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How do infant brains compare to adult brains?
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareThe brain is a remarkable organ, always undergoing changes. For example, studies show the brain shrinks as we age, particularly in the frontal cortex. In fact, our brains are changing every minute of the day, from our time in the womb until the moment we die. We also know there are certain times in our lives during which the brain is most malleable.
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Indoor smoking bans result in fewer kids visiting the ER for asthma
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareIndoor smoking bans reduce the number of emergency department (ED) visits in children with asthma, according to a new study. Pediatric asthma is the most common serious chronic disease in infants and children, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Secondhand smoke is a well-known trigger for asthma, and a severe asthma attack can lead to a visit to the emergency room.
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Kidney transplant may reactivate HPV infection in females
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareWomen who receive a kidney transplant have a higher risk of developing HPV-related premalignant lesions of the genital tract, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Transplantation. Chronic immune suppression in renal transplant patients increases the risk of viral infections, which puts recipients at increased risk of viral-associated cancers. Previous research shows male renal transplant recipients were at increased risk of infection with the human papillomavirus, or HPV. The new study shows women are at risk as well.
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Nurse practitioners gaining ground
Keith Carlson Healthcare AdministrationIn the early 21st century, nursing remains the vital backbone of the healthcare industry. Simultaneously, nurse practitioners (NPs) are a growing cohort of nurses who are ascending to a central role in the provision of primary care throughout the United States.
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Alarming levels of hypertension in the Canadian public
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareHalf the population of Canada could suffer from hypertension — according to the results of a new study published in the American Journal of Hypertension — and many may not know it. The study also shows that many others with serious hypertension are not addressing it.
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How we developed an infant manikin for tracheostomy simulation
Whitney Smith Medical & Allied HealthcareSince the simulation program at Children's Hospital Colorado (CHCO) was established in 2013, our team has been working with CHCO's Breathing Institute to improve discharge education for families of children dependent on a tracheostomy or ventilator. Because many of these families return to states in which there is limited home care assistance available, effective education prior to discharge is critical.
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Women in medicine: Providing higher quality and better patient outcomes?
Christina Thielst Medical & Allied HealthcareIn 1973, Billy Jean King changed the way the world felt about women in sports. Today, a new analysis of patient outcomes might begin a shift in how we view the contributions and value of women in medicine. The gender gap in medicine is closing. In 2016, female physicians accounted for 46 percent of U.S. medical school graduates and one-third of the U.S. physician workforce. In addition, women are increasingly choosing to pursue a care in medicine — including the 10,474 women who enrolled in medical school during 2016.
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In the face of change, nurses must remain trusted strangers
Joan Spitrey Medical & Allied HealthcareAs 2017 gets underway, not only is a new year in front of us, but soon we will see the changing of the leaders of the United States. As the Jan. 20 inauguration date quickly approaches, uncertainly in the healthcare community continues to rise.
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Tapping into the link between emotions and politics
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareThere was a time when emotions were considered a weakness, getting in the way of good thinking. We now know emotions can result in powerful changes to our bodies and actual physical responses. Think about what happens when we are afraid of something. The amygdale — the small almond-shaped region housed deep in the brain — sends a variety of signals to the rest of the cortex that engages our attention to the situation at hand, setting our heart and breath racing, changing our facial expressions, tensing our muscles, and starting us sweating. Eventually, the limbic system — our brain’s emotional circuitry — sends important information to the frontal lobes, helping us to put our feelings in context.
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Organ transplants break record again in 2016
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareOrgan transplants in the United States reached an all-time high for the fourth consecutive year in 2016, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). Preliminary data from UNOS shows transplants increased 8.5 percent from 2015 and 19.8 percent since 2012, with doctors performing 33,606 transplants in 2016.
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