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Although headache is a common symptom in children and adolescents, only a very small percentage of patients present to the emergency department for evaluation of this complaint. The majority of these headaches are benign and are either primary, such as migraine or tension-type headaches, or secondary to a viral etiology. Parents and children themselves are most concerned about the possibility of a brain tumor, whereas ED physicians are also on the alert for carbon monoxide toxicity, subarachnoid hemorrhage, meningitis, and increased intracranial pressure. The authors review the causes, diagnostic testing, and treatment of the common headache, as well as some unusual causes of non-traumatic headache.
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Arranging care for uninsured and underinsured patients has become more complicated in the past four or five years, says Jennifer DeCamp, MSW, LSW, a social worker at Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago.
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The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has released its 2005 National Patient Safety Goals that will apply specifically to hospitals.
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Seton Northwest Hospital in Austin, TX, launched nearly 50 new quality initiatives in a single four-month period after deciding to participate in the Transforming Care at the Bedside (TCAB) program, which was launched by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in Princeton, NJ, and the Boston-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).
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Hiring a case manager assigned specifically to manage joint replacement patients has paid dividends for St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, PA. The number of total hip and total knee surgeries has increased from 145 in fiscal year 2003 to an expected 260 during this fiscal year.
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An internal case management system for hospital employees who are injured on the job has reduced costs and increased return to work for Allina Hospitals and Clinics, based in Minneapolis.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has released its revised recommendations for the prevention and control of influenza.
