Articles Tagged With:
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Pandemic Raises Spectre of Bioterror
The three-year viral storm of COVID-19 circling the globe and killing millions of people has left a lingering question: Has the wholesale disruption and devastation of SARS-CoV-2 made biological pathogens a more compelling and/or attainable goal by bioterrorists?
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The Seeker: Infection Control Doctor Takes the Road Less Traveled
Meet Leighann Parkes, MD, FRCPC, medical officer for infection prevention and control at McGill University in Montreal, who took a decidedly circuitous route to understanding and preventing infections.
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Comeback: IPs Rally to Cut Infections Post-Pandemic
Infection preventionists and colleagues struggled against a global pandemic for more than two years in apparent futility, watching healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) increase despite their best efforts. Their perseverance paid off. HAIs fell in 2022 and signs look favorable thus far for 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
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The Many Controversies of Cannabidiol
Current trends in cannabinoid research, federal and state cannabis legislation, multi-sourced information, as well as misinformation, all drive consumer interest in cannabidiol (CBD). With the increased use of CBD products, increased incidents of poisonings are being reported. With confusion on policy, on potential benefits and harms, and on long-term chronic effects often seen with excessive use, determining the facts is increasingly problematic for healthcare practitioners and consumers. These issues prioritize the need for clinicians, especially in primary care, to stay current on developments related to CBD and other cannabinoids.
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Higher Mortality for Neurosurgery Patients with Pre-Existing DNRs
Neurosurgeons at University of Rochester Medicine observed that patients with pre-existing do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders receiving cranial neurosurgery tended to have poor outcomes. To see if their clinical observations were reflected in actual data, the neurosurgeons analyzed 30,384 patients who underwent cranial neurosurgery in 2018-2020.
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Audio Assistance Improves Minorities’ Willingness to Participate in Research
Audio-assisted informed consent forms significantly improved the willingness of a sample of primarily African American patients to participate in a mock clinical trial.
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It Is Not Just Physicians: Residents also Receive Industry Payments
Drug and device makers publicly report all gifts made to physicians and advanced practice providers, as required by the 2010 Physician Payments Sunshine Act. Residents and other trainees are excluded from this requirement — but that does not mean these providers are not receiving payments.
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Informed Consent Practices for Acute Stroke Treatment Vary
Currently, the two cornerstones of acute ischemic stroke treatment are intravenous thrombolysis and, for patients with large vessel occlusions, endovascular thrombectomy. For treating clinicians, the question becomes: How do clinicians ensure that patients (or their surrogate decisionmakers) make an informed decision while avoiding treatment delays that can result in worse outcomes?
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Ethical Decision-Making with Deprescribing for Older Adults
Physicians must consider multiple ethical issues when making decisions on deprescribing for older adults with dementia, a recent study found.
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Ethical Responses if Faculty Object to Teaching Physician-Assisted Death
Multiple recent papers focus on the ethics of conscious objection of providers participating in medical aid in dying. However, there are little to no recommendations or guidelines for conscientious objection to teaching medical aid in dying.