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A patient with a disease resembling anthrax led to the identification of anthrax-like virulence factors in an isolate of Bacillus cereus.
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Musher and colleagues in Houston examined the usefulness of examination of Gram-stained sputum specimens and of sputum culture for the diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia. They included all 105 patients with bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia seen over 6 years at their VA hospital, and examined the results of the first sputum specimen submitted to the laboratory.
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Public awareness of the symptoms of stroke has increased the frequency of emergency department visits by patients with this complex chief complaint. Often, subtle symptoms may or may not represent a cerebral infarct. This issue of ED Legal Letter will review the diagnosis, management, and follow-up of patients with both transient ischemic attack and cerebral vascular accidents. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment will prevent subsequent permanent disability and potential litigation.
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After well-child visits, three of the top five reasons parents take their children to pediatricians are for ear, nose, and throat problems such as ear infections, sinusitis, and tonsillitis. Parents need education on how to manage these common conditions in an era of resistant antibiotics.
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Heart problems that cause sudden death in children often are uncovered following a tragedy. At that time, health care professionals look at other members of the family to see if there is a heredity disorder that resulted in the death.
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Medication errors associated with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pumps most often are caused by inadequate patient and staff education, misuse by well-intentioned family members, and improper patient selection, according to results of a recent survey by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices.
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Translating patient education materials into foreign languages is costly, so it is important to select those that would benefit the most patients. Without criteria to evaluate each piece, it is difficult to determine which ones should be translated. To take the guesswork out of the process, the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle created a set of criteria.
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If an educational piece is important for teaching English-speaking patients, then it equally is important that non-English-speaking patients receive the piece as well, says Etta Short, MS, a health educator at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle.
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