-
The epidemic of Clostridium difficile (C. diff) has eclipsed the nosocomial threat of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) in a group of community hospitals in the Southeast.
-
Editor's note: In this issue we begin a two-part series on the national epidemic of Clostridium difficile (C. diff) with an overview of the current situation and a specific focus on challenges to hand hygiene. Look for the June 2010 issue of Hospital Infection Control & Prevention for the latest findings and recommendations on C. diff testing, discontinuing isolation and the difficult issue of environmental cleaning.
-
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) on April 13 released the 2009 National Healthcare Quality Report and the National Healthcare Disparities Report, which are used by a variety of health care stakeholders to evaluate quality and access to care.
-
In early April, Compassion & Choices President Barbara Coombs Lee said at a press conference to announce that "aid in dying" more often referred to as assisted suicide is being implemented in Montana following a Montana Supreme Court decision to allow it in late December.
-
One health care lawyer suggests that there will be a phased implementation of the health care reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which was passed in March.
-
At the University of California, Davis, the legal counsel and the ethics consultation services are "completely separated," according to Alexander A. Kon, MD, CM, FAAP, FCCM, who, among other appointments, serves as the director, clinical bioethics consultation service and chair, bioethics consultation committee.
-
In the days after a child has been diagnosed with leukemia, parents often must wrestle with decisions about participation in clinical trials. It's a busy and stressful period, as family members are still dealing with the trauma of the diagnosis.
-
Although most patient care scenarios can be worked out through careful communication with all those involved, there are certain situations where even greater diplomacy may be required on the part of ethics consultants.
-
While there are certain scenarios regarding patient care when what is written in the law may seem to counter what is ethically appropriate, in general, the law and ethics complement each other in the health care arena, according to those interviewed by Medical Ethics Advisor.
-
In its spore form, C. diff is perfectly adapted for dispersal on hands and surfaces, where it can survive for prolonged periods in patient rooms and on medical equipment unless physically removed or killed by powerful solutions like bleach.
