The Food and Drug Administration has launched a collaborative study with the National Eye Institute and the Department of Defense to examine the potential impact on quality of life from Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK), a surgical procedure that uses an eximer laser to permanently change the shape of the cornea.
Deborah Friberg, chief operating officer and executive vice president of the Raleigh, N.C.-based WakeMed Health and Hospitals, has helped her staff set and meet ambitious goals in establishing an electronic infection surveillance system, improving hand hygiene compliance, and reducing MRSA and catheter-related blood stream infections, APIC said.
Unemployment may surpass 17 percent next month, after 17,000 school teachers and other public employees lose their jobs Nov. 6. A large protest on Thursday remained peaceful.
Tsunamis and earthquakes in Asia in the past three weeks underscore the need to ensure hospitals are protected against natural disasters, the agencies said Wednesday as they marked International Day for Disaster Reduction 2009.
According to a report in Harvard Men's Health Watch, evidence suggests that high blood pressure increases the risk of mild cognitive impairment, vascular dementia, and even Alzheimer's.
Despite mortality rate declines in the past decade, a new annual study looking at each of the nation's 5,000 non-federal hospitals found a wide gap in patient outcomes between the best hospitals and all others.
Hospital workers are asking the same questions about the safety and necessity of flu vaccines as the general public, according to a survey conducted by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).
Cooling a person's body within six hours of cardiac arrest with successful CPR might improve survival and lessen brain damage, according to a new Cochrane review.
OSHA is on the fence about it. According to the director of its Enforcement Programs Directorate, the agency’s determination of coverage would be made on a case-by-case basis.
According to the October issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, an apparent allergic reaction after an immunization should be investigated rather than avoiding future immunizations, which could leave patients at greater risk of disease.
When asked if it was acceptable to throw out items contaminated with blood or body fluids in either septic systems or normal garbage, the OSHA director said, “It is the employer's responsibility to determine the existence of regulated waste. This determination is not based on actual volume of blood, but rather on the potential to release blood (e.g., when compacted in the waste container).”
Flu-like cases are widespread in Ireland, Israel, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Cypress, with flu activity in Japan continuing above what is usually seen during flu season, WHO reports.
Jukka Takala, director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, is inviting stakeholders to use its new blog and sharing his views about enforcement, persistent risks, occupational diseases, and more in 28 short videos.
The Food and Drug Administration recently ordered manufacturers of certain types of pedicle screw systems, called dynamic stabilization systems, to conduct postmarket surveillance studies to collect clinical data on a number of potential safety issues, including fusion rates and frequency of additional surgeries.
The Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare's alliance with OSHA brainstormed the idea during a conference call that included NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Lab.
The National Transportation Safety Board is offering a three-day course,titled "Transportation Disaster Response - A Course for Emergency Responders," at the NTSB Training Center in Ashburn, Virginia (near Washington, D.C.) on Nov. 17-19, 2009. The course is being facilitated with the full participation of the New Jersey State Police.
Surgical masks appear to be no worse than, and nearly as effective as N95 respirators in preventing influenza in health care workers, according to a study released early online by JAMA. The study was posted online ahead of print because of its public health implications. It will be published in the Nov. 4 issue of JAMA.
Two interactive computer tools released by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality will help emergency planners and responders select and run alternate care facilities during disaster situations. In such instances, hospitals experiencing a surge in seriously ill patients requiring acute care may need to transfer less ill patients efficiently to alternate care sites.
More than 70 state employees have walked more than 1 million steps so far. Gov. Dave Heineman met Oct. 2 with state workers who have reached their walking goal of 360,000 steps.
"The process of pandemic planning may be unfamiliar to many organizations," said Safety Services Canada President Jackie Norman. "We felt it was necessary to create a course that would answer important questions and give employers a solid foundation regarding H1N1 flu prevention in the workplace."