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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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The patient experience: How you can know
Kent McAllister Healthcare AdministrationHow you can know. This is not a question; it is a statement. Albeit, it is the appropriate question to ask in most industries where any management discipline is applied. Let’s examine patient experience and how you can know what is actually happening from the patient’s perspective in your health system. There are serious challenges to measuring patient experience, and these challenges have recently taken on increased significance as the industry tide shifts.
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Free ADA webinar to spotlight oral health effects of tobacco
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareWhile the rate of smoking has certainly gone down since the mid-1960s, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that the current rate of adults who use combustible tobacco products is still nearly 18 percent. Additionally, almost 1 in 5 high school students use tobacco products and around 480,000 people die each year as a result of smoking. Dentists have a unique opportunity to educate their patients about the dangers of tobacco use as oral cancer screenings have become a normal part of most preventive dental care appointments in practices across the country.
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Heads-up: Repeated headers may lead to balance issues for young soccer…
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Sports & FitnessChanges in balance and gait can be an indication of incipient neurologic disease, such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. But there is evidence that there can be subtle changes in balance, and thus concern about neurologic injury, in young adults who engage in sports that involve blows to the head. A study authored by Dr. John Jeka of the University of Delaware found that soccer players who moved the ball more often by heading it were more likely to have problems with balance than those players who did not.
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Identifying, treating age-related muscle weakness
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareLean muscle mass contributes up to 50 percent of total body weight in young adults, but that decreases to 25 percent by age 75 to 80. By 25 years of age, skeletal muscles have reached their maximum size. Although the decrease in muscle tissue begins around the age of 50 years, the decrease becomes more dramatic after age 60 and results in diminished muscle function. This decline of muscle mass and strength, or sarcopenia, is often hastened by inactivity.
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Controversial hospital policy targets opioid-addicted patients
Joan Spitrey Healthcare AdministrationAs the opioid crisis continues to hold the nation captive, some new, innovative approaches are being attempted to at least manage certain aspects of the crisis. The University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) in Knoxville will now require patients admitted for medical treatments of drug-use-related infections to comply with new conduct rules. The goal is to create a safer environment for both patients and staff.
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