Several letters to the editor in the New York Times have good thoughts on the critical topic of reducing hospital-acquired infections. It’s important not just to exhort hospital administrators to try harder, but to set up incentives that reward safety and punish harm. One incentive not discussed in these letters is a national mandatory disclosure….
Continue ReadingArchives for July 2009
A Safe — and Gentle — Approach to End-of-Life Decisions
Many elderly patients suffer protracted, and expensive, deaths as health care providers pummel them with technological fixes for bodies that have already worn out. The dilemma is that while no doctor wants to give futile care that tortures more than it heals, no one also wants to be guilty of euthanasia or abandoning their patient…..
Continue ReadingAcetaminophen (Tylenol): What Is a Safe Dose When You Drink Alcohol Regularly?
The recent news that an FDA advisory panel has proposed that Vicodin and Percocet be taken off the market because of their acetaminophen content has prompted a discussion about the overall safety of this drug, which is best known as Tylenol and is present in a number of both prescription and over-the-counter pain drugs. The….
Continue ReadingThousands Exposed to Hep-C by Rogue Surgery Tech
The news from Colorado that a drug-addicted surgery technician had exposed thousands of patients to the Hepatitis-C virus raises questions about the institutions’ procedures for protecting patients. According to news accounts, the surgery tech, Kristen Parker, swapped her dirty syringes, filled with saline, for clean ones filled with Fentanyl, in operating rooms at Rose Medical….
Continue ReadingMalpractice Payments Are Far Under 1% of U.S. Medical Costs
Malpractice payouts to injured patients and families declined for the third year in a row and amount to somewhere between 0.18% and 0.6% of U.S. medical costs, according to a new study from Public Citizen. It would be great if improved patient safety was responsible for the decline, but that is highly unlikely, according to….
Continue ReadingGeriatric Doctors Are Valuable Aids for Any Elderly Patient
Elderly patients are different. They are more sensitive to some drugs, less to others, have unusual presentations of common conditions, and otherwise are not that easy to diagnose and treat when the doctor is used to dealing with younger patients. Bemoaning the lack of required geriatric training in medical schools, geriatrician Dr. Rosanne Leipzig gave….
Continue ReadingThe Patient Advocate: Your Guide to the Health Care Maze
Having an ally to help you negotiate the health care maze can be absolutely critical to obtaining the best medical care, especially if you are sick enough that you’re not thinking as clearly as usual. A patient advocate does not need any special training in medicine or nursing — just an inquisitive mind and persistence….
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