By Monica Williams-Murphy, MD Just three short years after the world mourned the shocking death of Whitney Houston, her daughter’s life hangs in the balance. Bobbi Kristina, 21, the daughter of Houston and singer Bobbi Brown, has been in a coma since Jan. 31, when she was found face down in a bathtub in her… Continue reading Bobbi Kristina and Her Family’s Ultimate Decision
Tag: Medical Care
Antibiotic for UTI + Diuretic = Risk of Death in Older Patients
The combination of the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, frequently prescribed for urinary tract infections, with the diuretic spironolactone, widely used for heart failure, more than doubles the risk of death for older patients, reports a study published in February 2015 in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). A release from CMAJ notes that more than 20 million prescriptions… Continue reading Antibiotic for UTI + Diuretic = Risk of Death in Older Patients
Choosing the Right Doctor for You
Editor’s Note: You might be looking for a new doctor for any number of reasons – you’ve moved, for example, or your doctor has retired. Here, from the National Institute on Aging, are some strategies to help make the search more productive and easier: Types of Primary Care Doctors Your primary care doctor is the… Continue reading Choosing the Right Doctor for You
Coma Patients Helped by Family Storytelling
Sometimes, it seems, love can do what medicine can’t: Researchers have found that loved ones who talk to a patient in a coma can help him or her recover faster. The study, from Northwestern Medicine and Hines VA Hospital, shows that telling the patient familiar stories stored in long-term memory can help awaken the unconscious… Continue reading Coma Patients Helped by Family Storytelling
Discharge Summaries and Hospital Readmissions
Good discharge summaries for heart-failure patients can make the difference between a quick recovery and hospital readmission, according to Yale School of Medicine researchers. The findings were published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. A discharge summary is designed to help outside physicians understand what happened to patientsi n the hospital, but in reality, it’s… Continue reading Discharge Summaries and Hospital Readmissions
Nurses Can Ease Shortage of Health-Care Workers
University of Missourui researchers say that the shortage of health care workers can be relieved by allowing Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to perform primary-care dugies. Many states don’t allow APRNs to perform these duties to their “full potential,” according to a university news release. But these nurses could expand access to care for underserved… Continue reading Nurses Can Ease Shortage of Health-Care Workers
From The Desk of Dr. Nash: Sometimes “Sorry” Is All It Takes
In my administrative role, I have the great pleasure of signing thank you letters to patients and family members who have acknowledged the great care they have received by one of our physicians or other caregivers. It is a nice way to tell the patient “we got your note” and to simultaneously recognize the provider… Continue reading From The Desk of Dr. Nash: Sometimes “Sorry” Is All It Takes
Predicting Superbugs’ Countermoves to New Drugs
With drug-resistant bacteria on the rise, even common infections that were easily controlled for decades such as pneumonia or urinary tract infections are proving trickier to treat with standard antibiotics.New drugs are desperately needed, but so are ways to maximize the effective lifespan of these drugs. To accomplish that, Duke University researchers used software they… Continue reading Predicting Superbugs’ Countermoves to New Drugs
Too Few Patients Are Having Gallbladder Removed
Although gallbladder removal is a fairly common operation among older adults, a new study shows that many people who could benefit from the surgery don’t get it. Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston looked at 11 years of billing records of 160,000 Texas Medicare patients 66 and older. All the patients… Continue reading Too Few Patients Are Having Gallbladder Removed
Patients Don’t Want Their Doctors to Know Everything About Their Health
Many patients withhold sensitive health information from their doctors, according to the first real-world trial of the impact of patient-controlled access to electronic medical records. Researchers from Clemson University, the Regenstrief Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine and Eskenazi Health published their finding in in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Kelly Caine, assistant professor… Continue reading Patients Don’t Want Their Doctors to Know Everything About Their Health
Study: Shorter Doctors’ Hours Don’t Affect Patient Outcomes
A new study has found that there is no difference in the rate of death or rehospitalization of Medicare patients following a mandated reduction in the number of continuous hours a medical resident can work. The study, published in JAMA, was conducted by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania… Continue reading Study: Shorter Doctors’ Hours Don’t Affect Patient Outcomes
The Most Recommended Screenings for Women 50 and Above
What kind of screening or diagnostic tests should you take after 50? The SeniorHealth division of the National Institutes on Aging, using material developed by the respected Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, has some suggestions: Breast Cancer BRCA 1 and 2 Genes The agency experts recommend that you consider a genetic test for these… Continue reading The Most Recommended Screenings for Women 50 and Above
The Wrong Kind of Monitoring in Hospitals?
Millions of physiological alarms in hospitals are triggered each month, and the technology needs to be improved to avoid further “alarm fatigue” among health care providers, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the University of California said their study of alarm fatigue was the first ever… Continue reading The Wrong Kind of Monitoring in Hospitals?
Prompt Care for Dislocated Shoulder Prevents Repeat Dislocations
Prompt and appropriate treatment of a dislocated shoulder—when the head of the upper arm bone (humerus) is completely knocked out of the shoulder socket (glenoid)—can minimize risk for future dislocations as well as the effects of related bone, muscle and nerve injuries, according to a literature review published in the December 2014 issue of the… Continue reading Prompt Care for Dislocated Shoulder Prevents Repeat Dislocations
Antibacterials and Liver Disease
A product meant to fight bacteria could lead to liver cancer, according to researchers. The newest study of triclosan comes months after an earlier study determined that the substance showed up in the urine of people who used it. It’s also been linked to the impairment of muscle contraction and hormone disruption. Triclosan, an antimicrobial… Continue reading Antibacterials and Liver Disease
An Ebola Vaccine – Without a Needle?
A single-dose Ebola vaccine, given without a needle, has protected primates against infection for at least 21 weeks, according to a new study. The vaccination was given to macaques, a kind of Asian monkey, through their nose and lungs. The study was reported in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics. The researchers noted that the current Ebola… Continue reading An Ebola Vaccine – Without a Needle?
One Molecule, Many Illnesses
Researchers have identified what seems to be a molecular “switch” that controls inflammatory processes linked to a number of conditions including muscle atrophy and Alzheimer’s disease. The study, led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators, found that the action of the signaling molecule, nitric oxide, on the protein SIRT1, appears to be necessary for the… Continue reading One Molecule, Many Illnesses
A New and Improved Turmeric?
Researchers have figured out a way to better distribute the biological effects of curcumin, an anti-inflammatory, over-the-counter supplement that until now has metabolized too quickly to be of maximum effect. Curcumin, a natural compound in the spice turmeric, has been used for centuries by practitioners of Ayurveda – a Hindu system of medicine – for… Continue reading A New and Improved Turmeric?