the origin of Rudolph the Reindeer's red nose has ended the generations-old debate by uncovering an elusive but long-hypothesized scientific explanation: A snootful of red cells.

A woman paralyzed from the neck down for 13 years was able to move a prosthetic arm and hand just by thinking after only about 2 days of training, researchers reported.

Make sure the staff knows you and your history

Large Danish study suggests that even a single swoon merits a thorough health evaluation

Dozens sue pharmacy, but compensation uncertain

If artificial, make sure it’s labeled ‘fire-resistant’

Sunday, December 16,  2012

Got kids?   Then you've probably "Got milk"  in your refrigerator,  but how much should they drink?

Also a good idea to put off getting that new puppy

As electronic health record systems become more interconnected, errors may propagate much farther than under old paper-based systems, a recent study suggested.

Exposure to aggression tied to more prescriptions for antidepressants among employees

Limit fruits and fruit juices

But study found contrasting relationship depending on race

Make sure your doctor knows about them

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients admitted to the hospital on days when the emergency department is overcrowded are slightly more likely to die than patients admitted on other days, according to a new study.

Young feet can grow quickly

How well middle-age and older adults can get up off the floor may predict their chances of long-term survival.