The Food and Drug Administration is requiring that gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) carry new warnings on their labels about the risk of a rare and potentially fatal condition known as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), if the drug is administered to certain patients with kidney disease.
During the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, child care center and school dismissals (i.e., temporary closures) were common and occurred in the majority of states across the United States. However, little is known about the economic and social problems parents face during such dismissals.
Flu vaccination should be required for all doctors, nurses, and other health workers, the nation's largest pediatricians' group says, calling it a long overdue step to protect patients.
Some of the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries' operations were closed Tuesday because of the state's budget problems. But its 2011 workplace calendar, "Keep Washington Safe and Working," nevertheless will be available later this month.
The EMS 2010 report, released Sept. 2, says the King County survival rate for witnessed cases of ventricular fibrillation of 46 percent makes it a national leader in that area.
Health care organizations should disclose medical mistakes that affect multiple patients even if patients were not harmed by the event, according to an AHRQ-funded research paper published in the September 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels issued a statement Thursday saying the agency will review and consider a petition seeking an 80-hour maximum per week.
CMS proposed it in response to an April 15, 2010, presidential memorandum that says "every day, all across America, patients are denied the kindnesses and caring of a loved one at their sides."
Scientists have reported that frog skin contains natural substances that could be the basis for a powerful new genre of antibiotics. In a report at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, the team of stalwart frog-fanciers described enlisting colleagues worldwide to ship secretions from hundreds of promising frog skins to their laboratory in the United Arab Emirates.
An analysis of data from Denmark finds no associated increased risk of major birth defects for mothers who were exposed during the first trimester of pregnancy to the antiviral drugs acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir, often used to treat herpes simplex and herpes zoster infections, according to a study in the August 25 issue of JAMA.
A safety alert issued this week notes that fingerstick and POC blood testing devices such as blood glucose meters and PT/INR anticoagulation meters used on more than one patient may not be safe for several reasons.
"Every 10 seconds, someone in the United States is treated in an emergency department for crash-related injuries, and nearly 40,000 people die from these injuries each year,” said Dr. Grant Baldwin, director of CDC’s Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
According to Terminix, reports of bedbug infestations in office buildings and retail shops are on the rise. The company offers tips for keeping the pests at bay.
"Good research and good intentions are not enough," said Otto Cars, chairman of the International Secretariat for ReAct. "Priorities need to be established, along with new guidelines, diagnostic methods and incentives to promote investments in pharmaceutical development. Global cooperation and concrete proposals are required."
Hospitals vary in how they detect and treat drug-resistant staph infections, but most follow national guideline recommendations, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Direct to consumer (DTC) genetic tests are increasingly being marketed to the public via television, print ads, and the Internet. These home genetic tests provide access to a person's genomic information without necessarily involving a doctor or insurance company in the process.
Following a review undertaken because of challenges presented by the H1N1 flu vaccine, the department wants a better pipeline to move vaccines, medical equipment, and supplies for medical emergencies.
Orthostatic hypotension is a condition in which patients are unable to maintain blood pressure in the upright position and, therefore, become dizzy or faint when they stand up.
“Employers who respond to disabled individuals with knee-jerk exclusions based on myths, fears, and stereotypes, rather than considering individual abilities, put themselves at risk,” said senior trial attorney Eduardo Juarez of EEOC’s San Antonio Field Office.
The agency's May 2010 request for information attracted comments for and against a rulemaking that would address workers' protection against exposure to H1N1, TB, and other diseases.