We evaluated the use of telehealth for patients who had suffered a cardiac or respiratory arrest, and were medically coordinated from the Queensland coordination hub at Townsville. We conducted a review of all cardiac or respiratory arrest cases where teleheath had been used prior to aeromedical retrieval. The doctors involved ...

To compare the straight Magill and the curved Boedeker Intubation Forceps in foreign body removal in a manikin with a difficult airway using the videolaryngoscope. Prospective comparative study. University Medical Center. 17 medical providers, 16 anesthesia staff, and one respiratory therapist. The observed Cormack-Lehane (CL) glottic view and success/failure of ...

BACKGROUND: Information on patient symptoms can be obtained by patient self-report or medical records review. Both methods have limitations. AIMS: To assess the agreement between self-report and documentation in the medical records of signs/symptoms of respiratory illness (fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, headache, sinus problems, muscle aches, fatigue, earache, ...

Objectives. To study the efficacy and safety of procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) administered by medical officers (MOs) without formal anaesthetic training. Methods. A retrospective descriptive study in the Emergency Department (ED) of False Bay Hospital (FBH), situated in the southern suburbs of the Cape Town Metro Health District. The ...

Adherence to evidence-based therapies has emerged as one of the great challenges of translating discoveries to clinical care to optimize patient outcomes. In particular, nonadherence to lifesaving medications continues to trouble health care systems. We conducted a series of studies to investigate why cardiac patients stop life-sustaining medications and to ...

Introduction. Little is known about medication errors which occur with the antidotes ethanol and fomepizole, used for treatment of methanol and ethylene glycol poisoning. Study objectives were to describe and compare the frequency, type, outcome and underlying causes of medication errors associated with ethanol and fomepizole. Methods. Patients aged ≥13 ...

Recently, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Cancer Centers has installed an Emergency Department Notification System (EDNS) in one of its hospitals. This system, manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., 81 Wyman Street, Waltham, MA 02454), was designed to discriminate non-medical radioactive isotopes from medical radioactive isotopes ...

BACKGROUND: Treatment data for prostate cancer can be obtained from a variety of sources. Each of these sources has its own strengths and weaknesses and is subject to error. Materials and methods: In a population-based cohort of 319 prostate cancer patients, data on treatment were obtained from five sources: two ...

CABG and PCI are effective means for revascularization of patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease, but previous studies have not focused on treatment of patients that first undergo primary PCI. Among patients enrolled in the global registry of acute coronary events (GRACE), clinical outcomes for patients presenting with STEMI treated ...

OBJECTIVE: As public awareness of medical radiation exposure increases, there has been heightened awareness among patients and physicians of the importance of holistic benefit-and-risk discussions in shared medical decision making. CONCLUSION: We examine the rationale for informed consent and risk communication, draw on the literature on the psychology of radiation ...

In recent decades several major changes in computer and communication technology have pushed the limits of imaging informatics and PACS beyond the traditional system architecture providing new perspectives and innovative approach to a traditionally conservative medical community. Disruptive technologies such as the world-wide-web, wireless networking, Open Source software and recent ...

Background and purpose:  The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of intensive advice (to withdraw the overused medication/s) as a withdrawal strategy in patients with simple and complicated medication overuse headache (MOH). Methods:  One hundred consecutive MOH patients were included in the study. Exclusion criteria were co-existent ...

A 10-kiloton (kT) nuclear detonation within a US city could expose hundreds of thousands of people to radiation. The Scarce Resources for a Nuclear Detonation Project was undertaken to guide community planning and response in the aftermath of a nuclear detonation, when demand will greatly exceed available resources. This article ...

Despite early recognition of the potential hazards of ionizing radiation and research documenting these hazards over the past 115 years, problems persist regarding the safety of medical procedures that use ionizing radiation for imaging. This investigation sought to evaluate current attitudes and radiation protection practices among radiologic technologists following recent ...

OBJECTIVE: Medical radiation exposure has increased sixfold since 1980 and is the largest controllable source of exposure. Many efforts have been devoted to reducing dose or eliminating unnecessary examinations but with limited success. The concern regarding nuclear terrorism has focused a large amount of attention on radioprotective drugs. The purpose ...

Medical X-ray films are continued to be the major image receptors in diagnostic radiology in India. About 9×10(6) m(2) of medical X-ray films are used per annum for diagnostic imaging in India, and its magnitude may further increase as the number of diagnostic X-ray units is increasing rapidly. A national ...

AIMS: Approximately 20% of deaths from adverse events are related to medication incidents, costing the NHS an additional £500 million annually. Less than 5% of adverse events are reported. This study aims to assess the reporting rate of medication incidents in NHS facilities in the north east of Scotland, and ...

The intense and encompassing nature of medical education can be overwhelming at times. The impact that this effect has on a student can be mitigated if adequately trained, spiritually focused advisors are available and present within the campus setting. This article presents real case examples of, and recommendations for, the ...

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy, also known as stereotactic body radiation therapy, has been developed as an innovative therapy for stage I non-small cell lung cancer and has now emerged as a standard treatment option for medically inoperable patients through careful analysis utilizing prospective, multi-institutional trials. This article reviews and updates the ...

Both the discovery of the x-ray and the founding of the National Medical Association (NMA) occurred in 1895. Radiologists have participated importantly in the NMA since the lecture of Dr Marcus F. Wheatland at the 1909 Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, which led to his election as president of the ...

This issue's feature column reports on the findings of a small survey of library users carried out in an Indian medical college with a traditional curriculum. The study found that the main reason a student visited the library was to consult text books. Although the majority of students were satisfied ...

This special report aims to inform the medical community about the many challenges involved in managing radiation exposure in a way that maximizes the benefit-risk ratio. The report discusses the state of current knowledge and key questions in regard to sources of medical imaging radiation exposure, radiation risk estimation, dose ...

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which encompasses deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality following hospitalization. In the last decade, investigators have used randomized controlled trials to assess the efficacy and safety of various methods of VTE prevention for more than 20,000 medical patients. ...

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is an increasingly common problem in the aging population and has been associated with chronic heart failure (HF), either as an epiphenomenon or even as an early marker for underlying cardiovascular disease. ED has a significant effect on patients' quality of life. This chapter reviews ED in ...

During the 1960s through 1980s the United States and several other nations developed, and even considered deploying, enhanced-radiation warheads (ERWs). The main effect of ERWs (sometimes called "neutron bombs"), as compared to other types of nuclear weapons, is to enhance radiation casualties while reducing blast and thermal damage to the ...

This final rule amends the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulation that authorizes appropriate action when a patient engages in disruptive behavior at a VA medical facility. This amendment updates VA's current regulation to reflect modern medical care and ethical practices. The final rule authorizes VA to modify the time, ...

The lidocaine/tetracaine medicated plaster comprises a lidocaine/tetracaine 70 mg/70 mg patch and a controlled heat-assisted drug delivery pod that increases the diffusion of lidocaine and tetracaine into the dermis. Following a 1-hour application period, systemic absorption of lidocaine or tetracaine from the plaster was minimal. The lidocaine/tetracaine medicated plaster provided effective pain ...

Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) is an effective treatment for advanced Parkinson disease (PD). Following STN-DBS, speech intelligibility can deteriorate, limiting its beneficial effect. Here we prospectively examined the short- and long-term speech response to STN-DBS in a consecutive series of patients to identify clinical and surgical factors associated ...

Objective. To describe the medical consumption [general practitioner (GP) consultation, referrals, medication consumption] of patients with shoulder complaints in general practice. Methods. Data were obtained from a primary-care medical registration network. All patients aged ≥18 years with new shoulder complaints who consulted their general practitioner in 1998 were included, and ...

Patients with serious mental illness (SMI; e.g., psychotic disorders and major mood disorders) die earlier, have more medical illnesses, and receive worse medical care than those in the general population. The aims of this article are to review the data on medical morbidity and mortality in those with SMI, to ...

This white paper identifies potential solutions to help ensure the utility and sustainability of this critical patient safety issue.

Medical treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has advanced significantly over the past decade, but it is important to communicate effectively the balance of benefits and risks of therapy to patients to facilitate informed medical decisions. To review the available data describing the risk of side effects of IBD medications ...

Evidente VGH, Premkumar AP, Adler CH, Caviness JN, Driver-Dunckley E, Lyons MK. Medication dose reductions after pallidal versus subthalamic stimulation in patients with Parkinson's disease. Acta Neurol Scand: 2011: 124: 211-214. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Objective -  To compare the medication dose reduction between deep brain stimulation (DBS) ...

This study investigated the outcome of patients who received bail-out study medication and evaluated whether high-dose tirofiban (HDT) pretreatment may reduce the need for bail-out study medication. A prespecified analysis of the multicentre, double-blind, placebo controlled, randomised On-TIME 2 trial. Bail-out use of study medication was predefined and part of ...

In recent years interest in the application of Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) for patient monitoring applications has grown significantly. A WBAN can be used to develop patient monitoring systems which offer flexibility to medical staff and mobility to patients. Patients monitoring could involve a range of activities including data ...

Relatively little is known about the interaction between behavioral changes, medication, and cognitive function in Parkinson's disease (PD). We examined working memory, learning and risk aversion in PD patients with and without impulsive or compulsive behavior (ICB) and compared the results with those in a group of age-matched control subjects. ...

The Department of Health is considering imposing a legal duty of candour on health care providers to ensure that an apology and explanation are given to patients when errors occur during medical treatment. This aims to improve quality of care and reduce adverse events during medical treatment. We present the ...

Long popular as a nature tourism destination, Costa Rica has recently emerged as a haven for middle class North Americans seeking inexpensive, state-of-the-art cosmetic surgery. This paper examines "cosmetic surgery tourism" in Costa Rica as a form of medicalized leisure, situated in elite private spaces and yet inextricably linked to ...

Giants have been a subject of fascination throughout history. Whereas descriptions of giants have existed in the lay literature for millennia, the first attempt at a medical description was published by Johannes Wier in 1567. However, it was Pierre Marie, in 1886, who established the term "acromegaly" for the first ...

Medication errors and adverse events caused by them are common during and after a hospitalization. The impact of these events on patient welfare and the financial burden, both to the patient and the healthcare system, are significant. In 2005, The Joint Commission put forth medication reconciliation as National Patient Safety ...

Every year, hundreds of transgendered people from the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia travel to Thailand to undergo cosmetic and gender reassignment surgeries (GRS). Many GRS clinics market themselves almost exclusively to non-Thai trans women (people assigned a male sex at birth who later identify as female). This ...

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which encompasses both deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, is a significant healthcare problem, leading to considerable morbidity, mortality and resource utilisation. This review discusses the adherence to VTE guideline recommendations and the available clinical evidence on the appropriate type, dose and duration of VTE prophylaxis. A literature ...

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), comprising life-threatening pulmonary embolism (PE) and its precursor deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), is commonly encountered problem. Although most patients survive DVT, they often develop serious and costly long-term complications. Both unfractionated heparin and low molecular weight heparins significantly reduce the incidence of VTE and its associated complications. Despite ...

To explore the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in psoriasis inpatients in Peking Union Medical Hospital. We retrospectively reviewed the records of the psoriasis patients admitted in the dermatological ward of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1st, 2003, to December 31st, 2008, and the height, weight, blood pressure, fasting ...

It is not known whether and in which way patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) are affected by the information frame when judging the outcome of a medication. This study aimed to compare framing effects between healthy older adults, MCI patients, and mild ...

This paper presents a new way to monitor priority settings in public health-care systems. We take departure in medical guidelines prescribing acceptable waiting times for different medical descriptions. Allocating ICD10 codes to the medical descriptions, we are able to compare actual waiting times to the recommended maximum waiting times. This ...

To clarify the efficacy of medication versus carotid endarterectomy (CEA), we investigated cardiovascular events and outcomes in Japanese patients with moderate carotid stenosis. We consecutively registered patients with significant carotid stenosis (50%-79%) measured by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) over 10 years and compared the incidences of stroke, myocardial infarction, and ...

CONTEXT: A contextual error occurs when a physician does not identify elements of a patient's environment or behavior, such as access to care, that must be addressed to appropriately plan care. Research has demonstrated that contextual errors can be identified using standardized patients. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate an educational intervention designed ...

BACKGROUND: Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES) is associated with complicated ulcer disease of the upper gastrointestinal tract. While management of ZES has dramatically improved with proton pump inhibitor therapy, quality of life in medically treated patients has not been evaluated. METHODS: Over a 3-year period, 52 patients with ZES were prospectively evaluated ...

Previous studies have shown that subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) improves tremor in Parkinson disease (PD). However, the patients included in those studies were unselected for tremor severity. We specifically assessed the effect of STN DBS on tremor in selected PD patients with severe tremor. Seventy-two PD patients ...