October 19th, 2009 by Dr. Val Jones in True Stories
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I’m working with a small team of primary care physicians in Vienna, Virginia. Part of their strategic business plan is to offer flu shots to local residents via office visits and house calls. Just last week I accompanied Dr. Alan Dappen on a series of flu shot house calls to the frail elderly. They were too weak to come to the office, but wanted to be protected from life-threatening flu. I was really proud to be able to care for them in their own homes and wondered how many emergency room visits we would avert this season with our strategy.
The answer may be “fewer than I thought” – but not for the reason I expected. As it turns out, a local pharmacy conglomerate has bought up most of the flu vaccine supply, so that our practice can’t get any more. Although we have hundreds of patients requesting flu shots, we just don’t have the goods. And I can tell you that the frail elderly (who would have benefited from our house calls) won’t go to the pharmacy to get them. They’ll be at risk for the flu, and will have to wait until we can get more vaccine – whenever that happens. Read more »
October 19th, 2009 by CodeBlog in Better Health Network, True Stories
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He knew she was angry with him.
“Whenever I come to see her, I reach out and take her hand, but she looks away.”
Husband and wife for well over 50 years, they had been through a lot. They met in another country in another time, and to hear him tell it, it almost seemed fated that they’d end up together. Since then, they’d moved many times, raised a family, supported each other through myriad illnesses. They were growing old together.
Unfortunately, “growing old together” doesn’t always work out like we hope it will. Diseases and illnesses ravage our bodies; dementia ravages our brains. She’d long ago given up on their little garden in the backyard. It was her favorite hobby, but she couldn’t manage it anymore. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at code blog - tales of a nurse*
October 19th, 2009 by Happy Hospitalist in Better Health Network, True Stories
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I have a patient that comes in every so often that demands a PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter). PICC lines are convenient for patients and nurses and doctors because they can be used to obtain blood without needing to stick the patient on a daily basis. They can be kept in for weeks and weeks and weeks with proper care. They can maintain adequate IV access when old ladies and drug addicts present with poor veins. Often they save the patient during acute decompensations of their critical illness. However, they come with frequent complications. I have had my share of patients return to the hospital with sepsis from their PICC line. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at A Happy Hospitalist*
October 18th, 2009 by BarbaraFicarraRN in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News
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In a recent post, Swine Flu: H1N1 Flu Vaccine – Who Should Get It, Who Shouldn’t Get It and Is It Safe, a Healthin30 reader, Doriorio posted a comment and questioned the safety of the H1N1 Flu Vaccine.
Doriorio writes:
“Hi. Thanks for a great post. My pediatrician expressed concern to me about potential adjuvants in the H1N1 vaccines, saying that there are six manufacturers and potentially a wide variety in the vaccines among them. I know adjuvants are used more widely in Europe, but it’s not clear if the ones that may be used in the H1N1 vaccines have been tested for side effects. I think given the groups being prioritized for this vaccine, for instance infants, we should not be taking any chances in administering anything untested via vaccine. It conjures up the smallpox vaccine fiasco in the 1970s where the government had to set aside a vaccine injury compensation program for injured parties, some of whom were permanently affected. What do you know about adjuvants being added and the safety claims being made by the CDC when testing time has obviously been nonexistent.” Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*
October 18th, 2009 by Shadowfax in Better Health Network, True Stories
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I walked out the back of the ER tonight to see this in the ambulance bay:
And this inside: Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Movin' Meat*
