Health Care


Pool

CDC Aims to Prevent Recreational Water Illnesses

“It′s important for people to play an active role in protecting their own health when they swim," said Michelle Hlaysa, chief of CDC's Healthy Swimming Program. "By working together, we can decrease the risk of illness and make sure swimming is not only fun, but healthy too."

Hospitals to Pay More than $9.4M to Resolve Kyphoplasty Allegations

The nine health care facilities located in seven states "put profits ahead of sound medical judgment," said Tony West, assistant attorney general for DOJ's Civil Division.

Survey Reveals People Need Help Organizing, Tracking Health Information

Nearly one-third of survey respondents said they spend more time "keeping information organized" than they do finding answers to health questions or dealing with chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis.

Poll Reveals Hospitals' Difficulties Staffing for C. Difficile

Thirty-four percent of respondents said they have an infection control plan to increase interventions in the event of an outbreak of CDI, a condition frequently associated with previous antibiotic use and most commonly contracted by the elderly and those with recent exposure to hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care institutions.

Patient volume handled by the emergency department increased by more than 1,000 patients, or 10 percent, with no increase in its budget.

SaaS Solving Emergency Department Overloads

A case study offered by the American Hospital Association shows how a computer-assisted handoff system cut patients' length of stay at an Illinois hospital and increased the ED's volume by 10 percent without a budget increase.

UN Aims to Prevent, Control Noncommunicable Diseases

"There is a sense of urgency," said WHO Assistant Director-General Dr. Ala Alwan. “Tackling these diseases constitutes one of the major challenges for sustainable development in the 21st century."

Fragrances or dyes in soaps potentially can irritate the skin.

Getting Clean, Going Green

Clean and healthy hands depend on clean and healthy soap.

Growing Evidence Links Air Pollution to Heart Disease, Death

“Particulate matter appears to directly increase risk by triggering events in susceptible individuals within hours to days of an increased level of exposure, even among those who otherwise may have been healthy for years,” said Dr. Robert D. Brook, a cardiovascular medicine specialist and associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.



Treating Truck Drivers with Sleep Apnea Offers Safety, Health Benefits

“Addressing OSA in the workplace offers the possibility of early identification and intervention for a chronic disease that is associated with increased health benefit utilization," said Dr. Benjamin Hoffman, chief medical officer of Waste Management Inc.

Minneapolis VA Hospital Cited for 37 Violations, Fined for None

Inspections at the facility found improper bloodborne pathogens control, amputation hazards, noncompliant confined space entry, improper storage of fuel and oxygen, and more.

Patient Safety, Treatment Advances to Dominate Nursing Conference

Latest advances in complex medical treatments and delivering safe, patient-centered, cost-effective care will be among the hot topics as thousands of nurses who care for high acuity and critically ill patients and their families convene this month in Washington, D.C.

The venomous timber rattlesnake is found in East Texas, according to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

WHO Highlights Shortages of Antivenin

Saying at least 100,000 people die from snakebites each year, the World Health Organization last week published new guidelines for producing, regulating, and controlling antivenins and a helpful online database about dangerous snakes.

Topics to be discussed include the draft National Vaccine Plan, adult immunization recommendations, vaccine financing, and the 2009 H1N1 influenza outbreak.

Vaccine Panel Looking at H1N1, National Plan Next Month

Vaccine financing and safety are also to be discussed at the June 2-3 public meeting in Washington, D.C., by the HHS National Vaccine Advisory Committee.

Studies as recently as 2009, including by CDC, found weaknesses in respiratory, hand hygiene, PPE, staff training, and written procedure guidelines.

OSHA Seeks Data on Health Care Infectious Agents

Requesting comments by Aug. 4, the agency noted, "The lack of adherence to voluntary infection control procedures is of particular interest to OSHA."

The American Lung Association offers tips to help anyone trying to quit smoking.

Rules Set to Halt Tobacco Mailings to Consumers

The U.S. Postal Service published its proposed rule May 5 to carry out the Prevent All Tobacco Cigarettes Trafficking (PACT) Act, which was signed by President Obama on March 31.

Stroke-Certified Hospitals Strike Back Against Nation's Third-Leading Killer

Today, there are more than 640 primary stroke centers certified by The Joint Commission (a private non-profit organization that provides certification programs for health care organizations, including hospitals) operating in 49 states and the District of Columbia, said Jean Range, The Joint Commission executive director of Disease-Specific Care Certification.

Pharmaceutical Giant to Pay $520 Million for Off-label Drug Marketing

The United States alleges that between January 2001 through December 2006, AstraZeneca promoted the drug Seroquel to psychiatrists and other physicians for certain uses that were not approved by FDA as safe and effective (including aggression, Alzheimer’s disease, anger management, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar maintenance, dementia, depression, mood disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and sleeplessness).

The Martial Art of Safety Leadership

Safety is the ultimate self-defense. While a leader might never be physically attacked, he will likely be sometimes swarmed by multiple problems, probed for weaknesses by seeming adversaries, or off-balanced by forces of swirling change. Even confronted with situations that can result in accidents and injury.

Better Protection for Health Care Workers

The health care industry is a hotbed for continual waves of technological innovation and advancement, so why are front-line medical workers relying on respirator technology that hasn't changed much in more than 20 years? And why are manufacturers of personal protective technology so slow in responding to continuous complaints about respirator comfort and breathability?

heat stress

How Heat Stress Affects Performance

NIOSH notes in its publication "Occupational Exposure to Hot Environments," (1986) that although workers can acclimatize themselves to different levels of heat, each worker has an upper limit for heat stress beyond which that worker can become a heat casualty. Further, it has been shown that a worker's ability to focus attention and the worker's reaction times can be dramatically reduced by even a 2 percent dehydration level due to heat stress.

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