Ketamine does not increase intracranial pressure, increase risk for death, or extend intensive care unit length of stay compared with drugs commonly used to intubate adult patients in the emergency department (ED), new data indicate. In a systematic review, Lindsay Cohen, MD, from the Royal College Emergency Medicine Residency Training Program, University of British Columbia, […]
Read MoreI thought this was important since it is about healthcare fraud. Businesses are using analytics to curb losses The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that healthcare fraud costs are approximately $80 billion annually. But it could be closer to $700 billion annually if fraud and improper payments are lumped together, said Julie Malida, principal of […]
Read MoreJob descriptions are the cornerstone of communication between you and your staff. After all, it’s hard for supervisors to measure job effectiveness during performance reviews unless you and the employee both know what you expect. Also, carefully drafted job descriptions can be useful tools in court. For example, if an employee files an Americans with […]
Read MorePublished in Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2014 Aug 29 Authors: Imai Y et al OBJECTIVE: Thirty-one to 97 % of patients who undergo thoracotomy for lung cancer experience ipsilateral shoulder pain, marring the otherwise excellent relief provided by thoracic epidural analgesia. The aim of this study was to test whether the addition of pregabalin to […]
Read MoreAuthors: Makris U, et al Published in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) 312 (8), 825-836 (Aug 2014) Importance Persistent pain is highly prevalent, costly, and frequently disabling in later life. Objective To describe barriers to the management of persistent pain among older adults, summarize current management approaches, including pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities; present […]
Read MoreThe producer price index for acute-care hospitals increased 1.7 percent between August 2013 and August 2014, according to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall hospital prices also increased 0.1 percent between July and August. The PPI for hospitals measures “changes in actual or expected reimbursement received for services across the full range of […]
Read MoreAs of Thursday, 7.3 million people have both enrolled in and paid for health insurance plans, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Marilyn Tavenner announced during a hearing of the House Oversight Committee. The announcement comes after a letter from Republican Senators John Barrasso of Wyoming and Tennesse’s Lamar Alexander to Tavenner, requesting an […]
Read MoreAuthors: Samolsky Dekel BG et al Published in Journal of Opioid Management 10 (1), 29-38 (Jan-Feb 2014) OBJECTIVES: Opioid titration is the first challenging stage for rapid control of moderate/severe cancer pain. Evidence shows that sustained-release formulations may be used for opioid titration. We set a pilot assessment of the efficacy and tolerability of our […]
Read MoreAs if managing the broad spectrum of patient pain were not complex enough, results from an Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis study has found that patient race, provider bias and clinical ambiguity interact to influence providers’ assessment and treatment decisions. The researchers suggested that understanding these factors and their influence might be an important step toward […]
Read MoreA literature review published in the September issue of Anesthesiology suggests although a majority of studies report positive outcomes, there is currently insufficient evidence to support the clinical use of antidepressants for the treatment of postoperative pain. “There is a need for improved treatment options in the management of postoperative pain, and antidepressants could potentially […]
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