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How lifesaving organs for transplant go missing in transit
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareLosing luggage on a commercial flight is an inconvenience, but losing an organ for transplant could cost a life. Alarmingly, scores of organs are discarded each year because they do not reach their destination in time. Organs for transplant have a relatively short shelf life — ranging from six hours for hearts and lungs to 30 hours for kidneys — and there are frequently hundreds of miles between the donor and the recipient. To get to their destinations while still viable, organs are often flown on commercial airliners. Sometimes, flight delays and mishaps can prevent organs from reaching their recipients in time.
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Turmeric: An anti-cancer superfood?
Amanda Ghosh Medical & Allied HealthcareTurmeric is an Indian spice. Usually, we find it in curries and curry powder. Research, dating back to at least the 1980s, has noted the powerful effects of turmeric. But why is turmeric good for you, and how much do you need to consume to get its benefits? Read on to find out.
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Research shows pharmacological cardioversion as safe, effective as shock
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareThe results of a new study published in The Lancet show that pharmacological cardioversion is as safe and effective for resolving acute atrial fibrillation (AF, AFib) as electrical cardioversion. Acute AF accounts for about 430,000 emergency department (ED) visits in the United States and Canada each year. To avoid complications, such as stroke and heart failure, patients with acute AF must receive treatment within 48 hours. ED doctors and hospitalists in the U.S., Canada, and other countries use electrical and pharmacological cardioversion to restore normal heart rhythms.
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New ways to help shorten hospital stays for your critical care patients
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareAs a hospital administrator, your ongoing goals are to ensure your facility provides the best care outcomes possible and to get your patients quickly and safely back home. Your care teams may be able to accomplish these important goals more easily through innovations being developed via cutting-edge research. Read on about these simple, yet potentially game-changing developments. A few simple implementations could benefit your patients enormously.
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ADA produces one-sheet handout on coronavirus for dentists
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareCoronavirus, now named COVID-19, is making headlines around the world, and this illness is at the top of most news reports. The American Dental Association has now released an informational handout regarding the virus for dentists. The handout, which can be downloaded here, covers strategies for helping prevent the transmission of suspected respiratory disease in the dental healthcare setting and also answers frequently asked questions related to the virus, based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Novel imaging approach provides first glimpse of the body’s ‘steering…
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareA new approach to 3D imaging has shed new light on ankle kinematics. Ankle injuries are among the most common reasons for emergency department visits. EDs treat more than 628,000 ankle injuries per year. Ankle injuries account for about 20% of all visits to the ED. While ankle injuries are not life threatening, they can cause disability that decreases quality of life, so accurate diagnosis is always essential. Many ankle injuries involve the "body’s steering wheel," the subtalar joint.
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How being present can change — and possibly save — your life
Victoria Fann Mental HealthcareSit down in any cafe, ride in an elevator, look in people's cars when they are stopped at a stoplight or observe college students walking on campus, and you'll notice one thing: the majority are checking their phones and not focusing on the present moment. As so much of our lives is now dominated by screen time, we've moved far away from living in the present. Even when not looking at a screen, many of us are lost in thought thinking about something that happened in the past or worrying about something that might happen in the future.
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Zooming in on rogue immune cells: New research in autoimmune disease
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareAlthough there are over 100 autoimmune disorders, researchers don’t know exactly why the body's immune system signals cells to target the body's own healthy organs and tissues. Current treatments for autoimmune disease can only address the symptoms. According to Professor Chris Goodnow, director of the UNSW Sydney Cellular Genomics Futures Institute, studying rogue immune cells is challenging because they are so rare in a blood sample. However, researchers have developed a technique that allows them to look directly at the cells that cause autoimmune disease.
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AMA: Digital health tools are more important than ever to physicians
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcarePhysicians have been using more digital health tools since 2016, according to the American Medical Association, which first benchmarked the transformation at that time. According to continued research, the AMA reports that more physicians than ever say they understand the benefits of digital health tools for driving improved efficiency and safety at the point of care. As reported through the survey, the AMA pointed out specific insights in seven categories of digital adoption.
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What transplant programs and OPOs need to know about coronavirus
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareThe 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), officially named as COVID-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO), is spreading at a concerning pace. Healthcare professionals in a variety of specialties are readying their practices for the possibility of infection in their area. Many transplant programs, Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs), and patients worry about the safety of organ transplantation during the outbreak. Fortunately, a number of organizations are working to provide current information about COVID-19.
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