November 2006 Briefing - Nursing
Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Nursing for November 2006. 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.
FDA Issues Warning About Methadone
TUESDAY, Nov. 28 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a public health advisory warning to health care professionals prescribing methadone hydrochloride (Dolophine). Death and life-threatening side effects, such as severe respiratory problems and cardiac arrhythmias, have occurred in patients prescribed the drug for new pain, or who are being switched from other narcotic pain relievers.
Four Botulism Cases Due to Unlicensed Botulinum Toxin
TUESDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Four cases of botulism occurred when a suspended clinician used an unlicensed preparation of botulinum toxin A for cosmetic purposes, with some patients receiving doses more than 40 times the estimated lethal dose in humans, according to the Nov. 22/29 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Support Can Ease Stress for Most Dementia Caregivers
TUESDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Hispanics and whites, but not blacks, who care for relatives with dementia have significant quality-of-life improvements when supported by a multifaceted intervention that includes in-home and telephone discussions, researchers report in the Nov. 21 Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Residents and Fellows Are Cheapest Way to Staff ICUs
TUESDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Using non-physician providers to staff intensive care units is less cost-effective than using residents and fellows, according to the results of a study published in the November issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
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FDA Approves Breast Implants Containing Silicone Gel
FRIDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Friday that it will allow two companies to market silicone gel-filled breast implants for use in women 22 and older who are undergoing breast augmentation or reconstruction. The companies must perform large, post-approval studies following about 40,000 women for 10 years after implant surgery.
Risk of Death After Falls Increasing for U.S. Elderly
FRIDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- As more Americans live longer with chronic diseases, accidental falls pose an increasing mortality risk for patients aged 65 and older, according to a report in the Nov. 17 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Occupational Therapy Benefits Dementia Patients
FRIDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Despite the fact that patients with dementia have limited learning ability, community-based occupational therapy improves their daily functioning and also has benefits for their caregivers, according to research published online Nov. 17 in BMJ.
Primary Care Physicians Miss Signs of Cardiac Ischemia
THURSDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Primary care clinicians often miss early chances to send patients with cardiac ischemia to the hospital, researchers report in the Nov. 13 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. About 11 percent of acute myocardial infarction patients without a previous history of heart disease see their primary care doctor, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant for angina-like pain or other symptoms in the month before hospitalization, but aren't sent to the hospital.
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Lifestyle Changes Cut Type 2 Diabetes in High-Risk People
THURSDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Intensive diet and exercise counseling can reduce disease incidence for patients at high risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, even long after counseling is discontinued, according to results from an extended follow-up the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study published in the Nov. 11 issue of The Lancet.
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Caregiver Support Delays Nursing Home for Alzheimer's
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Caregiver counseling can help keep Alzheimer disease patients home for a longer period of time and delay the need for nursing home placement, according to a report in the November issue of Neurology.
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Persistent Dermatitis Related to Egg Sensitivity
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- While most children eventually outgrow atopic dermatitis, children with an early sensitivity to eggs are more likely to have persistent atopic dermatitis than those with other types of allergy, researchers report in the November issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. What's more, such children are also at greater risk of developing asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis by adolescence or young adulthood.
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Malaria Prevention Strategies Should Be Individualized
TUESDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Until a consensus on guidelines is reached, individually tailored strategies are needed to help prevent malaria among long-term travelers, according to a literature review published in the Nov. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Poison Control Centers Can Prevent Hospitalizations
TUESDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Calls to poison control centers can prevent hospitalizations for poisoning in rural areas, with an estimated 43.3 calls preventing one hospitalization and saving a net $7,321, researchers report in the November issue of Pediatrics.
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Rate of Non-Fatal School Bus Injuries Higher Than Thought
TUESDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- More children are involved in non-fatal school bus-related injuries each year than previously reported, according to study findings published in the November issue of Pediatrics.
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Study Finds U.S. Children Watch Too Much TV
MONDAY, Nov. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Children are watching more television than the two hours a day maximum currently recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, according to a report in the November issue of Pediatrics. The average child in the study watched three hours of TV a day and households had an average of four TV sets, often in the kitchen, dining room or child's bedroom.
Hot Air Cures Head Lice Infestation
MONDAY, Nov. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Hot air seems to be a safe and effective treatment for head lice, and one method of heat application was 100 percent effective at curing lice infestation after a single 30-minute treatment, according to a report in the November issue of Pediatrics.
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Lower Body Temperature May Extend Life Span
THURSDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have found that mice with a core temperature one-half a degree Celsius lower than normal live about 15 percent longer than mice with a normal body core temperature, according to a report in the Nov. 3 issue of Science.
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