The patient length of stay following elective inpatient orthopedic surgeries is approximately 4.2 days on average now.1 This means that following surgery the patient or their caregiver are in charge of the majority of their own wound care. Failure to provide patients with adequate information regarding how to properly care for their healing incisions and [...]
Confusion regarding isolation guidelines in the healthcare setting is frequently brought up as an issue among workers. A solid foundation of knowledge regarding the proper precautions to take is imperative to maintaining patient wellbeing. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has published a set of recommendations structured to help prevent the transmission of infectious agents [...]
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that approximately 385,000 sharps-related injuries occur each year among health care workers in hospitals. The actual value of these injuries is likely even higher, since it has been estimated that nearly half of sharps injuries are never reported.2Proper use and disposal of sharps is critical [...]
Supplemental oxygen therapy can be crucial in a patient’s care, but nurses must have a solid foundation of understanding of how it works, when to use it, and how to perform ongoing assessment of the patient’s response to treatment in order for oxygen to be administered appropriately and safely. When Is Oxygen Therapy Indicated? [...]
Bone fractures can be a particularly painful and debilitating injury for individuals to have to endure. For people over the age of 50 with a fracture, there is a relatively high chance that the fracture is related to osteoporosis. A fracture may also be the first indication that osteoporosis is present since the process of [...]
Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) is a medical code set used to report medical, surgical, and diagnostic services. CPT codes are an integral part of the billing process for health care entities and providers because the codes indicate to insurance payers the specific procedures they are seeking reimbursement for. These codes can also be used by [...]
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weekly flu report, there were as many as 26.3 million flu illnesses, 12.4 million medical visits and 347,000 flu hospitalizations between October 1, 2018 and March 2, 2019.1Flu season may not have reached its peak this season, and with weeks of flu activity still to [...]
As described in the previous blog post, childhood obesity has recently been deemed a national public health crisis due to its prevalence and the significant lifelong impacts obesity can have on children’s physical and psychosocial well-being.1,2 Despite health care professionals being aware of this problem and its associated potential consequences, many report a sense of [...]
Childhood overweight and obesity rates have been rising at an alarming rate over the past 3 decades. According to the CDC, the percentage of children in the United States classified as being obese has increased from 6.5% in 1976-1980 to 17.4% in 2013-2014, and the percentage of adolescents who are obese has increased from 5.0% [...]
Alzheimer’s disease is marked by a progressive decline in memory and cognition, and it is the most common neurodegenerative disorder.1At this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), the largest international meeting devoted to developing and sharing the latest research related to this disease,2the results of an innovative clinical trial using focused ultrasound for facilitating drug [...]