Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Nursing for August 2008. 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.
Lancet Supports WHO Report on Health Inequality
FRIDAY, Aug. 29 (HealthDay News) -- The final report by the World Health Organization's Commission on Social Determinants of Health contains a strong mandate for reducing global inequalities in health care, according to an editorial published in the Aug. 30 issue of The Lancet.
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Bunion Patients Brake Faster Six Weeks After Surgery
THURSDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Six weeks after undergoing a unilateral first metatarsal osteotomy for bunion correction, patients showed similar emergency braking times as healthy individuals, suggesting that these patients can resume driving at six weeks, according to research published in the August issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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New Pain Guidelines Released
THURSDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) has released new medical treatment guidelines for the care of workers with chronic pain syndromes, representing the latest chapter in Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines, available online. A print version of the guidelines will be available in September.
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Nurses Should Play Key Role in DVT Prevention
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Perioperative nurses should be aware of the threat of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and play a role in reducing patients' risk before, during and after surgery, according to an article in the August AORN Journal.
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Single-Patient Rooms Gold Standard for Hospitals
TUESDAY, Aug. 26 (HealthDay News) -- New hospital developments should be based on single-patient rooms because they offer the best standard of care for patients, according to an article published in the Aug. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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New Pre-Surgical Cleansing Procedure May Reduce Infections
TUESDAY, Aug. 26 (HealthDay News) -- The chlorhexidine shower recommended for reducing the risk of surgical site infections is often impractical for vascular patients due to comorbidities, but an intraoperative surgical site precleansing technique can still help protect them from infections, according to an article published in the August issue of AORN Journal.
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Perioperative Care Must Be Adapted to Preschoolers' Needs
TUESDAY, Aug. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Perioperative care for preschoolers must take into account their stage of emotional and psychological development as well as their unique physical and medical needs, according to an article published in the August issue of AORN Journal.
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Outlook Mixed on US Presidential Candidates' Health Plans
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20 (HealthDay News) -- The health care plans proposed by John McCain and Barack Obama would have uncertain effects on health care coverage in America, but potential problems with each plan are evident, according to a perspective piece in the Aug. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Behavioral Counseling Technique Reduces Back Pain
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Teaching patients with chronic or recurrent back pain to improve their posture and neuromuscular coordination significantly reduces pain, in some cases without exercise, according to research published online Aug. 19 in BMJ.
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Seniors Likely to Find Medicare Health Web Site Unusable
TUESDAY, Aug. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Even older adults with computer skills may have difficulty using the Medicare.gov Web site to determine eligibility for services and enroll in a drug plan, according to a research letter published in the Aug. 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Older Patients Less Likely to Be Taken to Trauma Center
TUESDAY, Aug. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Emergency medical service providers are less likely to transport elderly trauma patients to a designated trauma center than younger patients, according to research published in the August issue of the Archives of Surgery.
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Comorbidities Worsen Fatigue in HIV-Positive Patients
FRIDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Specific types of comorbidities and increasing numbers of comorbidities worsen fatigue severity and symptom scores in HIV/AIDS patients, and health care providers must be able to identify causes of fatigue to intervene more effectively, according to study findings published in the August issue of Applied Nursing Research.
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Nurses Commonly Report Adverse Job-Related Outcomes
FRIDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Increased patient load, increased frequency of nursing care activities and decreased numbers of nurses per patient all result in more self-reported nursing adverse outcomes, according to a report in the August issue of Applied Nursing Research.
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Zimbabwe Health Care in Shambles Due to Atrocities
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 13 (HealthDay News) -- The recent violence and human rights abuses in Zimbabwe have resulted in the breakdown of the country's health system, according to an editorial published online Aug. 12 in BMJ, which says the international medical community should condemn the atrocities, support human rights and help rebuild the country's health infrastructure.
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Over 1 Billion U.S. Doctor, Hospital Visits Logged in 2006
THURSDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- In 2006, patients made an estimated 1.1 billion visits to physician offices and hospital emergency and outpatient departments in the United States, which was an average of four visits per person, according to health care statistics released Aug. 6 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Exercise Link to Depression and Anxiety Examined
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Although there is an association between regular exercise and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, exercise is not a causal factor, according to study findings published in the August issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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Video Game Boosts Treatment Adherence in Kids with Cancer
TUESDAY, Aug. 5 (HealthDay News) -- A video-game intervention targeting adolescents and young adults with cancer improved treatment adherence, self-efficacy and knowledge, but did not impact self-reported measures of adherence, stress, control or quality of life, according to an article in the August issue of Pediatrics.
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International Issue of Torture Complicity Analyzed
FRIDAY, Aug. 1 (HealthDay News) -- More than 100 countries condone the use of torture and have often recruited the medical community as participants without consequence, according to an editorial published online July 31 in BMJ.
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