Articles Tagged With:
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Falls in the Elderly
Falls in patients older than 65 years of age are an increasingly common presentation in U.S. emergency departments, and intricate knowledge and confidence in the evaluation and management of these patients is vital.
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Continuous Visible Lighting Disinfection May Offer Benefits
The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center recently replaced traditional light bulbs in its operating rooms with antibacterial LEDs for a visible-light continuous environmental disinfection system. Research suggests the fixtures can continuously kill harmful bacteria on high-risk surfaces, which should be an improvement over intermittent cleaning. Another common option, ultraviolet lighting, is not safe for human exposure and can only sanitize spaces once patients and staff leave the room.
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Surveillance Programs for Staff Working With Hazardous Medications
Looking for guidance on best practices for a hazardous medication surveillance program? Many employee health professionals may be making changes to their hazardous medication surveillance program in response to United States Pharmacopeia <800> standards.
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NIH Developing a Vaccine for 2019-nCoV
The National Institutes of Health has fast-tracked vaccine development to stop a novel coronavirus emerging from China, but it will be months before it can be administered safely to an anxious public. While promising, vaccine development and testing is a time-consuming process, both to ensure that it works and that it is safe in humans.
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First Case of Person-to-Person Transmission in the United States
The first case of person-to-person spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus emerging in the United States has occurred, as the husband of a previously identified case in Illinois has been hospitalized, the CDC reported on Jan. 30. The man is the first U.S. case with no history of travel to China. Public health officials announced the woman became ill after returning from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of what is threatening to become a global outbreak. She has been hospitalized, and her husband became ill and also was hospitalized. They both are in stable condition.
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WHO Declares Coronavirus Outbreak an International Emergency
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-CoV) outbreak in China a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on Jan. 30. WHO emphasized China will not be isolated from the global community, which can happen after a PHEIC is issued.
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New Coronavirus Exploding Out of China Poses Threat to Healthcare Workers
Given the deadly precedents of SARS and MERS coronaviruses, a rapidly emerging similar virus out of Wuhan, China, could pose a grave threat to healthcare workers in the United States. As of Jan. 21, the World Health Organization reported that 16 healthcare workers had been infected by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019- nCoV), and none have died. However, those numbers were considered conservative amid a dramatically accelerating situation as this report was filed.
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Five Quality Measures for Medical Billing
Physicians offer proposals that aim to reduce surprise bills, stress over how to pay for care.
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Digital Chatbot Helps Guide Patients Through Hospital Care
Chatbot interacts about eight times with each patient during their ED visit. Conversations include the opportunity for the patient to provide feedback, which is used to monitor patient satisfaction and identify opportunities for improvement.
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Program Tailored to Reducing Senior Patient Readmissions
A program in the Chicago area is demonstrating the value of tailoring discharge plans to the particular needs of elderly patients with little support outside the hospital. These “solo seniors” often face complex medical challenges after discharge and can experience high rates of readmission without help from family and friends. With hospitals facing significant penalties from 30-day readmissions, the program could be a model for hospitals to emulate.