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The recent cases of Ebola in the United States have revealed significant risk management concerns for the treatment of this disease or any other infectious disease. Because the potential liability is so high, risk managers should consider their hospitals readiness for such an emergency.
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If a patient shows up at your emergency department (ED) with risk factors for Ebola, are you ready to fulfill your obligations under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA)? Complying might not be a simple task.
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Clinicians deal with plenty of dangerous substances and infectious diseases, but the idea of caring for an Ebola patient can make even the most dedicated nurse waver. When employees are reluctant to take on that task, risk managers must ensure that the hospital is not violating employment laws that might apply.
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The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) has issued a proposed rule that would amend the safe harbors to the anti-kickback statute and the civil monetary penalty (CMP) rules to protect certain payment practices and business arrangements from criminal prosecution or civil sanction.
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The patient, an adult man, was scheduled for a standard cataract surgery in 2008 on his left eye. During the procedure, the ophthalmologist ordered a dye named VisionBlue that is used to stain the cataract in the eye so that it can be more easily visualized and removed during the surgery. However, although the ophthalmologist ordered the correct dye, the nurse who fulfilled the request instead brought methylene blue rather than the correct VisionBlue.
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The probiotic movement is rapidly growing and, although to date no probiotics have been approved by the FDA, they are actively marketed to the public as either foods or dietary supplements. It behooves the primary care physician to be familiar with the science, indications, and appropriate usage of probiotic therapies.
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Johnston BC, et al. Comparison of weight loss among named diet programs in overweight and obese adults: A meta-analysis.
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An objective, laboratory based diagnostic tool for depression would be extremely helpful to primary care physicians. This study using nine biomarkers holds promise that a blood test may be able to identify depressed patients among non-depressed primary care patients
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The FDA has approved two drugs for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Pirfenidone is an antifibrotic agent and nintedanib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Both products were approved on a fast-track priority review, with orphan status and breakthrough designation. Pirfenidone is marketed by InterMune as Esbriet and nintedanib as Ofev by Boehringer Ingelheim.
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This 150-day, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial (RCT) with 465 healthy adult volunteers (mean age 37 years old) was designed to examine the effects of probiotics on the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI).
