In a national study of hospital emergency department visits for opioid overdoses, 67.8% of the overdoses involved prescription opioids (including methadone), followed by heroin, other unspecified opioids, and multiple opioids, according to a study published online by JAMA Internal Medicine. Michael A. Yokell, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, and colleagues analysed the 2010 […]
Read MorePre-operative pain and depressive symptoms in older adults place them at greater risk of delirium following surgery, according to a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry. Both pain and depression are independent and interactive risk factors for delirium, suggesting a cumulative effect. “Understanding the impact of preoperative pain and depression on risk of delirium in […]
Read MoreFood and Drug Administration (US) AUDIENCE: Anesthesiology, Pulmonary, Biomedical Engineering, Risk Manager ISSUE: FDA notified health professionals and their medical care organizations of the Class 1 recall of the Puritan Bennett 980 Ventilator Systems with software versions below 2.8, with distribution dates March 3, 2014 through August 22, 2014 and serial numbers listed here. The […]
Read MoreI thought our readers would appreciate an update on Ebola. • As of 7 Nov., There have been 13,268 reported Ebola cases in 8 affected countries since the outbreak began, with 4,960 reported deaths. (WHO) • Spain: 83 contacts of health-care workers have completed 21-day follow up. • US: 124 of 177 contacts have completed […]
Read MoreYou’re human. You’re entitled to say some obnoxious things now and then. But keep in mind your employees absorb and weigh your words, and they’ll give you a pass on those annoying expressions for only so long. Spew these dozen phrases at your peril: 1. Hold that thought. OK. For how long? Later today? Tomorrow? […]
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