Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Nursing for December 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.
Older Adults Respond Well to Supervised Activity Training
FRIDAY, Dec. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Older, sedentary adults who participate in an active training program are more likely to adhere to an exercise regimen than those who participate in a classroom-based health education program, according to a report published in the November issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
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Catheter Ablation Reduces Defibrillator Shock Frequency
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Ablation of arrhythmic cardiac tissue combined with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) reduces the frequency of pacing and shocks better than an ICD alone in patients with a history of myocardial infarction, according to study findings published in the Dec. 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Telling Patients They Are at High Risk Influences Decisions
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 26 (HealthDay News) -- People who believe they are at higher-than-average risk of developing a disease may be more inclined to take a treatment despite the risk of side effects, researchers report in the December issue of Patient Education and Counseling.
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Surgical Smoke Plume An Underrated Biohazard
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 26 (HealthDay News) -- All operating rooms should have a smoke evacuation system to eliminate surgical smoke plume, the gaseous by-product of processes such as electrosurgery, laser ablation and ultrasonic scalpel dissection, according to a paper published in the December issue of the AORN Journal.
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Team Training Improves Patient Safety Awareness
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 26 (HealthDay News) -- A team-based training program that uses customized, highly interactive methods to help clinicians implement pre- and post-operative briefings, standardize communication and improve teamwork can increase awareness of patient safety and facilitate the process of continuous improvement, according to a paper published in the December issue of the AORN Journal.
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Previously Uninsured Enjoy Better Health with Medicare
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 26 (HealthDay News) -- The health of people who don't have health insurance improves once they acquire Medicare coverage at the age of 65, especially if they have cardiovascular disease or diabetes, researchers report in the Dec. 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Information Technology Linked with Better Patient Outcomes
TUESDAY, Dec. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Greater adoption of information technology (IT) systems in hospitals is associated with improved measures of patient safety, according to research published in the November/December issue of the Journal of Healthcare Management.
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Elderly Are Under-Triaged in Emergency Departments
MONDAY, Dec. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Older patients who present at emergency departments with "normal" vital signs may in fact be in need of immediate attention, according to an article published in the December issue of the Journal of Emergency Nursing.
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Physical Activity May Lower Vascular Dementia Risk
THURSDAY, Dec. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly individuals who are physically active appear to have a reduced risk of developing vascular dementia, while the risk of Alzheimer's disease may be unchanged, according to an article published online Dec. 19 in Neurology.
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Study Explores Patient Outcomes in Hospitalist Model
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Patients hospitalized with common medical conditions who are cared for by hospitalists do not have improved mortality rates or readmission rates compared to those treated by general internists or family practice physicians, according to the results of a study published in the Dec. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. However, care by a hospitalist is associated with modestly shorter hospital stays compared to traditional models.
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More Study Needed on Programs to Prevent Falls in Elderly
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 19 (HealthDay News) -- There is little evidence to show intervention programs aimed at preventing older people from falling are effective, according to a review of studies published online Dec. 18 in BMJ Online First.
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FDA Approves New Beta Blocker for Hypertension
TUESDAY, Dec. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced this week that it has approved Bystolic (nebivolol) for the treatment of hypertension. Bystolic is a beta blocker, a class of commonly prescribed antihypertensive medications that reduce the force of the heart's contraction.
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Post-Surgical Massage May Help Manage Pain and Anxiety
TUESDAY, Dec. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Massage may be an effective and safe adjuvant therapy for the relief of acute post-operative pain and anxiety, according to study findings published in the December issue of the Archives of Surgery.
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FDA & CDC Advise Public on Childhood Vaccine Recall
THURSDAY, Dec. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Merck & Co. has voluntarily recalled 1.2 million doses of the Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine due to an error in manufacturing that could allow the potential for contamination. But the vaccine does not pose a health threat to children, announced officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week.
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Intervention Improves Care of Low-Income Seniors
TUESDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- An integrated, home-based geriatric care intervention improved quality of care and reduced emergency department visits of low-income seniors compared to those treated with usual care, according to research published Dec. 12 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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High Mortality Follows Periprosthetic Femur Fractures
TUESDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Patients face a high risk of mortality in the year after surgery for a periprosthetic femoral fracture -- similar to the risk following treatment for a hip fracture, according to research published in the December issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Immigrants Report Less Family History of Cancer
TUESDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Immigrants are much less likely than individuals born in the United States to report a family history of cancer, which may lead to health care providers underestimating immigrants' true cancer risk and ordering fewer cancer screening tests, according to a report published online Dec. 10 in Cancer.
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Transfusions During Surgery Increase Risk of Infection
MONDAY, Dec. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Women undergoing cardiac surgery are more likely to receive blood transfusions than men, which may increase their risk of infection and may explain the higher mortality rates among women after surgery, researchers report in the December issue of the Journal of Women's Health.
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U.S. Emergency Departments Lack Pediatric Preparedness
FRIDAY, Dec. 7 (HealthDay News) -- The pediatric preparedness of U.S. hospital emergency departments is only average and is in much need of improvement, according to a report published in the December issue of Pediatrics.
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Worldwide Burden of Chronic Disease Targeted
THURSDAY, Dec. 6 (HealthDay News) --
Experts address the worldwide chronic disease epidemic in a series of articles published online Dec. 5 in The Lancet. The authors review the burden of chronic disease in developing countries and discuss cost-effective strategies to mitigate this burden in keeping with the World Health Organization's (WHO) global goal of reducing chronic disease mortality by 2 percent over the next decade.
Abstract - Abegunde
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Abstract - Gaziano
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Abstract - Beaglehole
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FDA Advisory Committee Votes Against Avastin
THURSDAY, Dec. 6 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Oncology Drug Advisory Committee voted 5-4 on Wednesday against recommending that the drug Avastin (bevacizumab) be approved as a treatment for breast cancer. The non-binding vote will be considered when FDA regulators meet Feb. 23 to make their final decision.
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Simple Strategies Could Cut Chronic Disease Deaths
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Reducing individuals' salt intake by 15 percent and enacting four tobacco control measures could have a substantial impact on mortality from chronic disease in 23 developing countries at a very modest economic cost, researchers report in an article published online Dec. 5 in The Lancet.
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Immigrant Children at High Risk for Lead Poisoning
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Foreign-born children living in the United States, and especially those who have recently immigrated, are at an increased risk of lead poisoning compared to U.S.-born children, according to an article published online Nov. 29 in the American Journal of Public Health.
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Breast-Feeding, Early Diet Affect Infant Food Choices
TUESDAY, Dec. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Breast-fed infants whose mothers regularly eat certain fruits and vegetables may be more likely to accept those foods after weaning. But in both breast-fed and formula-fed infants, repeated dietary exposure to such foods may be more important in determining acceptability, researchers report in the December issue of Pediatrics.
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No Benefit of Antioxidants in Preventing Preeclampsia
TUESDAY, Dec. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Taking vitamin C and vitamin E during pregnancy does not appear to protect against preeclampsia in high-risk patients, and women who gain substantial weight between pregnancies may be at increased risk of developing preeclampsia in the second pregnancy, according to two studies published in the December issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Abstract - Spinnato
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Abstract - Getahun
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ACP Article Proposes Fixes for U.S. Health System
TUESDAY, Dec. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Despite the high quality of health care and the latest medical technology that is available to Americans with adequate insurance coverage or financial means, the United States could learn many lessons from the positive attributes of health care systems in other nations, according to a three-part article developed for the Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians (ACP) and published online Dec. 4 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Three Meds Linked to Many Adverse Drug Events in Elderly
TUESDAY, Dec. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Of the adverse drug events among older adults treated in U.S. emergency departments over a recent two-year period, relatively few involved drugs found on a commonly used list of medications deemed potentially inappropriate for older adults, according to study findings published in the Dec. 4 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Out-of-Hours Medical Services Get Suboptimal Reviews
MONDAY, Dec. 3 (HealthDay News) -- In a recent survey of patients utilizing out-of-hours primary medical services in the United Kingdom, users reported concerns and expressed uncertainty in when and how to best utilize the service, however most were satisfied with care received, according to an article published in the December issue of Quality & Safety in Health Care.
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Adverse Events Common During Stay in Hospital
MONDAY, Dec. 3 (HealthDay News) -- In U.K. hospitals, common, serious adverse events that could be prevented affect almost one in 10 patients, undermining quality of care and increasing the length of stay, researchers report in the December issue of Quality & Safety in Health Care.
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