When appendicitis strikes, an operation to remove the appendix has long been the route to recovery. But a new strategy called “antibiotics first” could help some people avoid surgery for appendicitis. In a clinical practice article in today’s New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. David Flum, a surgeon at the University of Washington in Seattle, explores the history of antibiotics first for appendicitis, how it is currently being used, who might benefit from this no-surgery approach, and its drawbacks. Appendicitis 101 The appendix is a small, finger-like tube that hangs from the lower right side of the large intestine. Exactly what it does is something of a medical mystery. In about 300,000 Americans a year, the appendix becomes inflamed, usually because of an infection or
Category: health Journal
Nurse Executives & Nail Salons
I’ve been eyeing my colleagues’ manicures lately – a wardrobe staple, now that I work in nursing administration. The higher the title, the fancier the nails, it seems. Gone are the days where my closely trimmed, bare nails matched my simple scrubs. Dry cleaned suits and pumps are job requirements, and tasteful manicures seem highly recommended. Recently, I’ve considered picking up the practice, keeping my hands in my lap with rookie shame. I learned early on in my nursing career that the intensive care unit was no place for manicured fingernails, but administration is a different story. The on-and-off of latex gloves, constant washing, and ever-present hand sanitizer that nixed my polish in a single shift aren’t as present as I walk the halls
Mediterranean diet may help counteract age-related declines in memory and thinking skills
When I make a salad, I drizzle olive oil onto it and toss in a handful of toasted walnuts. Could this simple, tasty habit help me stay mentally sharp in the coming years? Maybe so. A new study in this week’s JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that eating a Mediterranean-style diet enhanced with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts is good for your mind as well as your heart. These findings, which come from a long-term clinical trial of different diets, are the first ever to show possible brain-related benefits of one eating pattern over another. The participants were part of a large Spanish trial known as PREDIMED, short for Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea (which means “prevention with Mediterranean diet”). The plant-
Lyme Disease: The Great Imitator
Spring is my favorite season. Warmer weather, budding flowers and lots of greenery in yards, gardens and parks encourages outside activities and fills me with energy. The spring season also brings out lots of crawling and flying critters like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, as well as some of the more unpleasant pests like ticks and mosquitos. If you enjoy spending time outside like I do, hiking, gardening or walking the dog, be aware that ticks and their bites can be not only annoying, but dangerous. Jana’s Experience Jana Braden found out how dangerous tick bites can be the hard way. She enjoyed the outdoors and never gave much thought to something as minor as ticks. Jana never even realized that she had been bitten by a
IDEA Labs: Medical Students Take The Lead In Healthcare Innovation
The post below originally ran on the Better Health blog on May 5th. It’s no secret that doctors are disappointed with the way that the U.S. healthcare system is evolving. Most feel helpless about improving their work conditions or solving technical problems in patient care. Fortunately, one young medical student was undeterred by the mountain of disappointment carried by his senior clinician mentors and had the courage to tackle the problem head-on. Three years ago, Avik Som organized “Problem Day” at his medical school (Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO) and invited his professors to an unrestricted “open mic” venting session. Representatives from the departments of surgery, medicine, pediatrics and neurology attended. They described their frustrations and day-to-day struggles with
Environmentally friendly inhalers double the cost for people with asthma
Environmentally friendly asthma inhalers may be good for the atmosphere, but they have nearly doubled what people with asthma pay out of pocket for inhalers. That’s the take-home message from a study led by Dr. Anupam Jena, an assistant professor of health care policy and medicine at Harvard Medical School and an internist at Massachusetts General Hospital. The findings were published online today in JAMA Internal Medicine. In 2008, the FDA banned a class of asthma inhalers that contained ozone-depleting propellants called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Depletion of the earth’s ozone layer causes serious risks for humans, including an increased danger of skin cancer. The replacement propellants are more expensive than CFCs. Because more than 25 million people in the U.S. rely on inhalers for quick
A Look at the Impact of IT in Nursing
The infographic below was created by Adventist University of Health Sciences. It outlines how technology is being used to raise efficacy in nursing and health industries. As more hospitals implement IT nurses will be able to synchronize information between practices and pharmacies, transferring life-saving prescriptions and data in a matter of seconds. ADU Online RN to BSN Program
Fixing problems with cell lines
Dr. Collins and NIGMS Director Dr. Jon Lorsch author an article in Science Magazine addressing cell line misidentification in research and suggesting best practices for authentication and verification. Science Magazine. December 19, 2014.
Statement Regarding Margaret Hamburg, M.D., stepping down as FDA Commissioner
She is a remarkable leader with extraordinary scientific and medical sophistication, as well as excellent judgment and unquestioned dedication to the public good.
Predators and “Care”
While the media and many non-profits address the issue of rape and sexual harassment in the military, few expand their discussion to include how the “VA Crisis” is perhaps part and parcel of the same profoundly unfriendly friendly fire. Just as there is an inherent conflict of interest in adjudicating rape through the Chain of Command, so too the expectation that the VA is going to fix itself is bogus. The delays in getting benefits, the difficulty veterans have in getting copies of their own charts, and the documented mismanagement and crime in the system all contribute to the secondary traumatization of all veterans, no matter what kind of injury they suffered. The magnitude of the fallout of all this, the cascade of inflammation our
Study Tracks Patients After Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation
SOURCE: Kaiser Health News – Read entire story here.