The changes in medical care over the last five decades have been dramatic. Technological and scientific advances gave patients access to a level of medical diagnosis and care previously undreamed of. During this time, Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act provided more people with the opportunity to take advantage of that care. Yet… Continue reading Rx for the Medical Profession: An Injection of Humanity
Tag: Medical Care
Patient Directives May Change in Intensive Care Unit
Although more and more people have set clear limits on how much life-sustaining therapy they want, intensive-care units across the U.S. vary widely in how they manage the care of those patients. The pre-existing limits include authorizing do-not-resuscitate orders, and prohibiting treatments such as feeding tubes or dialysis. The research, from investigators at the Perelman… Continue reading Patient Directives May Change in Intensive Care Unit
Number of Hip Replacements Rising, Number of Surgeons Falling
Total hip replacements nearly doubled among middle aged patients over the past several years. At the same time, there’s been a decline of almost 30 percent in the number of surgeons who do them, and that could have a significant impact on costs and access. Researchers who presented the study at the 2015 Annual Meeting… Continue reading Number of Hip Replacements Rising, Number of Surgeons Falling
Four Lessons Hospitals Could Learn from Disney World
Recently, I returned from a trip to Disney with my family. It was my third time at the parks, but this trip was different. My wife and I were thrilled to have brought our three children, son in law, and, most importantly, our two grandchildren. Seeing my three and a half year old grandson, Erez,… Continue reading Four Lessons Hospitals Could Learn from Disney World
Topical TXA in Total Joint Replacement Lowers Blood Transfusion Use
Orthopedic surgeons from The Miriam Hospital in Providence RI, affiliated with Brown University, have conducted a cost-benefit analysis of topical tranexamic acid (TXA) in primary total hip and knee arthroplasty patients that revealed a 12 percent transfusion rate reduction – from 17.5 percent to 5.5 percent – with no significant difference in complication rates. In… Continue reading Topical TXA in Total Joint Replacement Lowers Blood Transfusion Use
Off-Patent Antibiotics Effectively Combat MRSA Skin Infections
Researchers funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have found that two common antibiotic treatments work equally well against bacterial skin infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) acquired outside of hospital settings. Known as community-associated MRSA, or CA-MRSA, these skin infections have been… Continue reading Off-Patent Antibiotics Effectively Combat MRSA Skin Infections
Older Blood Is Safe for Transfusions
Although blood is perishable, it’s just as good as new blood after three weeks of storage, Canadian researchers say. The finding was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. According to a release from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, the large clinical trial provides reassuring evidence about the safety of blood routinely transfused to… Continue reading Older Blood Is Safe for Transfusions
The Dangers of Some IV Lines
Physicians need to more carefully consider the type of IV they use on patients, researchers say. One kind of IV, known as a PICC line, is used to deliver medicines or have blood drawn over the course of days or weeks. But while they’re popular, PICC lines also raise the risk of potentially dangerous blood… Continue reading The Dangers of Some IV Lines
Age-related Discrimination by Doctors Is Bad for Our Health
Being discriminated against by the healthcare profession or system can cause much more than just mere distress to older people. Such experiences can literally be bad for their health. One in every three older Americans who are on the receiving end of age-related discrimination in the healthcare setting will likely develop new or worsened functional… Continue reading Age-related Discrimination by Doctors Is Bad for Our Health
Be a Partner in Clinical Research
Are you aware that you can participate in clinical research? Whether you’re healthy or sick, young or old, male or female, you’re probably eligible to participate in some type of clinical study. Maybe you or a loved one has an illness, and you’d like to help scientists find a treatment or cure. If you’re healthy,… Continue reading Be a Partner in Clinical Research
Anticholinergic Drugs Linked to Risk Of Pneumonia in the Elderly
In a study of more than 3,000 older patients living in the community, not in nursing homes, taking commonly used medications with anticholinergic effects was associated with a significantly higher risk for developing pneumonia. The study was done by the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle, Washington and published in March 2015 the Journal of… Continue reading Anticholinergic Drugs Linked to Risk Of Pneumonia in the Elderly
A Call to Action for End-of-Life Care in Nursing Homes
End-of-life care for nursing home residents has long been associated with poor symptom control and low family satisfaction. With more than one in four older Americans dying in a nursing home — including 70 percent of Americans with advanced dementia — an editorial by Kathleen Unroe, M.D., MHA, Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University Center for… Continue reading A Call to Action for End-of-Life Care in Nursing Homes
Saving More Trauma Patients
A nationwide study, published in JAMA, may help save hundreds of lives among trauma patients by giving them the best transfusion techniques possible. The study found that one approach, as opposed to the other one tested, gives patients a significantly better chance of survival within the first 24 hours. “This study is an important milestone… Continue reading Saving More Trauma Patients
Stress Linked to Poor Recovery from Heart Attack in Women
Younger women who have suffered heart attacks go through more stress than their male counterparts, and that could lead to a worse recovery, according to new findings by Yale School of Medicine researchers and their colleagues. “Women tend to report greater stress and more stressful life events than men, potentially because of their different roles… Continue reading Stress Linked to Poor Recovery from Heart Attack in Women
Is Your Doctor Googling You?
Because social media is becoming more important in modern medical practice, researchers are calling for updated guidelines on when it is ethical to Google a patient. “As time goes on, Googling patients is going to become more and more common, especially with doctors who grew up with the Internet,” says Maria J. Baker, associate professor… Continue reading Is Your Doctor Googling You?
Hospital Report Cards Have No Impact on Surgery Outcomes
If you’re an older person having a major operation these days, it is very likely that your hospital is receiving a “report card” on their performance. These reports are designed to prompt hospitals to improve in areas where they perform poorly. Unfortunately, those “report cards” do not seem to be making things better for patients.… Continue reading Hospital Report Cards Have No Impact on Surgery Outcomes
Better Assessment Needed Before Diagnoses
An examination of process measures endorsed by the National Quality Forum finds that these measures focus predominantly on management of patients with established diagnoses, and that quality measures for patients presenting symptoms often do not reflect the most common reasons patients seek care, according to a study published in the February 3rd 2015 issue of… Continue reading Better Assessment Needed Before Diagnoses
The Test Every Baby Boomer Should Take
It’s important to know what health tests and screenings you should take. Most of us are aware for the need for timely mammograms and colonoscopies, but there’s another test that every Baby Boomer should consider taking – the test for hepatitis C. Here, the experts from the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tell you… Continue reading The Test Every Baby Boomer Should Take