Screening Test

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has created a new tool, Stay Healthy at Any Age: Your Checklist for Health to help patients keep track of their health and stay up-to-date on recommended screening tests. There is one checklist for men and one for women. Both include the tests recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPST...

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Drug News

The FDA has approved the following generic equivalents: * risedronate sodium 5, 30, and 35 mg tablets - for the treatment and prevention of postmenopausal and glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, and for the treatment of Paget disease. This medication is generically equivalent to Actonel. * oxcarbazepine 150, 300, and 600 mg tablets - an anticonvulsant for the treatment of partial seizures in adults and children 4 years of age and older. The medication is the generic equivalent of Trileptal. The prescribing information for the generic versions...

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Woman and Heart Disease

Modifiable risk factors for heart disease endanger both men and women, however, they may contribute to a poorer prognosis for women. Educate women about the following risk factors over which they have some control: * Diabetes * Hypertension * Smoking * Dyslipidemia * Obesity * Sedentary life style * Str...

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Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA)

The incidence of community-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is on the rise. Recent media coverage has brought this health problem to the attention of public.Be aware that in the community, MRSA infections are infections of the skin that may appear as pustules or boils. They are often red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage, and occur at sites of visible skin trauma and areas of the body covered by hair....

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Drug Updates - Medication Errors

Unsafe medication-use practice habits place patients in danger of an infection. To protect patients, remember the following: * Place a sterile cap on the end of a reusable I.V. administration set that has been removed from a primary administration set, saline lock, or I.V. catheter hub that will be used again. * Properly disinfect the port when accessing needle-free valves on I.V. sets. * Always follow aseptic technique. * Avoid "looping" - attaching the exposed end of the I.V. tubing to a port on the same tubing. * Prohibit unlicensed...

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Pain Scales

Understanding another person's pain is not easy. Pain scales have been developed to aid in our understanding, but they must be used correctly and they should be part of a complete pain assessment.One-dimensional scales, such as the numeric 0 to 10 scale, are appropriate for the acute care setting. A more comprehensive approach should be used for patients with chronic or persistent pain. This often consists of a one-dimensional scale and a body diagram;...

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Drug News

* Revised labeling has been approved for the following:carbamazepine-containing drugs (eg, Carbatrol, Epitol, Equetro, and Tegretol) - to include a recommendation that before starting drug therapy, patients of Asian ancestry get a genetic blood test that identifies a significantly increased risk of developing a rare, but serious, skin reaction. These life-threatening skin reactions include toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.* Merck has initiated a voluntary recall of 11 lots of PedvaxHIB (Haemophilus b conjugate [meningococcal...

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Discharge Summaries

If you must write a narrative discharge summary, be sure to include the following information to comply with JCAHO requirements:· patient's status at admission and discharge· any significant information about the patient's stay, including resolved and unresolved problems· instructions regarding medications, treatments, activity, diet, referrals, follow-up appointments, and any other special instructio...

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Drug Updates - Medication Errors

When errors occur with anticoagulant use, fatal bleeding or thrombosis can occur, which is why these medications are considered "high-alert" drugs. Review the following common risks and recommended safeguards associated with heparin, low-molecular weight heparin, and warfarin.Common risks- Duplicate or concurrent therapy- Accidental stoppage of therapy- Look-alike bags, vials, or syringes- Look-alike names- Dosing/infusion errors- Calculation errors- Patient monitoring problems- Drug and food interactions- Adverse reactionsRecommended safeguards-...

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Providing family support

Providing family support is a big part of our role as nurses. This support comes in many forms, from holding a hand to teaching about an illness, medication, or procedure to providing referrals. Research has shown that the most important needs reported by families are the following: 1. to feel there is hope 2. to feel that hospital staff care about the patient 3. to have the waiting room near the patient 4. to be called at home about the patient's condition 5. to know the prognoses 6. to have questions answered honestly 7. to know specific...

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Rapid Response Teams

Rapid response teams are composed of clinical experts who are called to the bedside to assess and manage decompensating patients before a code occurs. Members of the team include specially trained nurses, respiratory therapists, and medical personnel. Five key roles of the RRT are:1. Assessing the patient.2. Stabilizing the patient either to remain on the unit or for transfer to the ICU.3. Assisting with communication with the attending physician...

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Drug Updates - Medication Errors

Variability of dosing methods contributes to the risk of pump programming errors. Reduce the risk of IV infusion dosing errors by considering the following: * Work with a multidisciplinary team to standardize dosing methods for certain medications. * Use smart pumps with functional dosage error-reduction software. * Display drug information on the drug label and medication administration record the same way it is needed to program the pump. * Verify dosing methods and pump settings. * Consider the possibility of an error if the appropriate...

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Drug Updates - Medication Errors

In 2006, an overdose of fluorouracil had fatal consequences in an oncology patient. To safeguard chemotherapy use, remember the following recommendations from the ISMP: * Standardize labeling * Update certification of nurses administering chemotherapeutic agents * Safeguard pump use * Enhance double-checks (use charts when possible) * Use checklists to standardize sequencing and workflow * Include the patient * Establish overdose...

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Pericarditis

PERICARDITIS Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium. 1. Acute pericarditis: may be dry or may cause excessive fluid accumulation in the pericardial space. 2 Chronic pericarditis: fibrous thivkening of the visceral and parietal pericardium; thickening inhibits cardiac filling during systole. Assessment Risk factors/iology Acute....

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Pulmonary Edema

PULMONARY EDEMA Pulmonary Edema is caused by an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the lung, in both the interstitial and alveolar spaces. Origin is most often cardiac: Pulmonary congestion occurs when the pulmonary vascular bed receives more blood from the right side of the heart (venous return) than the left side of the heart (cardiac output) can accommodate. Pulmonary edema results from severe impairment in the ability...

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Multiple Myeloma

MULTIPLE MYELOMA Myeloma PET Scan Multiple Myeloma * A malignancy of plasma cells, specifically the B lymphocytes. Infiltration occurs in the bones and soft tissues. Assessment A. Clinical Manifestations. 1. Back pain, bone pain. 2. Pathological fractures. 3. Hypercalcemia. 4. Renal failure. B. Diagnostics. 1. Serum and/or protein electrophoresis. 2. Bone marrow...

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Abdominal Ultrasound

Slideshow transcriptSlide 1: Abdominal UltrasoundSlide 2: Abdominal Ultrasound  An abdominal ultrasound uses reflected sound waves to produce a picture of the organs and other structures in the upper abdomen. Occasionally a specialized ultrasound is ordered for a detailed evaluation of a specific organ, such as a kidney ultrasound.Slide 4: Abdominal Ultrasound can evaluate: Abdominal aorta , which is the large blood vessel (artery) that passes down the back of the chest and abdomen. The aorta supplies blood to the lower part of the body and the...

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Coffee Drinkers Have Slightly Lower Death Rates, Study Finds

A new study has found that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption (up to 6 cups per day) is associated with a somewhat smaller rate of death from heart disease. (Credit: iStockphoto)A new study has good news for coffee drinkers: Regular coffee drinking (up to 6 cups per day) is not associated with increased deaths in either men or women. In fact, both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption is associated with a somewhat smaller...

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Blood Transfusion

Slideshow transcript Slide 1: Blood Transfusion Nursing Procedure Slide 2: *Whole blood transfusion replenishes the circulatories:  Volume  Oxygen-carrying capacity *Packed Red Blood Cells (RBCs) restores:  Oxygen-carrying capacity Both treat decreased hemoglobin and hematocrit. Slide 3: Two nurses must identify the: 1. Patient 2. Blood products before administering a transfusion (to prevent errors & potentially fatal reaction) Slide 4: If a patient is a Jehova’s Witness, a transfusion requires special written permission. Slide...

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