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Tech titans stake claims in healthcare arena
Joan Spitrey Medical & Allied HealthcareWhen names like Google, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft exert their forces, entire industries are changed and transformed. With nearly $3.5 trillion spent in healthcare and rising, it should be no surprise that these titans of modern industry would want to get in on the action. As more patients need to be cared for from our aging baby boomer generation, cost-containment solutions are coming from the tech world.
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Questions raised after transplant programs suspended, threatened with decertification
Chelsea Adams Healthcare AdministrationThe suspension of a Colorado-based organ transplant program and threats to decertify New York City's organ procurement organization have raised questions for patients on waiting lists. Some 230 patients waiting for a kidney, liver or pancreas at Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver must now look for new organ transplant programs in the area. Porter Adventist informed patients in July that the hospital is voluntarily suspending operations.
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Action vs. nonaction in healthcare
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareIn any situation we encounter, the choice to act or not act is almost always there. Do we help the little old lady cross the street or not? Healthcare, medicine, and nursing are built upon action: we jump into the fray, we take decisive action, and we save lives. But what does it mean when an organization chooses not to act? What are the repercussions when a hospital, surgical center, or other healthcare facility makes a choice to do nothing, even when the consequences could be dire?
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Summertime seasonal affective disorder is rare, but real
Tammy Gibson Mental HealthcareSummer is a time for beach trips, catching some rays at the pool and months of carefree fun in the sun, right? Actually, for a small percentage of people, the warmer months of the year are the hardest. People who feel down during summer’s longer days may be experiencing summertime seasonal affective disorder, or reverse SAD. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, summer-onset depression is rare, affecting just 10 percent of all SAD cases.
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New study: Intravenous alteplase may not be necessary for mild stroke
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareThe results of a new study, published in the July 10 edition of JAMA, suggest alteplase may not be necessary for stroke patients who do not demonstrate disabling deficits upon presentation. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the American Heart Association, with approximately 795,000 people experiencing a stroke every year. Drug treatment involving intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase is the mainstay of treatment for acute ischemic strokes (AIS).
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Flossing toothbrush with ADA approval recalled
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareWater Pik Inc. might just have the hottest toothbrush in town — but not in a good way. This month, Water Pik Inc. voluntarily recalled its Sonic-Fusion water flosser/toothbrush amid concerns that the charging base could overheat and possibly cause a fire. In May, this product earned the ADA Seal of Acceptance after meeting all program requirements for toothbrushes and for powered interdental cleaners.
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How to make more effective patient referrals
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareWhen it comes to sending a patient to the proper specialist for the right reasons, some doctors tend to over- or underperform. You never want to deny a patient the care he or she truly needs, but you also want to make sure you're not causing that patient undue stress or financial hardship for an unnecessary referral, either. Research into this topic has made it easier for doctors to decide the right course of action when it comes to appropriate referrals. Here's what you need to know.
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Newer, older insulin formulations are similar for lowering glucose
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareBasal insulin analogues do not produce substantially different glucose-lowering effects in adults with Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Furthermore, evidence gathered in the study suggests that certain insulin regimens may be associated with less weight gain or lower risk for nocturnal hypoglycemia. The study included 39 trials, with a total of 26,195 patients and studied 10 different basal insulin analogues.
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Can long-term tolerance of transplanted organs be improved?
Chelsea Adams Medical & Allied HealthcareHeart transplants survive longer in mice with genetically enhanced DEPTOR, a regulatory protein in immune cells. The study was conducted at Boston Children's Hospital and published in the July 3 issue of the American Journal of Transplantation. In the experiment, mice that received heart transplantations but no immunosuppressive drugs survived an average of seven days. However, mice treated with genetically enhanced DEPTOR activity in their T cells survived an average of 35 days.
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Plastics innovations spur changes in medical device markets
Bill Becken EngineeringPlastics are playing their part in the disruptive medical device market, which is now subject to several eye-popping trends, including miniaturization, point-of-care (POC) diagnostics, multipurpose packaging and globalization. The medical plastics industry has so far adapted well to the changing device landscape, with new products arising from novel groupings of manufacturing professionals such as design engineers, mold makers, material suppliers, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
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