Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Nursing for August 2007. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Long-Term Health Good in Rabies Patient Treated by Coma
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29 (HealthDay News) -- A 15-year-old girl treated with induced coma and antiviral agents after contracting rabies is in good health more than two years later, with few physical and no mental difficulties, according to a letter to the editor published in the Aug. 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Soldiers' Eardrum Perforation Linked to Brain Injury
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Eardrum perforation is a significant marker of concussive brain injury in U.S. soldiers who are exposed to explosive devices in Iraq, according to a letter published in the Aug. 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Abstract
Full Text
Women with Dementia Lose Weight Long Before Diagnosis
MONDAY, Aug. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Dementia in women is characterized by a steady loss of weight that begins years before the condition is diagnosed, according to a report published in the Aug. 21 issue of Neurology. The study found no evidence of weight loss associated with dementia in men.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Heart Disease Guidelines Reach 1 Million Patients
FRIDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Since its launch in 2000, the American Heart Association's "Get With The Guidelines" quality-improvement program has been adopted by more than 1,400 hospitals and this month surpassed the 1 million patient milestone.
More Information
Portable Oxygen May Not Benefit Some with COPD
THURSDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term ambulatory oxygen therapy may not help patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) function better in terms of their activities of daily living, according to a report in the Aug. 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial
FDA Issues Advisory for Pediatric Cough, Cold Remedies
THURSDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that the Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee will meet in October to discuss the safety and efficacy of over-the-counter pediatric cough and cold medicines in light of reports of serious adverse events due to misuse. The FDA also issued a public health advisory recommending that children under 2 years of age not be given any cough and cold products unless prescribed by a health care provider, in addition to other recommendations.
More Information - Health Advisory
More Information - Medwatch
Consumer Drug Ad Spending Continues to Rise
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Despite criticism of direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising in recent years, more money is being spent on promoting drugs directly to patients, researchers report in the Aug. 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. At the same time, the proportion of broadcast advertisements that were reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before being aired dropped from 64 percent in 1999 to 32 percent in 2004.
Abstract
Full Text
Thiazolidinediones to Carry Stronger Risk Warnings
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that thiazolidinediones must carry a "boxed" warning on the risk of heart failure. This represents an upgrade to the strongest form of warning required by the FDA and stems from a review of postmarketing adverse events associated with the diabetes drugs.
More Information - FDA
Heatwave Length, Not Intensity, Spurs Hospital Visits
FRIDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Hospital admissions of elderly patients are more influenced by a heatwave's duration than by its intensity, according to the results of a study published Aug. 9 in the journal BMC Public Health. The study also suggests that patients do not necessarily adapt to the effects of repeated heatwaves over the course of a summer.
Abstract
Full Text
Multiple Assessments Help Identify Elder Abuse
FRIDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- In hospitalized older adults, three assessment tools may be needed to accurately identify those at high risk of elder abuse, especially in cases where patients do not disclose abuse and physicians cannot detect visible signs of abuse, according to the results of a study published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Underinsured Children Missing Out on Immunizations
TUESDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- The near doubling of the recommended number of childhood vaccinations, the increased cost of fully vaccinating a child and changes in the medical insurance system have created new gaps in immunization coverage, researchers report in the Aug. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial
Non-Pharmaceutical Measures May Help with Flu Pandemic
TUESDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Non-pharmaceutical interventions such as school closures, prohibition of mass gatherings, isolation and quarantine helped to reduced the excess death rate during the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic and could help contain a future flu pandemic, according to study findings published in the Aug. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
First Successful Ovarian Tissue Transplant Between Sisters
FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A woman with premature ovarian failure due to chemotherapy received the first-ever successful ovarian tissue transplantation from her genetically non-identical sister, researchers report in the August issue of Human Reproduction.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Medical Residents Lack Tuberculosis Knowledge
FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Many medical residents in the United States are unclear about how to diagnose and treat tuberculosis, particularly cases of latent tuberculosis, according to a report published Aug. 2 in BMC Infectious Diseases.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
