Articles
When Patients Don’t Fill Their Prescriptions
May 24, 2010 7:10 am | by Pauline W. Chen, MD | CommentsNot long ago, a doctor friend recounted the story of a patient who had recently died from complications stemming from the treatment of a chronic bleeding problem. “I felt terrible about it,” said my friend, who had cared for the patient for several years. “Something didn’t add up in this case, and I had to wonder if it was my fault, if I had done something wrong.
Solid Repair
May 24, 2010 7:09 am | by Interview by Amanda McGowan | CommentsSurgeons provide insight into the latest material choices and technique approaches for ventral and inguinal hernia repair, as well as what to expect for the future as this area of surgery continues to advance. Dr. Siegel uses self-fixating mesh for his inguinal hernia repair cases to avoid the need to suture or staple the mesh in place.
A ‘Black Box’ For The Hospital
May 21, 2010 8:20 am | CommentsRecently, Surgical Products spoke with Lucas Huang, co-founder of B-Line Medical about their simulation technology. Surgical Products: How did you get your start in simulation? Huang: Historically, foreign medical students that wanted to practice in the United States, they had to go to a center to test their interviewing and diagnostic skills with standardized patients, actors extensively trained to be patients.
Secrets Of Nursing: It’s Not Doctors Directing Your Care
May 19, 2010 8:08 am | by Head Nurse | CommentsI got into the same conversation this morning that I do every week, with the guy stocking produce at the local Crazy Grocery Store. "How you doin'?" he asked. "Inelegant." I replied. "You look fiiiiine" he said, grinning and showing his two gold teeth. We talked today about the time he spent in the hospital a few months ago.
Speaking For Mom
May 18, 2010 6:26 am | by StorytellERdoc | CommentsI walked into Room 28 to examine a woman who had presented to our emergency department with complaints of abdominal pain. She had initially been examined by our chief resident, who was under my supervision for this particular shift. Unfortunately, this patient was a "frequent-flier," presenting to our ER multiple times in the past few years.
Emergency Physicians Frequently Interrupted
May 17, 2010 6:56 am | by Grunt Doc | Commentsvia CNN, an Australian study on interruptions in the ED: (CNN) – Interruptions in the emergency room may exact an unhealthy toll on patient care, a group of Australian researchers reported Thursday. The researchers, from the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales, found that interruptions led emergency department doctors to spend less time on the tasks they were working on and, in nearly a fifth of cases, to give up on the task altogether.
Purchasing For The Future
May 17, 2010 6:55 am | by Response by Kyle Rudolph, Sr. Product Manager, Booms, Skytron | Skytron | CommentsSurgical Products asks manufacturers of equipment booms: What should surgical professionals consider of when purchasing equipment booms to ensure their OR is adaptable for future upgrades and updates? May 17, 2010 Booms play an important role in delivering many critical services to the Operating Room and more importantly supporting the surgical team.
Secrets Of Nursing: We've All Killed Somebody, Except When We Haven’t
May 14, 2010 7:18 am | by Head Nurse | CommentsEvery nurse fears killing someone. New nurses fear it the most, because they don't understand the safeguards in place to keep it from happening. Older nurses, if you get 'em liquored up and they trust you enough, will certainly have a story about something that seemed...off, that they didn't catch in time, and that led to a patient's death.
TIMEOUT, Or Just A Waste Of Time?
May 12, 2010 8:19 am | by Stephen Lober, MD and Sean Berry, CNOR | CommentsDr. Stephen Lober The surgical TIMEOUT is now a standard component of the Universal Protocol for the prevention of wrong-site surgeries. In theory, it represents the last firewall between the patient and an untoward surgical mishap, acting as a final confirmation amongst the entire surgical team regarding what is about to transpire surgically.
Can Cancer Be Overdiagnosed?
May 11, 2010 7:40 am | by Bruce Campbell, MD | CommentsThe patient returned to my clinic several years after her original thyroid cancer surgery. “The cancer blood test never went completely back to zero,” she told me. “We knew there was cancer in there somewhere. Finally, the new ultrasound machine found it! I guess it is time for more surgery!” I guess.
Facility Improves On-Time Surgeries In 30 Days
May 10, 2010 7:06 am | Picis | CommentsLahey Clinic Medical Center, located in Massachusetts, consists of a 328-bed academic medical center and ambulatory surgery center. Picis CareSuite high-acuity solutions have been used at these locations beginning with OR Manager in 2003, Extelligence and SmarTrack in 2004 and 2007, and Picis Perioperative Dashboard in 2008.
What You Don't Want To Think To Yourself Upon Entering A Room
May 10, 2010 6:59 am | by Head Nurse | Comments"Hm. Where's all that blood coming from?" You especially don't want that to be your first thought when your patient is intubated and ventilated and Dipped and generally not terribly responsive. Moreover, you don't want that to be your first thought, because your second thought will invariably be, "Gosh.
Jumping The Gun
May 7, 2010 7:36 am | CommentsBy: Todd Neale, MedPage Today I recently got back from the annual meeting of the American Society of Hypertension, where I witnessed a prime example of "getting ahead of yourself." In a press conference Monday discussing the next morning's late-breaking clinical trials session to close out the meeting, we heard preliminary results from a pivotal trial of the Rheos Baroreflex Activation Therapy system, which is being developed by CVRx for treating resistant hypertension.
The Odor
May 5, 2010 8:17 am | by Bruce Campbell, MD | CommentsThoughts of my first job rushed back into me as I pulled open the front door of the veterinary clinic. My son carried his sick cat past me and headed to the receptionist’s desk. I took a breath. “Oh my goodness,” I thought. “This place smells just like the animal hospital back home.
Defensive Medicine Worsens Patient Care And Raises Costs
May 4, 2010 7:51 am | by Roy Benaroch, MD | CommentsHealth care in the United States costs too much, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change. Recent health care reform legislation doesn’t take any meaningful steps towards reducing or controlling costs. In fact, it explicitly forbids states from trying to curtail the costs of malpractice litigation in any way that would reduce lawyers’ fees.
