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The common and increasing practice of opioid treatment for chronic pain is reviewed. Randomized trials support this therapy, however the risk benefit decision is complicated by new evidence of hazards making this practice more difficult.
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The use of serum procalcitonin helps to differentiate bacterial from viral lower respiratory infections and may reduce the use of unnecessary antibiotics.
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Influenza had a major impact on the nations hospitals this season, filling up intensive care units and leading to staff shortages. Currently, there is no standard that requires immunization of health care workers, but the Joint Commission requires hospitals to be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. A vaccine against the H5N1 virus could be in clinical trials by this summer.
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Schull MJ, Vermeulen M, Slaughter G, et al. Emergency department crowding and thrombolysis delays in acute myocardial infarction. Ann Emerg Med; in press.
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A growing number of ED managers are coming to realize pain is much more than a physical symptom and taking a more holistic approach to pain can not only ease patient discomfort, but improve satisfaction.
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IOM recommends more diverse health work force.
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Time is money when an employee is injured and cant return to work. Besides the financial burden for the employer in temporary disability payments, medical costs, and extra staffing, rehabilitation actually can suffer as employees stay idle at home.
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An innovative grant program by the state of Ohios Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC) is encouraging employers to initiate proactive return-to-work programs, which can help injured employees get back on the job more quickly. In many cases, the program is even helping workers whose injuries did not occur on the job.
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For years, many employers have remained skeptical of wellness programming, insisting that there was little evidence such programming could be cost-effective. However, with the convergence of crushing health care costs and a growing body of evidence that wellness can save money, more and more employers are coming on-board, according to occupational health experts.
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The use of computer simulation modeling at Overlook Hospital was really a very simple application of a simulation model, asserts Dan Krupka, PhD, managing principal of Sherborn, MA-based Twin Peaks Group LLC. In fact, he says, the more complex the process, the greater the need for computer simulation.
