MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'general public'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:33:13 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107630&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2Ff1LdsDd7wdc%2F I was getting my son’s physical for school the other day and the doctor talked to us about HPV.  What is it?  HPV, or humanpapilloma virus, is a very common sexually transmitted virus.  In fact, it is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States today.  More than half of sexually active men and women are infected with HPV at some time in their lives.  The good news is that there is now a vaccine called Gardasil to protect you from this sometimes deadly virus.  Gardasil use to be given only to young women, but now it is recommended for girls, ages 11-26 AND males, ages 9-26.  It is important to note that the vaccine is given before any sexual contact, because once someone is infected, the vaccine might not work as well or might not work at all.  Women with the v... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107630 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:11:00 +0100 5107630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069485&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1750 Last night I was contacted by a physician in the local urgent-care.   I like him, and we made polite, but brief, conversation.  ‘So, are you guys busy?’ I gave him the status report.  ‘Well, yeah.  We have about 25 people waiting to be seen the waiting room is full and every patient room is full.  Also, we just received a gun-shot wound to the head by EMS.’ ‘Wow, sounds terrible!  So, here’s what I need to send you…’ What he sent was, in fact, reasonable.  A young woman with signs and symptoms of meningitis (who was treated earlier in the day for and upper respiratory virus…with Amoxicillin, of course.) She needed a lumbar puncture, which I performed and which was  negative. But I had this thought.  I could probably have said,... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069485 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:35:39 +0100 5069485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050604&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1735 Look, I have no delusions that I’m a psychiatrist. (Get it?  Delusions?)  My specialty encompasses many things, but my general involvement with psychiatry is trying to assess depression, anxiety, psychosis and suicidal ideations; or the risk for future suicidal or homocidal events.  I do practice medicine well. As an emergency physician, I know sick.  It’s what I was trained to do, and what I have practice for nearly two decades. So I find it very unsettling to have this conversation, prior to a psychiatric hospital accepting a patient: ‘We can’t accept him, he has an elevated white blood count.  It’s 13,000.’ ‘He fell down, it means nothing.  He has no focus of infection.’ ‘He might be medically unstable, or have an infection. Yo... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050604 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:37:14 +0100 5050604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050607&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1728 For years now, we’ve all heard the drum-beat.  Bill-boards in cities have proclaimed it.  Various medical associations have touted it’s importance.  Stroke symptoms have to be treated immediately!  Give clot-busting drugs, also known as ‘thrombolytics!’ Until, of course, those in favor of giving the drugs (namely neurologists)  realized that a)  Not everyone with a stroke, aka ‘brain attack’ has insurance and b) people have a very inconsiderate habit of having said strokes at the most inconvenient of hours.  For instance, after 5PM, on the weekend, on holidays.  The nerve! So across the country, physicians in emergency departments like mine are finding themselves expected by the court of public opinion to give a potentially dangerous drug (albeit... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050607 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 01:27:57 +0100 5050607 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028517&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FTIy93UnlV6M%2F I was doing some research on clinical trials and it is much more complex than I dreamed!  First of all, any new treatment must go through numerous stages of testing before its benefits and risks can completely be known.  New treatments are discovered in the laboratory and it can take many years of research before they are given to patients.  Why?  Because it is essential to identify that the new treatment is actually better than what is already available.  These research studies are also called clinical trials.  If a treatment has definite potential in the final stages of development, then research is carried out in patients with the particular type of illness that the treatment aims to help.  Furthermore, I always believed that clinical trials were only regarding drugs, and that is... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028517 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:37:10 +0100 5028517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911499&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1660 Tomorrow’s USA Today column by my friend, Kevin Pho. http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-06-07-Involve-patients-in-health-reform_n.htm (Source: edwinleap.com) edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911499 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:23:46 +0100 4911499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4885698&cid=t_343866_10_f&fid=34467&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnnlm.gov%2Fbhic%2F2011%2F05%2F31%2Fjune%2F Men’s Health Month http://www.menshealthmonth.org/ June is Men’s Health Month. The purpose of Men’s Health Month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. This month gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury. [Menshealthmonth.org website 5.31.11] National Men’s Health Week http://bit.ly/a8MpbY June 13-19th Culminating on Father’s Day, this week gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease a... BHIC blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4885698 Tue, 31 May 2011 19:35:35 +0100 4885698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852882&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1623 As the country wrestles with the cost of health-care, and as various media outlets address the role of emergency departments, I thought this little guide-might be helpful!  I pulled it out of my archives from several years ago.  Enjoy! All too often, I discharge a patient and think to myself, What instructions can I give for this? Sometimes there are problems and questions that don’t have obvious solutions or answers. And in these situations, coming up with something useful for the patient to read at home is, to say the least, difficult. I’ve come up with a few based on some of the enigmas I see at Oconee Memorial Hospital. Virginity evaluation: The emergency physician has not determined the status of your daughter’s virginity. In fact, the emergency physician does not ... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852882 Mon, 23 May 2011 19:14:34 +0100 4852882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847967&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1610 Kindness as Medical Treatment (This originally appeared as one of my columns in Emergency Medicine News, in 2001.) Before me on the exam table was a young woman in her mid- to late 30s. She was a little anxious. Her chart indicated that she had back pain, neck pain, headache, chest pain, and insomnia. I took a deep breath, rolled my eyes, and began to take a history. I tried my best to tease out what things might be serious and what was not. No injuries, no weakness, no shortness of breath, no history of heart disease, no thunderclap headaches, no, no, no. Her exam was almost as unremarkable. Until we went a little further. As her history continued and she opened up, I learned that she was working third shift at a local factory, raising three small children and caring for a husband on dia... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847967 Fri, 20 May 2011 03:09:05 +0100 4847967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789263&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1576 Years ago I had a conversation with a surgeon at our facility.  He was unhappy that a seriously injured trauma patient came to our facility after an MVC.  ‘These patients shouldn’t come here Ed, they should go to a trauma center!’ Fair enough; we aren’t a trauma center.  Not a Level I, not a Level II or III; not even a level 0.5!  But we are the only hospital in a large rural county, and the closest, largest facility for portions of a few other counties nearby.  The nearest hospital with neurosurgery and thoracic surgery is at least 30 minutes further away. The problem is, torn blood vessels, crushed spleens,  collapsed lungs, swollen brains don’t look at the clock, and cars aren’t designed to wreck only near trauma centers, any  more than assaila... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789263 Wed, 04 May 2011 14:43:20 +0100 4789263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723977&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FtWHMVOtZmfk%2F (Source: Nursing Comments) Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723977 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:23:08 +0100 4723977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723978&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FTYSQsL94UoE%2F           When I was in nursing school, it was very hard for me to differentiate the types of lung sounds.  I guess you can’t just hear rales or rhonchi anytime you want to – you have to wait until the patient and the particular illness presents itself.  To start with the basics, breath sounds are the noises produced by the structures of the lungs during breathing.  The lung sounds are best heard with a stethoscope, and this is called auscultation.  Normal lung sounds occur in all parts of the chest area, including above the collarbones and at the bottom of the rib cage.  Using a stethoscope, you can hear normal breath sounds, decreased or absent breath sounds and abnormal breath sounds.  After about a year on the med/surg floor at the hospital, it became quite clear to ... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723978 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:56:01 +0100 4723978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723853&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1512 Our emergency department was very busy recently. The hospital was full and we were holding patients. Three had been in the ER many hours; one waiting for a bed for six hours, another eight hours, and still one more for eleven hours. Of course, ambulance traffic hadn’t stopped and the waiting room was full, with patients waiting too long to be seen. (And we all know that the media loves to highlight bad outcomes from the ER waiting room!) Administration set up a ‘command post’ to try to arrange beds, discharges and moves. At one point I asked one of our administrators to move those waiting the longest to hallway beds up on the patient floors. He told me that he couldn’t because each of the two floors in question already had one patient in the hall. And besides, it wo... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723853 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 22:56:03 +0100 4723853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704731&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FEbYgSeOQGHs%2F This is a guest post by Maria Rainier, a freelance writer and blogger. _____________________________________________________________________________ While not heavily studied or well-known, Meniere’s disease can be a debilitating, painful, and dangerous condition of the inner ear.  Named after 19th century French physician Prosper Meniere who studied the inner ear, it is a chronic condition most often found with varying symptoms in people in their 40s and 50s but not unheard of in other age groups, even children. Maria Rainier While symptoms may be relieved via various treatment methods, this chronic condition can leave lasting marks on one’s life if left untreated. Causes and Symptoms Although physicians don’t know for sure what causes Meniere’s disease, the most obvious hint is ... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704731 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:37:02 +0100 4704731 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704732&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2F_bdqCfd8pMs%2F This is a guest post by Catherine Bynes. Catherine is a career/ educational blogger and she writes mostly about CNA Training and Certification over at her blog. _________________________________________________ Choosing to become a CNA as a career option can be a good choice if you enjoy helping others and want to start an entry-level healthcare position.  If you work as a CNA, you will provide assistance with activities of daily living for patients, monitor vital signs and provide other basic care services for your patients. A career as a CNA can be a good option if you know you want to work in the medical field, but if you do not want to spend a great deal of time in training.  Most nursing assistant training programs last for just a few weeks.  This is a good option if you need to st... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704732 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:04:24 +0100 4704732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696707&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2Ff7IaZdMz4yc%2F    Tuberculosis Bacteria           Is tuberculosis a contagious killer?  Well, it depends on which type of tuberculosis (commonly called TB) we are talking about, active or inactive.  Active tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease.  Just like the common cold, it spreads through the air, but only people who are sick with TB in their lungs are infectious.  This type of TB means the bacteria are active in the body and the immune system is unable to stop them from causing illness.  People with active tuberculosis in their lungs can pass the bacteria on to anyone they come into close contact with.  When a person with active tuberculosis coughs, sneezes, talks, spits or even sings, people nearby can breathe in the tuberculosis bacteria and become infected.  If the disease re... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696707 Sat, 09 Apr 2011 16:49:58 +0100 4696707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670122&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1484 Here’s my column in April’s Emergency Medicine News, on the problem of what I call, ‘moral diversion.’ Edwin Our specialty has long struggled with the problem of diversion, in which overwhelmed emergency departments attempt to divert EMS patients to other facilities. It raises many questions, professional, financial and ethical. Therefore, most medical centers choose to accept all patients and live with overwhelmed, understaffed departments, with the intent of simply doing the right thing. (And avoiding the risk of litigation to boot!) But recently, I began to contemplate the other form of diversion that is systematically crushing the emergency care system. A kind of diversion that impacts finances, staffing and ultimately the proper care of the sick, injured and dy... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670122 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:11:36 +0100 4670122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670182&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FnFy2XanbhfQ%2F Good afternoon all!  It has been awhile and I’m sorry for the delay – today’s post is actually a guest post by Maryanne Osberg and her contact information is included in the post.  Good to be back!  Stephanie _______________________________________ If you’re interested in medicine and would like to work in this field, perhaps becoming a nurse is the best way to go.  Sure it’s great to be a doctor, but you must spend at least ten years of your life in school before you get to practice medicine on a full-time basis.  If you want to start earning in a shorter time (yet stay in the field of medicine), nursing is your best bet – you don’t have to go to college for more than four years initially.  Further, you’re all set to begin once you complete the certificat... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670182 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:36:05 +0100 4670182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615114&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1467 My column in Sunday’s Greenville News. ‘Medical education shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg.’ I was talking to a young man who is starting medical school this fall. His tuition at one of South Carolina’s newer schools will be $40,000 per year. That’s admittedly on the high end. On the low end, it runs a paltry $33,000 per year. And this is all after college, of course. He and others like him are taking out loans to the tune of $240,000 to pay for their medical educations. Another young woman I recently met is in residency and her loan payments are around $2000 per month. Thinking back on my own medical education, it seems my tuition was around $5000 per year. But then, what with all the Saber Toothed Tigers, Neanderthals and stone surgical tools, things ... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615114 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 03:14:49 +0100 4615114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4097953&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1318 This weekend is the Western Carolina Walk for the Cure, for Juvenile Diabetes.  Our son Seth is 13, and has been diabetic since age 5.  The Walk is one of our favorite yearly events. More than that, the idea of a cure is one of our favorite dreams! Seth has come a long way.  He wears an insulin pump, and is now wearing a continuous glucose monitoring system.  His chances of long term complications, such as blindness or renal failure, are remarkably low compared to what kids faced in past decades. His physician, Dr. James Amrhein of the Greenville Hospital System, is outstanding.  He and his outstanding nurse practitioners brought us through the shock and trials of diabetes with great compassion and understanding.  He offered us that precious commodity, hope. But diabetes is still har... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4097953 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 20:41:22 +0100 4097953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031252&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1295 Here’s my column in this month’s Emergency Medicine News http://journals.lww.com/em-news/Fulltext/2010/10000/Second_Opinion__How_to_Have_a_Successful_Practice,.6.aspx I have practice with the same group, in the same hospital, for 17 years. Because we have been together so long, our group is a family. So it was with enormous grief that we buried our founder, Dr. Jack Warren, 11 years ago after a tragic car crash. That wound is still open, but we still tell stories about his humor, his compassion and his grace. As I write this, I am tending another wound; or I should say, our group is tending another. A second partner passed away last week. Unlike the sudden horror of the first death, the second was progressive, as our friend and partner, Dr. Howard Leslie, left us by degrees, th... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031252 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 16:42:45 +0100 4031252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899403&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1250 Last week a trailer less than a mile from our house experienced a small explosion.  Trailers, which seldom explode on their own (without undiscovered volcanoes or CIA drones with missiles) was concealing a Meth lab. What can you say?  If I weren’t an emergency physician, I’d say ‘Shocking!  Ghastly!  Unbelievable!’  But I do what I do, so I say, ‘huh, how about that.” I’ve lost much of my capacity to be shocked.  I have seen Meth users, and probably Meth dealers.  I’ve known and enjoyed the company of alcoholics and Valium addicts.  I’ve cared for murderers and the murdered (albeit briefly in the case of the latter).  I’ve been involved in the evaluation of sexual assault victims, car thieves, drunk drivers and child-abus... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899403 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 03:40:40 +0100 3899403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3827078&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1237 Here’s my column in the August edition of EM News.  A person who seems powerless may hold hostage an entire emergency room! http://journals.lww.com/em-news/Fulltext/2010/08000/Second_Opinion__Magic_Words___I_Have_Chest_Pain_.6.aspx Propped in her bed, frail and weak, the little grandma sighed. Her complaints were legion: weakness, poor appetite, poor sleep, joint pain, cough, dry mouth. Her daughter, eyes rolling, was trying to balance three reasonable emotions. She desperately wanted to go home and rest after spending the day in the ER. She truly wanted to avoid her mother’s admission to the hospital, and she was, graciously, sympathetic to the physician who brought the bad news. ‘Mrs. Adkins, I know you feel poorly, and I’m sorry. But I have to say, I can&#8217... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3827078 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 03:27:13 +0100 3827078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3812983&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1231 Emergency rooms are overwhelmed, in South Carolina and around the nation, with mental health emergencies.  It seems that every day I’m asking someone about their suicidal thoughts, exploring their mental health history, trying to discern if their behavior is due to drugs, alcohol, underlying mental illness or simple acting out. I can’t remember the last shift when our emergency department wasn’t 1) holding a psychiatric commitment or 2) watching the ambulance roll up with  yet another person thinking of suicide or acting on their thoughts. Like many facilities, like many communities, we don’t have a psychiatrist. And thanks to budget cuts, we don’t even have much access to counselors.  Consequently (and also like many hospitals) we find ourselves boarding t... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3812983 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 03:08:22 +0100 3812983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3787029&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FGa7_4BTRZ6Y%2F                 Stomach cancer (also called gastric cancer) is the growth of cancer cells in the lining and wall of the stomach.  These two terms most often refer to stomach cancer that begins in the mucus-producing cells on the inside Early Gastric Cancer lining of the stomach (adenocarcinoma).  Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of stomach cancer.  For information purposes, it might be helpful to know that the body is made up of many types of cells.  Normally, cells grow, divide and then die.  Sometimes, cells change and begin to grow and divide more quickly than normal cells.  Rather than dying, these abnormal cells clump together to form tumors.  If these tumors are malignant (cancerous), they can invade and kill your body’s healthy tissues.  From these... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3787029 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 13:07:32 +0100 3787029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3776361&cid=t_343866_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FowncvYq992w%2F By Neal McCluskeyExplicit, forced racial integration of the public schools is almost completely a thing of the past, buried in part by broad distaste for it among Americans of all races who had grown tired of the conflict, coercion, and plain inconvenience it often caused, as well as numerous Supreme Court rulings sharply curtailing it. But coerced integration has not gone away: Proponents of engineering racial integration have turned to income as the basis for assigning kids to schools, with the goal of achieving greater socio-economic — and, in the process, racial – balance. To listen to some proponents of coerced integration by class, this new focus is a clear social and educational success. To illustrate the success, in All Together Now: Creating Middle-Class Schoo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3776361 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:29:14 +0100 3776361 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3764205&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FVbM6zOBGUnM%2F           I remember as a child, a friend of mine had a disorder called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.  It sounded so awful and I thought she was really sick.  However, she had the acute form that disappeared and she was fine.  The blood disorder, referred to most commonly as ITP, is characterized by an abnormal decrease in the number of platelets in the blood.  Platelets are cells in the blood that help stop bleeding.  So, an individual with the disorder can have easy bruising, bleeding gums and internal bleeding.  Idiopathic actually means the cause is unknown.  Thrombocytopenia simply means a decreased number of platelets in the blood and purpura is the purple discoloring of the skin, as with a bruise.  Normal platelet count is in the range of 150,000 to 450,000. ... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3764205 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:50:00 +0100 3764205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3761435&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1210 Today I had a university student shadowing in the emergency department.  AF is a bright student, a hard worker who will make a wonderful physician.  She is always curious and insightful when I ask her questions, or show her new things.  Today,  she saw something that was new for her, but perhaps too common for me. I walked into the room of an infirm, frail old gentleman who was gracious and polite, as were his family.  It turns out he came to us with a terminal illness.  I did not know it, but his physician was meeting him.  So, as AF and I walked into the room, the patient’s physician walked in after us, and continued a conversation about hospice that he had apparently begun earlier in the day. Realizing I had nothing to add, and would not be needed, I slipped away with my sh... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3761435 Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:43:09 +0100 3761435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3742310&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FbjGJW_4b92Y%2F           Diverticulosis is a condition which affects your large intestine, more commonly referred to as the colon.  Nutrition is digested and food is absorbed in the 20 feet of your small intestine – the long, thin portion of the bowel that begins at the stomach and ends in the right, lower abdomen.  Following digestion, the liquid waste enters the 5 feet of the large intestine (colon) which ends in the rectum.  Just above the rectum, there is an s-shaped portion of the colon called the sigmoid colon, and this is where diverticulosis usually occurs.  A colon affected by diverticulosis has weak spots in the walls and these weak spots allow the development of outpouches.  These hollow pouches on the colon are about the size of a large pea and are referred to as diverticula.�... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3742310 Sat, 10 Jul 2010 21:05:27 +0100 3742310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3721836&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2Fg0Qr3YelFYA%2F Invasive Thymoma           The thymus gland is in the upper part of the mediastinum (chest) behind the sternum and extending upwards into the root of the neck.  It is a small organ (reaching its maximum weight of about 1 ounce during puberty) that slowly decreases in size during adulthood and is gradually replaced by fat tissue.  During fetal development and childhood, the thymus produces white blood cells, called lymphocytes, that travel to lymph nodes (bean-sized collections of immune system cells) throughout the body.  There they help the immune system protect the body from infections.  The thymus contains two types of cells: epithelial cells and lymphocytes.  Thymic epithelial cells are the cells that line the thymus, and are the origin cells of thymoma and thymic carcino... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3721836 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:54:45 +0100 3721836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718407&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1198 Here’s the latest battle-cry of the psychiatric patient.  After coming by EMS, or with law-enforcement, after punching out walls and windows, then taking a ‘handful of pills,’ which are actually missing from the recently filled bottle of Oxycontin or Ativan, or after cutting their wrists deeply while screaming, ‘I want to die,’  after holding a gun to their head or intentionally wrecking their car, they state, ‘I didn’t mean it…I was just upset!’ No one seems to understand that words and actions, like ideas, have consequences.  So, in the midst of personal turmoil, in the throes of addiction or the aftermath of relationship disasters, many patients talk about suicide and act out their plan up to a point. I understand that these are o... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718407 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:20:14 +0100 3718407 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714272&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FGXVkVfXULRU%2F           Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a disorder characterized by massive systemic activation of coagulation with consumption of platelets and coagulation proteins.  Normally, when you are injured, certain proteins in the blood become activated and travel to the injury site to help stop bleeding.  However, in persons with DIC, these proteins become abnormally active.  The disorder presents in a very ill patient as bleeding into the skin (purpura) and other tissues.  It arises as a complication of different serious and life-threatening diseases.  It covers the continuum of events that occur in the coagulation pathway.  Initially there is uncontrolled activation of clotting factors in the blood vessels, causing clotting of blood throughout the whole body. �... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714272 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:42:50 +0100 3714272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706750&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FQM8389MkSIw%2F           Diabetic neuropathies are among the most frequent complication of long-term diabetes.  It is estimated that 60% to 70% of diabetics have mild to severe forms of nervous system damage.  The femoral nerve is commonly involved giving rise to symptoms in the legs and feet.  Pain is the chief symptom and tends to worsen at night when the person is at rest.  It is usually relieved by activity and aggravated by cold. Paraesthesias are a common accompaniment of the pain.  Cramping, tenderness and muscle weakness also occur but atrophy is rare.  Advanced femoral nerve disease is a major contributing cause of lower extremity amputations.  Another common complication of diabetes is retinopathy (eye disease).  Changes occurring in the eye which are distinctive of diabetes in... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706750 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:06:55 +0100 3706750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3702940&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1192 Some of my favorite rants and tirades in emergency medicine have to do with things my patients do that are just stupid.  Years ago, I saw someone who was playing with a rattlesnake and suffered a life-altering bite.  Recently, I saw someone whose friend offered to help him with the pain of an injured hand…by injecting cocaine into it.  Once I saw a young man with part of his forearm missing…because he was ‘making firecrackers,’ aka pipe-bombs.  And of course, there was the fellow feeding his dog bacon from his own lips. I was thinking about this the other day, and feeling superior.  I mean, look at me!  I’m a doctor who uses good judgment!  I think ahead, I plan, I never, ever do anything stupid…or do I? I can just imagine Jesus bending over the g... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3702940 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 04:20:30 +0100 3702940 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3701730&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FVNrsYkP__UA%2F                Witnessing a seizure can be scary and it is important that you know what to do in case of the event.  First, a seizure is normally caused by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain or by fainting (decrease in blood flow to the brain).  The symptoms vary depending on the part of the brain involved, but often include unusual sensations, uncontrollable muscle spasms and loss of consciousness.  Most people experience a blackout and wake up on the ground with no recollection of the occurrence.  Often times a seizure has a warning sign called an aura.  Aura symptoms include blurriness or vision loss, racing thoughts, weird stomach sensations, tingling, fear or panic, dizziness, headache, lightheadedness, nausea and numbness.  But other times seizures come wi... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3701730 Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:54:52 +0100 3701730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3699501&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1190 My column in this week’s Baptist Courier.  A gauntlet thrown down for fathers. http://www.baptistcourier.com/4306.article Here’s the text: The lovely emotions of Father’s Day are past. While we may enjoy looking back on life with our fathers, and while we fathers revel in touching cards and childhood hugs, those delights must yield to the the rest of the year, when we must continue the essential work of fatherhood; a thing so important that God describes himself as our Father. While there are many remarkable, amazing fathers in the world, our struggling culture and our lost children need more than tender remembrances. We need a challenge, a gauntlet thrown down. I know this because in my practice of medicine, I see enough human dysfunction to know that while the root-ca... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3699501 Sat, 26 Jun 2010 02:05:56 +0100 3699501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695582&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1188 It is ironic that, in a time of incredible medical science, some patient reject science out of hand.  This is nowhere more evident than in the area of imaging.  I have had several patients with back pain, neck pain or abdominal pain who ended up having CT scans done.  When I came to them with the good news that the CT showed no abnormality, they were indignant.  ‘You mean to tell me there’s nothing wrong?  I don’t believe it.  Something’s wrong.  The CT missed my brother’s appendicitis and my slipped disc.’ My response is usually, ‘I’m not saying you don’t have pain, or that something isn’t wrong, I’m just saying we can’t see anything abnormal on the scan.’ Oddly, as we move ever forward in our imaging cap... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695582 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:04:24 +0100 3695582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683627&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1181 Every day in the emergency department I am confronted by pain.  In fact, the treatment of pain is one of the most important skills emergency physicians, indeed all physicians, possess.  For instance, I recently cared for a child with sickle cell disease who was having a pain crisis which involved severe leg pain.  His life is one of frequent, intense pain.  I gently, and repeatedly, treated his pain with morphine until he had relief.  I see hip fractures; all broken bones hurt.  I am thrilled to alleviate that discomfort.  Pain is one of the things I can fix, if only temporarily.  It makes me happy to see the relaxed face of a man or woman with a kidney stone or migraine, who suddenly smiles and says ‘thanks!’ But pain is also the source of so much subterfuge.  Emergen... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683627 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:22:26 +0100 3683627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683700&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FE6JR4DxF-n0%2F           It is estimated that 10 million people over age 50 in the United States have osteoporosis, 80 percent of them women.  Another 34 million people have osteopenia (low bone mass), which predisposes them to developing osteoporosis as they age.  One in two women and about one in four men over age 50 will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture during their lifetime.  The term osteoporosis actually means “porous bones” – a condition in which the bones lose their mass and mineral content, and eventually become fragile and prone to fracture.  The condition develops when the pace of new bone formation cannot keep up with the loss of bone.  The term is also referred to as “brittle bone disease” and the problem with this condition is that it increases your chance of ... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683700 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:50:27 +0100 3683700 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658960&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1157 http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/04/medication-errors-nurses.html In a recently published study on nursing performance and interruption, it was suggested that interruptions make it difficult for nurses to properly administer medications.  Self-evident truth raises it’s head in the guise of science once again!  Who knew that interruptions make it hard to do our jobs?  Well, everyone. Any practicing physician could have told you that; without a research budget.  Dictating?  Interrupted to sign a prescription.  Talking to a patient?  Interrupted to take a phone call.  Talking on the phone?  Interrupted by a patient with a question who walks past everyone to go to the doctor discussing a transfer.  Thinking about a complex, critically ill patient at the bedsid... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658960 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:56:09 +0100 3658960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658987&cid=t_343866_107_f&fid=34860&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corporeality.net%2Fmuseion%2F2010%2F06%2F14%2Fthe-activity-of-looking-what%25e2%2580%2599s-in-a-name%2F Being invited to join a drawing workshop usually elicits one of two reactions. Either enthusiasm because the person likes to draw or they think the idea sounds interesting or different. The other response is to dismiss the idea completely. This reaction seems to be prompted by two main preconceptions about drawing. The first is that it is arty or simplistic, a bit of fun so would have no relevance to other more serious research activities. The other preconception seems to stem surprisingly from fear. ‘But I can’t draw’ or ‘I haven’t drawn for years’ come the plaintiff explanations for foregoing the chance to partake in any workshops. The fear of being seen to be unaccomplished at the seemingly simple yet daunting task of drawing has caused a surprising lack of takers to partici... Biomedicine on Display blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658987 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:02:25 +0100 3658987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3656816&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1163 I was about to leave work a few nights ago when EMS was dispatched to a 10-50, which is a motor vehicle accident.  Enough years in emergency care and that tone makes your radar, but does not create much of a blip.  Many of those crashes have EMS arrive, only to discover no injuries.  Some have patients transported, with minor problems that lead to their speedy evaluation and discharge from our ER.  A few have serious, life-threatening injuries.  They take all our speed, skill and attention to save life and limb.  And often, require transfer to other facilities. But this last call was none of those.  Around 1 AM, the radio traffic crackled back to dispatch (which we could hear in the emergency department), ‘probable signal nine.’  Signal nine means the victim is dead at ... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3656816 Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:10:16 +0100 3656816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3648572&cid=t_343866_107_f&fid=34860&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corporeality.net%2Fmuseion%2F2010%2F06%2F10%2Falzheimer-opera-at-the-royal-opera-london-in-july-art-biomedicine-and-public-engagement-with-science%2F Here’s another new example of a apparently fruitfull collaboration between art and biomedicine – an opera called The Lion’s Face exploring Altzheimer’s disease and dementia. This time even with a public engagement with science twist. As Felicity Callard – who were involved in the production of the opera, and who just advertised it on the Neuroscience and Society mailing list – describes: Fundamental to the development of the opera was the sustained involvement of patients, healthcare staff, family members, as well as basic & clinical researchers. The librettist & composer visited the biomarkers labs, talked extensively to the various stakeholders and witnessed various practices of dementia care. The opera premiered at the Brighton Festival in May... Biomedicine on Display blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3648572 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:35:13 +0100 3648572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3633520&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FiVcdCuhLs44%2F           One of the most interesting illnesses I encountered as a psychiatric nurse was obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).  It is actually a type of anxiety disorder.  It is not your typical feeling of fear, worry or anxiety; people with obsessive-compulsive disorder will have these normal emotions but take them to extreme.  For example, people with OCD might have thoughts about bad things that could happen.  In addition, OCD patients will have upsetting or scary thoughts or images in their head (obsessions) that are hard to shake.  They may also worry about things being ‘out of order’ or not ‘just right’.  The compulsions enter into the picture when patients feel strong urges to do things repeatedly.  These compulsions give persons with OCD a brief sense of reli... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3633520 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 15:08:06 +0100 3633520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3629713&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FXfqGmbW0ZH4%2F Jaundice           The liver is an extraordinary organ in the human body.  It is vital to our survival and performs several functions.  The liver is located in the upper right hand side of the abdomen and it processes the body’s nutrients.  In addition, this powerhouse organ manufactures bile to help digest fats, synthesizing many important proteins.  Further, the liver breaks down potentially toxic substances into ones that the body can use or excrete.  Finally, it is responsible for regulating blood clotting.  Hepatitis is very simply inflammation of the liver.  Most commonly the disease is caused by viruses, but other known causes could include autoimmune disease, alcohol, drugs or it may be an inherited disease.  Things such as body piercing, unprotected sex and tatt... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3629713 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:09:34 +0100 3629713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3629647&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1152 I didn’t work much this past weekend. Thank heavens!  Sunday night I called the ER from dinner with my family, in order to speak to one of my partners.  ‘How did you know I needed you to call and offer to help?’ he joked.  Turns out our 20 bed ED had every bed full, four patients in hallway stretchers and 24 in the waiting room, with an average 4.5 hour wait to be seen at 9 pm.  Standard summer holiday weekend I suppose. I ultimately worked only Monday night shift, as the holiday tsunami was receding. Still, I heard about some chaos and was witness to some as well.  A young woman shot in the head with a shotgun (who by God’s grace lived to tell about it).  A man slung into a dock while tubing on the lake, with fatal consequences.  And there were emotional con... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3629647 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:45:06 +0100 3629647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3617917&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FrtAauhpKLb8%2F           The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the human body.  Its diameter is about the size of a human finger.  Sciatica actually refers to pain resulting from irritation of the sciatic nerve.  Typically the pain is felt from the low back to behind the thigh and radiating down below the knee.  Further, sciatica usually affects one side of the body.  The term is a symptom caused by a disorder occurring in the lumbar spine.  The pain varies – it can be dull,  burning, sharp or accompanied by intermittent shocks of shooting pain beginning in the buttock traveling downward into the back or side of the thigh and/or leg.  Then, sciatica normally extends below the knee and may be felt in the feet.  Sometimes it is characterizes by tingling and numbness.  Trying to... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3617917 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:10:38 +0100 3617917 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3614588&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FzuwO65_zHns%2F 50 Enlightening & Inspiring Books Every Nurse Needs to Read It is a fact that the busy nurse does not have much time for leisure reading. That being said, a good book can do so much to enrich your life that even the busiest nurse should take the time to check out our list of 50 enlightening and inspiring books every nurse should read. On this list, you’ll find books that are extremely specific to nursing, and books that seem to have nothing to do with nursing at all. You’ll also find diverse biographies of nurse-heroes: from Clara Barton to nurses who served after Hurricane Katrina. Most of all, you’ll find insightful writing that will surely enrich your daily work as a nurse. Enjoy! Inspiring Stories Of and From Real-Life Nurses 1. NURSE: A World of Care by Peter Jaret : A breat... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3614588 Sun, 30 May 2010 20:00:35 +0100 3614588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3610389&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FyGUzhb9BIxU%2F FULL OF GLUTEN           A nursing friend and former colleague of mine has had celiac disease (CD) for quite some time.  I didn’t know much about the disorder until she went to Italy for a whole month and I learned about her eating habits while she was gone.  This is a disease that is more common than one would think.  It actually affects 1 in 133 people in the United States, and only 3% of these are diagnosed.  I also learned that it is an inherited disease, there is no cure, it can become active at any age BUT it can be treated.  Gluten is the culprit in this disease – it acts like poison to those that have it.  It is also known as gluten intolerance or celiac sprue.  The disorder is characterized by damage to the mucosal lining in the small intestine, which is known... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3610389 Fri, 28 May 2010 21:19:14 +0100 3610389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599433&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1138 Sometime I feel as if my entire emergency medicine career is dedicated to one patient complaint:   chest pain.  It may be that the incidence and prevalence of chest pain was the same during my medical school and residency training as it is now.   But I doubt  it. I recall how I struggled to learn the salient questions.  ‘Where is your chest pain?  Is it heavy, dull, sharp or achy?  Is it worse with breathing?  Have you had a cough?  Have you had leg pain, or traveled a long distance?  Doe s it radiate to your back or arm?  Are you nauseated, short of breath or sweaty?’  It seems simple, but perhaps because I didn’t ask those questions all day, every day, I did not immediately become facile at the chest pain history. Chest pain, because of the possible pathol... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599433 Tue, 25 May 2010 19:57:03 +0100 3599433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599513&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FydhgdxaStUA%2F           A couple of months ago I wrote about hospital-acquired infections – who is susceptible, what causes them, how they are spread, the most common types and steps to prevent the infections.  Today, HAI (Hospital-Acquired Infection or Healthcare-Associated Infection) continues to soar in hospitals all over the world!  This is a global crisis affecting patients, their visitors and healthcare personnel.  I had an email from Barbara Dunn the other day and she has been instrumental in setting up a wonderful website, through Kimberly-Clark Healthcare, entitled “Not on My Watch” at http://www.haiwatch.com/   This site is joining in an effort to educate patients, healthcare professionals and the general public on the dangers of these preventable infections and to protect... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599513 Tue, 25 May 2010 16:47:49 +0100 3599513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3588937&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FottscZkLnTA%2F           Toxic shock syndrome is caused by a toxin produced by certain types of Staphylococcus bacteria.  A similar syndrome, called toxic shock-like syndrome (TSLS), can be caused by Streptococcal bacteria.  Although the earliest described cases of toxic shock syndrome involved women who were using tampons during menstruation, just slightly over half of current cases are associated with such events.  Toxic shock syndrome can also occur in children, postmenopausal women and men.  Risk factors for the syndrome include childbirth, current Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infection, foreign bodies or packings (such as those used to stop nosebleeds), menstruation, surgery, tampon use (particularly if you leave on in for a long time) and use of barrier contraceptives such as a di... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3588937 Sat, 22 May 2010 10:09:05 +0100 3588937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585618&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1131 Can I have a handful of pain pills? Here are some short excerpts from an average day in the modern emergency department.   The names of the suffering have been omitted out of respect, and in compliance with federal privacy statutes.  What follows is a series of quotations from patient encounters: ‘Can I have some pain medicine.’   ‘I’m out of pain medicine.’  ‘Ain’t there any better pain medicine?’  ‘I need some pain medicine.’  ‘I have a high tolerance for pain medicine.’  ‘Can you give  me something stronger for pain?’  ‘This pain is a ten.’  ‘This pain is a twenty.’  ‘Tell the doctor I need something else for pain.’  ‘I haven’t ever had pain l... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585618 Fri, 21 May 2010 14:50:27 +0100 3585618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577473&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FxytqX3cytuI%2F           Crohn’s disease is a lifelong inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).  Parts of the digestive system get swollen and have deep sores called ulcers.  The disease usually is found in the last part of the small intestine and the first part of the large intestine, but it can develop anywhere in the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus.  Doctors don’t know what causes Crohn’s disease.  You may get it when the body’s immune system has an abnormal response to normal bacteria in your intestine.  Other kinds of bacteria and viruses may also play a role in causing the disease.  Crohn’s disease can run in families.  Your chances of getting it are higher if a close family member has it.  People of Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jewish family background may h... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577473 Wed, 19 May 2010 12:29:16 +0100 3577473 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3573775&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FQ4Reaa85lRs%2F           Tourette syndrome (TS), or Tourette disorder, is more common Origins of Tourette Syndrome than doctors once thought.  It affects at least 1 in 1,000 to 2,000 people and maybe more.  It is believed that about 100,000 Americans have the disorder. Many more may have other tic disorders that are less severe.  Tourette syndrome is more common in boys than in girls.  It almost always starts before age 18 – usually between ages 5 and 7.  Even though kids with Tourette syndrome can get better as they get older, many will always have it.  The good news is that it won’t make them sick or shorten their lives.  The syndrome is a condition that affects a person’s central nervous system and causes tics.  Tics are unwanted twitches, movements or sounds that ... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3573775 Tue, 18 May 2010 09:35:04 +0100 3573775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3567962&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FIoqMZPfISco%2F          Knee injuries often occur among active teens, especially athletes, and a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) – a ligament that helps give the knee its stability – is a common knee injury.  Teens who play contact sports (like football and basketball) or so-called “cutting” sports (like soccer and baseball that feature swift, abrupt movements such as pivoting, stopping or turning on a dime) are most likely to get ACL injuries.  The injury also happens when a person jumps and lands on the feet with knees straight or “locked” instead of flexed, putting excessive pressure on the knee joint and causing the ACL, a rope-like band, to tear or break apart.  Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are more frequent in females with between 2 and 8 times more f... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3567962 Sun, 16 May 2010 11:57:12 +0100 3567962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3549394&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2Fzn91CQRIZoQ%2F           Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a serious disorder that occurs when the body’s defense (immune) system mistakenly attacks part of the nervous system.  This leads to nerve inflammation that causes muscle weakness.  It is the most frequent acquired (as opposed to inherited) neuropathy.  Nobody knows why or how GBS infects certain individuals and not others.  Its cause is unknown, but it is triggered by a viral or bacterial infection in most patients that somehow causes an autoimmune reaction, i.e. your own immune system attacks your body.  As it is generally seen after an infection, it is called a ‘post infectious autoimmune disease’.  The syndrome may occur at any age, but is most common in people of both sexes between ages 30 and 50.           The ... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3549394 Mon, 10 May 2010 00:34:28 +0100 3549394 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3546915&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FA4e6duGuPRM%2F           Raynaud’s syndrome (RS), also called Raynaud’s phenomenon, is a disorder of small blood vessels that respond excessively to stimuli which causes poor blood flow, usually in the fingers.  It can also occur in the toes, ears and nose.  When this condition occurs by itself, it is called Raynaud’s syndrome or Raynaud’s disease, or primary Raynaud’s phenomenon.  When it occurs along with other diseases, such as scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, Sjogren’s syndrome or mixed connective tissue disease, it is called secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon.  Although estimates vary, recent surveys show that Raynaud’s syndrome may affect 5 to 10 percent of the general population in the United States... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3546915 Sat, 08 May 2010 16:51:42 +0100 3546915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538102&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1109 Why you should keep going back to the emergency department http://journals.lww.com/em-news/Fulltext/2010/05000/Second_Opinion__Why_You_Should_Keep_Going_Back_to.7.aspx There is discontent in the house of medicine. So many physicians struggle. They seem to wade through uncertainty every day; uncertain about diagnoses, about pain, about disposition. We find ourselves uncertain about our jobs, our futures, our finances. The consultants we call are uncertain about their practices; whether they can remain viable in the coming years as medicine evolves into something we yet may find unrecognizable. Some days, as I enter my 17th year of practice, I don’t know if I can bear to walk around our little department for ten or twenty more years, like some gerbil on an exercise wheel. I am uncertai... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538102 Thu, 06 May 2010 14:32:50 +0100 3538102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3533931&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FTkw5vxcw5Do%2F           I have a friend, and reader of my site, that contacted me on Facebook to tell me about a skin disorder that he has and also one that his mother had when she was living.  I love when people give me suggestions to write about something, particularly when I have never heard of the disorder!  In fact, I wish I had more comments, suggestions and subscribers to my site so that they could receive updates and daily posts that I share via email.  The site is meant to be helpful to friends, colleagues, students, moms, patients AND the general public, so please let me know things that you want to hear about.  That being said, have you heard of lichen planus?  If not, you are not alone!            Lichen planus is an uncommon inflammatory disease that affects the ski... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3533931 Wed, 05 May 2010 12:55:58 +0100 3533931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3533932&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2F6IT1LnUBYZE%2F           Bell’s palsy is a weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles.  It occurs when the seventh facial nerve is damaged, resulting in a droopy appearance to one side of the face.  The majority of cases of Bell’s palsy are temporary, and the symptoms may resolve as early as 2 weeks.  Some 40,000 Americans are affected by it each year; 80% recover within 3 months.  The condition is most often connected with a viral infection such as herpes (the virus that causes cold sores), Epstein-Barr (the virus that causes mono) or influenza.  It’s also associated with the infectious agent that causes Lyme disease.  Of course, this doesn’t mean that everyone who has a viral infection or Lyme disease will develop Bell’s palsy – most people don’... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3533932 Tue, 04 May 2010 19:21:25 +0100 3533932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3529860&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FTefcGgH1jvk%2F           Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is by far the most common and most malignant of the glial tumors.  Attention was recently drawn to this form of brain cancer when Senator Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with glioblastoma and ultimately died from it.  It is a deadly brain tumor.  Of the estimated 17,000 primary brain tumors diagnosed in the United States each year, approximately 60% are gliomas.  GBM is an aggressive malignant brain tumor that grows in the glial cells, affecting the nervous system.  According to the National Brain Tumor Society, glioblastoma accounts for approximately 23 percent of all primary brain tumors diagnosed in the U.S.  The prognosis for individuals with glioblastoma depends upon how early the tumor is detected and how quickly treatments begin.  Th... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3529860 Mon, 03 May 2010 16:21:23 +0100 3529860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3526824&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FY2IUIXhIKu0%2F           Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an irregular heartbeat that may be very fast.  Your heart has 4 compartments called chambers.  The top 2 chambers are called the atria.  The bottom 2 chambers are called the ventricles.  In atrial fibrillation, the atria stop beating regularly.  Instead, they tremble (fibrillate) in a disorganized way.  This can cause an irregular, and sometimes very fast, heartbeat.  Atrial fibrillation is most common in people older than 60 years of age.  However, you can get AF at any age.  Sometimes, atrial fibrillation has no cause, but your risk goes up if you have any of the following conditions: heart disease caused by high cholesterol, a larger heart size caused by high blood pressure, damage to a heart valve, an overactive thyroid gland, lun... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3526824 Sun, 02 May 2010 20:31:39 +0100 3526824 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3522694&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2Fa9Ooujq93yw%2F           The Greek word “apnea” literally means “without breath.”  There are three types of apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed; of the three, obstructive is the most common.  Despite the difference in the root cause of each type, in all three, people with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer.  You should know that the condition is very common.  In fact, it is as common as adult diabetes and affects more than twelve million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health.  More than half of the people who have the disorder are overweight.  Sleep apnea is more common in men.  One out of 25 middle-aged men and 1 out of 50 middle-aged women has sle... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3522694 Sat, 01 May 2010 14:40:45 +0100 3522694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3519527&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FsfvKxgIImrI%2F           Your lungs have 2 main parts: bronchial tubes (also called airways) and alveoli (also called air sacs).  When you breathe, the air moves down your trachea (or wind pipe) through your bronchial tubes and into your alveoli.  From the alveoli, oxygen goes into your blood while carbon dioxide moves out of your blood.  If you have chronic bronchitis, the lining in your bronchial tubes gets red, swollen and full of mucus.  This mucus blocks your tubes, and makes it hard to breathe.  If you have emphysema, your alveoli are irritated.  They get stiff and can’t hold enough air.  This makes it hard for you to get oxygen into and carbon dioxide out of your blood.  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (also called COPD) is a chronic lung disease.  Coping with the dis... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3519527 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:16:42 +0100 3519527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3511609&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2Fy_fl2QFkSP8%2F           Autism is a developmental disability that comes from a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain.  It is characterized by the abnormal development of communication skills, social skills and reasoning.  Males are affected four times as often as females.  Children may appear normal until around the age of 30 months.  Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) varies significantly in character and severity, it occurs in all ethnic and socioeconomic groups and affects every age group.  Experts estimate that three to six children out of every 1,000 will have ASD.  The cause of autism remains unclear, but a psychological one has been ruled out.  Neurological studies seem to indicate a primary brain dysfunction, and a genetic component is sugges... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3511609 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:35:04 +0100 3511609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508273&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FuQdtGoRQJT0%2F           Feeling depressed or forgetful?  How about being tired all of the time or notice your hair falling out?  Are you gaining weight for no reason?  I was just two years ago.  Luckily I went to my doctor with these symptoms and he ran some blood tests.  Guess what?  I had hypothyroidism.  Believe it or not – approximately 59 million Americans have this mysterious and often undiagnosed disease.  In fact, more people are affected by hypothyroid symptoms than diabetes, yet it is far less recognized or understood.  Hypothyroidism is more common than you would believe, and millions of people are currently hypothyroid and don’t know it.  What is it?  Very simply, the disease is an underactive thyroid.  Unfortunately, the common warning signs are often dismissed... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508273 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:13:07 +0100 3508273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3504978&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2Fhdfooy_lhnE%2F           A brain hemorrhage is a type of stroke.  It’s caused by an artery in the brain bursting and causing localized bleeding in the surrounding tissues. This bleeding kills brain cells.  The Greek root for blood is hemo.  Hemorrhage literally means “blood bursting forth”.  Brain hemorrhages are also called cerebral hemorrhages, intracranial hemorrhages or intracerebral hemorrhages.  They account for about 13% of strokes.  Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel bursts inside the brain.  The brain is very sensitive to bleeding and damage can occur very rapidly.  Bleeding irritates the brain tissue, causing swelling.  Bleeding collects into a mass called a hematoma.  Bleeding also increases pressure on the brain and presses it against the skull.  Hemor... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3504978 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:04:06 +0100 3504978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3502860&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2F-fehXfsPbR0%2F           The normal liver is soft and smooth and is connected to the small intestine by the bile duct which carries the bile formed in the liver to the intestines.  Nearly all of the blood that leaves the stomach and intestines must pass through the liver.  Acting as the body’s largest chemical factory, it has thousands of functions including the production of clotting factors, blood proteins, bile and more than a thousand different enzymes, the breakdown of old red blood cells, the metabolism of cholesterol, the storage of energy (glycogen) to fuel muscles, maintenance of normal blood sugar concentration, the regulation of several hormones and detoxification of drugs and poisons (including alcohol).  Cirrhosis is a chronic hepatic disease that is characterized by destru... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3502860 Sun, 25 Apr 2010 17:32:41 +0100 3502860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3501581&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FfTeyILguohY%2F           Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive, inherited and degenerative brain disorder that produces physical, mental and emotional changes.  Named after George Huntington, the physician who first described the illness in 1872, Huntington’s disease was formerly known as Huntington’s chorea, from the Greek for choreography, or dance.  The name refers to the involuntary, jerky movements that can develop in later stages of the illness.  Approximately 30,000 people in the United States have Huntington’s disease, which affects men and women equally across all ethnic and racial lines.  While more common in adults, juvenile Huntington’s accounts for about one-sixth of all cases.  Every child of a parent who carries the HD gene has a 50% chance... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3501581 Sat, 24 Apr 2010 14:29:03 +0100 3501581 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494370&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FPg-75NOruns%2F           About 5 million people in the United States suffer from congestive heart failure (CHF).  Approximately 550,000 new cases of the condition are diagnosed every year.  It is the most common hospital discharge diagnosis with more than one million hospital stays annually.  A person 40 years or more has a 1 in 5 chance of developing heart failure.  Congestive heart failure (CHF) affects 1% of the people aged 50 years, 5% people aged 75 years or older and 25% people aged 85 years or older irrespective of sex.  Congestive heart failure, or simply heart failure, is a condition where the heart fails to pump adequate blood to meet the body’s need.  Unlike a heart attack, the heart does not stop beating – rather, it weakens over the course of months or years so tha... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494370 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:13:50 +0100 3494370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3524130&cid=t_343866_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1071 I’m always fascinated by the complaints that the emergency department is so over-used and expensive.  I admit that it is used a lot, and that care can seem expensive.  But I want to make it clear that the reasons are myriad. Whenever we in the specialty say that we feel that patients abuse our services, someone in academia reminds us that only a small number of those patients do not actually have serious illnesses.  Whether or not that’s true, one of the reasons we are over-used is due to none other than other physicians! I’ve been paying attention lately to the way physician referral patterns happen.  I suspect it’s the same in other facilities. Here’s an example.  Local physician, who does not admit to the hospital, sees patient in the office.  Patient... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3524130 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:22:38 +0100 3524130 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3490704&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2F4s8IJdYx6fs%2F           Retinal detachment will affect about one out of 10,000 people each year in the United States.  The retina is a thin layer of light-sensitive nerve fibers and cells that covers the inside and back of the eyeball.  For us to see, light must pass through the lens of the eye and focus on the retina.  The retina then acts like a camera, taking a picture and transmitting the image through the optic nerve to the brain.  The vitreous fluid, the gel-like material that fills the eyeball, is attached to the retina around the back of the eye.  If the vitreous changes shape, it may pull a piece of the retina with it, leaving a retinal tear.  Once a retinal tear occurs, vitreous fluid may seep between the retina and the back wall of the eye, causing the retina to pull away.  Th... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3490704 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:59:52 +0100 3490704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3482954&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2Fg2DjJtRj8Zc%2F           It’s common sense that you should be educated about any drugs you use.  But how knowledgeable is the average person when it comes to interactions, side effects or recommended dosages – factors that are even further complicated by age? Too often manufacturers, pharmacists and caregivers are either unaware of these factors, or don’t explain them properly.  From coughs and colds to fever, aches and pain, heartburn and other common ailments, we often use nonprescription or “over-the-counter” (OTC) medicines to treat our symptoms.  But even though OTCs are safe when taken as directed, they are also serious medicines.  That is why it is so important to be Drug Wise when buying and taking OTC medicines.            Over-the-counter (OTC) medi... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3482954 Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:21:29 +0100 3482954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3479745&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FTIfnuNteMbQ%2F This article explains treating and understanding a spinal cord injury.           The spinal cord is the major bundle of nerves carrying nerve impulses to and from the brain to the rest of the body.  Rings of bone called vertebrae surround the spinal cord.  These bones constitute the spinal column (back bones).  Spinal cord damage results in a loss of function, such as mobility or feeling.  In most people who have spinal cord injury, the spinal cord is intact.  Spinal cord injury is not the same as back injury, which might result from causes such as pinched nerves or ruptured disks.  Even when a person sustains a break in a vertebra or vertebrae, there might not be any spinal cord injury if the spinal cord itself is not affected.  There are two kinds of spinal cord injury &... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3479745 Sat, 17 Apr 2010 15:18:59 +0100 3479745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3479746&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FwxY86yjElHQ%2F           Glaucoma is optic nerve damage that leads to progressive, irreversible loss of vision.  It is often, but not always, associated with increased eye pressure. The optic nerve is the main nerve to the eye (located in the back of the eye) that is responsible for transmitting electrical impulses to the brain.  Damage usually occurs as a result of elevated pressure of the fluid (aqueous humor) in the eye. This damage results in gradual visual changes and then loss of vision.  When there is a problem in the drainage, the fluid builds up in the eye and presses against the optic nerve (called intraocular pressure or IOP), resulting in glaucoma.  This increased fluid pressure actually pushes the optic nerve back into a ‘cupped’ or concave shape.  If the intraocular pressu... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3479746 Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:19:09 +0100 3479746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3471869&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FNfCHRnVydxo%2F              The labyrinth is the inner ear consisting of the vestibule, cochlear and semicircular canals.  The cochlea is concerned with hearing and the vestibule and semicircular canals with equilibrium (sense of balance).  The bony portion of the labyrinth (osseous labyrinth) is composed of a series of canals tunneled out of the temporal bone.  Labyrinthitis is an infection of the labyrinth, the fluid-filled chamber of the inner ear that controls balance and hearing.  It is almost always caused by viral infection, but can rarely be caused by bacteria.  The viral form may occur during a flu-like illness or during illnesses such as measles or mumps.  Bacterial labyrinthitis can result from inadequately treated or sub-acute otitis media (infection of the middle ear).  Inf... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3471869 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:46:21 +0100 3471869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3467839&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FcvHo0cow9go%2F GUEST POST BY ANDREW WOLFE, LMP, MMs “Medical Massage Therapy and Insurance Coverage.”  By Andrew Wolfe, LMP, MMs. Medical massage therapy is recognized as a health care provision under rehabilitation outpatient coverage under most major medical plans.  Specific plan coverage’s vary according to the benefit package your plan and/or employer offer.  Medical massage therapy definition is the ability to heal, restore and improve function which was otherwise compromised due to illness, injury, disease or surgery.  It must be a part of a treatment plan your primary care provider recommends as medically necessary to restore lost function. Provisions are also given towards motor vehicle accident (PIP) and worker’s compensation-labor and industry (L&I), job injury reco... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3467839 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:28:37 +0100 3467839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3463662&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FXMjj2Veq2nE%2F           Pneumonia is an infection of one or both lungs.  It occurs when either bacteria or viruses get stuck in the lungs – the germs multiply and form an infected area.  In order to understand it, things you should know include something about the lungs and what they do. When you breathe in, you pull oxygen into your lungs.  That oxygen travels through breathing tubes and eventually gets into your blood through the alveoli.  Alveoli are tiny air sacs covered in tiny blood vessels called capillaries.  When oxygen-rich air reaches the alveoli, it can be absorbed into the blood and then your red blood cells carry oxygen all over your body.  When an individual has pneumonia, his or her lungs can’t do their job as well as they usually do.  The reason is because th... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3463662 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:15:31 +0100 3463662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460236&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FrAU3dxmDo3A%2F           Your urinary tract is the system that makes urine and carries it out of your body.  It includes your bladder and kidneys and the tubes that connect them.  A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that begins in your urinary system.  Your urinary system is composed of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.  Any part of your urinary system can become infected, but most infections involve the lower urinary tract – the urethra and the bladder.  In general, the farther the organ in the urinary tract from the place where the bacteria enter, the less likely the organ is to be infected.  Most urinary tract infections are bladder infections.  A bladder infection usually is not serious if it is treated right away.  If you do not take care of a bladder infe... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460236 Sun, 11 Apr 2010 17:29:06 +0100 3460236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3456738&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FjCnBLQM--CE%2F           With spring already here and the summer months soon approaching, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the warning signs of melanoma.  Melanoma is a form of skin cancer; it is the most serious type, but it is also the least common.  All skin cancers start in the cells of the upper layer of your skin, called the epidermis.  There are three different types of skin cancer:  squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and melanoma.  Melanoma begins in skin cells called melanocytes.  Melanocytes are the cells that make melanin, which gives skin its color.  Melanin also protects the deeper layers of the skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.  When people spend time in the sunlight, the melanocytes make more melanin and cause the skin to tan... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3456738 Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:00:33 +0100 3456738 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3456739&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FUlEjOliHxUU%2F           I feel so fortunate that I did not suffer any complications with either one of my pregnancies, particularly due to my age (41 with the last son).  Because of my age and the fact that I had previous cervical cancer and blood clots, I was a high risk patient with both pregnancies.  People do not realize that there are so many things that can go wrong with a pregnancy.  I’m surprised that mothers and babies were so healthy back in the era of my grandparents and before!  One very interesting diagnosis to watch carefully is placenta previa.  It occurs in about one in 200 pregnancies.  Women who’ve had a placenta previa in a previous pregnancy have a 4 to 8 percent chance of a recurrence.  According to the American Pregnancy Association, there are approximately ... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3456739 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 21:55:09 +0100 3456739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3453980&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FO8MxFrswkCY%2F           Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological diseases, affecting more than 5.5 million women in North America alone.  The two most common symptoms of endometriosis are pain and infertility.  Some women have pain before and during their periods, as well as during or after sex. This pain can be so intense that it affects a woman’s quality of life, from her relationships, to her day-to-day activities.  Some women don’t have any symptoms from endometriosis.  Others may not find out they have the disease until they have trouble getting pregnant.  The word endometriosis comes from the word “endometrium” – endo meaning “inside” and metrium meaning “mother.” Health care providers call the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus (where a mot... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3453980 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 21:16:12 +0100 3453980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3443782&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FLds048tgvPc%2F             Depression affects approximately 19 million Americans, or 9.5% of the population in any given one-year period.  At some point in their lives, 10%-25% of women and 5%-12% of men will likely become clinically depressed.  In fact, it affects so many people that it is often referred to as the “common cold” of mental illness.  Depression not only causes suffering to those who are depressed, but it also causes great difficulty for their family and friends who often do not know how to help.  Clinical depression affects all aspects of a person’s life.  It impairs our ability to sleep, eat, work, and get along with others.  It damages our self-esteem, self-confidence, and our ability to accomplish everyday tasks. People who are depressed find daily task... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3443782 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:41:19 +0100 3443782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3440882&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2F1jJoiJJwjsk%2F           One of the most interesting diseases I have come across in nursing is esophageal varices.  These are swollen veins in the lining of the lower esophagus near the stomach.  They are usually caused by liver failure, cirrhosis or other conditions that result in reduced blood flow through the liver.  This reduced blood flow causes blood to back-up into veins in the esophagus and stomach forming varices.  Swollen veins in the esophagus or stomach resemble the varicose veins that some people have in their legs.  The enlargement causes the walls of the veins to stretch and become fragile.  Because the veins in the esophagus are so close to the surface of the esophagus, swollen veins in this location can rupture and cause dangerous bleeding.            Esophageal ... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3440882 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:15:02 +0100 3440882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3435108&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2Fi5vowIaWt8o%2F           If you have ever known anyone that has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, it is no joke!  Contrary to what some believe, fibromyalgia is NOT psychological burn out or depression, it is NOT laziness, whining or malingering.  It IS the result of widespread dysfunction in the body and the brain that is hard to understand, difficult to diagnose and treat, and so far, impossible to cure.  In a nutshell, fibromyalgia is widespread pain in the muscles and soft tissues above and below the waist and on both sides of the body.  It is actually a syndrome – a set of symptoms that happen together but do not have a known cause.  In this syndrome, the nervous system(nerves, spinal cord, and brain) is not able to control what it feels, so ordinary feelings from your muscles, j... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3435108 Sat, 03 Apr 2010 15:37:43 +0100 3435108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3435109&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FXU8sRQXm6ks%2F         Lupus, also known as lupus erythematosus, is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder that occurs mostly in women.  A healthy immune system is one that can protect you from germs and illness.  It makes antibodies which are special chemicals that fight off infection.  With a disease like lupus, the immune system gets confused and begins attacking the healthy cells in your body.  It does this by making autoantibodies, which are antibodies that attack the body’s normal cells.  Lupus produces widely varying symptoms, although joint pain is reported by most patients and skin lesions are common.  Lupus can cause short periods of symptoms alternating with healthy periods, or can progress into a life-threatening disorder affecting the heart, kidneys and other organs.  Peopl... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3435109 Sat, 03 Apr 2010 01:59:36 +0100 3435109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429255&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2F31Tn-nvxqt4%2F           Headaches are really a ‘pain’.  Almost everyone gets them.  You may have experienced one with the flu, with a cold or even with a hangover.  Some people get pain in the temples and the back of the head from a busy day at work – referred to as a tension headache.  Most of these headaches produce a dull pain around the front, top and sides of the head.  But a migraine is different.  Migraine sufferers are generally very sensitive to light and sound during an attack and this is why it has been traditional to lie down in a quiet and dark room until an attack passes.  In addition to symptoms associated with the head, migraines can also be accompanied by a variety of other symptoms including nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, a pale facial color and cold hands and... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429255 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:14:52 +0100 3429255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3424941&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FMUUEQoFeEUk%2F      This was a guest post done by me for Sandra Stevens on 03/28/2010.  Sandra’s site addresses help and training issues for certified nursing assistants.  She posted as a guest here on 03/27/2010.  Often bloggers exchange information on one another’s  blog site.  If you would like to see the original, please visit Sandra’s site at:  www.cnatraininghelp.com                 Good morning readers.  By way of introduction, my name is Stephanie Jewett.  I have been a registered nurse for 30+ years in a host of fields and also hold a MBA from Regis University in Denver, Co.  I’m going to talk a little bit about how I got the idea to go into nursing school, some of the reasons I love nursing and other options for nurses that want to be out of the... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3424941 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:17:49 +0100 3424941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420560&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FYq5utR-pBsc%2F          My oldest son had roseola when he was about 18 months old.  The fever was extremely high and he was actually hospitalized, had several tests, and finally he broke out in a rash.  I felt kind of dumb as a nurse (I had never heard of the disease) but when the doctors were also puzzled, I didn’t feel so stupid and I was glad they took full precautionary measures.  Also referred to as the sixth disease, or roseola infantum, the disease is usually a harmless illness caused by a virus.  It occurs almost only in children age 3 months to 3 years, most often between 9-12 months.  It is probably the most common cause of fever in this age group.  This virus generally causes 3 days of high fever (often over 103).  The fever then subsides, and the child breaks out in a flat or... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420560 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:07:42 +0100 3420560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420561&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FKGWZE-3JaUg%2F           Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease, which means the body’s defense mechanism, the immune system, begins to attack the body’s own tissues instead of foreign invaders, such as viruses.  It is a chronic (long-lasting) and rare disease that affects the way muscles respond to signals from nerves, leading to muscle weakness.  In myasthenia gravis, the immune system attacks the acetylcholine receptors with specific antibodies.  Some of the receptors are destroyed or blocked, which means that the chemical message cannot be received.  Therefore, muscles do not contract properly and become weak.  It has been estimated that up to 80% of the receptors can be damaged in this disease.  The disease can occur at any age, but it mainly affects women between... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420561 Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:23:52 +0100 3420561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420562&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FJT-dB1UntFc%2F Why Many Nursing Schools Require Students to Hold a CNA Certification If you have been looking into nursing school, you have noticed that many nursing programs require you to have your CNA certification before you can apply for the nursing curriculum.  You can receive CNA certification by completing an accredited nursing assistant certification program.  Additionally, you will need to receive a passing score on a certification exam.  Completing certification as a nursing assistant will help to provide you with the building blocks for an education and later a career as a nurse.  There are many skills that you will learn when you are training to be a nursing assistant.  You will learn to assist patients with activities of daily living and even to oversee range of motion exercises for pa... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420562 Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:21:13 +0100 3420562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420563&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FG99CC0p7Nfg%2F                  I have a friend and past co-worker that just went to Rochester, Mn., and she was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease.  Her symptoms were difficulty speaking and weakness in the legs and arms.  It was almost as though she had been drugged.  Lou Gehrig’s disease may take several months to know for sure that someone has the disorder.  It can cause symptoms similar to other diseases that affect the nerves and muscles, like Parkinson’s disease or a stroke.  The disease is a disorder that is also referred to as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.  Amyotrophic comes from the Greek language.  ”A” means no or negative.  “Myo” refers to muscle, and “trophic” means nourishment: “No muscle nourishment”.  ... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420563 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:15:16 +0100 3420563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3408415&cid=t_343866_107_f&fid=34860&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corporeality.net%2Fmuseion%2F2010%2F03%2F25%2Fdrawing-medical-museum-artefacts-second-workshop-at-medical-museion%2F On Monday 22nd March we held the second group drawing workshop at Medical Museion. I was joined by five others to draw one of the artefacts from the ‘6 ting og sager’ exhibition. The specimen is the skeleton of a young child who had suffered with Rickets or ’English disease’ as it is known here. What was most noticable about the morning was the intense silence. We are used to sitting for a couple of hours at the cinema or in front of the tv. but it is rare to be amongst a group of people who spent two hours staring at a single, static object. The drawing session allowed those who had already seen the specimen to re-see it in a new way and offered a new experience for those who had never seen it before. All found they saw more and more detail the longer they spent looking ... Biomedicine on Display blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3408415 Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:37:04 +0100 3408415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420564&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FZZDG1Ho_EvE%2F           Shingles, also called herpes zoster, is a painful rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox.  Once a person has had chickenpox, the virus can live, but remains inactive in certain nerve roots within the body.  If it becomes active again, usually later in life, it can cause shingles.  In the United States, 98% of adults have been infected with the chickenpox virus.  If you are an adult, chances are you are one of many at risk for developing shingles.  As you get older, or if your immune system gets weak, the varicella-zoster virus may escape from the nerve cells and cause shingles.  If you have had the chickenpox vaccine, you are less likely to get chickenpox and therefore less likely to later develop shingles.  Most people who get shingles are more than... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420564 Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:26:15 +0100 3420564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420565&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FxU95Ht2k1g4%2F           Cystic fibrosis or CF is an inherited disease involving epithelial cells.  Epithelial cells are found lining the skin, sweat glands, and respiratory, gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts.  In people with cystic fibrosis, the epithelial cells do not function properly.  These impaired cells cause abnormal regulation of the flow of salts and water.  The result is abnormal secretions such as a thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs.  It is a life-threatening disorder that causes severe lung damage and nutritional deficiencies.  The affected gene, which is inherited from a child’s parents, is a recessive gene.  With recessive genes, children need to inherit two copies of the gene, one from each parent, in order to have the disease.  If children inherit on... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420565 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:02:58 +0100 3420565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420566&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FnT5CNi779fk%2F Good morning readers:  Just a quick post to let you know that there is some wonderful FREE information for you if you are considering blogging.  The Income Blogging Guide, written by Andrew Rondeau and Joel Williams, has helped me immensely in setting up my blog site, Nursing Comments.  The materials include how to set up your blog, themes you might consider for your blog, establishing your own ‘niche’, getting the appropriate domain and hosting carrier AND probably the most important – making money with your blog.  It is great for beginners (such as I was just this year).  I highly recommend this study packet to ease the frustration of starting your own blog!  You can get the copy for FREE at: http://www.incomebloggingguide.com/ Stephanie (Source: Nursing Comments) Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420566 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:18:30 +0100 3420566 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420567&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2Fs9HhSbVBGp0%2F           Leukemia is a rather complex form of cancer.  The term refers to cancers of the white blood cells, which are also called leukocytes or WBCs.  The disorder actually starts in the tissue that forms the blood.  To understand the cancer disease more thoroughly, it helps to know that normal blood cells develop from cells in the bone marrow called stem cells.  Bone marrow is the soft material located in the center of most bones.  Stem cells mature into different kinds of blood cells, and each one has a specific purpose.  White blood cells help fight infection in our bodies.  Red blood cells carry oxygen to tissues throughout the body.  Platelets help form blood clots that control bleeding.           Leukemia develops when the marrow produces far too many white... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420567 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 10:30:57 +0100 3420567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420568&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2F-nSGu_fgE_E%2F I’m taking a break from the normal post today for two reasons: We are on vacation for a quick week in Marco Island, Florida! There is a contest at Lydia’s Uniforms blog for the best of the top 25 nursing blogs. First of all, the pictures are of my two sons, Ryland (22) and Kingsley (14).  Ryland is pictured with the longer hair; Kingsley is my ‘little’ one with shorter hair.  The picture of all three includes my father, Jerry (84).  He has rented a condominium here every winter for the last 28 years to get out of the beastly cold in Iowa!  He stated this was the coldest winter in southern Florida that he can remember in all of those years.  My youngest son was watching the news on the computer last night and learned that our home town had just received another ‘last blast�... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420568 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 10:29:46 +0100 3420568 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420569&cid=t_343866_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2FLbkt_dOiLLo%2F           Septicemia is a serious, life-threatening infection that gets worse very quickly.  It is a systemic infection, usually caused by bacteria of various types contaminating a person’s blood. When septicemia is not treated with the appropriate antibiotics, the infected blood can then contaminate other organs or tissues of the body, creating life-threatening infections.  There are many things that can cause septicemia, most notably, cuts that have become infected.  You have probably heard of ‘blood poisoning’ or ‘bacteremia with sepsis’ or possibly ‘systemic inflammatory response syndrome’ – these are all alternative names for septicemia.  This disease is rare, but absolutely devastating.           Infections of the mouth or teeth, when untreated b... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420569 Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:14:39 +0100 3420569 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3159767&cid=t_343866_107_f&fid=34860&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corporeality.net%2Fmuseion%2F2010%2F01%2F11%2Fboswells-new-gospel-of-science-is-an-embarassing-experience%2F Musician John Boswell has just released the third part (called ‘The Unbroken Thread’) in his Symphony of Science series of music videos — the explicit goal of which is to bring scientific knowledge and philosophy to the masses, in a novel way, through the medium of music. Boswell’s thing is to remix and tune the spoken words of famous scientists like Jane Goodall, Stephen Hawking etc. with high-profiled popularizers (David Attenborough, Carl Sagan, Richard Dawkin, etc.) and combine them with footage and his own electronic music compositions. I really don’t know what to say. One side of me just loves to watch and hear the four secular gospels of the creation of the world — i.e., the history of the Universe, the history of the Earth, the history of Lif... Biomedicine on Display blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3159767 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:00:22 +0100 3159767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807624&cid=t_343866_107_f&fid=34860&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corporeality.net%2Fmuseion%2F2009%2F09%2F18%2Fscience-online-london-2009-%25e2%2580%2593-second-life-online-outreach-blogging-and-the-future-of-science-communication%2F A few weeks ago I attended the Science Online London 2009 conference – a conference on science communication in the new era of “the Web”. As they wrote on the conference homepage: The Web is rapidly changing the communication, practice and culture of science. Science online London 2009 will explore the latest trends in science online. How is the Web affecting the work of researchers, science communicators, journalists, librarians, educators, students? What can you do to make the best use of the growing number of online tools? The conference itself made good use of the online tools. As an apropriate feature it was possible to attend the conference online via Second Life (SL) instead of on site (in ‘First’ or ‘Real’ life). So I attended the conferenc... Biomedicine on Display blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807624 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:00:19 +0100 2807624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1368873&cid=t_343866_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fwart-doctor.html My daughter enjoys a play date at someone else’s house. The boys and I wait in the waiting room. We are always the last appointment of the day, a huge consideration for the doctor. His daughter, now an adult, is also on the spectrum. He is patient, gives choices, speaks simply and clearly. He is swift and gently firm. I expect he is similarly professional with all his patients, but I can’t help feeling that he gives a little more with mine.We are alone. The sniveling heap is curled up on my lap, turtle style, all 72 pounds of him. I stroke his back and try not to count his xylophone vertebrae. His little brother does his best rendition of ‘waiting.’ He knows what is to follow. The screams may not be as loud as his own, but he’s not used to the competition. His coping mechanism is... Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1368873 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 22:17:00 +0100 1368873