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Researchers discover gene that reduces the risk of stroke
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareStrokes — sudden disabling attacks caused by an interruption in the flow of blood to the brain — remain one of the biggest causes of death in the western world. Strokes kill almost 130,000 Americans each year — that's 1 out of every 19 deaths. Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke, and about 610,000 of these are first or new strokes.
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The nursing job outlook for 2015
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareWith 2015 poised to begin, economic forecasts for the new year are beginning to make themselves known, and the employment outlook in healthcare is a crucial aspect of those prognostications. A recent report from CareerBuilder.com places the position of registered nurse as having the third-best employment outlook of the site's top 10 chosen occupations.
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New cardiac monitor process reduces alarm fatigue in hospitals
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareA hospital monitor alarm can save a patient's life, as a single beep or high-pitched wail spurs doctors and nurses into action. However, the chorus of alarms that go off in the typical hospital ward can be mind-numbing to healthcare workers. The constant din of alarms can desensitize them, leading to "alarm fatigue" where audible alerts fail to catch the attention of workers.
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Current approach to treating feed intolerance during critical illness
Dr. Afsaneh Motamed-Khorasani Medical & Allied HealthcareImpaired gastric emptying as well as impaired antropyloro-duodonal and intestinal motilities are common observations during critical illness. The underlying mechanisms for gastrointestinal motility dysfunctions during critical illness are not quite clear, but there have been many contributing factors mentioned in the literature.
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Researchers examining new paths to treat pain and inflammation
Dorothy L. Tengler PharmaceuticalPain of any type — whether acute or chronic — is the most frequent reason for physician consultation in the United States, prompting half of all Americans to seek medical care annually. Although separate conditions, pain and inflammation are nearly always associated with each other.
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‘Dead’ hearts give life to transplant patients
Alan Kelsky Medical & Allied HealthcareA trio of breakthrough heart transplants made history in October as surgeons transplanted "dead" hearts into three patients. Two of the three patients are recovering nicely, the third had more recent heart transplant surgery and is recovering in the St. Anthony Intensive Care Unit.
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Preventing nurse fatigue to keep our patients safe
Joan Spitrey Medical & Allied HealthcareWith the holiday season upon us, it is not unusual to feel the stress of this busy time of year. Our schedules become filled with fun times with family and friends, but our own health often gets neglected. However, as healthcare providers, we have a responsibility to our patients.
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The long road to health information exchange
Christina Thielst Healthcare AdministrationHealth information exchange (HIE) is turning out to be one of those really long journeys in which you hear the kids in the back seat asking, "Are we there yet?" while the driver keeps saying, "Almost." The Office of the National Coordinator is focusing on the next 10 years with its soon-to-be-released road map to reach interoperability.
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The mystery of memory: Unveiling FXR1P
Dorothy L. Tengler Mental HealthcareOrdinary human memory is a mess. Most of us can recall the major events in our lives but may have to hear a phone number a dozen times before we can repeat it. It's easy for us to forget things we've learned — like the periodic table. Worse yet, our memories are vulnerable to contamination and distortion as evidenced by when we are fooled by suggestive questions.
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Severe stroke survival may depend on treatment facility volume
Dorothy L. Tengler Healthcare AdministrationEmergent management of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is critical. An estimated 10-15 percent of patients die before reaching the hospital. Moreover, mortality rate reaches as high as 40 percent within the first week, and about 50 percent of patients who suffered an SAH die in the first six months.
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