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In the first phase of a two-phase process, paramedics with Grady Emergency Medical Services in Atlanta now have the option of transporting patients with less-urgent ailments to Grady Health System clinics instead of the ED. Emergency leaders believe this strategy will provide the most appropriate care for these patients and help alleviate some ED crowding.
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Every year about this time, I see a couple of unhappy local residents who present with an intensely pruritic, erythematous papular mystery rash. In contrast to flea bites, which are simple raised papules, the lesions seem umbilicated or have a central bite mark.
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In this issue: New reports about proton pump inhibitors and the effects of gastric suppression, pioglitazone vs vitamin E for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, metformin and vitamin B12 deficiency, and FDA Actions.
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Drug-related hepatotoxicity during treatment for tuberculosis is a common barrier to initiation of antimycobacterial. While most hepatotoxicity results in minimal to no gastrointestinal complaints, some patients experience significant nausea, anorexia, vomiting, or abdominal pain.
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A rifamycin antibacterial agent has been approved for treating patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Rifaximin is a minimally absorbed oral antimicrobial that was originally approved in 2004 for the treatment of travelers' diarrhea caused by Escherichia coli. It is marketed by Salix Pharmaceuticals as Xifaxan®.
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You may think that because you're a case manager, you don't need to be aware of the implementation of the new International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes. Or you may think that since they don't take effect until Oct. 1, 2013, you don't have to worry about them yet.
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Hospitals will be hearing a great deal more about care transitions and reducing readmissions in coming years. Discharge planners and hospitalist leaders will be searching for models that are affordable, effective, and sustainable.
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Since DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, AL, and the Alabama Quality Assurance Foundation began collaborating on a Medicare demonstration project to determine the most effective ways to reduce readmissions for Medicare patients, the hospital has increased its referrals to home care, nursing homes, community resources, and medication assistance programs.