Nurses and pharmacists who handle chemotherapeutic drugs are unknowingly being exposed to a potential carcinogenic and reproductive hazard, and those with the highest exposures have significant chromosomal abnormalities, according to two recent studies.
In the H1N1 influenza A pandemic, many infected health care workers failed to wear personal protective equipment.
In the first update of a hazardous drug alert since 2004, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health added 21 drugs to the list of drugs that may pose an occupational risk to health care workers.
Beware of recordkeeping violations. That's a word to the wise based on recent enforcement activity by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Ear plugs aren't protection enough from high levels of noise at work.
The ambulance was 20 minutes into a 60-minute drive, taking a patient with complications of influenza from a clinic to an urban hospital. No lights or sirens. This was a transport, not an emergency run. Suddenly, the driver of a Chevrolet Lumina crossed the center lane. The ambulance driver veered to the right, trying to avoid impact, but the Chevrolet hit the front left portion of the ambulance.
Employee safety boosts patient safety. And that overall commitment to safety is something that The Joint Commission wants to promote.
Last November, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued finalized new rules for Medicare- and Medicaid-participating hospitals designed to protect patients' right to choose their own visitors.
Many physicians are making the decision to implant defibrillators specifically, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) in patients in cases where established guidelines based on the results of previous clinical trials do not appear to support implantation, according to a recent study.
Researchers might find it tempting to collect data for socio-behavioral studies from social websites like Facebook. Their appeal is having fairly easy access and viewing a broad range of behavioral information. However, there are big ethical issues with regard to informed consent and privacy, an expert says.
