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The incidence of legionellosis in the United States increased significantly in 2003-2005 compared to previous years. This was due mostly to an upsurge of cases in the northeastern and southern United States and a shift of disease from elderly to middle-aged adults. Legionellosis should be considered as a potential cause of pneumonia in a broad range of patients, rather than a small subset with specific risk factors.
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Many physicians have followed the historical practice of ordering blood cultures to be drawn as close as possible to the time of the peak of the febrile episode (fever spike). In the absence of prescient knowledge of this moment, physicians order blood cultures to be drawn at intervals ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours. A paper by Jaimes et al suggested that many factors, other than fever, such as shaking chills, WBC counts, hypotension, and more were needed to better predict whether a patient was experiencing bacteremia.
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Home health nurses, aides, and therapists do a wonderful job caring for their patients, so it is natural that the patients and families want to thank them with gifts. Unfortunately, the size and type of gift can put the employee and agency in the uncomfortable position of being accused of theft if strict guidelines are not developed and followed.
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Checking a potential employee's background is harder than ever, with previous employers reluctant to give much information about the employee beyond the dates they worked at the organization.
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A chronic care program for diabetics at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Tucson, AZ, provides recommended care at a reduced cost and copay, helps them develop self-management goals, and supports them when they go back into their communities.
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When selected Medicare beneficiaries being treated at University of Michigan Health System facilities are discharged from the hospital medical unit or treated and released from the emergency department, case managers at the University of Michigan Faculty Group Practice Medical Management Center call them to make sure they have follow-up appointments and that they understand their treatment plan.
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Nurses, therapists, home care aides, and others who serve elderly and disabled patients in their own homes drive nearly 5 billion miles each year.
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"Home health nurse arrested for theft.".... "Family accuses home health nurse of stealing from patient." All home health managers cringe when they see the increasing number of headlines that proclaim home health nurses or aides as guilty of stealing from patients. Are these headlines aberrations, or is there a real, growing trend in the home health industry?
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Case conferences can be an excellent way to improve communications between staff members and ensure that the plan of care is up to date. The challenge presented by case conferences for hospice and home health agencies is the staff's perception that time spent in meetings is not time well spent for patient care.
