Articles Tagged With:
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Influenza and Pertussis Vaccines for Pregnant Women: Are We Doing Enough to Encourage Vaccination?
In this cross-sectional analysis, pregnant women disproportionately accounted for 24-34% of influenza-associated hospitalizations among women aged 15 to 44 years, and infants younger than 2 months of age comprised the highest proportion of pertussis deaths. The reasons why pregnant women did not elect recommended immunizations included not believing they were effective, not knowing they should receive Tdap every pregnancy, and being concerned that the vaccines would harm the fetus.
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News From the WHI: Soft Drink Consumption and Bone Health
Participants from the Women’s Health Initiative study who reported consumption of more than two soft drinks per day showed a higher incidence of hip fracture compared to those consuming no soft drinks.
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Methamphetamines in the Emergency Department: Part of the Drug Epidemic
The use and abuse of methamphetamine is a worsening global health problem that may be underestimated in light of the current opioid epidemic. Methamphetamines result in sympathetically mediated agitation and in psychiatric symptoms. Clinicians should be knowledgeable about the recognition and treatment of these disorders, as well as about the other complications, including arrhythmias, cerebrovascular accidents, seizures, dental issues, and systemic and local infections.
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IHI Provides Practical Steps for Reducing Morbidity and Mortality From Opioids
Simply reducing the number of opioid prescriptions is not enough, the report authors wrote. Hospitals must be much more proactive in identifying patients with opioid use disorder and initiating treatment wherever those patients are encountered within the treatment process.
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Aetna Combines Data With Clinical Insight for Quality Improvement
A pair of data-driven quality improvement initiatives are helping Aetna improve care in two different areas. One involves improving oral hygiene to reduce infections; another helps reduce opioid-related deaths by contacting patients after an overdose.
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Research Reveals Subepidermal Moisture Useful in Predicting Ulcers
Elevated subepidermal moisture values occurred with concurrent skin damage at the sacrum, and higher subepidermal moisture values were associated with visual damage one week later.
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Updated Best Practices for Pressure Injuries Focus on Assessment
After analyzing a large body of international research, coalition developed evidence-based clinical recommendations that could challenge leaders to re-examine their policies on pressure injuries from several angles.
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Study: Hospitals Using 154 Code Combinations
A paper cited research from Pennsylvania healthcare facilities between 2004 and 2013 showing that they used 80 different emergency codes to designate 37 separate functional categories. That meant there were 154 possible combinations to interpret correctly.
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Plain Language Alerts Can Save Lives, Becoming More Prevalent
More hospitals and health systems are adopting plain language for their emergency announcements, forgoing some traditional code words for situations such as fires and infant abductions. The goal is to reduce the potential for confusion caused by facilities using different codes, and the desire to more effectively communicate with patients and visitors.
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The Pediatric Airway and Rapid Sequence Intubation
The skill to assess and manage the pediatric airway is essential. Correlating anatomic considerations with the need for escalating airway management is critical to optimize each child's outcome.