Tag: Patient Education and Counseling

More operations are scheduled if doctor is well rested

Researchers at Linköping University have investigated how orthopaedic surgeons make decisions regarding surgery, and how the decisions are related to how much of their work shift they have completed. The results show that a patient who meets the surgeon at the end of his or her shift is less likely to be scheduled for surgery.

Bowel preparation for colon surgery unnecessary, study suggests

In recent decades, patients in Europe coming in for colectomies, or surgical procedures targeted at the colon, have not been routinely subjected to what is known as bowel preparation, where the bowel is emptied before the operation. In the United States , on the other hand, cleansing the bowel is relatively common. Several extensive retrospective

Opioid prescribing rates higher in US compared with other countries

Physicians in the United States may prescribe opioids more frequently to patients during hospitalization and at discharge when compared to their physician peers in other countries, according to a recently published study led by researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. The study reviewed prescribing practices at 11 academic hospitals in eight countries

Differences in MS patients’ cerebrospinal fluid may be key to drugs that halt progression

The disability burden for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) can vary significantly depending on whether they have a relapsing/remitting form of the disease, where they experience periods of clinical remission, or a progressive form, where they have continued neurological deterioration without clinical remission. Effective therapies exist for managing relapsing/remitting MS, but treatment for progressive MS

Cardiac toxicity risk factors identified with relapsed multiple myeloma therapy

More than half of patients with relapsed multiple myeloma treated with carfilzomib experienced cardiac issues during treatment, according to a multi-institutional study published June 12 in Journal of Clinical Oncology. The study recommends that patients undergo a detailed cardiovascular history before being prescribed carfilzomib and then be monitored with natriuretic peptide testing, an indicator for

Undetected diabetes linked to heart attack and gum disease

People with undetected glucose disorders run a higher risk of both myocardial infarction and periodontitis, according to a study published in the journal Diabetes Care by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The results demonstrate the need of greater collaboration between dentistry and healthcare, say the researchers, and possibly of screening for diabetes at dental

Antibiotics that dentists prescribe are unnecessary 81% of the time

Antibiotics prescribed by dentists as a preemptive strike against infection are unnecessary 81% of the time, according to a study published today in JAMA Network Open. The findings are important because dentists are responsible for 10% of all antibiotic prescriptions written in the United States. Antibiotics prescribed when not warranted expose patients to the risk

Exercise: Psych patients’ new primary prescription

When it comes to inpatient treatment of a range of mental health and mood disorders — from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia, suicidality and acute psychotic episodes — a new study advocates for exercise, rather than psychotropic medications, as the primary prescription and method of intervention. Findings from the study reveal that physical exercise is

Young athletes who require ACL reconstruction may benefit from additional procedure: Multi-center clinical trial shows LET procedure can improve patient outcomes

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, an injury of the knee, can be devastating to a young athlete. While the ACL can be reconstructed through surgery, there is a high risk of re-injury in patients under the age of 25. In the largest clinical trial of its kind, researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute have

How cortisol affects exposure therapy for anxiety disorders

Bochum-based psychologists have studied how the application of the stress hormone cortisol affects exposure therapy for anxiety disorders. The researchers knew from earlier studies that extinction learning, which constitutes the foundation of exposure therapy, can be reinforced by administering cortisol. However, the team headed by Professor Armin Zlomuzica at Zentrum für Psychotherapie (psychotherapy centre) at

Information technology can support antimicrobial stewardship programs: SHEA white paper outlines the role of EHR and ‘add on’ clinical decision support

The incorporation of information technology (IT) into an antimicrobial stewardship program can help improve efficiency of the interventions and facilitate tracking and reporting of key metrics, including outcomes, according to a Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) white paper published in the society’s journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. “When used intentionally, information technology

People with happy spouses may live longer

Research suggests that having a happy spouse leads to a longer marriage, and now study results show that it’s associated with a longer life, too. The study was published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. “The data show that spousal life satisfaction was associated with mortality, regardless of individuals’ socioeconomic

Case of tick-borne relapsing fever in Mexico

Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever (TBRF) is a recurring fever caused by exposure to infected Borrelia bacteria. Several cases have been reported in Mexico, but the disease gets little attention. Now, researchers reporting in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases describe the details of an additional case of TBRF in Sonora, Mexico in 2012. On January 27, 2012, a

Delusions may stem from sticky beliefs, study finds

Delusions are one of the most common symptoms of psychosis, but little is known about what causes them. A new study from researchers at Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute offers insight into the development of delusions, which could lead to better treatments for people with psychosis. The findings were published in Brain.

Most triggers for irregular heartbeat can be easily modified: Alcohol, caffeine, exercise, lack of sleep are most common

A personal survey of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), one of the most important causes of irregular heartbeats, has found that the majority of triggers for the condition are easily modifiable lifestyle choices, including alcohol, caffeine, exercise and lack of sleep. The findings, identified by researchers at UC San Francisco in collaboration with patients and

How to create health care centaurs, half doctors and half managers: Organizational support key

If hospital doctors around the world often struggle to become those health centaurs, half professionals and half managers, that modern healthcare organizations need, the main responsibility is not their resistance to change, but the lack of effective support from the organization, according to a study by Marco Sartirana (CERGAS, Bocconi University), Graeme Currie (Warwick Business