Published in Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2014 Aug 1. S0002-9378(14)00798-4 Authors: El Hachem L et al OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to determine whether transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block reduces postoperative pain when compared with trocar site infiltration of bupivacaine in gynecological laparoscopy. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective, randomized, double-blinded clinical trial […]
Read MoreDepressive symptoms and pain in patients on dialysis may have serious negative consequences for patients’ health and increase the need for costly medical services, according to a study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. The findings indicate that studies should evaluate the potential of anti-depressant and analgesic therapies to improve […]
Read MoreI wanted to share this to show our readers the amount of fines for disobeying federal laws. This year is on track be a record-breaking one for government recoveries in the healthcare industry, with several cases alleging violations of the False Claims Act, Stark Law or the Anti-Kickback Statute already settling for substantial amounts. Here […]
Read MorePublished in BJU Int. 2014 Jul 21. Authors: Jindal T et al OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of pelvic plexus block (PPB) in reducing pain during transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate biopsy, in comparison with the conventional periprostatic nerve block (PNB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, double blinded observational study was conducted with the patients […]
Read MoreA cadaver study identifies risks to rescuers from hands-on defibrillation. Hands-on defibrillation minimizes pauses in cardiac compressions. But are rescuers who use this technique at risk for exposure to electric shock? To find out, investigators obtained voltage measurements while rescuers performed defibrillation on cadavers. Rescuers were exposed to between 200 and 827 volts, depending on […]
Read MoreHealth reform is and has been a hot-button issue for both politicians and healthcare leaders for the last few years, though talk of significant, government-led reform has been discussed for decades. In the wake of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, healthcare reform is a highly contested and very politically polarizing issue. It is […]
Read MoreFor-profit hospitals and hospital chains change the way healthcare is delivered in the U.S., and often drive up the cost of care, according to Connecticut’s junior senator. Sen. Chris Murphy (D) released a report late last week contending that for-profit hospitals cherry-pick the kinds of care being delivered to patients and drive up Medicare costs. […]
Read MoreI wanted to share this with our readers. The federal government won’t release data next month on some research payments to doctors. Health officials had acknowledged previously that the database wouldn’t include one-third of payments made by pharmaceutical and medical device companies. A new problem has emerged with the federal government’s Open Payments system, which […]
Read MoreAll of our readers take care of Medicare patients so I wanted to share this with them. It’s often said that where Medicare goes, private payers will follow. For hospitals, health systems and other providers, it has been the most influential healthcare program for the industry in recent decades. Medicare continues to play a prominent […]
Read MoreThe per capita surgery rate in the United States is some 50 percent higher than in the European Union countries, and that higher demand is apparently driving up prices dramatically. The prices for procedures such as gallbladder surgery–which is now an outpatient procedure that does not require a multi-day hospital stay–rose more than 20 percent […]
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